This
is the second in a series of articles describing a feature of UW-Platteville's
new distance learning web site. These articles will address the web site's
design and content, and explain how to navigate and use the site.
GETTING
STARTED is one of the main buttons located on the distance education
home
page.
When
our web team began to map out the web site, we considered the needs of
our current and prospective students through surveying current students,
asking the office personnel in charge of answering phone calls, and relying
on a little intuition. Because questions about admission, registration,
tuition, and financial aid are a very large portion of the inquiries we
receive, we deemed it necessary to dedicate a portion of the web site to
those issues to help people get started.
Welcome
Dawn
Drake, the executive director of alternative delivery systems at UW-Platteville,
begins this section with a welcome message in which she highlights some
aspects of the distance learning programs.
Admission
The
admission section outlines the steps to take when applying for admission
to UW-Platteville. Because there are several classifications of students
in both the graduate and undergraduate levels, we tried to keep the information
as simple and complete as possible. Here we define the terms matriculated
and special.The classifications and terminology are important to
learn to communicate your particular needs to the Distance Learning Center
staff.
Registration
Each
type of distance education delivery format requires a different approach
for registration. Note that because of the unique design of these pages,
the "Back" button does not always produce the desired effect. Whenever
possible, there are page links to get you back to your previous location;
however, this isn't always possible. When in doubt, use the "Close" link
for that section and the page menu will be visible (or use the button menu).
The same is true for printing pages. If there is a print link, it is your
best option for printing that page. We keep a menu "hidden" for people
who do not use cookies. Cookies are used for navigation, so the user doesn't
have to find another menu when he or she enters a new page.
Tuition
This
section provides information on tuition for each course format.
Financial
Assistance
Financial
assistance is actually a stand-alone page on which we provide information
on the following:
- Financial aid
- Places and organizaitons to look for
financial assistance
- Web site links for scholarship
applications and loans
- The process online students should
use to apply for financial aid
Step
by Step Instructions
Notice
that the order for the step by step instructions is almost the opposite
of our Getting Started menu. This order is for someone who hasn't figured
out what program he or she might be interested in. It provides a look at
our individual program offerings, their requirements, and course listings
first. Once a decision is made, the Getting Started menu would be a logical
approach for "getting started!"
Online
Tutorial
The
last link goes to our educational software provider's site and gives you
a quick "how-to" on using the course software.
We
hope that we have made this process easier for new and current students.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
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