2008 Woodie Awards
Online course registration freeze fixed
Online Classes: Obstacles with registering for online courses causes initial concern
By: Mary Chou
Issue date: 9/16/04 Section: News
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Problems with the online courses' operating system, Blackboard, have been fixed since Tuesday, August 31, according to Howard Story, the supervisor of the Distance Education Program.
"The concern was that you can't receive information about class 'til you get put into the system. Students could fall behind in classes and the faculty was upset because the syllabus might have to be adjusted," Story said.
Students who registered for online classes found that they couldn't access their classes because they couldn't get in the internet program even after school had started.
"It really upset me to find that Blackboard wasn't working. A week ago, I was trying to register and it kept telling me the system was down," Johnetta Mailner, business major said.
WebCT and Blackboard are operating systems where professors can get online to post course information such as the class syllabus and assignments so that students can access them on the net. Rio Hondo College is the host of El Camino and 24 colleges in the Los Angeles Region's Virtual Campus Program.
"Since the college decided to switch everyone from using WebCT and Blackboard to only using Blackboard for sake of unity, the ITS Department had to work to send the files to Rio Hondo," Story said.
The files for registration were required by Rio Hondo to be in a certain format, so the ITS Department of El Camino had to work manually to get everyone uploaded, which was the reason for the delay in getting the system up for everyone to use according to Story.
"Our online courses have expanded so much since it started, it really has mushroomed, " Story said.
Many students choose to do online courses because it would save them time from having to go to class on a weekly basis.
"Online classes are convenient and you get to do things at your own pace," Natasha Mason, social work major said.
"The concern was that you can't receive information about class 'til you get put into the system. Students could fall behind in classes and the faculty was upset because the syllabus might have to be adjusted," Story said.
Students who registered for online classes found that they couldn't access their classes because they couldn't get in the internet program even after school had started.
"It really upset me to find that Blackboard wasn't working. A week ago, I was trying to register and it kept telling me the system was down," Johnetta Mailner, business major said.
WebCT and Blackboard are operating systems where professors can get online to post course information such as the class syllabus and assignments so that students can access them on the net. Rio Hondo College is the host of El Camino and 24 colleges in the Los Angeles Region's Virtual Campus Program.
"Since the college decided to switch everyone from using WebCT and Blackboard to only using Blackboard for sake of unity, the ITS Department had to work to send the files to Rio Hondo," Story said.
The files for registration were required by Rio Hondo to be in a certain format, so the ITS Department of El Camino had to work manually to get everyone uploaded, which was the reason for the delay in getting the system up for everyone to use according to Story.
"Our online courses have expanded so much since it started, it really has mushroomed, " Story said.
Many students choose to do online courses because it would save them time from having to go to class on a weekly basis.
"Online classes are convenient and you get to do things at your own pace," Natasha Mason, social work major said.