What is the format of online Dual Enrollment courses?

There are two type of online dual enrollment courses: Online Learning Group and Independent Study

Online Learning Group courses are divided into fifteen weeks and typically have assignments due in the middle and at the end of each week. The weekly activities are opened one week at a time, typically on Fridays.

Independent Study courses are self-paced and span over fifteen weeks. All assignments are due by the last day of class. However, these courses require a high level of responsibility and self-discipline to ensure that you pace yourself to finish all requirements of the course successfully by the end of the semester.

What is the format of Adult Undergraduate and Graduate courses?

All A&GS courses are delivered in an accelerated format (with a few exceptions). The length of the course is determined by the course credit load. For example, a 2-credit course is 4 weeks long, a 3-credit course is 6 weeks long, and a 4-credit course is 8 weeks long. You will have access to all weekly materials and activities throughout the entire course. You should expect to spend 18-20 hours per week to complete the course requirements.

In A&GS online courses, all course activities take place online and assignments are typically due in the middle and at the end of each week.

What academic resources are available in every course?

At the top of every course site you will find four icons that link to academic resources that you will need to succeed here at UNW:

Academic Information: Semester Calendar, Catalogs, Citation Resources, Achieving the Best in Your Writing, Library Research Introduction Video, More Library Tutorials, Course Etiquette

Student Services: ALPHA Center, Career Development, Campus Store, Counseling Services, DOSS, Library, PrayerWorks, Other Services

Student Orientations: Dual Enrollment Orientation, Moodle Orientation

Technology Help: Contact IT for Help, New Student Guide, Essential Software, Tech Requirements, Helps for Moodle, Helps for Word, Helps for Excel, Helps for Powerpoint, Helps for Email, Helps for Turnitin, Helps for Voicethread, Privacy/ Accessibility, IT Home

What communication tools are available in every course?

All course sites contain the following three forums:

• Announcements - This forum is where your instructor will post weekly announcements and important reminders throughout the course. Be sure to check it often and read all of the announcements. Only your instructor can post in this forum.
• Course Support Forum - This forum is where you and your classmates can post a questions that arise during the course. For example, a link is broken, you have a question about directions, or you have a question about the course content. You, your instructor, and your classmates can post answers to questions in this forum.
• Social Discussion Forum - This forum is for you to interact with other students about topics not related to the course. You can use this forum to share prayer requests or ask questions of other members of the class.

What should I do before a course starts?

Read the syllabus completely, paying close attention to policies, due dates, and textbook information. Then, complete the following activities in the Course Orientation Section at the top of the course site:

• Getting Started in Your Course - read and complete all tasks listed on the page
• Introductions Forum - get to know your classmates and instructor by posting a self-introduction
• Understanding Plagiarism Presentation and Quiz - learn and verify that you understand plagiarism definitions, policies and ways to avoid it; this quiz must be completed with 100% accuracy before any course assignments will be accepted. You have unlimited attempts.

• Student Responsibilities Exercise - verify your understanding of and agreement to the key policies and expectations before beginning a course; this exercise must be completed before any course assignments will be accepted.

What other common elements will I find in my courses?

At the bottom of every course site, you will find the End of Course Information Section.

• This section contains information about returning textbooks (if a textbook was provided to you by UNW), viewing final grades, and when the course site closes.

Many courses also contain the following elements:

• Rubrics Directory - view the grading criteria for all assignments here.
• Electronic Textbooks - if your course uses an eBook or open textbook, the link to the book will be located at the top of the course site.
• Weekly Overview Pages - if your course has weekly overview pages, be sure to read them at the beginning of each week. They contain information such as context for the topic of study, tips and notes, learning outcomes, and requirements for the week.

You will learn more about common course site activities when you complete the Moodle Orientation.

What do my instructors want me to know?

"Be proactive and your own advocate. Communicate with your instructor when something comes up that affects your participation in the course."

"Successful students take responsibility for their own learning. They understand the expectations of the course clearly. They read course announcements, understand the syllabus, and plan their time carefully. They foresee potential problems in their schedule and reach out for support before a crisis occurs. They engage with the course material and spend the appropriate amount of time preparing for assessments. They know how to ask for help and are respectful in their communications with the instructor and fellow students."

"Read the syllabus, assignment instructions, and rubrics carefully."

"Check your Northwestern email and course announcements regularly in order to keep informed about your courses."

"Take good notes based upon videos and readings."

"Consistently work multiple times per week."

"Turn assignments in on time."

“Deadlines are firm. Expectations are high. Time management is key.” 

"Review the feedback that your professor provides on assignments in order to learn, make improvements, and avoid making the same mistakes in the future."

“Successful students are conscientious toward classmates and instructors, curious about and engaged in course material, willing to keep track of information and deadlines, and ready to do more than the minimum required.”

What are the characteristics of a successful student?

These are words that faculty members use when describing a successful student.

How can I improving my writing skills?

In almost any course you take, you'll be required to write. Yet, good writing goes well beyond academics and into nearly every profession. The resource, Achieving the Best in Your Writing, offers you ways to improve your critical thinking and written communication skills, reduce frustrations or anxiety about writing, and increase your efficiency in producing compelling and original written work.

The lessons in the three units of this training ground provide the following to help you through some hard-to-navigate topics in academic and professional writing:

1. Advice, tips, and strategies
2. Tools and resources you can efficiently reference as needed
3. Practical examples of both what to do and what to avoid

You are encouraged to check out this training resource before classes begin and come back to it as needed after your get started in your courses.