Author Archives: Dual Enrollment Coordinator

The Etiquette Around Discussion Forums

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We recently came across some discussion board forum tips from a website called online learning tips that we wanted to share! Whether you are new to online learning, or a seasoned pro, converting your thoughts to written words can be tough. What you might say out loud in a classroom setting might not come across well in print. Tone can be difficult to master while writing and on top of all of that, you need to worry about spelling and grammar.

All NOVA Online courses require discussion board posts and often times you are asked to comment on your classmates posts. In a face-to-face setting, you might not have any problems discussing the material with classmates, but getting comfortable writing your comments out can take time. Check out the tips in the online learning tips post and feel free to share some of your own in the comments section!

If you need assistance locating helpful study resources, contact your Student Success Coach at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or call 703.764.5076.

Fall Tuition Due Today!

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Reminder!

Your fall tuition payment is due today, Monday, July 28 at 5 p.m.!

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If you have questions about payment, visit NOVA’s Fall 2014 payment information here.

You can also call the NOVA Online Hotline at 703-323-3347 for assistance.

 NOVA Online’s first fall session starts Wednesday, August 20 and for many courses, additional sections are offered starting September 3, 17, 24, or later. Check the full list of Fall 2014 courses here.

There is still time to register for a fall course, just remember if you register for fall courses on or after today, Monday, July 28, your payment is due by 5 p.m. the next business day.

Reminder: Tuition due Monday!

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Reminder! If you registered for fall courses and haven’t submitted your tuition payment yet, you must do so by Monday, July 28 at 5 p.m. to avoid being dropped from your courses! If you have questions about payment, visit NOVA’s Fall 2014 payment information here. You can also call the NOVA Online Hotline at 703-323-3347 for assistance.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time to register for fall if you haven’t done so already! NOVA Online’s first fall session starts Wednesday, August 20 and for many courses, additional sections are offered starting September 3, 17, 24, or later. Check the full list of Fall 2014 courses here.

Just remember that if you register for fall courses on or after Monday, July 28, your payment is due by 5 p.m. the next business day.

Student Lingo Workshop: Testing Anxiety

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If your final exams are quickly approaching or you are in the middle of mid-term madness, we strongly encourage checking out the Student Lingo recorded workshop entitled, Taking Tests Online: Strategies For Success. test anxiety

How often do you feel like you know the material like the back of your hand, but when you get into the testing situation, you freeze? This workshop discusses various strategies for test preparation and coping skills for situations that provoke test anxiety. The presenter does a great job describing scenarios in a testing situation that can easily lead to test anxiety in addition to our internal messages and how best to control them. She also discusses external circumstances that contribute to test anxiety and how to keep them at bay before you enter the testing situation.

The presentation also contains strategies for taking different types of tests ranging from multiple choice to true/false to essay formats. The presenter’s emphatic style and her understanding of issues related to test anxiety keeps you engaged and hopefully, when you take your exam, you will feel more confident and at peace after viewing this presentation!

If you need assistance locating helpful study resources, contact your Student Success Coach at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or call 703.764.5076.

NOVA Online Textbook – free courses making headlines

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Are you working on your fall schedule? Are you interested in taking a class that doesn’t require you to purchase any textbooks or course materials? An OER class might be right for you!

This past fall NOVA Online offered a series of 12 general education courses that do not require students to purchase textbooks or other course materials. These textbook-free classes used free open educational resources (OER).

Courses can be taken individually, or as a series to satisfy the requirements for the General Education Certificate. In lieu of traditional textbooks, all readings and materials used in the courses will be available to students free of charge online or through Blackboard – NOVA’s course management system. OER materials include teaching, learning, and research resources that are in the public domain or are released under a licensing agreement that permits their free use or re-purposing by others.

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Read more about how NOVA Online’s OER-Based General Education project will save NOVA students money in Community College Week.

For more information about NOVA Online’s OER courses, contact the NOVA Online Counselors at elicounselors@nvcc.edu.

Payment for fall classes due Monday, July 28!

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Heads up! If you registered for fall courses and haven’t submitted your tuition payment yet, you must do so by Monday, July 28 at 5 p.m. to avoid being dropped from your courses! If you have questions about payment, visit NOVA’s Fall 2014 payment information here. You can also call the NOVA Online Hotline at 703-323-3347 for assistance.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time to register for fall if you haven’t done so already! NOVA Online’s first fall session starts August 20 and for many courses, additional sections are offered starting September 3, 17, 24, or later. Check the full list of Fall 2014 courses here.

Just remember that if you register for fall courses on or after Monday, July 28, your payment is due by 5 p.m. the next business day.

Student Lingo Workshop: The Writing Process

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Are you feeling overwhelmed about an upcoming research paper? 

nullStudent Lingo is a free online resource that offers workshops on a variety of success topics. There are a few new workshops this semester that focus on the writing process from pre-writing and planning, drafting a thesis sentence and the revision process. Even if you are familiar with the various stages of writing a research paper, this tool offers a refresher and a reminder of ways that you can prepare for the essay using techniques like brainstorming and creating a story board to link sequences of events.   

These recorded workshops are presented by a knowledgeable presenter in a Power Point format.  If you are feeling overwhelmed by the next essay that you have to write check out the workshops that are associated with the writing process. The presenter discusses the various stages of writing and strategies that you can employ in the beginning to ensure that your essay is thorough in achieving its intended purpose. The presentations also discuss linking ideas in an organized fashion as well as important elements related to the revision process.  

If you need assistance locating helpful study resources, contact your Student Success Coach at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or call 703.764.5076.

Thank You!

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We have reached a milestone of 500 likes on our NOVA Online Facebook page! Thank you to all our followers! Are you connected with us on social media?  We post a lot of tips and announcements throughout the semester to help you in your course. We also have trivia and other opportunities to win NOVA Online prizes! Join us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Fall NOVA Online Orientation Schedule

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Are you enrolled in your first online learning course this fall? Or, have you taken an online course previously and want to ensure that you are headed in the right direction? Do you have any questions about using Blackboard to complete your NOVA Online course? A great place to start is with the NOVA Online Orientation webinar.463461567A webinar is a live, online instruction session. You can participate in a webinar from any computer or mobile device with Internet access and speakers. A microphone is not required as we will use a text chat for all questions. Participation in all webinars offered through NOVA Online is free, but registration is required. Prior to the webinar, all students registered will receive an email with information about how to join the webinar live. You can view the NOVA Online Webinar schedule and registration process here.

You will need the ability to run JAVA to load Blackboard Collaborate, the web conferencing tool we use for the orientation webinar. You can test your connection ability ahead of time by visiting http://support.blackboardcollaborate.com and clicking on “First Time Users — Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing”.

The NOVA Online Orientation webinar is a live, one hour online instruction session that focuses on getting started in your NOVA Online courses, navigating your Blackboard course site, identifying tips for success, and highlighting student support services. During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you have before you start your course.

Connect with NOVA Online on Facebook, Twitter & join fellow NOVA Online students in the Virtual Student Union.

NOVA Online Testing Tips: Proctor U

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Be Prepared – Begin reviewing and studying well in advance. If you need assistance locating helpful study resources, contact your Student Success Coach at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or call 703.764.5076.

For a sampling of helpful study resources offered through NOVA Online, please click here.

Proctor U Guidelines

Some courses offer online testing through ProctorU. Courses offering this option will be listed in the Syllabus Section of your Blackboard Course site, in the folder labeled “Taking Exams and Using Exam Passes”. You can also ask your instructor if Proctor U is an option for your course.

  • You will need to create an account through Proctor U. Make sure you use your VCCS email address, and select Northern Virginia Community College as your institution.
  • You will want to schedule your exam(s) at least 72 hours prior to testing to avoid a late fee.
  • If it is your first time using ProctorU, sign in 15 minutes early to set up your computer.
  • Be sure to have your photo ID ready.

Good Luck on your exams!