Assessment of Student Capability
Students who are considering an e-Learning course need to determine if they have all necessary skills to be successful. Three (3) self-assessment quizzes are available for students to assess their readiness at the following e-Learning Web page: www.pbsc.edu/elearning/students. A listing of student resources, tutorials and computer system requirements is provided at: www.pbsc.edu/elearning/students.
Attendance Requirements
Faculty must take attendance in online courses for federal government reporting purposes. e-Learning courses do not operate in a traditional face-to-face manner. Students may be dropped or withdrawn from the course by the instructor based on instructor's policies as written in the course syllabus. An example of participation may be submitting assignments, responding to a discussion forum, and/or the use of the course-mail system by pre-determined deadlines. See the specific course syllabus for details.
Student eLearning & Canvas Orientation
Students are provided an online Canvas course: ELO1000 – Canvas for Students. The course is organized into Modules. Start Here highlights important information that will help students be more successful in taking classes on Canvas. Introduction informs students of PBSC policies and lists different Student Support Services available to them in person and online. Each of the Other Modules focuses on one specific Canvas Tool.
When a student completes an entire Module they can claim a badge. When a student completes all Modules, the student can claim a Certificate of Completion. This Certificate may be required by the instructor to be submitted by the students in their course(s).
e-Library/Learning Resources
The Library Learning Resource Centers provide resources and services for the College, including e-Learning students. Students, faculty/instructors, and staff have access to the catalog, databases, library services, and other resources. The e-Library’s website (LINCCweb) can be accessed from: www.linccweb.org/Discover?lib_code=FLCC1901&tab=books. Pre-authenticated student link to LINCCweb can be created in Bb courses utilizing the provided LINCCweb Building Block.
Student Assessment of Courses and Faculty
Student Assessment of Courses and Faculty evaluations are conducted each term. Near the end of the term, students are given the opportunity to assess their instructors on a variety of assessment items via an online survey.
Textbook/Bookstore
Textbook Selection Guidelines must be followed for eLearning classes. Follett’s bookstore provides all books and materials for students taking classes at Palm Beach State College. Students can order their textbook and other required materials online through the Follet Bookstore at: http://www.bkstr.com/palmbeachstcentralstore/home.
Hardware and Software Requirements
All faculty members/instructors teaching an online course require access to a computer. The College provides computers to all full-time instructors at their primary office location. The Student Learning Center (SLC) open lab at each PBSC campus is available to all students and provides all hardware/software necessary to participate in all online courses (including the Respondus test proctoring system and webcam), as well as to all faculty/instructors (adjunct and full-time). The following are the minimum browser and computer system requirements.
Computer Specifications
For best performance, Canvas should be accessed with a computer that supports the most recent browser versions. It is recommended to use a computer five years old or newer with at least 1GB of RAM.
Operating System
Canvas only requires an operating system that can run the latest compatible web browsers. Your computer operating system should be kept up to date with the latest recommended security updates and upgrades.
Internet Speed
Along with compatibility and web standards, Canvas has been carefully crafted to accommodate low bandwidth environments. It is recommended to have a minimum Internet speed of 512Kbps. However, certain content, such as videos and webinar-style meetings require higher bandwidth. It is recommended to have a minimum of 100Mbps download and 5Mbps upload Internet speed to be able to participate in such activities effectively. Internet connection speed can be checked at: https://speedtest.xfinity.com/results or https://www.verizon.com/speedtest.
Screen Readers
Macintosh: VoiceOver (latest version for Safari) PC: JAWS (latest version for Chrome and Firefox) PC: NVDA (latest version for Chrome and Firefox)
To test the system’s compatibility, visit: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Basics- Guide/What-are-the-browser-and-computer-requirements-for-Canvas/ta-p/66.