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Taft College Home >Distance Learning Home > General Information > Online Courses

Online Courses through ETUDES

Link to Etudes Portal http://ETUDES.fhda.edu/portal

Taft College utilizes ETUDES, a course management system for its distance learning online courses. The term ETUDES stands for Easy To Use Distance Education Software. It is easy to use and provides a trouble-free teaching and learning environment. ETUDES can be accessed from any platform using any standard browser. No plug-in or FTP is needed. You do not have to come to campus. Instead, you will follow the directions given in the ETUDES program, complete and submit your assignments and take your exams by the deadlines given, and contact your instructor if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. The online format has an internal message center where you and your instructor can stay in contact, and it has a discussion area where you will discuss topics with the other students enrolled in the class.

Getting Ready for ETUDES

Before you start taking classes through ETUDES, you need to make sure your computer is compatible and ready to go. To do this, go through the following steps carefully. Not doing so may prevent you from being successful in our online program.

System Requirements

Read through the following information carefully to ensure that your computer is properly configured to use the ETUDES software.

Computer and Internet Connectivity (PC and Mac)

General System Requirements:

·                    Screen resolution set to 1024 X 768

·                    PC's should be running Win 2000 or XP

(Testing on Windows Vista has not yet been done. It may work just fine, but it is not recommended at this time, as ETUDES cannot guarantee optimal performance without testing.)

·                    Macs should have OS X 10.3.X or above

·                    System should have at least 512 Ram

·                    56K minimum is required. DSL or cable modem strongly advised.

·                    You must have regular, reliable Internet access for satisfactory performance. Many courses require high-speed connections for interactive multimedia such as PowerPoint, Digital Video, etc. These requirements should also be stated in the course syllabus. If your connectivity is slower than a 56K modem, you might experience frustration with slow response.

Browsers for the PC

·                    The recommended Web Browsers for PC Users are either Internet Explorer (IE) 7.0 SP2 or Mozilla Firefox 2.x or above. Other Web Browsers are not supported and will not function properly. Both browsers are available as free downloads:

o       Get IE 7.0 SP2 at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/ie/getitnow.mspx

o       Get Mozilla Firefox at: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Browsers for the Mac

·                    The recommended Web Browser to use with ETUDES for Mac users is Mozilla Firefox 2.x or above. Firefox requires OSX 10.3 or above. Be sure to download the Mac OS X/English version.

o       Get Mozilla Firefox at: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

o       Internet Explorer and Safari are not supported browsers for the Mac. Safari works well for viewing materials, but you won't be able to use the editor for items that need to communicate with the system, such as discussions, tests & quizzes and assignments. Netscape, Opera, and other browsers that are not listed here are not supported. Please use FireFox.

Browser Instructions for AOL and CompuServe (PC and Mac)

·                    AOL and CompuServe (AOL/CS) software includes an integrated browser-like feature that does not provide full access to the Internet. Students MUST minimize the AOL/CS Browser once their Internet connection is established and open one of the supported browsers. Do NOT attempt to use the AOL/CS versions of Netscape or Internet Explorer.

·                    You must download a separate, complete, independent version of Internet Explorer. This will alleviate frustration associated with many known problems caused by the AOL/CS quasi-browser and its inherent inability to access to a significant percent of the World Wide Web.

·                    For further instructions, click here: IMPORTANT note for AOL Users!

Your Computer's Cache

·                    You must configure your browser's cache correctly for ETUDES to work properly. 99% of problems are due to incorrect browser cache settings. For instructions as to how to do this on your computer, click one of the links below:

o       Macintosh Browser CACHE Settings

o       PC Browser CACHE Settings

Other Important Settings

·                    The way you have configured Cookies, JavaScript, and any Pop-Up Blocking Software on your computer may affect the performance of ETUDES. For instructions as to how to set configure these items on your computer, click the link below:

o       Configure Cookies, JavaScript and Pop-Up Blocker

Final Technical Notes

·                    Satellite ISPs are NOT recommended! Users who are currently using Direcway or Hughes Satellite ISPs might encounter technology problems and intermittent issues with ETUDES that are beyond our control.

·                    Also, do not open more than one ETUDES browser window while logged into the system in a single session. You may get logged out this way or override changes you've made and lose your work. If you open more than one ETUDES browser window simultaneously, make sure you login to each session separately!

ETUDES Demonstration Videos

If you are new to ETUDES, we strongly recommend that you take a few moments to view the following demonstration videos which will help you to quickly learn your way around your online course.

You will need Flash Player installed on your computer to view these videos. If they will not play, you can install Flash from this website:  Flash Player 

·                    "Logging in to ETUDES" Demo for Students
username: tcstudent
password: taftcollege

·                    "Navigating Modules & Reading and Posting to Discussions in Etudes" Demo for Students

·                    "Taking Tests & Quizzes in ETUDES" Demo for Students

·                    "Submitting Assignments in ETUDES" Demo for Students

·                    “Sending and Reading Private Messages in ETUDES" Demo for Students

Student User Guide

Here is a printable Student User Guide which outlines how to navigate and use ETUDES

Etudes Student User Guide

How to login to your online class:

The program is case sensitive. Be sure to follow these directions carefully.

     New Users use the following login instructions:
 

Login Tips

1. Login Tips - Reasons why you may not be able to log on:

1. Classes have not started yet. Registration data is loaded on the first day of class or on Friday before classes start. Check the current class schedule to find out when the semester officially starts.
    
2. Instructor may not be ready. Each instructor publishes the class when the class is ready for student access. If you login and do not see the class listed on the tab bar, the class may not be ready for access. Check that your schedule still lists the class, wait overnight, and check again.
    
3. You are entering invalid login information (incorrect formula). Refer to the chart above. Make sure you are not using capital letters or spaces. If it still does not work, check your registration information. Sometimes, information is entered wrong on the online application. Contact the counseling center or distance learning help desk to double check how you are entered in the system and that we have the correct birth date.
    
4. You forgot your password. Add your email in the Reset Password tool and a new computer-generated password will be emailed to you. The response is instant. If you get a message that there are two accounts with your email address, please complete the next form under (d). Include the error message!
    
5. Update Your ETUDES Account if you do not have an email address in the system OR it's an old/duplicate one.  
    
6. You are not a new user of the system, yet you are attempting to log on with the default password. If you are not a new user of ETUDES, please use the userid and password that you established. We don't change it.
    
7. You have requested to add a class, but you are NOT officially enrolled in the system yet. You will be able to log into the ETUDES system the morning after you are officially enrolled with your Admissions.
    
8. You are attempting to log on from an unsupported browser, such as AOL or MSN (see system requirements above).
    
9. If your class is over and your instructor has disabled the the site, you can no longer see a tab (title of class on the main ETUDES toolbar) for the course.
    
10. If you have been dropped from the course, you'll no longer have a tab to the class.

ETUDES Frequently Asked Questions

• What do I do if I forget my password?
  Go to http://ETUDES.fhda.edu/portal/site/!gateway and click on the "Login Help" button. Read the information posted there. If you need your password reset, click on the "Reset Password" button.

• Is there a spell check feature for students?
  Yes, if you use a PC and Internet Explorer as your browser. This is not available for the Mac.

• You can download ieSpell that comes with the FCK Editor used in most tools. It is a limited spell-checker, however. You can download ieSpell - A Spell Checker for Internet Explorer at the following site: http://www.iespell.com/download.php.

• We recommend that you get into the habit of typing your work into a word processing program, like MS Word, saving it, and then cutting and pasting your text into ETUDES. This way, whether you are submitting an assignment, a discussion post, or an answer to an exam question, you will be able to spell check your work first and you will have a backup copy on your hard drive should you lose connectivity.

• What types of files can I upload as attachments in the discussion forums?

• This is a list of allowable file types in the Discussions & Private Messages forum. Your files must include the proper suffix in order to upload as an attachment.

• Image/Photo: .bmp, .jpg/.jpeg, .gif, .png, .psd, .tiff, .swf
  Media: .midi, .mov,.wav, .mp3
  Document: .doc, .pdf, .xls, .ppt, .pps, .htm/.html
  Utilities: .gz, .tar, .zip, .sit/.sitx

• The following file types are NOT allowed: .exe, .bat, .pif, .bin.

• What is the maximum file size for uploads?

• 2MB.

• Is there a limit to the number of files I can attach to an assignment?

• No, there is no limit to the number of files students can attach to an assignment. You can attach as many as required/asked for by the instructor. The same 2MB file size limit applies per file.

• Is there a limit to the number of attachments allowed in the discussion forums?

• In the discussion tool, we have set the limit to 3 attachments max per post.
   

• There's something wrong with my essay. Some of the punctuation marks are altered by the Website.

• If you want to retain the formatting of your essays, you should submit them as attachments. Pasting them into the editor may alter some characters, depending on the versions of software students are using. This is rare, but it happens with Mac users/versions of software.

• When I login to my ETUDES account, there is no way to get to my class(es). All I see is 'MyWorkspace.' Why can't I see my class listed there?
  You have been dropped by Admissions (perhaps due to non-payment) and you are no longer officially enrolled. You must clear your Admissions issues and get re-registered before you'll be able to access the course again. It usually takes 12-24 hours before you will be entered back into the system after you have cleared things up.

• How do I get to the top level, or home page, of a tool? I seem to get stuck in an open assignment or lesson and can't get out.
  That little icon to the left of each tool's title (looks like the Jiffy Lube logo) is a link back to that tool's beginning (table of contents) page. For example, if you are reading a lesson in the Modules area, you will return to the list of modules when you click on the icon. If you are reading a discussion posting, you will return to the Discussions Main Page when you click on the icon. All the rest of the tools have one of those Jiffy Lube icons and they all work the same way. (By the way, we are calling it a Jiffy Lube icon because it is a curly arrow that looks like Jiffy Lube's logo. It's not really related to Jiffy Lube at all.)

• My instructor said that I can resubmit an assignment, but when I try to, it won't accept it.
  Most likely, your computer's cache is not set correctly. It needs to be set to "every visit to the page" and thus you are seeing old sessions. Go to the Gateway for information on how to set your browsers' cache. Also be sure to CLEAR any existing cache.

• I clicked on a graded assignment to see my grade, but now I can't get back to the screen that lists all currently available assignments.
  Click on the Jiffy Lube icon of a tool (top left corner of tools) to get back to the home page, or close what you opened (buttons at the bottom of open page).

• How can I see my scores for assignments, tests & quizzes?
  In the Gradebook tool, you can see your scores for tests and quizzes (unless the instructor has turned off this feature). However, assignments don't automatically show up in the gradebook. So if your instructor hasn't manually entered assignment grades, you won't be able to see them.

• My teacher says that she has sent some announcements to us using email, but I didn't get them. Why not?
  There are two issues here:
  1. The email account you use might not be the same one that ETUDES is sending to. You can check this following these steps:
  a. Click on the Update Details button at the bottom of the page. Now email will be sent to the updated email address.
  b. After you log into your ETUDES account, you'll be in MyWorkspace. Click on the Account link in the left nav menu.
  c. Click on the Modify Details button at the bottom of the window.
  d. On the Account Details page that appears, put your correct email address into the correct box. (Notice that you can also change your name and password here, too. But remember that this only affects your ETUDES account. You'll need to contact Admissions & Records to make changes school-wide.
  2. It could be that you're receiving the emails, but your email program is automatically sorting the messages into your bulk/junk folder. This is particularly true if you're using hotmail or yahoo as your email account. You can try adding your ETUDES class email address to your address book so that it will be recognized as not junk, or just get into the habit of looking in your bulk/junk folder for class emails.

• Sometimes a module page does not open completely, but just show the titles. Why does this happen?
  You may need to disable your pop-up blocker. This is explained on our Gateway page, but it's easy to miss.
  Click on the link: Computer (PC and Mac) and Connectivity Requirements for details. Setting up cache, turning off pop-up blocker, and enabling cookies are three standards things that users should do. Allowing pop-ups impacts opening documents in separate browser windows, opening the widgets and other parts of the software where help is provided to users in the form of pop-up windows.
  Depending on how paranoid users are with regard to security, other things may have to be changed (i.e. allow downloads). It is too hard to know everyone's local configurations... The more restrictions people put on their browsers, the more problems they will have.