Tech Tips for Online Classes
Using Email
Online classes depend a great deal on email to maintain
student-to-instructor and student-to-student interaction.
Using email in an online class, particularly at Oakton,
brings with it several unique technical considerations with
which a learner should be familiar.
In this section, we'd like to cover some of the basic technologies
of email and how they pertain to Oakton online classes.
What is Email and How Does It Work?
If you're reading this page and seriously considering
taking an online course, you probably know what email
is. Rather than take time and space to explain the basics
here, there is a good overview available at: http://www.newbie-u.com/email/.
This site is also a good source of information on email
"netiquette."
Email and your ISP
As an online student, you're expected to have an independent
ISP (Internet Service Provider) which you will use to
access your course (see the section on ISPs).
This ISP will likely come with an email account. If your
ISP is SBCGlobal, for instance, your email address
is probably <username>@sbcglobal.com.
This is a mail account you can access when you dial into
your ISP.
You can also set up an email account on certain web services
such as Yahoo and Hotmail.
All these email services are independent of Oakton and
your Oakton Online class. Access difficulties should be
taken up with your ISP.
Email and Oakton
By virtue of being an Oakton student, you have received
an Oakton network account, including an Oakton email address, though you do need to activate it.
When you are on campus and log into the college network,
you can easily check your Oakton mail via our Squirrelmail-based web mail application. This is best accessed via the email icon in MyOakton. This is also where you go to activate your Oakton email account.
If MyOakton is down, students can check their Oakton email from on- or off-campus
by using the College's Webmail interface page at http://www.oakton.edu/webmail.
Email & Oakton & WebCT
If you're taking an Oakton Online class, it is quite
possible that you now have at least three mail addresses
by which your instructor and classmates can contact you:
one from your ISP, one provided to you with your Oakton
network account, and one strictly internal to the WebCT
course management program. These addresses/accounts will
not automatically or necessarily work and play well together.
You cannot, for instance, use your WebCT email to write
to anyone besides other WebCT students. You can use either
your Oakton (or outside ISP) email address to write to
any other non-WebCT address.
Your instructor will tell you which address to use for
class purposes. If you wish to contact your instructor
before the class starts, use your Oakton or ISP account
to send to the instructor's public "___@oakton.edu"
address. This address will generally be included in the
course descriptions.
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