What to Expect in Online Courses
In each online course you’ll find most of the navigation is similar with tools and essential elements in the same place.
The interface has four main areas:
- Course Homepage – Where to begin your course journey
- Announcements – Course specific announcements created by your instructor
- Course Navigation – Links to tools and resources
- To do Area – Links to upcoming assignments and discussions
Online courses at Excelsior University are broken down into these learning modules, which are listed in order on the Homepage. Modules are chunks of related information and activities. Some modules may be one week long, while others may last multiple weeks. Refer to the Course Schedule in the Course Syllabus for more information on how long each module will last and when activities are due.
Each module generally contains:
- An overview statement, orienting you to the topics covered in the module
- Course and module outcomes, which are goals for completing the module
- Lecture or instructor notes, presentations, charts, etc. that explain the topics of the module
- Textbook readings, links to websites, videos, etc. that are required for you to complete for the module
- Activities to complete during the module, such as:
- discussions
- assignments
- quizzes
- exams
- journals
- Course-related questions discussion area where you can ask your instructor or classmates questions about the topics or activities in the module
The Inbox tool is a way to communicate privately with your instructor and other students within the course. The Inbox tool is located on the Canvas Navigation toolbar. Please note that this is not an e-mail account. People outside of the course cannot send messages to your Inbox, nor can you send message to people other than those in that course. If you are enrolled in multiple courses, you will have the option to select which course then select the user from that specific course to message. Please note that if you have your account notifications turned on for “Conversations”, you will receive a copy of the Inbox message sent to your email address in Canvas. Your email address is not viewable to other users, it’s only used as part of the Canvas notification action.
You will find at least one discussion question in each module. Discussion are a vital part of the online course experience. The Discussion Board allows students and instructors to post, read, and reply to messages posted from within a course. Discussions are strings of messages that have been posted and replied to. For example, one person can post a discussion message, and another person can read that message, post a reply, or choose to post their own unrelated message.
Assignments are one type of evaluation method that your instructor may choose to have you complete as part of your course. They can consist of many different kinds of submissions such as essay questions, papers, case studies, PowerPoint presentations, etc. Each assignment will include instructions and/or attachments, grading criteria and a due date.
Assessments are one type of evaluation method that your instructor may choose to have you complete as part of your course. Assessments are given in one of three forms: quiz, survey, or self-test and may have a variety of different question types. Your instructor will post instructions for each assessment, set a due date and timer (if applicable). Depending on the course and your instructor, there may be one or more assessments within each course.
The Grades tool displays grades for completed activities, such as assessments, assignments, graded discussion posts, etc. The assignments will be listed by due date and will indicate whether the assignment was submitted with a time stamp of submission, or if the assignment is missing. The instructor feedback and grading rubric is also availably by assignment with the Grades tool by simply clicking on the rubric icon or the discussion icon next to the assignment listed. If you have questions about what grades do/do not display in the Grades tool, please contact your instructor.
If a new grade has been added by your instructor, there will be a number indicator next to the Grades tab on your course navigation bar. Please note that if you have your account notifications turned on for “Grading”, you will receive a notification email sent to your email address in Canvas alerting you of a new grade.
When you enroll in an online course you will gain access to the CCS101: Academic Integrity course. This course is an introduction to the Excelsior University Honor Code and the University’s expectations for students in the area of academic integrity. We strongly recommend that you complete CCS101: Academic Integrity course prior to beginning your first course.
