Blackboard Tip: Tree view vs. List view

In many ELI classes, you use the discussion forums in Blackboard a lot. Did you know that you have two different options for how you view the discussion forum?

When you are viewing a discussion forum, notice that at the top right, there are boxes that say "tree view" and "list view." The box that is darker (and that you cannot click on) is the view you are currently using. If you click on the other option, you'll see the view change. You never know--you might like the other view better!

Tree view organizes the discussion board by thread. It groups each reply to a post under that post, and shows a plus sign next to a post if there are replies to it. You can click on the plus signs (or click "expand all") to show all the posts. Your discussion board will then have main threads starting on the left side of the screen and replies indented underneath.

In contrast, in list view, you see only the main thread. On the right side, you can see whether there are any replies to that thread. To actually see the replies, you have to click on that thread. Then you'll need to go back to the main list to see other threads.

Some people like to see all posts at once; they usually prefer tree view. Others like a cleaner look to the screen, and they usually prefer list view. Try them both and see what you prefer!

NOVA Tip: Online Chat for Library Help

Many ELI students do their library research from a computer, using NOVA's many online research databases to find articles from newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. But it can be hard sometimes to get to campus when you need a librarian's help finding what you need.

Luckily for you, you can contact a librarian right from your computer using online chat. From the library homepage, click "Ask a Librarian" on the left to access the chat. On this page, you'll also find phone numbers for the libraries on each campus (feel free to contact any campus you wish!) and an email address where you can send your question for a librarian to answer.

NOVA's librarians are here to help, even if you can't visit them in person! We hope you'll find these resources useful the next time you are doing library research for one of your ELI courses.

Getting Things Done in college

You may have heard of the book Getting Things Done, a plan for getting your work and life organized and efficient so you, as the title suggests, can get things done! Here's a short article describing how to apply these ideas to getting things done in your schoolwork. What do you think of the suggestions?

Happy First Day of Classes!

Our first session of fall courses begins today--welcome to the fall semester, and good luck!

Remember that if you have any questions or problems getting started, you can always contact ELI for help. Just visit our website and you'll find information on how to reach us by phone, email, or chat.

Tips for Success at ELI

We're getting ready to start the fall semester, so now's probably a good time to revisit our top 10 tips for success in your online courses. Which of these tips has been most helpful to you in the past (or hardest to follow)? What other tips should we add?

Free Software Downloads

Here's a quick list of links to software you can download free, from ones you probably already have (like Acrobat Reader) to ones you may not (like free internet phone service, free DVD burning software, free audio editing software, and lots more).

NOVA Student Handbook

Did you know that NOVA's Student Handbook is available online? (Did you even know NOVA has a student handbook?) You can find the handbook here. It has lots of useful information you can use throughout your time at NOVA. And even if you have a printed version, you should check the online version whenever you're looking up something important. Sometimes, policies or other information may change between printings, and the online version of the handbook is the official version.

Are there things you don't see in the handbook that you think NOVA should add? What would be useful to you in a student handbook?

Do You Know How To Check Your Degree Progress?

As you choose your courses each semester, it always pays to look again at the requirements for the program or degree you've selected and to check your progress toward that degree. You don't want to end up taking classes that won't apply toward your desired degree!

If you'd like more information about accessing your Degree Progress Report, the report in MyNOVA that allows you to see how your courses so far match up to your degree requirements, check out our helpful 15-minute video that explains just how to do it. Visit the NOVA TV Center web page here and scroll down to the dark brown "Latest Videos" box to find the video on using your Degree Progress Report.

Orientation webinars start today!

Today is our first ELI Orientation webinar for the fall semester. These free, one-hour online sessions are a great way to start off your ELI experience. You'll learn about ELI policies and procedures, see an overview of an ELI course and how to work in your course site in Blackboard, and get a chance to ask questions and hear the questions of fellow ELI students (as well as our answers!). Visit this site to find a complete list of orientation times and dates as well as instructions for how to sign up. Hope to "see" you there!

Wise Words

Anne Frank wrote, "How wonderful it is that nobody needs to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

What can you do today to improve the world?

Are You a Good Notetaker?

Taking good notes on class lectures is really important for your learning, since professors use lecture time to clarify difficult concepts, emphasize the most important material, give helpful examples, and bring the subject matter to life so you'll better remember it. This is true in your online courses as well, since many of them include podcasts, narrated PowerPoint presentations, videos, or live lectures that you need to take notes on!

If you could use some tips on taking good notes, check out this quick list of tips, or this one. Also, if you have not yet taken SDV 100 (College Success Skills), you might consider taking that course as well. It will help you improve your notetaking skills as well as teaching you lots of other vital information you need to do your best in college! SDV 100, a one-credit class, is available every semester through ELI as well as on the campuses, and is required for many NOVA degrees. Take it early on in your time at NOVA to get the most benefit from it.

New NOVA Transfer Blog

If you're planning to transfer to a four-year college after NOVA, you might want to follow NOVA's new transfer blog. It will be a place to hear from other students with plans just like yours, to get important updates about transfer policies and procedures, find links to useful information to help you transfer smoothly, and to ask questions about transfer. Just don't forget to read the ELI blog first! :)

Tackling a Big Project

We're getting to the end of the summer, and I'm guessing that many of you have final projects to work on in your ELI or other classes (or even big projects at work). Sometimes facing a big project can be overwhelming. One of the best ways to get going on a big project, especially if you feel like you don't know where to begin or are stressed about how you'll ever get it done, is to break the project down into smaller tasks.

For example, let's say you have a research paper to write. You could break that big project down into a series of smaller tasks, such as: come up with three possible topics; do some online research to help select topic; clear topic with professor; search library catalog and databases for books and articles to use in paper; read sources and take notes; write paper outline; ... etc. You get the idea! (You can also make your list more specific as you go along. For example, once you have found your books and articles, you can make your list show each one you need to read, so that each one is a separate task.)

Once your project broken down like this, it's easier to get started. Thinking "I need to work on my research paper!" can be overwhelming, but thinking "I will spend 15 minutes doing one task on my research paper list" is much less threatening. And, as you knock off each item on the list, you'll be surprised how quickly you get to accomplishing that larger goal!

What techniques do you use to tackle a big project for school or work?

Cool ELI Classes to Consider for Fall

ELI offers lots of interesting and unique classes. As you're thinking about what you might want to take this fall, consider some of these cool options at ELI:

• Beginning Chinese I (CHI 101)
• Writing for the World Wide Web (ENG 123)
• Mythology (ENG 257)
• History of Latin American Civilizations I (HIS 231)
• Elements of Astronomy (NAS 130)
• Bio-Medical Ethics (PHI 227)
• Introduction to Photography (PHT 100)
• Psychology of Human Sexuality (PSY 165)
• The Juvenile Justice System (ADJ 105)
• Art in World Culture (ART 105)

These are just a few of the courses you can find at ELI this fall--look through the entire ELI section of the Schedule of Classes for more options, and don't forget that you can also take all your basic requirements, from English to math to lab science to physical education, through ELI as well.