BENEFIT ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

This online course offers several advantages over the traditional classroom, including access to a rich array of online resources on the World Wide Web and discussions of course topics with other students through the BENEFIT Online Discussion Forums. In addition, a special online tool, My Progress Page, will help you track your progress and stay on track in the course.

The World Wide Web as a Resource

The World Wide Web makes available an abundance of information, ideas, concepts, and messages, which is both the Web's greatest advantage and disadvantage. The amount of information available can be overwhelming because of its sheer quantity. It can be confusing as well when information gleaned from different sites is contradictory. How do you find the right information?

This course will help you to harness the power of the Web by helping you learn how to

• search the Web more efficiently and effectively
• evaluate Web sites and assess the information you find more critically

Online Discussion Forums

Online Discussion Forums, designed by the University of Washington award-winning Catalyst team, allow you to communicate with other currently-enrolled students. Given the dynamic nature of the world of information technology, the discussion forums provide online students with a much-needed outlet to exchange ideas and opinions about topics discussed in the textbook and lessons or on the Web. You can also use the forums to alert each other to online articles, Internet sites, online tutorials, newspaper and magazine articles, and meetings that deal with information technology.We encourage you to use this opportunity to exchange ideas, resources, and comments about your course experience.

My Progress Page

A special tool, My Progress Page, will help you meet your FITness goals while studying independently online, without the guidance of an instructor. This tool will assist you in tracking your progress, and staying on track, so that you can complete the course within your chosen time frame. You may select the features you would like to use:

• see your progress on the progress bar
• commit to studying specific unit(s) or the entire course
• select a preset schedule for a quarter, semester, or year
• schedule email reminders to prompt you to study
• pause email reminders while on vacation or over holidays
• track completion of course activities: readings, self-study exercises, practice exercises, assignments, labs, quizzes, and projects
• view your quiz scores and overall performance to date
• view and print an Acknowledgements of Completion, which may be earned for each of the three units in and the overall course

Continue to BENEFIT Course Materials

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BENEFIT was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and developed by University of Washington Educational Outreach.

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