How difficult is distance education compared to traditional learning?
Will we interact with other students?
Will we interact with faculty?
What if I cannot keep up with the work?
What library resources can we expect?
What sort of computer requirements are there?
What kind of internet access should I have?
How do I log on to Blackboard?
Is there an online tutorial available for Blackboard?
Who do I contact for technical problems?
Who will be grading my assignments?
Will I be getting a final grade? How is that calculated?
Can I check my test grades online?
If I am having trouble understanding a topic, what do I do?
What is the Discussion Board Participation Project?
Are the graded assignments or tests on Blackboard timed?
Can i go ahead and finish sessions earlier than schedule for the course indicates?
What else do you recommend for students new to Distance Education?
Accessing research resources through the internet will be expected. GW’s Gelman Library provides online access to GW students through the ALADIN research system. All registered students may access such resources without charge at Gelman Library's online site. This includes electronic journals, databases, e-books and many other research resources. Links to GW library resources also appear on the Blackboard course site.
Operating Systems Requirements: Win2000 operating system (OS), or higher. Mac machines must have version 7.1 or higher. Persons using other computer platforms should determine that their OS and other software meets at least the same performance standards as those stated for WinX and Mac platforms.
Because a wide range of application software packages are adequate for many of our students' needs, we will not attempt to list them all by name. As a general rule, however, the more widely-used an applications package is, the more likely that the program staff will be able to assist the student with any problems that they may encounter. Below is a list of the required and suggested software.
Required:
Access to, and frequent use of the internet/web is a critical component of the Distance Education program and courses. You need to ensure that you have an internet account which provides regular and reliable access. If you have internet access through your work organization, you might want to consider also getting a personal account through an Internet Services Provider (ISP) to provide a backup way to get online and to use at home. You are also expected to understand basic internet and web functions. See the System Requirements on the course CDs for further information about the skills required to take Distance Education courses. Note that some organizations’ Firewall systems may make access to Blackboard difficult. This is especially true for governmental museums. You will need to touch base with your system administrator in case you have problems accessing Blackboard from your office computer. We will also provide technical support to students to help figure out technical problems. You should take advantage of this support if you need it.
Blackboard is an online course management system used by GW. To logon, your URL should be set to http://www.blackboard.gwu.edu. Each of the courses you will be taking as a part of the GW Museum Collections Management and Care Certificate Curriculum will have a separate course site on Blackboard. This site will be used for communications, testing, grading and course evaluation purposes. You must be logged on Blackboard to participate fully. Once you have been admitted, you will receive information on how to logon to the course site in Blackboard.
To log on, you will need your e-mail Net ID and your password (selected earlier).
Yes, please go to http://cidd.gwu.edu/viewlets/students.html.
You have been provided with several CDs for each course. To open a CD, place it into the appropriate drive in your computer. On most computers, the CD will open automatically. You need to wait usually for a couple of minutes to test whether it opens without additional prompting. If it does not, please go to your "My Computer" icon and open it. The contents of the drive in which you placed the CD will contain a small icon of the image of George Washington. Open the CD by clicking on that icon. Then click on the file marked "Index.".
In case of technical difficulties, please contact your Teaching Assistant at museumdl@gwu.edu or by telephone at 202 994-9936. He/she will assist you directly or put you in contact with one of our technical assistants.
For True/False and Multiple Choice questions, Blackboard testing system will grade you automatically. Your professors will grade each essay and submit the final grade for the assignment on Blackboard's Gradebook feature. You should expect comments on the essays. If you have any questions about any grade, please send those questions to museumdl@gwu.edu. Your professors will answer any such question within 24-48 hours.
Yes, you will be given a final letter grade for each course. The possible grades are: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C- and F. The syllabus for each course will indicate how much each assignment is worth and how the final grade will be calculated. Expect to receive your final grade to appear on your transcript within 2 weeks of taking the final examination or handing in the final assignment, whichever applies.
Yes, grades for each Self-Test will appear automatically shortly after you submit your answers on Blackboard's Gradebook site. For graded assignments that involve essays, the grades will appear after your professors have finished reading and grading them.
If after completing the entire session and after you have taken the Self-Test, you remain unsure about the contents of any lesson, please e-mail us at museumdl@gwu.edu. Your professor will get back to you either through an online chat room or by telephone to assist you. The professors of any course may also contact you if your Self-Test grades fall below average, which indicates that you might need additional help.
As you were instructed in each syllabus, you are free to buy textbooks from any source, including the on-line university bookstore, commercial book sellers such as Amazon.com, and bookstores of museum professional organizations, such as the AAM (http://www.aam-us.org). Each semester we will post a textbook resource list on our website for each course several weeks before classes begin.
The sessions of your course will be divided into units of content. At the end of a unit, you will be asked to go to Blackboard’s Discussion Board feature and answer question related to the topic covered in the unit. You will see the answers provided by other students and you will have the opportunity to comment on their responses and to interact with faculty. You will be given credit for completing them as a part of your Class Participation grade.
You will be asked to fill out several course evaluations. The first, early in the semester, will be asking you about any technology-related concerns you may have. You will also be asked to complete a Mid-Term and a Final Evaluation of the course. The evaluations include multiple choice questions and allow also for specific comments. The evaluations are anonymous (your name will not be associated with your response). However the professors will only know whether you have or have not completed the evaluation. You will be given credit for completing them as a part of your Class Participation grade as indicated on your course syllabus.
A Self-Test is a quiz on Blackboard for each session. After you have completed the entire session, you are asked to take the Self-Test to judge whether you have grasped the material in that session. These Self-Tests are graded by Blackboard, but they will NOT be counted as a part of your final grade for the course. It is a way for you to test yourself on how well you have understood the material presented.
Yes, some of the graded tests are timed. Some will indicate whether you may use certain documents during the test. Others will be closed book. The time given for each assignment is sufficient only if the student follows directions as to what he or she may consult while answering the questions. The George Washington University's Code of Academic Integrity applies to any graded assignments. Serious violations of the code may result in a student's dismissal from the program.
Yes, you may go ahead if you have completed a session fully, have handed in any related assignments and have done well in the Self-Test. The graded test will be posted on Blackboard and remain there until the deadline for that particular assignment. The deadline is usually at 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday of the week that session is assigned.
It is strongly recommended that you join at least one professional museum organization relevant to your specific interests since it will provide you with periodicals and regional/national conferences where you can get up-to-date information. This will not only help you be more successful in your MCMC classes, but will also contribute to your long- term career development. Course syllabi will provide you with more details on relevant organizations. MCMC faculty will attend annual conference sponsored by the American Association of Museums. We anticipate to scheduling optional face-to-face meetings with MCMC student also in attendance at those meetings.
Students enrolled in the Distance Education program represent a diverse range professionals and organizations from all across the U.S.
On average, professors in a Distance Education class spend more time individually interacting with students than in a classroom setting.
All Distance Education students receive provide online access to GW's Gelman Library and its ALADIN research system.