Online courses are available for students to access the Friday prior to the term; exact login days by term are listed here. To access your course, login to Connections, click the Student tab, and then the Course Login button on the left side of the screen. Remember, your course will not appear until the Friday prior to the term. If you need assistance accessing Connections, please contact the Help Desk.
Understanding how to navigate your course before it begins is crucial to your success, and will enable you to focus on other areas of importance such as reading weekly content, preparing for assessments, writing papers, and collaborating on group projects.
View this video to learn how to navigate your course and utilize various course tools, so that you are prepared to begin.
Key Points to Know About Your Online Course
- All times given (such as due dates and deadlines) are in Central Time. Please note the time difference for your area and plan accordingly.
- Plan to access your course regularly and frequently. Due to the emphasis on reading and writing, it is easy to fall behind. We recommend doing a portion of your coursework each day, rather than leaving it all until just before the due date.
- Contact your instructor if you need assistance or clarification about your course, and please allow them 24-48 hours to respond.
- Pay attention to details! Each course and each instructor’s requirements will be a bit different.
Obtain Your Textbooks
Textbook information is available through the MBS Direct online bookstore about 4-6 weeks ahead of the start of the term. You can view information about and order your books at this time. Be sure to order your book in plenty of time to allow for shipping. This is especially crucial if your book will be shipped internationally.
If you do not receive your textbook prior to the start of class, look for a Textbook eReserves folder on the course homepage (see the course tour above for more info) where you will have electronic copies of about the first two weeks of reading materials.
Watch this tutorial on viewing and ordering textbooks.
Interaction and Communication in an Online Environment
A key component of your course will be interacting with your peers and instructors. WorldClassRoom provides the use of communication tools, such as Discussions, Mail, Announcements and Chat, which support an interactive online learning environment. The continuous interactions you have with your instructors and peers from around the world will enhance your learning experience, impact your comprehension of the course material, and help build networks and valuable relationships.
Key Points to Know about Online Communication
- When communicating in your online course, it is important to practice netiquette. Give the same amount of respect to classmates and instructors that you would if you were communicating face to face. Try to be as straightforward as possible in your writing, so that you are easily understood.
- If you are typing more than a couple of sentences or if your message would take a significant amount of time to compose, consider typing in a word processing document. Then, copy and paste it into WorldClassRoom when completed. The system will time you out after about 20 minutes if it does not detect any activity, and typing in a text box does not count as activity.
- The Course Mail tool in WorldClassRoom is different from your general Webster email. You will only be able to send and receive mail between your classmates and instructors in that particular course.
Have questions? View our online learning FAQs, and learn how to get help if you need it.