How do I register for class?
Click on Registration Options at the top of this page. You will
register with one of our partners. We do not register students
directly. Choose where you wish to register based upon whether you
wish to take the class for college credit or for a certificate from one of
our non-profit organization partners. If you are registering with one of our partners such as the American
Society of Professional Estimators, South
Florida AGC, or SDSU
then go to
their web site and fill out their registration form.
Once you have completed the registration process then we will issue a
password and get you started in the course.
Top
What is an online course?
An Online
course is a class offered over the Internet The amount of work
required of the student and the learning goals are no different than
regular face-to-face classes. Students interact with each other
and the teacher by email and threaded discussion groups. One on one chat
sessions with the teacher are available to the student by request.
Students must have Internet access and an email account. See the
definitions of paced and self-paced courses for more information.
Top
You can visit
our demonstration course by clicking on this link.
Top
What hours must I be in the online classroom?
You choose the time to attend class. Most of our courses require
about 4 or 5 hours per week of effort on your part. You can expect
to log into the online classroom early in the week when the weekly module
is released and spend 45 minutes to an hour online with the new
material. Then, log in 4 or 5 more times per week for 30 minutes or
so to keep up with the discussions and make your contributions.
Top
Do I have to be online for 3 hours at a time?
No. The correct way to take an online class is to log into the
course often for short periods of time. You will spend a bit more
time online early in the week when the weekly lesson is released.
Then, as the week progresses, log on often to monitor and contribute to
the discussion, case studies, and problem solving exercises.
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What if I have to go out of town while
class is in session?
You can log onto the course from any computer with an Internet
connection. If you will be away from the Internet then try to do the
weeks work either before you leave or as soon as you get back. You
can work on the current lesson for an 8 day period without being late for
anything. If you are late with some assignments, a small grading
penalty is assessed but that should not affect your overall grade if you
keep up with your work throughout the course.
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How do students learn in an online course?
Students learn by being actively involved in the course.
That means participating in discussion groups where case studies,
industry problems and other topics are discussed. You will submit your
contribution or opinion or response to a discussion question by using the
classroom bulletin board.
You may also want to respond to what another student has submitted.
You will work out the solutions to problems, discuss case studies of
common construction situations, and study your textbook. We also
take Internet tours to interesting and topical web site.
Top What computer set up should I have to take the class?
If you can surf the Internet then you probably have everything you need
for the online course. I suggest at least a 133 mhz Pentium
computer, a 28.8 k connection to the Internet, and either Internet
Explorer or Netscape Navigator as a browser. Web TV will not work
with the course and Netscape 6.0 is not recommended. Top How will I interact with the teacher?
We have several communication tools available to us. We know how
important it is for the teacher to be available to the student. You
can use the in-classroom email system, the regular email system, the
classroom bulletin boards, the chat room, or the telephone to interact
with the teacher. Top How do I get to the online classroom?
Once you have completed the registration process you will be sent your
password and a link to the online classroom. Just click on the link
we send and you will be in the classroom. Top Is an online class easier than a sit-in-a-classroom class?
No, they are about the same as far as difficulty is concerned. Don't
take an online class if you are just looking for an easy way to get a
grade. You will learn as much and work as hard in our online courses
as you would in a classroom course. Top Will you keep me informed of upcoming classes?
Yes! Just register for our email newsletter which is sent out once
per semester to announce upcoming classes. We send the newsletter
out about 3 weeks before class starts. You can register for the
newsletter from the home page of this web
site. Rest assured that we keep your information confidential.
Your email address will only be used to send our newsletter and you can
ask to be taken off the mailing list at any time.
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