Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Criminal Justice 1013, Introduction to Criminal Justice Online
Fall Semester, 2005
What is the official course description for this course?
The official course description is: An examination of the major components
of the Criminal Justice system-law enforcement, courts and corrections—including
historical and social perspectives; the roles and functions of various agencies;
and the processes involved in the administration of justice.
Is there a prerequisite for the course?
There are no academic prerequisites for this course. There are
however computer and computing skill requirements for this class as this is an online course.
What are those computer requirements?
First you have to have a computer with internet connections or access
to one (computer lab, library, a friend or family member, etc.). Second,
you have to have an e-mail account (it does not have to be a university account).
You should also be able to use e-mail including the use of attachments.
What are the computing skill requirements?
You should be familiar with the Windows operating system, wordprocessing,
and the internet. You should be able to log into NSU’s NT network using
your NSU user Id and password. If you do not have a NSU user Id, you
will be told how to get it before the course starts.
When does the course start?
Online courses follow the same schedule as face to face (F2F) classes.
During this Fall Semester that means that the course will start August 22,
2005 and end December 17, 2005.
I have things to do. Can I
start early?
We are only authorized to run online courses during the same time
frame as regular courses. Also a number of activities are integrated
with other parts of the course. What you can do is get the textbook
now and start reading. This should help with your time problems.
What is the Textbook for this course?
The textbook for this course is Criminal Justice, 7th Ed., 2004-2005
Update, by Inciardi, James A., McGraw Hill, 2005, ISBN 0-07-304828-3.
How can I get the textbook?
The textbook is available from the NSU Bookstore at 1-888-879-0020 or if
you would like to check out the ordering procedures, Click
here. You also can use any one of the online book ordering
services or bookstores. This is the same textbook as used in the F2F classes.
How do I know if I am ready to take an online class?
I have gathered a number of web sites that try to help you answer that
question with quizzes and advice. They can be found by Clicking
here. You will note that there are also links there to sites that
explain online education as well as sites that give advice on how to be successful
in your online course.
Do I have to come to campus for anything?
I would be happy to see you, but you will NOT need to come to campus for
this online course. You will use the internet as well as a course management
software called Blackboard to do your course work. You will also have
various activities that will take you into your local community and Criminal
Justice system but you do not need to come to the campus. I have had
several students that were living in Texas, California and Iraq.
How do I enroll in the online course?
You enroll in the online courses using the same procedures that you use for enrolling in F2F classes.
Once I have enrolled, what do I do?
In addition to getting the textbook, you need to send me an e-mail
message. The message should include: Your name; the course you have enrolled
in; your mailing address; your telephone number (s), please tell me which number
is which (work, home, cell, etc.); your NSU user Id (but not the password); and
your e-mail address.
Then what will happen?
On August 22 , 2005, you will be able to access your course in
your account on NSU's Blackboard.
The URL is http://nsuonline.nsuok.edu. You may click
here to go there. If you have any questions about NSU's Blackboard or accessing
it, click here for help.
Where will you e-mail me?
If you have sent me the information (see above) I
asked you for before I sent the course information to you, I will use the
e-mail address you provided me with. If you have not supplied the requested
information, I will send the e-mail to your NSU e-mail address.
Do I have to be in Blackboard at the same time as the other students?
No, as long as you complete the work and meet the deadlines that you will
see in the Course Schedule, you can be in at 2:00 pm or 2:00 am. I require
that you be online at least twice a week (most will be online more often than
that), but when you do the work is your choice. That is one advantage
of online courses.
Are there tests?
Yes!
How do I take them?
Online, like the rest of the course.
Are there any problems with taking tests online?
The majority of problems that we are having with testing online
or other issues center around your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
What, do I need DSL?
While having access to a T1 line, DSL line or a cable modem would make
things faster and as a result a little easier, I work on my online courses from
home using a dial up modem which because of the phone line never goes faster
than 26.4 kb ps. It works well most of the time (except for large downloads).
If it is not speed, then what is the problem?
There two major problems with ISPs. The first is only found
with a few of them. Some ISPs just do not seem to be compatible with
our network and Blackboard. They just do not fit right.
Which ISPs are they?
The major problem seems to be with America On Line (AOL).
As
AOL has a lot of interface problems with other systems as well, this is
not a surprise that it has conflicts with ours. In my
experience, Earth Link and Juno also seem to have a few problems but not close
to
those of AOL.
You mentioned two major problems, what is the second?
The second problem is what is called “timing out”.
What is timing out?
When you connect to your ISP, some ISPs set a timer so that if they
do not detect any activity for a certain period of time, they disconnect
you from their system. They assume that you failed to log out and have
quit using your connection. The ISP wants to make it available for
their other customers.
Why is that a problem?
When taking a examination, which could last a hour or more, your ISP
will not “see” your activity. It will think you are not active and
therefore disconnect you from the internet. When you try to send your
completed exam, it will not work. Blackboard, which thinks you took
the exam, will not let you do it again (unless I fix it).
So, what do you suggest that I do?
As to the compatibility problem, I would either use a computer not connected
through AOL or change to another ISP.
What if I still want to use AOL?
If you are an AOL customer and you use the AOL browser, you may have
difficulty using Blackboard for Internet courses. If you use AOL, you should
install a Netscape or Internet Explorer browser (they are both free, see
below for links for downloading) and use it to connect to your course. Do
not connect to the course with the AOL browser. Connect to the Internet
using AOL, minimize AOL and use one of the two recommended browsers. DO
NOT USE AOL FOR TAKING EXAMINATIONS!!! If you use AOL
for other parts of the course, do not use for taking Examinations. AOL and
Blackboard's testing do not work together!
What about the timing out, I do not want to loose my exam work?
The first solution that I would suggest is calling the service department
of your ISP. Explain that you are taking an online course which includes
testing and that you need to make sure that you will not be timed out (in other
words, if they use timers, take them off your account).
What if they say they cannot (or will not) take the timer off?
Change ISPs.
You said that there was another solution?
There is software that sends what your ISPs' system sees as internet activity so that your ISP thinks your
doing things on the internet. I have not tested the compatibility with
Blackboard, so I do not know if it will cause problems. If I find a
compatible program, I will let you know.
Is there anything else that I can do so that I
do not have problems with taking an examination?
I recommend that you turn off your computer and reboot just before taking an
examination. You may also want to clear your browser's cache memory.
This way every thing will be “clean” for the exam and you will
have a new start with your ISP connection. In addition you should have the
most up to date copy of your browser. Following are links to the update page
of the four most used browsers:
Click
here for Netscape
Click
here for Opera
Click
here for MS Internet Explorer
Click
here for Mozilla Firefox
Are there any special problems
with any of the above browsers?
With MS Internet Explorer you need
to make sure that you do not tell the browser to disconnect a dial up connection.
To check this go to Tools, Internet Options, and Connections. Make sure
that that the disconnect after a period of time box is unchecked.
Are there any problems with
online learning?
Across the country, online learning has a higher dropout
rate and "did not finish" rate than do F2F classes. If you have a problem, you
need to communicate with your instructor quickly so that something can be done.
Waiting will just make matters worse.
How do I get help or advice?
In online courses, most of the interaction between professor and student
is by e-mail. You also may call or come to see me if that would be
better for you. You should note the office and class hours under Faculty
Information before doing either.
Are there any rules for e-mailing?
Yes,
there is a set of guidelines for using e-mail in this course. The guidelines
can be found by Clicking
here.
What is your e-mail address?
