A Brief Guide to MCCC Virtual College Internet Courses

Welcome! This page will give you a brief but thorough overview of Virtual College Internet-based courses and will help you determine if online learning is right for you. Please begin by examining the 4 "Frequently-Asked Questions" in the list below.

1. Who should (and shouldn't) take a TVC course?
2. Why should I consider an online course?
3. What hardware and software do I need to take a course online?
4. Online courses presently offered

A Quick Look at MCCC Virtual College Internet Courses:

TVC Internet-based courses are taught using WebCT (Web Course Tools), one of the most popular systems for conducting courses online. Thanks to WebCT, TVC Internet courses are extremely user-friendly: there's no need to download any additional software, and all course pages navigate quickly and easily. Below is a picture of a typical TVC Internet course homepage.

Each TVC course homepage features a banner logo for the course, followed by a few words of introduction. Below, you'll see several rows of "icons"--images which represent the various components of the course. By clicking the various icons, you'll be able to view each of the course content areas (like the "syllabus" and schedule) as well as the "interactive" elements (like the chatroom and "forum") which allow you to communicate with your instructor and classmates. All TVC courses have the same basic "look." The icons and the content areas they represent are described below:

	Click this icon to view your class' weekly schedule of activities and assignments
	Click this icon to send private mail to anyone in your course.
	This icon takes you to the class "tools page." There you can check your grades for the course, change your password, and perform other useful tasks.
	Click on this icon to learn more about your instructor.
	Click this icon to enter the class chatroom, where you can meet with your instructor during "office hours" and chat with your classmates.
	Click this icon if you need more detailed help on how to use WebCT. (Available only from the class homepage.)
	Click this icon to respond to discussion questions by posting to the class bulletin board or "Forum."
	Click this icon to view the syllabus for your course.
You can read more about each of the features of your class by clicking the "Course Content" icon ("START HERE") which looks like this:

All of the above icons and their respective content areas are common to all TVC Internet courses. If your instructor has decided to use some additional features of the WebCT system, she/he will explain these in the "Syllabus" section of the class homepage.

Accessing Your TVC Internet Course:

TVC Internet courses can be accessed from the "Orientation" page on The Virtual College website. Once you register for a TVC course, go to the "Orientation" page and follow the link for "Internet Course Orientation." You will be prompted through a short tutorial and then you'll see a list of "Welcome pages" for each course. Click on the name of the course for which you have registered. From there, you'll be able to access the course homepage using your user name and password.

Internet courses may also be accessed directly from the following webpage:

When you visit this page, you can read a bit more about WebCT and how it works, and then, by clicking the "show courses" link, you will be able to view a list of all TVC courses. If you are a registered student and you want to access your course homepage, click on the appropriate link. When prompted, enter your user name and password, click "ok," and you will be taken to the class homepage!

We hope you enjoy your experience as a TVC student!

If you have any questions, please contact us at 609-570-3389, or email us at virtual.college@mccc.edu

Click here for TVC FAQs...