Academic Pathways to Technology Careers
Tag Archives: technology
This Week at NOVA Online!
Is today the first day of your online class? Not sure where to start? How to get started? What time to log in? Let us know – 703.323.3347 or try the live chat at eli.nvcc.edu.
Review NOVA Online’s On Your First Day blog post to help you get off to a great start. Get involved at NOVA – Events for the week listed below:
Join us for the NOVA Online Orientation Webinar – Today from 12:15-1:15pm. This one hour webinar will focus on getting started in your courses, navigating your Blackboard course site, and identifying tips for success and student support services. The NOVA Online Orientation is highly recommended for students who are new to online learning. Register now!
Join our Virtual Student Union – NOVA Online’s VSU has a new look! Are you taking online classes and looking to connect with other students outside of a classroom setting? Check out our Virtual Student Union or VSU. This is an engagement hub where NOVA Online students have access to create a profile, join discussion forums and connect with other students. In celebration of our new site launch, students will be eligible for raffle prizes once they create an account and interact on the site. Drawings will be done weekly and monthly through the fall semester. Join now!
Join NOVA Online’s Transfer Counselor Thursday 10/20 from 1- 2pm – for the Transfer Planning Webinar. It’s never too early to begin your planning to transfer another institution. This one-hour webinar will discuss the basics of transfer planning; information about Guaranteed Admission Agreements, Articulation Agreements, and Transfer Guides; and a provide web tour of NOVA’s transfer website. Join the live session by clicking on this link during the session time. NOVA Online offers a number of helpful transfer recordings. You can view our offerings viahttp://eli.nvcc.edu/webinars.htm.
Engage in your Community! Did you miss our Community Involvement Fair last year? Check out our community volunteer booklet to learn more about the variety of non-profits participating and volunteer opportunities available: Community Volunteer Booklet. Email us at elistulife@nvcc.edu and tell us where and when you are volunteering and we will send you a FREE NOVA Student Life T-shirt to wear!
Financial Avenue – Financial Literacy Contest – Twenty $100 NOVA bookstore gift cards towards educational costs at NOVA will be given-away throughout the 2016‐2017 academic year to randomly selected students NOVA Online who successfully complete Financial Avenue web‐based financial literacy modules! For more information visit Financial Aid’s Financial Literacy Blog. Official contest rules and registration to participate can be found here.
Learn more on the NOVA Online Student Blog. Want to write for the NOVA Online Student Blog? Share your story? Connect with your peers? Send us a writing sample to get started. Email NOVA OnlineStuLife@nvcc.edu for more information.
Stay Strong: Your Student Success Conference
Join us for Your Student Success Conference on Tuesday & Wednesday!
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Sessions on Tuesday, August 30:
Stay Strong: There’s an App for That! from 10:00 – 10:45 am
Focus on Your Career Planning from 12:15 – 1:00 pm
Sessions on Wednesday, August 31:
Are Online Courses Right for Me? from 10:00 – 10:45 am
Exploring Career Options from 12:15 – 1:00 pm
Communicating with Faculty from 2:00 – 2:45 pm
Everyone will receive a NOVA t-shirt for joining us! Additional raffle prizes each session! Join us for as many as your schedule allows!
If you have any questions you can contact the NOVA Online Student Services Team at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or 703-323-3347. We are more than happy to answer your questions, as well as refer you to useful resources and services that will support your online learning experience.
SmarterMeasure Assessment
Thinking about an online course through NOVA Online, but not sure if it’s the right fit for your learning styles? Take the SmarterMeasure Assessment to learn more!
SmarterMeasure is an assessment that measures learner readiness for Northern Virginia Community College’s Extended Learning Institute (NOVA Online). SmarterMeasure is an indicator of the degree to which online learning and/or learning in a technology rich environment will be a good fit for you.
SmarterMeasure is meant to be an interesting experience by which you may learn more about yourself, online learning, and how to succeed! Your SmarterMeasure score will not prevent you from registering for online classes. Take your time to rate yourself honestly. It is a tool that will help you assess your strengths and opportunities for growth related to online learning in 6 areas.
1. Life Factors
2. Individual Attributes – procrastination, time management, willingness to ask for help, academic attributes
3. Learning Styles – what is your predominant learning style?
4. Technical Competency, Skills, and Knowledge
5. Reading Rate and Recall
6. Typing Speed and Accuracy
You will receive a full color report immediately following the completion of all areas of SmarterMeasure. You may email this report, print it, or download and save for future reference. It also provides some resources related to each area of the assessment. For more information about SmarterMeasture, review the SmarterMeasure Assessment Webinar.
If you are visiting Northern Virginia Community College Extended Learning Institute and would like to determine if online learning is right for you, please use the following login information:
Log into: http://nvcc.smartermeasure.com/ (Login as First Time User on the right side of screen)
Username: Online Learning Webinar (Select from drop down)
Password: Eli123 (Case sensitive)
Please note that this information is for your use and instructors are not expected to make special accommodations for students based on SmarterMeasure results. If you think you will need additional educational accommodations please reach out to NOVA Online Counselors at elicounselors@nvcc.edu for any further assistance on acquiring such accommodations.
Join us for a NOVA Online Orientation
Are you enrolled in your first online learning course this summer? 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. 
A 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. Register for a live session or request a copy of the recording on the NOVA Online Webinar webpage.
The NOVA Online Orientation webinar is a live, one hour online instruction session geared for students already enrolled in courses. The webinar will focuses on getting started, 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.
The NOVA Online Orientation will cover an overview of navigating your Blakcboard Course Site. Instructors make courses available on the course start date or sometimes a few days in advance. If you haven’t used Blackboard in the past, you may be interested in some short videos to review how to submit an assignment, post on discussion board, check grades, etc.
The web conference tool we use at NOVA Online is Blackboard Collaborate. You can test your connection ahead of time by following the steps in this NOVA Online Student Blog post.
Connect with NOVA Online on Facebook and Twitter for tips for success in your online courses. NOVA Online Student Success Coaches are available for any questions as you are getting started. Reach out to them at NOVA OnlineSuccess@nvcc.edu or 703.764.5076.
Start Strong at NOVA!
Welcome to Northern Virginia Community College’s Extended Learning Institute (NOVA Online)! We are dedicated to helping you start strong. Whatever your educational goals, we can help you achieve them. If you are a first-time-to-college student, ages 17-24 (including high school/homeschool/GED graduates), you will want to follow the Start Strong at NOVA.
The new polices are part of an effort to strengthen the NOVA experience. Five of the new policies affect first-time-to-college students (ages 17-24). New students are required to attend a Student Orientation and meet with a First Year Advisor. As a new NOVA Online student, you can attend a campus Student Orientation, or you can work with NOVA Online virtually to get started.
As you are getting started, utilize your Student Success Planner to help guide your academic goals throughout your NOVA degree. You will also need to take the SmarterMeasure assessment early to help you gage your readiness for online learning.
The sixth policy requiring on-time registration impacts all students: new, current, transfer, international, military or any other type of student. All students must be registered for classes by 11:59 p.m. the day before the session’s start date. Once the session begins, registration is closed.
If you are not enrolled in a class on the start date of the session you will not be able to enroll without permission from the division dean. If you miss on-time registration you can still register for later start date. NOVA Online has several start dates each semester, for students interested in starting a class later in the semester. Check out NOVA Online Critical Course Deadlines for more information. For more information about on-time registration view this video.
Happy New Year!
Northern Virginia Community College has re-open from Winter Break!
Have you registered for your Spring term courses? There is still time to work with an academic counselor and register.
Registration: If you have not registered, Spring 2016 registration is still open. Search the online catalog to see what options you have for online courses. If you need assistance with your course selection, NOVA Online Counselors can be reached at, elicounselors@nvcc.edu. Emails will be answered in the order they are received.
Pre-requisites Satisfied at another College: If you are attempting to enroll in a course at NOVA for which you believe you have successfully completed (a grade of “C“or higher) the required pre-requisite(s) at another regionally accredited institution, you will need to submit a copy of your unofficial transcript to a NOVA Online counselor for review. Using your NOVA email, send an email to the counselors at: elicounselors@nvcc.edu. Include the following information with your unofficial transcript:
- NOVA seven digit student identification number (EMPLID)
- The specific course that you are registering for (Example: ENG 111 E55N, #45689)
- The best way to contact you – email or phone
Requests are reviewed and processed in the order in which they are received. You should expect to receive a response about your request within three business days.
Blackboard Course Availability: Instructors make classes available in blackboard on the first day the course is scheduled to begin, or sometimes a few days in advance. If you are visiting Blackboard to access your Spring 2016 class, you may not have access until closer to the start date.
NOVA Online Orientation: This one hour live online instructor session will focus on getting started in your courses, navigating your Blackboard course site, and identifying tips for success and student support services. The NOVA Online Orientation is highly recommended for students who are new to online learning. Register or Request a Recording Today!
Course Start Dates: Make sure you know your course start date and critical enrollment dates! Don’t miss your first assignment due date!
Welcome back and we wish you a positive and productive year! Contact the NOVA Online Success Coaches if you have any questions as you are getting started in your online courses. They can be reached at NOVA OnlineSuccess@nvcc.edu or 703.764.5076.
Join us for a NOVA Online Orientation webinar
Are you enrolled in your first online learning course this spring? 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. A 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. Register for a live session or request a copy of the recording on the NOVA Online Webinar webpage.
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.
The NOVA Online Orientation will cover an overview of navigating your Blakcboard Course Site. Instructors make courses available on the course start date or sometimes a few days in advance. If you haven’t used Blackboard in the past, you may be interested in some short videos to review how to submit an assignment, post on discussion board, check grades, etc.
The web conference tool we use at NOVA Online is Blackboard Collaborate. You can test your connection ahead of time by following the steps in this NOVA Online Student Blog post. http://blogs.nvcc.edu/elife/2014/06/16/how-to-log-into-a-blackboard-collaborate-session/
Connect with NOVA Online on Facebook and Twitter for tips for success in your online courses. NOVA Online Student Success Coaches are available for any questions as you are getting started. Reach out to them at NOVA OnlineSuccess@nvcc.edu or 703.764.5076.
The WHAT the WHY and the HOW to be a Social Justice Ally
Student Life College-wide Co-curricular Event: Today, Wednesday, October 21st from 2-4pm
As a college-wide initiative, Student Life will be hosting the speaker, Sam Killermann for a Keynote entitled The WHAT the WHY and the HOW to be a Social Justice Ally. This co-curricular event will be hosted on the Manassas campus (Howsmon 216) and involve the TV center to livestream to other participating campuses and our NOVA server to make it accessible for all who would like to participate from off campus.
Following the Keynote will be a panel discussion involving faculty to localize these topics to NOVA.
Below is the current schedule for the event:
Presenter Keynote: Sam Killermann (2:05-2:45)
Faculty Panel Discussion/ Q & A (2:45- 3:30)
Breakout Reflection (3:30-4:00)
Can’t make it to campus – Live Stream the event from anywhere! Learn how on NOVA Online’s Student Life Webpage.
SmarterMeasure: Technical Competency, Skills, and Knowledge
In order to participate in class, a student must have some way to get to the classroom. A student in a traditional class may drive a car on a highway to attend class, but a student in an online course “drives” a computer on the Internet (the Information Highway) to “attend” class. Technical competency is important, but if you do not score high in this area, don’t worry! The ability to comfortably learn is what is most important. You will want to gain comfort in navigating the blackboard course site so you can submit assignments, post on the discussion board and select folders so you don’t miss any course work.
A multitude of resources exist on the internet. Those listed in the technical competency summary are just a small sample of what is available in terms of information or tutorials on the topics focused on in SmarterMeasure. Some of these sites are free; a few require a subscription or fee. To find more or different information beyond these sites, feel free to perform your own web search.
You can run the System Check which is found in the Welcome message of each Blackboard course site to see what tools you will need for your online course, and make sure your computer is up to date.
Also, check out the Blackboard Learn app on your mobile device to connect with your class. You cannot complete your entire class on the app, but can access a lot of the folders and use it to stay up to date on announcements and assignments.
To obtain log-in information for the SmarterMeasure assessment, email EliSuccess@nvcc.edu from your VCCS email account. Once you complete the SmarterMeasure assessment, you can find more information in the ‘Assessment Summary’ section.