Computer Skills for Online Learners

Online learning is a mode of learning that requires some basic computer skills. Most e-Learning courses use a courseware such as Canvas or an other Learning Management System.   

Listed below are some of the basic skills that you should be familiar with to complete your course satisfactorily. 

If you are wondering if you have the skills necessary to successfully complete an e-Learning course please take this quick assessment.  This will introduce you to the minimum technical and computer skills that are needed and will help you to identify those areas that you can brush up on. 

Being able to open, create and reply to emails.

Most Learning Managements Systems have internal communication tools that are similar to email.  These tools are used for discussions, for personal emails between course participants and as a method of turning in homework assignments. To begin using your course communications tools following the steps below.

• Login to your course using the login information from the Registered Students Page.
• Locate the "Inbox" section. In Canvas this is located in the upper right navigation bar.  This will open your course email.
• Click on new posts to read incoming email from your instructor or fellow students.
• Once you have read the message you can choose to "Reply" which will go to the message sender.
• You can choose "Reply to All" which will go to the original email's recipients
• You can also choose to "Forward" where you select the recipient.

Best Practices for Creating and Submitting assignments

Some of the courseware that is used to deliver e-Learning have time limits so it is a good practice to:

• Compose your homework in a word processing software that you save to your computer. 
• To submit your assignment in the form of an email: (personal email or drop box)
• Login to your course and locate the correct place to submit homework.  Depending on how your instructor has set up the course:
• You may only need to send an email to your instructor including your homework document in the body of the email.
  • To accomplish this:
    • copy your homework by selecting all and then copying the
      document to the computer clipboard (Ctrl C)
    • open an email and address it correctly then put your cursor in
      the body of the email and do a paste (Ctrl P)
    • After the document is pasted you need to send the message.
•  Courseware email also has the ability to have attachments:
  • Open an email and select the "Attachment" link.
  • Browse for your attachment and click save. 
  • Once you see that the attachment is done click send.
• To send homework into a "Drop Box" please see the Canvas Student guide for submitting an assignment.

Browser Tips:

• Most e-Learning is web based requiring you to know how to use a browser to access a web site as well as being familiar with how browsers work by clicking links that will take you to new pages.  (links are usually underlined and a different color as the link above)
• Understanding what a URL or Web Address is
• The ability to change default settings to a set up that will allow your software to work correctly
• Know how to clear your browser "Cache" if you need to use an updated site. 
  • Cache or browser history will save old information such as an incorrect password.
  • Clearing this old history will allow updates to take place. 
  • Most browsers have  "Tools/Options" on their menu which gives the user the ability to change settings.   
• Many of the e-Learning LMS use a "pop up" technology to deliver the material so it is important to know how to turn off the Pop Up blocker.  Check your browser help for more information.

ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN B. It is a fact that computers can crash at the worst possible time. 

In addition to technical skills it is important to create a BACK UP PLAN to be used if you are unable to connect to your course using your computer. It is anticipated that for one of many possible reasons you may lose your internet connection or you will experience a computer problem during the quarter.

This plan needs to include 2 possible locations that you will be able to use in case you are unable to access your course. NSC campus and public libraries do have computers but you need to know the available hours. It is important to find a computer back up that will fit into your schedule.  

For more computer skills specific to NSC supported Canvas LMS please see helpful tutorials. 

For more information and tips you can go to the following websites:
(please note that the following links open in a new window to return to Virtual College simply close the newly opened window)

http://www.ctdlc.org/remediation/
http://www.computerhope.com/
http://personal.baker.edu/web1/tbaliv01/templates/shortcuts.html