The Online Classroom

Top tip:  don't procrastinate!  Check in on the class every single day!  Classes are not self-paced; you can't wait until the very end and then do everything all at once.  A major part of every class involves class participation, discussing assignments and problems with your classmates. This means that everyone needs to be doing the same assignments at approximately the same time. The difference is that you can come to class at 3 o'clock  in the morning, and if you have the Internet at home, you don't have to change out of your pajamas!   Another top tip:  ask for help right away!!  If you are having technical problems or don't understand what you are supposed to do, don't hesitate to contact your instructor or the distance ed coordinator immediately.  See Where to get help below.
What do I do first?
First, find your class on the Distance Education Home Page and click on it.  On your class page, you should find a "direct link to your classroom". Click on that and you will be taken to the log-in page. Your user i.d. will be your last name and the last four digits of your social security number. If your name is Janice Joplin and your social security number is #111-22-3333, then your user i.d. would be: joplin3333 Notice there are no capital letters and no spaces. Leave the password blank and click "Submit". Once into the classroom, you will be asked to make up your own password. Pick something easy to remember! If you have trouble logging in for the first time, go to our Help Page, and read How do I log into my online class?.
	Once you are in your class, you will see a list of links on the left side of the page:  Classroom will take you to your syllabus, class schedules, calendars, lectures and general information. Assignments will take you to a list of weekly assignments. Tests will take you to links for your quizzes, midterm and final exams. Forums will take you to the class discussion area. You will usually post your weekly discussion contributions to the Academic Forum, but this depends on how your instructor has set up these areas. You should always check the Announcements area for anything new. Colored icons will appear next to any forum that has new postings. Messages will connect you to the private message center. You can send a private message to your instructor or to any of your classmates using the Messages section.
Important Message to AOL users: The AOL browser is not compatible with our system, so you must take these steps in order to have everything working in your classroom area: Log onto the Internet using your AOL account. Minimize the AOL screen by clicking on the top right button that looks like a hyphen (-). If you're on a Mac, minimize by clicking on the yellow button on the top left corner. Open Netscape or Internet Explorer. Now go to the Gavilan Distance Education Page (http://www.gavilan.edu/disted/), find your class, and log into the class by following the directions above.
Where to get help:
Don't hesitate to ask for help!  Because this is an online course, we can't see you. We won't know that you're having problems. It will be up to you to get our attention. Be sure you read all the help pages--you might find the answer right away! Contact your instructor, using the email address she gave you in the syllabus. Call the Gavilan Library Reference Desk, at (408) 848-4806.  If there is no answer, leave a message with your name and your phone number and a librarian will get back to you. Visit the Gavilan Library Reference Desk.  The Library is open Monday to Thursday, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Fridays, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Contact Peter Howell, the Distance Ed Coordinator through email. (disted@gavilan.edu) Fill out and submit our Help for Online Students request form.  We'll get back to you within 48 hours.

Address of this page: http://www.gavilan.edu/disted/etudes/orientation.html For questions or comments please contact Peter Howell at disted@gavilan.edu Last updated on September 12, 2006