Blackboard Tip: Compatibility View for Internet Explorer 8

What browser do you use to connect to Blackboard? If you’ve tried using Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8), you’ve likely run into a few problems. Some known issues that users experience include:

• Slower loading of pages
• Shrinking data fields and buttons
• Inability to add files to the Digital Dropbox
• Inability to run Wimba Setup Wizard or enter a Wimba Classroom
• Error messages prompting for a valid file type when uploading an Assignment

The problem is, Blackboard was designed for older browsers and the newest version of IE is not compatible with BB. If you already use IE 8 for other needs – or are using a public computer where the default browser is Internet Explorer – it can be irritating to have to use a different browser just for online courses. We agree, the incompatibility is inconvenient to Blackboard-dependant students. But don’t let it stymie your course progress. There is an easy solution: Run IE 8 in Compatibility View.

• Open Internet Explorer
• Find the Command Bar in the upper right corner of your screen
• Click on Tools and select “Compatibility View.”

Problem solved!

ELI Success Tip: Using the "Ask Your Professor" forum

In most ELI courses, you will find a discussion forum in your course Blackboard site for asking your professor questions. (For example, if your professor is named Dr. Smith, it's probably called "Ask Dr. Smith.") This forum is an often-overlooked tool for your success. If you are confused about something in the course, post your question there rather than emailing your professor one-on-one. Most likely, other students will have the same question, and they'll be able to benefit from reading the professor's answer. In addition, other students may know the answer to your question and be able to post a response to you before your professor even gets a chance to, getting you the information you need as quickly as possible. And, the more your classmates see the forum being used, the more likely all students in the class are to use it--which means that it's more likely that your classmate's great question, which you have not thought of yet, will be posted for you to see and learn from, helping you avoid making a mistake on an assignment or getting confused later. Everyone wins when you use this forum to ask your questions!

NOVA Technology Tips

It's always nice to get a new technology tip that could make your life a bit easier--especially when you're an online student and spend a lot of time on the computer! You might like to visit the NOVA Technology Tips Blog, where you can read solutions to common problems NOVA faculty, staff, and students experience with technology as well as sharing your own suggestions or questions.

Graduation Deadline is October 1st

Heads up! The deadline to apply for graduation is October 1st. Why do I have to apply for graduation? you might ask. Well, your application signals the College to begin your “degree audit” - the process of checking your records to be sure that you have met all of the requirements for graduation. This includes checking that transfer courses and substitutions have been properly applied to your degree or certificate program. Assuming everything’s in order, it also tells us that it’s time to order your long-sought-after diploma. Yay!

Are you close to completing your program and wonder if you’re ready to apply for graduation? To be sure, run your Degree Progress Report to check that you’ve met all requirements for graduation through courses completed or in progress. If you notice any discrepancies, contact your Student Services Center or academic advisor.

Please refer to the links below for more information regarding this process. If you have additional questions, post them in the comments section and we will get back to you.

• FAQ's (re: all things graduation)
• Degree Progress Report (NOVAConnect Instructions)
• Graduation Requirements (information from the 2009-2010 College Catalog)
• How to Apply (information about detrmining eligibility and completing the online form)

Best of luck to all our graduates. We look forward to celebrating with you at the commencement ceremonies in May.

Using Your Learning Style

Do you know what your preferred learning style is? And, if you do know that, do you know how to make the most of any classroom situation no matter what your learning style is? Understanding what study approaches work best for you and how to adapt a course's materials to best fit your learning style can be a powerful way to become more successful in your studies.

To explore this issue, you might want to take a quick (5 minutes) self-assessment at VARK. Click "Questionnaire" on the right and complete the brief survey. The site will then tell you your preferred learning style/styles, and, most importantly, will give you some "help sheets" with tips on how to study best if you have a particular learning style.

Try it out and tell us what you think. Did the questionnaire assess you correctly, in your view? Were the study tips helpful?

Are you ready for H1N1?

Concerned about H1N1 (also known as the swine flu) and how it will affect you this flu season? We're hearing reports from around the country that many people are being affected already. Keep up with news and information about how NOVA is preparing for and responding to the dangers of H1N1 at the NOVA Emergency Planning Blog. Check the blog for updates and feel free to post your questions and ideas in the comments section!

A thought on perseverance

Author and anti-slavery activist Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote, "Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." It's good advice for those times when you think you are never going to make it through your degree, or even a particular course. Keep on working at it, ask for help when you are having trouble, and you will get to your goals!

Finding a Job or a Career

Did you know that NOVA's website includes a Career Services page to help you in finding a job or a career? On this page, you will find tools to help you choose a career or major, information on finding internships and co-ops to get real-world experience while you are in school, tips to improve your job search skills (like writing a better resume), and contact information for the career counselors available at NOVA to help you one-on-one with your job and career search. And, if you click the NACELink button on this page, you'll find free job listings for local jobs and even jobs around the country! The Career Services page is an excellent resource--check it out and see what you can find to help you move to the next level in your career planning!

The Value of a NOVACard

Do you have a NOVA ID Card (or NOVACard) that shows you are a NOVA student? If you take all or primarily ELI courses, you may not have thought to get one. But if you live in the Northern Virginia area, it is well worth your while to stop by campus and get one! Why? Here are a few reasons:

• Printing on campus requires use of the NOVACard (which you can load money on) or purchase of a more expensive guest card. If you ever use the campus library (where you might want to print a draft of a paper or a research article you've found for a project) or even just need to print your exam pass for an ELI test before going to a testing center, you definitely want to have your NOVACard handy!
• Many vending machines on campus accept only NOVACard for payment.
• You need your NOVACard to get free student access to the parking garages on some campuses.
• You can get discounts as a NOVA student at various local venues by showing your NOVACard to prove you are a college student--or in some cases, certain stores and restaurants provide extra discounts just for NOVA students!

For more information on the NOVACard, click here.

Free College and Career Planning Tool

Have you heard about the new Virginia Education Wizard? Or noticed the new cartoon counselor, Ginny, waving at you when you log into your Blackboard account? If not, now might be a great time to explore what this important statewide resource has to offer.

The Virginia Education Wizard is a free online tool to allow any student in Virginia to plan your educational path and career goals. It includes tools to help you determine what career might be best for you, what college major will best help you get to your desired career, what colleges in Virginia would best meet your needs, how to find financial aid to pay for college, how to transfer from a community college to a four-year college, and more.

It's free, so why not take a look? Just click the link on your Blackboard portal page, or visit the wizard directly here. We'd love to hear what you think of it!

Blackboard Tip: Customize Your Portal Page

Did you know that the page you see when you log into your Blackboard account can be customized to show the features you most want to see, and in the layout you prefer to see them?

One thing you can do is click the circle with a line in it that appears on the top right of each box on the page. This will minimize that box (or module) so that you see only the green heading (that is, the top of the module, which shows its title) rather than the whole box. If you then want to see the contents of the box again, just click the circle again to maximize it.

You can also go further with your customization using the "Modify Content" and "Modify Layout" links at the top right of the page. Under "Modify Content," you can change what modules appear on your page (for example, maybe you want to add bookmarks, or a calculator, or different New Y0rk Times news headlines). Under "Modify Layout," you can change where each item appears on your page.

Try it out and see if it makes Blackboard a bit more useful for you!

Labor Day

I hope you are having a chance to enjoy the Labor Day weekend with family and friends. Around Northern Virginia, the weather's not so great today, but maybe it's better where you are!

While we're enjoying our time off, do you know the history of Labor Day and what it stands for?

Blackboard Tip: Open in a New Window

Do your professors ever provide you with links to websites in Blackboard? If you've clicked on one of those, you may have experienced the website opening up within Blackboard, so that the normal menu of Blackboard buttons still shows up on the left. This can be frustrating if you needed to refer to your professor's instructions, study questions, or other materials while looking at the website.

Next time you need to click a link like that in Blackboard, try right clicking. That is, put your mouse pointer over the link, and then click the right mouse button. From the menu that pops up, select "open in a new tab" or "open in a new window." That way, you'll have the web page open to use while still being able to refer to your assignment or other instructions in Blackboard.

What other tips do you have to make using Blackboard easier?

Doing Library Research from Home

One of the best ways to conduct academic research is to use research articles from academic journals. In most fields, academic journals (not books) provide the most current research in the field. Luckily for you, you can access a wide variety of academic journals without coming to campus; the NOVA libraries provide online access to thousands of useful articles for your research assignments. Just visit the library homepage and click "Articles & More" to access a wealth of resources available to you anytime, anywhere.