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How Online Courses Work

We use Moodle as the learning management system for our online courses. If you are new to online learning and/or Moodle, we will provide you access to a brief orientation course that will familiarize you with the tools, activities, and resources commonly used in our courses. You will learn how to access course materials, submit assignments, take quizzes and tests, communicate with your instructor and classmates, access your grades, etc. There is no software to install or update.

 

Courses are built in a weekly format of either 8 or 16 weeks that is consistent and easy to follow. Each course is taught from a biblical worldview and is in harmony with Crown’s statement of faith.

There are four basic divisions within the structure of each week.

  • Objectives – the specific knowledge and skills you will acquire as a result of successfully completing the week’s assignments
  • Resources – the materials required, assigned and/or supplied by your instructor that will allow you to complete the week’s assignments – including textbooks, lectures, supplemental reading, and other resources
  • Activities – a comprehensive list of the assignments you are to complete and submit during the week
  • Assessments – the assignments you submit to your instructor – including papers, discussion forums, quizzes, tests, etc.

The online week begins at 12:01 AM every Monday and ends at 11:59 PM every Sunday. With the exception of major projects, assignments are due at the end of the week in which they are assigned. Undergraduate courses will include midterm and final exams. Graduate level courses are likely to have at least one major research/writing project assigned.

Our online courses are held to the same academic standards as on-campus instruction. While materials are obviously packaged for delivery in an online format, the course content and academic rigor remains the same.

You must discipline yourself to complete your assignments without the “imposed discipline” of an on-campus classroom. The commitment of time to an online course is similar to that same course when taught traditionally. A rough estimate of the time needed to successfully complete a 3-credit course would be between 8 and 12 hours per week. This includes lectures, reading textbooks and other course materials, studying, completing assignments, quizzes and exams. However, your experience may not be typical.

The main differences between online and on-campus courses are 1) flexibility of scheduling, 2) online communication with instructors and classmates, 3) formatting of resources and activities for an online environment, and 4) online submission of assignments.

Transcripts make no distinction whether a particular course was completed online or on-campus, except in the course number.

Online courses use the same textbook as the on-campus version of the course. However, a few courses provide access to all materials directly via the internet at no additional cost. When you register for the course, take note of the materials required for the course as well as information on where you can purchase them. Textbooks may be purchased through the Crown Bookshop – online at bookshop.thecrowncollege.edu or by calling 865.938.2578.

Online students have access to the on-campus Askew Library. Additional instructions on accessing library materials can be found on your dashboard under Helpful Links. A variety of other resources are available for your use there as well.

Even though online courses are extremely flexible, you should make every effort not to have an extended absence during the session. If you believe there is a good chance that you may be forced to miss significant time, contact the instructorbefore the course begins to see if that absence will prevent you from enrolling in and completing the course. If you are unable to complete any assignments for two consecutive weeks, you will be administratively withdrawn from the course.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have a computer that meets or exceeds the minimum hardware and software specifications to participate in online courses. Minimum specifications may result in slow or unreliable access. High speed internet access is strongly recommended.

Minimum software requirements

  • Word processing software – must be able to read, create, and save files in Microsoft Word (.docx) format
  • Support for PDF files – either Adobe Reader or another program which allows you to read files saved in PDF format
  • Web browser – the latest version of either Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome (we cannot guarantee compatibility with all browser versions)
  • Operating system (OS) – Microsoft Windows 2007 or Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard – make sure that you have all available updates installed for your operating system

Minimum computer skills

  • Ability to effectively use your computer and its operating system
  • Basic knowledge of word processing programs, email applications, internet browsers, and online search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.)

Email account

Crown provides all students with an Outlook email account, which includes Microsoft Office 365 apps that are used in courses. Students must use this address for course-related email correspondence.

While it is your responsibility to seek local technical assistance with your computer and software, technical assistance on accessing the course and working with Moodle is available through Crown. For assistance with Moodle access, features, and user accounts, email [email protected].

Once you have been accepted as a student, you will be emailed user account credentials, including your student email address, password, and a link to the registration site. It is vital that you do not allow others to login with your credentials. Login at the registration site and click the program to which you have been accepted. Select the course(s) you wish to take and follow the prompts. Prepay your tuition and fees using a credit or debit card. If you have been approved to use VA benefits, enter the code you have been issued.

Two days before the start of the course you can login to the course at https://thecrowncollege.edu/student-life/campus-login. Your course will appear on your dashboard. Click the title to enter the course page.

Experience the Crown difference!

The mission of Crown College is to train men and women to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and to equip them to fulfill His purpose by providing an education in which Christ is preeminent, and where the highest academics are united with ministry application for the sole purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. This mission continues as our graduates win and train others to follow Christ.