The Office of Distance Education is seeking students who are enrolled in online courses and are interested in serving as a member of a NEW Distance Education Student Focus Group.The purpose of this focus group is to, upon request, provide feedback and opinions regarding Blackboard and other educational technologies and services supported by our office.Please note that this focus group will not have face-to-face meetings, but will instead conduct all meetings online.Selected students will be asked to serve from the date of selection through the end of the Fall 2010 term.Another call for student applications for the 2011 year will be issued in the Fall 2010 term.Please note that students will not be excluded for consideration based on graduation date.
If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please send an email to DLHelp@jsu.edu with "STUDENT FOCUS GROUP" in the subject line.Be sure to respond to the questions found below.
The deadline for receipt of the email application is Monday, March 1, 2010.Selected students will be notified via email during the week of March 1.
Approximately how many online courses have you completed?Please include and indicate courses completed via distance education at JSU and other institutions.
Please explain why you feel you should be selected for the Distance Education Student Focus Group.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
We are excited to announce that these courses will be added ONLINE in Summer 2010:
Criminal Justice 527 - Seminar in Criminal Behavior and Personality
Criminal Justice 311 - Correctional Techniques, and
Finance 311 - Personal Financial Planning
Contact the appropriate department for more information about each course, and look for more updates about online course offerings!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Office of Distance Education is pleased to announce that Jacksonville State University has established a 24/7/365 Blackboard support environment, which includes the following technical support options for all students and faculty:
24/7/365 Phone Support: Blackboard users may call 877.216.7064 to receive technical support for Blackboard Learn version 9 and supporting software such as Respondus LockDown Browser and SafeAssign. Support Portal: Blackboard users may visit the support portal at http://jsubbsupport.com . From the portal students and faculty may select from the following options: • Live Chat: Blackboard users may use the chat tool to contact support representatives 24/7. • Submit a ticket: Blackboard users may submit a support ticket to a technical specialist whose expertise matches the support inquiry. This online tool provides an alternative to phone and e-mail and helps expedite the resolution of the issue. Users can track the status of the ticket in My Support. • Online self-help: Blackboard users may access the online knowledge base that contains more than 600 support references. The knowledge base is constantly updated, expanded, and refined to ensure that Blackboard users have access to the very latest information. Please note that the Office of Distance Education has also created faculty and student versions of Features in Focus that provide feature specific instructions for various features in Blackboard. Student version videos have also been created for select features. These reference materials are available in the Faculty Resources and/or Student Resources section of the Distance Education website: http://www.jsu.edu/distance
The Office of Distance Education wishes to recognize the generosity of others who helped to bring 24/7/365 support to JSU: Deans Carr, Fielding, Hammett, Latham, and Wade; Mr. Vinson Houston, Acting Vice President of the Division of Information Technology; Dr. Tim King, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs; and Dr. Rebecca Turner, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.
Debunking Common Myths about Online Classes at JSU
Myth #1: There are few if any online programs or courses offered at JSU.
Fact #1: In Fall 2009 there were 181 online courses.Additionally as of Fall 2009, there are 19 online degrees and programs from which students can choose.
Myth #2: Online courses do not have the same quality learning experience as face-to-face, traditional courses.
Fact #2: According to the student evaluation of distance education services given at the end of each fall and spring term, since Spring 2005, 91 percent of students completing the evaluations report the same or better learning experience in an online course as that of a traditional course.
Myth #3: Online courses, certificates, and degrees are not accredited.
Fact #3: Jacksonville State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor’s, master’s, and educational specialist’s degrees.Specific areas within JSU are also accredited by national accrediting agencies.Therefore, every class you take at JSU whether in the classroom or in online is regionally accredited.
Myth #4: Employers won’t accept degrees earned in an online format.
Fact #4: This myth is simply untrue.In fact, according to the Credibility of Online Degrees survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, “76 percent of human resource professionals said online degrees are viewed more favorably than five years ago.And more than half of the 573 human resource professionals that SHRM surveyed in the United States said individual courses taken through online universities rate equally with traditional university courses.”Another survey conducted in 2006 by the Distance Education and Training Council indicated “100 percent of employers said there was no difference in performance between workers who had online degrees and those with traditional diplomas.”
Myth #5: My JSU transcript will indicate which, if any, classes that I have completed online.
Fact #5: Your JSU transcript in fact has no indication of which classes are completed in the classroom and which are completed online.
Myth #6: Credits earned online will not transfer.
Fact #6: If the traditional class is accepted for transfer credit, the online class would be as well.As mentioned in a previous fact, your transcript does not indicate the format in which a class is completed.
Myth #7: Not many people take online classes at JSU.
Fact #7: In the Fall 2009 term, 3,281 students were enrolled online courses.In fact, enrollment has steadily grown since 2000.
Myth #8: I live in a dorm on campus so I cannot take online courses at JSU.
Fact #8: There are no residency requirements or restrictions for taking online courses at JSU.Whether you live on campus or in another country, JSU’s online courses are open to all JSU students.
Myth #9: If I complete my degree from JSU online, I am not allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.
Fact #9: All students earning a degree from JSU are invited to participate in the graduation ceremony.
Myth #10: If I take an online class, no one will help me if I have a problem.
Fact #10: As in traditional courses, instructors of online classes are always ready to help.Additionally, the Office of Distance Education staff are available via phone and email to provide technical assistance.Distance Education’s website also has a self-help knowledge base and customized Blackboard student guides to help students navigate their way through online courses using Blackboard.
Myth #11: I have a Mac. Online courses at JSU are not compatible with my Mac.
Fact #11: Online classes that utilize Blackboard are compatible with both Mac and Windows operating systems.For specific system requirements for compatibility with Blackboard, visit http://www.jsu.edu/distance/blackboard/bb_sys_require.html.
Myth #12: If I take an online class, I will not have a JSU professor as an instructor.
Fact #12:All faculty of JSU’s online classes are indeed employees of JSU.While faculty have various ranks and classifications from adjunct to instructor to professor, all are employed by JSU.
Welcome! Here at JSU, our mission is to provide quality education through a student-centered approach.JSU provides challenging, high–quality coursework to students, along with the resources necessary for success in a distance education environment, including technical support, library services, and administrative support. We strive to meet the needs of all students, whether on or off campus, by utilizing an ever-expanding set of technological tools that provide flexibility of scheduling as well as the opportunity to achieve personal and professional goals. The Office of Distance Education will use this blog site to provide information about the technologies and tools that allow students to arrive at "Where You're Going."
