Here is a checklist of important tasks that students should address before the official day of their online course.
Before Enrolling in an Online Course
- Take the Online Learning Readiness Quiz to determine if you are ready for online courses.
4 Weeks Prior
- Familiarize yourself with how to navigate and fully utilize Canvas, UAB's learning management system, by reviewing the Canvas Tutorials and Guides.
- Be familiar with how to contact Canvas Support, which is available 24/7.
- Prepare your computer to ensure that it meets the minimum requirements for online learning.
1-2 Weeks Prior
- Check your UAB email frequently so you don't miss any important messages regarding online course announcements, deadlines, or coursework.
- Make a plan for how you will save and back up your academic work, including documents, presentations, and other files. Computers crash. USB flash drives are easily lost. Learn about UAB’s Cloud storage options.
- Update your Canvas profile.
- Set your Canvas notification preferences, to ensure you don’t miss any course announcements and other notifications.
- Review information about common technologies such as Zoom, Respondus, and ProctorU on the eLearning academic technologies webpage.
- Check UAB bookstore and order textbooks.
First Official Day of Class
- Make sure you check your Canvas Dashboard. Don't see your course? Check out these troubleshooting instructions.
- Review the course syllabus to ensure that you have downloaded, purchased, and installed all academic technology and/or devices as instructed by the instructor ( Zoom, Respondus Lockdown Browser, iClicker mobile subscriptions, etc.…).
- Read any course announcements that are posted.
