FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ Flyer PDF Document
Online Learning Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
 General questions about online courses
Login problems
Technical issues within Blackboard
Technical issues outside of Blackboard
Miscellaneous
Almost the same as traditional classes. You have deadlines to meet for assignments and the same quality of learning. You do not come to the college campus for any meetings or class session. All of your work is done online and submitted to your instructor via the internet. You will probably take quizzes and exams in the online learning system and your grades will be posted for you to see. (top of document)
- So are online courses self-paced?
No, they are not. While you will not have to report to a campus classroom and your learning class site is open 24 hours per day, you will still have deadlines to meet for all your assignments. (top of document)
- Will I ever have to physically come to the college?
Under 99% of circumstances you will not have to come to campus. Your instructor may offer optional meetings and activities on campus but the spirit of learning online means it is form a distance, and you may have students in your class form anywhere in the world, so there are no mandatory campus meetings. Under special circumstances you may be asked to go to one of your local city colleges to take a test or exam from a test proctor. Your instructor will schedule those far ahead of time and you will have ample opportunity to understand and cooperate with the testing environment. (top of document)
- What if I can't make it to campus for a midterm or final?
Normally not a problem because your work is completed online. In some cases you may be asked to go to a local college campus to take a test by a test proctor. You will know this far ahead of time. (top of document)
- How do I register for an online course?
The same as you would for a regular class given on campus. Full out the registration form and fax it to your college admissions number and proceed as normal, but in an online mode. (top of document)
- How do I log into Blackboard?
Go to this web site: http://swccd.blackboard.com and look for the examples of your username and password on one of the modules next to the login windows. Your username is your first and last initial followed by your seven digit student number, no spaces and all lower case. (Example: Student named John Smith with the student number: 0123456 username is js0123456) Your password is your first initial and your complete last name, capitalize your first initial and the first letter of your last name (example: John Smith password is: JSmith) (top of document)
- When I try to log in, I'm getting error messages. What do they mean?
They normally mean you are typing in correct information in the login window. Check to make sure your CAPS LOCK is not on and that you are typing the correct information. If you are sure you are typing in correct username and password then call the toll free technical support number: 1-866-471-4246 and they will fix it for you. Most of the time it is just a matter of resetting your password and only takes a few minutes. (top of document)
- What if I forgot my password?
If you have forgotten your password just call the toll free number: 1-866-471-4246 and ask them to change it for you. (top of document)
- My course requires an access code. What's that all about?
An access code comes in two flavors; 1) You were on a wait list and your instructor has given you an ADD CODE so you can add your class and begin learning. In that case take your add code and go to web advisor to enter it into the database and you will be enrolled in your class within the hour. 2) Your class is restricted by the publisher and you need an access code in order to see the course information. The code is normally locate din your textbook and you only need to enter it once in the internet window when prompted. (top of document)
- Do I really have to have a working email address to take an online class?
Yes you do. Your email must be active or the instructor cannot communicate with you. When you try to enroll into an online class you cannot complete the process without giving an email address (top of document)
- What if I forget my username and password and can't log in?
You can call the toll free 24 hour support line at 1-866-471-4246 and retrieve your information (top of document)
- Why am I being forced to log in twice?
Sometimes the internet "remembers" incorrect information and will not accept your correctly typed information. When you type it in the second time it will normally allow you to login if your username and password are being typed correctly (top of document)
- Does it matter if I use a Windows-based computer or a Mac?
No, but PC computers seem to work better with the Blackboard system (top of document)
- Is there a preferred browser for using Blackboard?
No, but some browsers work better. Firefox seems to work fast and reliably, and Internet explorer when it is updated works well too. MAC users prefer to use Safari (top of document)
- How do I set up Internet Explorer to work optimally with Blackboard?
Yes! set your security to medium and make sure your cookies are enabled. Turn OFF the popup blockers and update the java programs (top of document)
- I'm having problems getting a Collaboration session to work in Blackboard. How can I solve this?
Normal fixes to this problem include updating your java files and the system will ask you to download and install a special java file when you try to use the Chat feature. If that doesn't work, shut down your browser and restart it, then try to use the chat feature again. (top of document)
- I'm having problems whenever a new window opens in Blackboard. How can I solve this?
Make sure your popup blocker is turned off. This is the problem 99% of the time. (top of document)
- I'm having problems posting in the Discussion Board? How can I solve this?
Try another browser first, this will probably work. If not, then try clearing your browser memory cash form your tool>internet options area. If these options do not work you may have a more complex problem with your Java updates. This might mean you need to delete all of your java updates and then re-install the latest version. (top of document)
- How can I hide outdated courses and those long course IDs on the My Welcome page?
Look in the top-right corner of the box where your courses are located on the Welcome Page. You will see a circle with a pencil icon inside. Click on the pencil and remove the checkmarks form the boxes next to the courses you wish not to see anymore. The courses are still there but are now hidden from view. If you want to see them and access them reverse the procedure. (top of document)
- Will I need to use a word processing program for written assignments?
Yes! most courses use Microsoft WORD for writing assignments. If you do not have WORD then you can download a free clone program to use and be able to read MS WORD program documents. Please see our download forum for the OPENOFFICE link and download the free program. (top of document)
- Does it matter which word processing program I use?
Yes! some students still use Microsoft WORKS program that comes installed on some computers. This program is seldom used by anyone in our college and the documents are not compatible with Microsoft WORD. See the question above for solutions (top of document)
- What are the technical requirements for taking an online course?
You need to have access to a computer that is normally no more than 3-years old. Computers older than three years can be worn out and have memory and hard drives that are too small for using in an on line course. You normally do not need to have special equipment like microphones and printers, etc to take an online course. They are recommended in some courses and you can get access to them quickly form our campus labs. (top of document)
Go to the web site directly at: http://swccd.blackboard.com and type in your username and password in the windows provided for you. Examples of your username and password are next to the login windows
You probably do not have the right software to read the file. This happens a lot with WORD documents that are newer than the software your trying to open it with. If this happens ask the sender to save it in a compatible mode. (top of document)
You have clicked on that portion of the blackboard class. Be sure to click in the "frame" of the area you want to print (top of document)
Nothing, there is no save mechanism on the discussion board postings. IN the future you might want to first type the post in a WORD document, save it periodically, then copy and paste your information into the discussion board. That way you have a saved document with your text in case the post is lost again. (top of document)
They probably have not been made available by the instructor. Online faculty do not have to make tier classes available to you until the first day of class no later than 10:00 am. (top of document)
It never is unless you make it available to them intentionally (top of document)
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