An Online Course at a Glance

Before the First Course | During and After the Course | Understanding Education Online Support Roles

Course Structure

Education Online consists of two types of interactions: asynchronous (Moodle) and synchronous (Blackboard Collaborate, also referred to as Elluminate). Moodle is the chosen Learning Management System (LMS) for the College of Education. This can be considered your online reservoir of static course information (i.e. syllabus, reading assignments, course assignments, etc). Blackboard Collaborate (Elluminate) is an innovative video conferencing technology, and it is where your scheduled class sessions will take place. Synchronous sessions are held on regular schedule throughout your semester or term (See the chart above).

Before Your First Course: Practice Session

Most courses will hold a required synchronous "Practice Session" prior to the first officially scheduled class. Typically, the Practice Session will occur one week before your first scheduled class meeting on the corresponding night and time as your actual course (i.e. if your course is scheduled for Wednesday nights from 6-8pm, your Practice Session would likely be on the Wednesday before your first class and would start at 6pm). During the Practice Session, we will utilize the same technology and structure as your regular course so you go into your first real Blackboard Collaborate (Elluminate) session prepared! Prior to the Practice Session, you will receive an email from your course support staff that will instruct you when to log in and provide configuration instructions to be certain your computer is set up to use the software. For your actual course synchronous sessions, Blackboard Collaborate (Elluminate) is accessed through a link in your course Moodle. Should you encounter any problems, please contact the Education Online team immediately; we are here to help!

While each course has its own dedicated support staff, there are general methods of contacting Education Online support:

• Local Phone: 217.333.2603
• Toll Free: 1.800.252.1360, ext. 3.2603
• Email: educationonline@illinois.edu

Should you experience technical difficulties, please contact us immediately. The technical support team is here to help you with any technical problems you may encounter with the programs and software we recommend on our Student Software Site. We cannot guarantee the ability to support software that is not listed on our site.

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During the Course

When the course begins, you will interact with the instructor and your peers on a regular basis. Your communicatiosn will be dual, meaning they will take place asynchronous- and synchronously. Directly below are examples of ways you can expect to communicate within Education Online.

Synchronous Activity and Participation (Blackboard Collaborate/Elluminate)

• Live lectures
• Real time group discussion / presentation
• Guest speakers

Asynchronous Activity and Participation (Moodle)

• Access reading materials and videos
• Participate with your classmates on the discussion forum
• Submit assignments
• Receive instructor feedback

After the Course

Education Online is always looking for ways to improve the quality of each instructor, and the quality of each course. One way to accomplish our goal of bettering our program is through ICES (Instructor and Course Evaluation System). At the end of each course, you will receive an invitation to complete an ICES online evaluation. ICES are confidential, and instructors will not see the results until after grades are posted so please complete them and give honest feedback!

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Understanding Education Online Support Roles

There are multiple types of support available to you in Education Online to ensure that you will never be on your own. Your Program Coordinator will be your primary point of contact for logistical information pertaining to the program. If you are looking for academic advice, you can speak to the instructor(s) of your course(s), or you can schedule a virtual appointment with the Faculty Coordinator of your program. While you are engaged in a course, you will likely work with both a Teaching Assistant (TA) and Course Technical Assistant (CA). Your TA will be able to answer specific questions about your course, and can assist with content-related issues. Your CA can help if ever you are having a technical issue that you're not able to work out on your own.Even if you are unsure of who to ask for assistance, please let us know if there are any issues you are unable to work out on your own. We will direct you to the right place!

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