Online Learning
Online Learning encompasses online courses that use the college's Learning Management System, Canvas, to facilitate fully asynchronous courses.
Online courses provide the most flexibility for students, as they are taught completely online. Your class work and interactions with your instructor and fellow students occur primarily online. Online instruction may be supplemented with printed or online textbooks, online content from textbook publishers, and online discussions, video lectures, quizzes and assignments. Some courses require proctored testing. Email, discussion groups, and group work provide a high degree of student-to-student and student-to-instructor interactivity. Most courses follow a schedule provided by the instructor with specific assignment due dates. Online courses have equivalent requirements and outcomes as face-to-face courses.
Technology Requirements
Students should review the computer requirements before the start of a course:
- PC (Windows 10 or higher) or MAC (iOS 10.6 or higher). (iPads, Chromebooks & Surfaces, etc. are not fully supported)
- High-speed internet connection – 5Mbps Download, 1Mbps Upload and less than 100 ms Latency
- Memory (RAM) – 8GB or higher
- Hard Drive – 100GB or higher
- Antivirus Software – Strongly recommended
- Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print PDF's
- Microphone, headphones/earbuds, and webcam
- Office 365 is provided to all Bucks students for free
- Web Browsers:
- Firefox
- Chrome
- Internet Explorer 11+
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari 6+
Proficiency in using word processing programs, web browsers, and email is necessary. Some courses may require additional tools, software, and hardware. Details can be found in the course syllabus.
Who Should Take Online Courses?
Self-motivated and self-disciplined students who can handle college-level work and who are comfortable studying independently are successful in these courses. Online Learning provides the flexibility that mature students need to juggle their many responsibilities while advancing their career and personal goals in a more convenient manner. Successful online students include those with full-time jobs, parents with young children, the elderly, those on rotating work schedules, the disabled, and anyone who has difficulty traveling.
There is a strong correlation between a student's success in online classes and his/her maturity, past educational performance, and motivation. Students who are aware of the additional work and discipline required to excel in an online class are much more likely to succeed in that environment.
Some students mistakenly register for online courses believing the course will be easier or the workload lighter because there are no regular face-to-face meetings. Online courses often require more work and self-discipline than their face-to-face counterparts. For example, students should plan a minimum of 6-9 hours per week for each 15-week (standard semester) online course, 12-15 hours per week for each 8-week course and 30 hours per week for each Winter session course.
Find Out More
Full descriptions of all online courses, including the specific technology and meeting requirements for each course, can be found on our website.
For support or general questions regarding online learning, contact the Bucks Online Office via phone at 215-968-8052, or email online@bucks.edu.