How It Works
Overview
Online courses follow either an 8-week, 16-week or self-paced format. You may choose to enroll in a single course or participate in several courses at one time. Students in each course progress through a structured series of course material and learning experiences, guided by Moody faculty and instructors. Assignments require students to engage in activities that are both academic and practical.
The courses are designed to help you benefit from the learning community that surrounds you. Your commitments to family, church, ministry and community become key components in your personal development in the courses. Substantive online interaction with faculty and students of other backgrounds further enriches the experience.
Course requirements that include online postings follow a schedule for the semester-based online courses so that you may complete the assignments at your convenience prior to the due date/time.
The online connection will be made through your Internet Service Provider (ISP), but the electronic classrooms will be managed through Moody's learning management system called Blackboard. Students will be issued user names and passwords in order to have access to the courses and services.
How much time will I spend online?
In a three credit hour course, you should expect to spend an average of 9-12 hours per week on your course work. Depending on your speed of reading and the number of particular assignments for the course, you will be online approximately 4-5 hours a week. This time may be decreased if you download documents and read them offline and may be increased if you participate extensively in additional discussion board conversations.
Do I have to be online at any specific time?
The way our courses are set up, you do not need to be online at any particular time. However, the software we use for the online school is interactive. You will have a chance to communicate with the other students and the instructor. Communication is mostly through e-mail and discussion board, so you can get online at the time most convenient for you.
Who are the Moody online instructors?
Many faculty members will be involved in various ways with Moody online courses. Faculty content experts, professional instructional designers, and educational technologists have worked together to establish course objectives, select textbooks, prepare study material, develop lessons and assignments, produce assessment devices and deliver the course in an online format. A faculty member or instructor who is familiar with the area of study will provide ongoing facilitation to guide you through each Moody online course.
What is a typical online class routine?
- Log on to BlackBoard using your personal user name and password.
- Choose a course by clicking on the course that you want to work on.
- Check the announcements.
- Read the material for the week by clicking on the Study Guide section.
- Work on the assignments.
- Participate in class discussion for semester based courses by clicking on "Discussion Board" on the Communication page. Comment on the topic the instructor has posted and respond to comments from other students. For online self-paced courses students complete and post individual reflection papers and do not have specific due dates..
- Complete homework by completing textbook reading, projects and papers.
- Turn in assignments to the Digital Drop Box within BlackBoard.
- Keep in communication by corresponding with your instructor.
How do I get textbooks?
You will need to purchase your textbooks before your course begins. You should be able to find your textbooks at a local or online bookstore. The required textbooks are listed in each course syllabus listed under Course Descriptions and in the Textbook sections of the Graduate and Undergraduate Web pages.
How much computer experience do I need?
A basic level of computer proficiency is required for successful completion of an online course. Students should be comfortable working with the Internet, e-mail and word processing software (such as Word).
View the Technical Requirements section for detail on basic computer experience required and specific hardware/software needed for the best experience with Moody Online.
How do I start?
See the Registration Process to get started.
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