Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Criminal Justice 4093: Criminal Justice Workshop, Rural & Small Town Criminal Justice Online

Spring Semester, 2011

What is the official course description for this course?

The official course description is: An examination of the process and analysis of the Criminal Justice system as practiced in rural and small-town America. 

Is there a prerequisite for the course?

The prerequisite for this course is Criminal Justice 1013, Introduction to Criminal Justice.

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 Spring Semester that means that the course will start on January 10, 2011 and end on May 6, 2011.

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 textbooks for this course are: 1. Crime And Policing in Rural And Small-town America by Ralph A. Weisheit, 3rd. edition, Waveland Press, 2005, ISBN-13: 978-1577664130 and 2. Policing in Rural America: A Handbook for the Rural Law Enforcement Officer by Chris Capsambelis, Carolina Academic Press, 2009, ISBN-13: 978-1594605406.   

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, Nevada, Colorado, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, Florida, Afghanistan, California, Japan, Germany, Washington 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 January 10, 2011, 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 28.8 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 Opera

Click here for MS Internet Explorer

Click here for Mozilla Firefox

Chick here for Google Chrome

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?

My e-mail address is dreveskr@nsuok.edu for general e-mail.

My e-mail address for this online course and any online course is cld1@fastmail.us