Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions about eLearning Classes

What follows is a list of questions people who take eLearning Classes often have. If you don't find your question answered here please email the eLearning Office. If your question is about your class please email your instructor. Instructor email address are listed on the Class Schedule (link to the left).

I cannot login to my Blackboard course.

I registered for a eLearning course, what should I do next?

What if I have AOL as my Internet Service provider?

My class has online tests and I can't open them.

Are there any special settings for my browser?

What if I use a Mac?

Is Bb safe to use with a wireless Internet connection?

I have a new computer with Windows Vista and IE 7. Will these work with Bb or Angel?

Why are only some courses password protected?
What are the differences between WAOL and GRCC courses?
How much time can I expect to spend on a eLearning course?

I've registered for a eLearning course. What should I do next?
Return to the Class Schedule (link to the left), scroll down to your class and determine the website for your course. You'll find link to the website in the right column along with a link to login instructions if needed. Go to the website and follow the instructor's instructions for the class. Courses which have only a website listed have the instructions for use on the website.

Courses offered on Blackboard , Angel Learning and WAOL have a separate website for login instructions (linked from the Class Schedule) and you'll need a login ID and password. After you have read the instructions and determined how to login, go back to the schedule and select the link directing you to the course login page. Enter your login ID and password and on the screen that appears next, you'll see a box labeled My Courses in Blackboard or Courses in Angel and in that box a list of the courses you're registered for. Click on the link for a course and that will take you to the classroom.

If you have any questions you may email the instructor and you will find their email address on the schedule as well. Remember that classes don't start until the first day of the quarter. All Green River Blackboard classes will open at noon on the first day. WAOL classes have a different start date listed on the Class Schedule.

Most telecourse instructors will mail you instructions for their course. If you do not hear from the instructor by the end of the first week of classes please call or email him/her. Contact information can be found on the Class Schedule.

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Browser Settings
Configure your browser according to the directions below.

Please make sure you have turned off all pop-up blockers. You can find them in stand alone programs, in antivirus software, in toolbars such as Google's, and in firewall software. They must be disabled or some features such as online testing will not work.
Make sure your browser is set to accept cookies. Bb sets a session cookie and will not allow you to log in if you block cookies.
You'll need the latest version of Java and you can find it here http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp

NOTE: Angel Learning will only work on Internet Explorer 7 or FireFox 2. Go here to get FireFox 2. Scroll down to English (US) and choose the download for your operating system. Get IE7 here.

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Only some courses are password protected.
Only the courses offered through Blackboard and WAOL are password protected. Courses not using these delivery systems will not require a username and password. If the link to the course website does not take you to a login screen you will not need a login ID and password.

My tests won't open.

Pop-up adds are created using the same programming language as some of the features in Blackboard. If you are running any pop-up blocking software it must be turned off in order for these features to work. Online testing is one such feature. You can find pop-up blockers in separate programs, in antivirus software, in toolbars such as Google's, and in firewall software.

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What are the differences between GRCC online courses and Washington Online (WAOL) courses?

GRCC Courses
GRCC online courses were developed by GRCC faculty. Sometimes GRCC faculty teach the same course both in the classroom and online. Some faculty also teach the same course both for GRCC and WAOL.

All GRCC Internet courses are run by GRCC faculty and their contact information is on the Class Schedule.

WAOL Courses
WAOL is a consortium of the community and technical colleges in Washington. WAOL courses are developed and taught by faculty contracted by WAOL. Students from across the state are enrolled in a WAOL course. The advantage of WAOL classes is that a local college may not offer a particular course online. If WAOL does offer this course, the student still has the opportunity to take that course online.

The instructors who teach the WAOL courses are usually not GRCC instructors and so they will not be available to you through our campus. At the present time we do not have email addresses for WAOL instructors so if you have a question about or problem with your WAOL course it will have to be haneLed by WAOL staff. This website is their help site or you may try the WAOL home page. You may also call them at 1-888-580-9011.

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How much time can I expect to spend on a eLearning course?
Instructors and students alike say that online courses take as much or more time than regular on-campus classes. For a five credit class, students should expect to spend 10 to 15 hours (and sometimes more) each week on activities related to the course. Lab classes generally require an additional 5-10 hours per week.

I cannot login to my Blackboard course.
The most common mistakes people make is not adding the last two digits of their student ID to their username and not using a six digit birth date. Follow this example. John Doe, born on January 4, 1979 with 123-45-6789 as his student ID will have a username of jdoe89 and a password of 010479. Remember to use your full last name including the hyphen in hyphenated names.

What if I have AOL as my Internet Service provider (ISP)? It is not uncommon to have problems using Blackboard or Angel if AOL is your ISP. If you do use them to access the Internet, do not use their browser to open Blackboard or Angel. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9AE91EBE-3385-447C-8A30-081805B2F90B&displaylang=en, click on Internet Explorer 7 and download that file. Install it on your computer and then when you login to AOL, minimize their browser, open the version of IE you just installed and open Bb or Angel from that browser (IE 7). Students also have had problems sending and receiving email through AOL.

What if I use a Mac? Some features in Bb do not work well with Macintosh's browser Safari. We recommend you download the Mac version of Firefox at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ Angel requires FireFox 2. It will not work on Safari.

Wireless Internet connection. Wireless Internet connections are unstable by nature. You can use a wireless connection to read anything in your course but we strongly recommend not using wireless to take tests or quizzes. Always use a wired connection for these.

Vista and IE 7. Both Bb and Angel should work on Vista and IE7. If you're having problems, you can try using Firefox as your browser. http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ There are no problems with Angel and Vista as long as you're using IE7 or FireFox2.

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Last updated on: 09/12/2008

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