Student FAQs
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PC Computers:
Mac Computers:
Some specific courses may require other hardware such as a webcam and/or microphone. Browsers supported by the Blackboard learning management system are Chrome and Firefox. You can check that your version of the browser is compatible on this page. A reliable internet connection is obviously required for online courses. It is not advisable to depend on public wifi networks. |
Your OneTech ID is used to access your OneTech account, where you will check your
ATU email and your Campus Announcements. It is also used to access Blackboard. Once
you have received your OneTech User ID you can log into OneTech and Blackboard. If you have problems accessing your account, contact Campus Support.
Blackboard is a web-based classroom used throughout the University in on-campus courses
as well as online courses. All online courses use Blackboard extensively, so it is
necessary to become familiar with its features. You may login to Blackboard at < http://blackboard.atu.edu > using your OneTech ID and password. Blackboard access permission is set up by your
instructor; therefore, it usually takes a few days for a class you enroll in to appear
in your list of courses on Blackboard. This is especially true if you enroll in a
course on or around the first day of classes. In this case, you may want to contact
your instructor by phone or email so you do not miss coursework, especially during
the summer terms when coursework is accelerated and due dates come soon after the
first day of classes.
You will communicate with your instructors and fellow students utilizing official
Arkansas Tech University email. This email can be most effectively accessed at the
OneTech site. In addition, if your instructors allow, you may communicate via the email portal
within Blackboard, under the 'Tools' button.
Since there are no posted class times for online courses, you can complete coursework
at any time of the day. However, you are required to check your TECH email and login
to Blackboard daily to review any updates that may have been posted by your instructor.
It is your responsibility to keep up with assignments, exams, and due dates. You must
adhere to deadlines and schedules posted by your instructor. Do not try to complete
all coursework in one setting.
How do I evaluate my course and instructor like I would in an on-campus course?" Answer:Toward
the end of the term, the eTECH administration will send an email to all online students
containing a link to an online course evaluation. This form is the same as the form
completed in on-campus courses and will be used in the same manner. You are required
to provide your OneTech user ID in order to ensure the validity of each evaluation
submitted. Your OneTech ID will be removed from the evaluation before your instructor
views it.
Always be aware of any attachments you receive via email from any source, even those
from family. If you are not expecting an attachment, contact the sender before opening
it. The best clue to the possibility of a virus is if the attached file contains the
letters "vbs". This is not the only evidence, but it is a very common type of file
used as a virus. The University blocks many attachments such as files containing the
extensions .zip, .com, .exe, .vbs, and .scr. Arkansas Tech University suggests and
support Symantec Norton Anti-Virus (NAV) software. This software has a "Live Update"
feature that can be configured to automatically update the virus protection files
on your computer on a regular basis. Should you receive a virus, contact your instructor
and the Campus Support Center. Contact information can be found on this page.
The eTECH administration or the Campus Support Center may periodically send emails
to online instructors and students in order to make them aware of information and
situations such as server outages, viruses, course links, and course evaluations.
These emails should always be reviewed carefully and promptly.
The Campus Support Center is located in the Technology Center Room 150 in the Ross Pendergraft Library and
Technology Center. Office hours are 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m., seven days a week.
Open Internet Explorer; then across the top of the browser window, go to TOOLS and
then INTERNET OPTIONS. Once the dialog box is open, look in the center section and
select DELETE COOKIES; then select DELETE FILES and be sure to check the ALL OFFLINE
CONTENT box. After this, go down to the CLEAR HISTORY button, and delete history.
This will clear the cache pages on your computer and should force your computer to
load the latest version of all web pages.
You can access your Tech email account directly at mail.atu.edu.
Right click on the filename or link, and click 'Save Target As'. Choose a filename
and location on your computer where you will be able to easily find.
Answer:Open an Internet browser and type < ftp://studrive.atu.edu > in the address field. A dialogue window will pop up and ask for your username and
password. For your username, type TECH\OneTech ID. Be sure to include 'TECH' followed
by a backslash (\) before your OneTech ID, as shown in the example above. Your password
is your standard TECH e-mail password. You will be able to browse your Student (U:)
drive and copy and paste files to and from the drive. However, you cannot edit files
directly from the drive. You must first copy them to your computer, then edit them,
then copy the updated file back to your Student (U:) drive.
