Online courses are generally organized in a Learning Management System (LMS). The LMS provides tools that allow for communication between participants, storage of content and files, methods for submitting work electronically, and other features that function as an online classroom. Many of the BCPS online courses use the Desire2Learn (D2L) LMS.
To become familiar with the online classroom in the LMS, view the following presentation tutorials.
Tour of the LMS: This short video segment provides a quick tour of the main features of the LMS. View this to see an online classroom, how it works, where to go, and what to do. View the LMS Tour. (Click on Online Orientation Course.)
Login: To begin using the secure online classroom, learners need to login with a username and password.
Once you have been enrolled in an online course, your instructor will provide you with your username and password. View the Login tutorial. If you want to change your password, use the Change Password option after you have logged in.
Be sure to Log Out when you are finished working in the course site!
Dropbox: The dropbox allows learners to elecronically hand in assignments. This tool also allows the instructor to provide feedback on these assignments. View the Dropbox tutorial.
Locker: Each user has a locker in which documents and presentations can be stored. There is limited space for each user, so the locker is not recommended for storing files larger than 1MB. View the Using the Locker tutorial.
Classlist: The Classlist has a listing of all the participants and instructors in a course site. Through the classlist, a participant can identify who is online, view individual progress, and send messages to classmates. View the Classlist tutorial. View the View My Progress tutorial.
Content: All assignments, readings, and resources are found in the Content area of a course.
Be sure to read through the Course Content to obtain course-specific directions and resources.
