Online Classroom
IWU’s Online Learning Management System provides students with a “virtual classroom” in which to interact with faculty and fellow working professionals. While the specific structure can vary slightly by degree program, they all share a number of basic features and functions:
- Course Material: Includes the course syllabus, explanations of assignments and activities, and information about the faculty member teaching the course.
- Discussion Forums: Where students and faculty participate in asynchronous discussions of key course topics.
- Project Teams: Area that provides asynchronous discussion forums, synchronous live chat interface, whiteboard collaborative software, and file exchange server to facilitate and coordinate team interaction.
- Assignment Manager: The faculty's online inbox and outbox, where students submit their completed assignments and receive them back with comments and grading. Students have access only to their own assignments.
- Gradebook: Shows each student the grades he or she has received on all assignments. Students can only view their own grades.
- Student Support: Links to Off-Campus Library Services, Student Services Office, Technical Support, Frequently Asked Questions, and other services.
These resources mean that students are literally only a mouse-click away from their classmates, faculty, and university administrators.
With this combination of communication and learning technologies, online students enjoy a rich, vibrant educational experience that connects them with other highly motivated working professionals and knowledgeable, experienced faculty members. It is an equalizing environment where you are judged by the value of your contribution and the strength of your ideas rather than your appearance, personality, or the car you drive to class!