Tips for Students in BVS Online Classes

Is Online Learning For You?

Online courses can provide opportunities for students to attend classes anytime from anywhere; however, studies show that often students are unprepared for the challenges inherent with this style of delivery.

In order to help you know if you will be successful learning in an online environment, please carefully consider the questions below prior to requesting courses.

If you can answer "YES" to ALL of these statements/questions, online distance learning may be an attractive option for your educational needs. If you decide to request a course with BVS, use the Registration Checklist to help you with the process. If you answer "NO" to two or more, you may want to resolve or improve in this area prior to attempting online courses. More than three "NO" answers would indicate potential difficulties in successfully completing an online course.

Technical Competencies and Access

  • Taking into consideration my personal, academic, work and extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, etc), will I be able to devote as much or more time to my online class, as I do for my traditional studies?
  • Am I comfortable using the Internet as a means of communication and research?
  • Do I own or have access to a computer with Internet access and email?
  • I know or am willing to learn how to copy, cut, and paste text/files between programs.
  • I am able to learn and apply new software applications.

Learning Styles

  • I am able to prioritize tasks, organize assignments and complete assigned work within a deadline.
  • I am gratified when I independently solve problems and take responsibility for what I learn.
  • Are my writing, reading and communication abilities above average?
  • I prefer to work alone on assignments.
  • I learn best when I read the directions, rather than an instructor lecturing and giving verbal explanations.
  • I consider class discussions with my classmates as optional or not important to me.
If you can answer "YES" to ALL of these statements/questions, online distance learning may be an attractive option for your educational needs. If you decide to request a course with BVS, use the Registration Checklist to help you with the process. If you answer "NO" to two or more, you may want to resolve or improve in this area prior to attempting online courses. More than three "NO" answers would indicate potential difficulties in successfully completing an online course.

Expectations and Policies

Academic Integrity

BVS expects a full commitment to academic integrity from each student.
Academic integrity means:
  • Your work on each assignment will be completely your own
  • Your collaboration with another classmate on any assignment will be pre-approved by your instructor
  • You will not practice plagiarism in any form*
  • You will not allow others to copy your work
  • You will not misuse content from the Internet
*Plagiarism is defined as follows: copying or using ideas or words (from another person, an online classmate, or an Internet or print source) and presenting them as your own.

Please be aware that all BVS instructors utilize a myriad of technologies to check student work for authenticity. If an instructor confirms that a student has plagiarized work in any manner, the student will be subject to consequences determined by BVS administration and may be removed from the course with a failing grade.

Semester and Final Exams

  • Your work will be completely your own?
  • You will not practice plagiarism in any form?
  • You will not allow others to copy your work?
  • You will give no assistance to anyone scheduled to take the same course semester/final exams in the future
  • Your parent/guardian will attest to the fact that your work is completely your own
Note: You are responsible to notify your parent/guardian of his/her responsibility in monitoring your semester/final exams to assure academic integrity. You MUST PASS the final/semester exam in order to pass the course.

Student Contact and Drop Policy

Only through continuous communication can students be successful in an online course. Within each course the instructor outlines the weekly minimum work requirements. It is essential that the student and instructor maintain regular contact.

To ensure that our students are aware of this commitment, the three-part process below will be followed:
  1. If the student does not submit the expected number of assignment(s) within a period of seven (7) consecutive days, the student and parent(s) will receive a letter notifying them of the student's unacceptable pace for submitting assignments.
  2. If the student does not respond to the letter by submitting the appropriate number of assignments within seven (7) days, the instructor(s) will make a telephone call to the student/parent(s).
  3. If the student does not respond by submitting assignments within fourteen (14) days of the initial letter, BVS will assume that the student does not intend to remain in the course, and the student will be administratively dropped from the course.
By enrolling in BVS, you acknowledge that during the first 28 consecutive days of being activated into a BVS course you may drop the course without penalty. You understand that for each online course there are a minimum number of assignments that must be completed each week. Failure to submit the minimum number of assignments on a weekly basis will result in your removal from the course and may result in a failing grade being assigned to your academic transcript. You must return all course materials and/or borrowed property to BVS. (Disclaimer: It is the requirement of the student/parent to be informed of the Polices of Bay District Schools.)

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