Dear Online EGL 101 Student:

Welcome to EGL 101-0C1 or 0C2, Composition I Online. When you receive this letter, please email me at once at sylvia@oakton.edu so that I know you have received it. That way, I can reply to your questions before the course begins, and I will have access to your usual e-mail address. Remember to check the official start time for classes, and that is when you will gain access to the course.

The textbook for the course is the St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, eighth, short edition, by Axelrod and Cooper. Be sure to purchase it soon (ISBN 10-312-44633-0) so that you are ready to start the course.

When the course begins, you can access it at either of these URLs:

http://elearn.oakton.edu:8900/

http://elearn.oakton.edu:8900/webct/homearea/homearea/

In order to access the course, you will need:

1.Your WebCT login ID;

2.Your WebCT Password

Your WebCT login ID consists of

1.The first letter of your first name (typed in lowercase); plus

2.The first 7 letters of your last name, or just simply your last name, if it is shorter than 7 letters, (typed in lowercase); plus

3.The last 4 digits of your Oakton ID number. Your Oakton number begins with a capital B and appears on your bills, receipts, grade reports, and transcripts from Oakton. You can also find out your Oakton number by going to the web page:

http://www.oakton.edu/resource/it/idlookup.html

Your WebCT Password is your date of birth expressed as six numerals in the format of mmddyy

For additional help with this process, please see these sections of Oakton’s WebCT Student Guide

http://www.oakton.edu/online/globalid/

http://www.oakton.edu/online/4_0webctguide/index4_0.htm

The course contains an extensive online orientation. When you reach the course home page, click on "Start Here" (in the upper left-hand corner) and read and follow the directions contained there.

If you have any difficulties getting into the course after the official start time, please let me know immediately, either through e-mail or by phoning (847) 635-1963.

If you have questions before classes begin, additional information about the course will be available on the web at: http://servercc.oakton.edu/~sylvia/101index.htm

or you may phone me (847/635-1963) or e-mail me at any time: sylvia@oakton.edu

Here are some suggestions for achieving success in this course:

Self-motivation and self-discipline are essential. That means you must meet all deadlines and participate in all group activities. This mutual participation is key to the learning experience in Composition I Online because the rest of the class will not be able to wait for those who fall behind. So, keep up with the group, and complete all work on time.

I encourage you to refer to http://www.oakton.edu/online/learner.htm for an explanation of behaviors that contribute to a successful online learning experience.

Commit 10 to 12 hours per week to this course. Although online courses allow some flexibility, you still must put in the same number of hours as students in traditional courses. Online courses, you must understand, are neither easier, nor less work than traditional classes.

You must have regular access to a computer with Internet access, and you must have familiarity with a word processing program, preferably Word. If you don’t have access to Word, please be sure to let me know. I will not be able to use the “Comments” feature for your papers if you do not use Word. You also must know how to copy, cut, and paste between documents and perform spelling and grammar checks. Our course does not teach those skills. To access the course, you will need Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher or AOL 7.0 as your browser software.

Again, if you have questions, please contact me. I am happy to have you in the class.

Sincerely,

Sylvia Stacey

Professor of English

sylvia@oakton.edu