How our online courses work
We use Moodle to deliver our online courses. Using Moodle, you will:
- review your course notes
- join discussion forums
- submit your assignments
- keep track of your grades
For some courses, you will meet fellow students online for a seminar or discussion. We use Elluminate to link you to an online classroom.
In a typical class, you will use Elluminate to:
- engage in an interactive, real-time discussion
- present your findings using powerpoint, excel or a number of other applications
- share an online whiteboard with fellow students - perfect for debating policy options and strategic issues.
Technical requirements
In order to participate effectively in our online courses, you should have a stable internet connection with a minimum speed of 56kbps.
Additionally, your computer and communications hardware should be capable of running the following software:
Internet Browser Software
- Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (7.0 recommended)
- Firefox 1.5 or higher (2.0 or higher recommended)
- Safari 1.1 or higher (3.0 recommended)
Java
- Most recent version (Version 6 update 7 as of July 08, 2008)
Office software - PC
- Microsoft Office 97 or higher; or
- OpenOffice.org 2.4.1 or higher
Office software - Mac
- Microsoft Office 2000 or higher; or
- OpenOffice.org 2.4.1 or higher
The School makes every effort to ensure all class resources are available to students using Macintosh products. In some instances students have experienced difficulty accessing the web resources of textbook publishers. Please check with your instructor if you are planning to use a Macintosh computer.
Students enrolling in online courses are expected to have basic skills in opening, saving, retrieving, and managing files on their computers. You should be able to navigate, browse, and perform basic searches on the Web using your Web browsers. You should have some experience creating and saving documents in Microsoft Word.
Resources for online students
Technical Assistance
For help to access or participate in your online courses, please contact the Distance Education Onlinehelp Desk
Moodle Tutorials
We use Moodle to deliver our online courses. If you are new to Moodle, take a few minutes to review a tutorial.
Library Services
INFOLINE is a library service for online students. Search the library databases or have books and articles sent to your home.
Your NetLink account
NetLink is your online identification at the University of Victoria. You will use your NetLink ID to access your online courses and many other services at the university.
Studying Online
New to online study? Check out these resources on time management, online teamwork and setting up software.
