University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences 2012 – 2013 Student ...

Distance/Online EducationORIENTATION: Prior to beginning your online courses, you will receive a username, password anddirections for logging into the course platform. At this time you will also be asked to complete a short,non-credit course titled: Introduction to Online Learning. This course will provide you with some generalinformation about online learning and assist you in navigating the platform software you will use to takeonline courses.BEING PREPARED: Your success in this program is based on your ability to use technology, if at anytime you find yourself lost or with questions you can try one of the following options:- check the myUSA portal Online Education tab for problem solving advice- for more helpful information see links provided at http://usa-document.com/is/- contact the program administrative assistantComputer EquipmentAs an online student you will be required to have access to or have your own computer. Check themyUSA portal Online Education tab for the most updated software requirements.Email AccountAs an online student you can request a university email address, continue to use your personal emailaddress or set up a Gmail account. See the link provided for more information: Gmail manual -http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/ultimate-guide-gmail-pdf/The ability to use email may well be one of the most important skills needed for your success online.You will use email to stay connected with faculty, other students and support staff at USA. Beginmonitoring your account as soon as possible. The university will frequently use email to sendimportant announcements and information. You in turn will be expected to be able to reply andinteract in a timely manner.You may wish to use the organizational features of your email software (folders, contacts, etc) tofacilitate email management. Plan on checking your email frequently and set up an electronic filingsystem for messages, delete those you have already dealt with and save attachments to a designatedarea on your hard drive.Remember to frequently check your “spam” or “junk” mailboxes. Sometimes University emails (.eduaddresses) are identified as “spam” and important information is missed because the email message isnot in your usual inbox.Below are some commonly accepted etiquette and style guides to follow:• Re-read and proof all of your messages before you send them, check that you are sending tothe correct person.• Do not use email for confidential messages.• Avoid long messages that could be better sent as an attachment• Remember, the receiver of your message cannot read your non-verbal communication. Becareful with humor or sarcasm, many people from all over the world will be a part of ourlearning environment-they may interpret your humor quite differently.• Use of upper case letters is considered to be “shouting”.• Avoid hitting the reply feature if you are on a list-serve and are trying to reply to only thesender of a message.All current email programs allow you to send a file that is attached to your email message. A commonuse for this feature is to send a word processing document such as a paper or assignment, attached toyour email message. It is common courtesy when sending an attachment to put the followinginformation into the body of your email message:• The name and version of the word processor you used• The platform you are usingUniversity of St. Augustine for Health Sciences 111