Monitoring Technology
1. Why do you monitor my attendance at lectures?
One of the biggest problems of most distance education programs is that there are few ways for schools or universities to monitor student progress. When you attend a normal classroom, the teacher can easily see who is missing and who is working hard. But when you study from a distance this is not easy.
One way for us to overcome this problem is to ensure that we have a record of whether you are attending (viewing) lectures and whether you understand the content of the lectures. Business Breakthrough's Dista-learning software is perfect for doing this.
The purpose is not really to "check" on you. The primary reason is to help us identify which students are having problems and offer additional assistance.
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2. How do you monitor attendance at lectures?
- Before the lecture begins, you will be reminded to open the Business Breakthrough Website and access your personal student webpage.
- When the lecture starts you click the START key on your website’s "softpad" (electronic keyboard.) You may then disconnect from the Internet.
- During the broadcast class, you will be prompted to press certain keys on the softpad. These keys may be letters, numbers or characters.
- At the end of the broadcast, you are asked to hook up to the Internet and download the attendance check information.
- Once attendance is confirmed, you are then asked to complete a mini-test to check if you were paying attention. These tests are relatively simple, and are designed to test your level of understanding during the lecture.
- The results are recorded on our database and allow us to see which students are attending classes and which are having learning difficulties. Students may also check their individual progress and determine how they are performing relative to other students enrolled in the same subject.
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3. Do I have to be connected to the Internet for the entire lecture?
No, you don't. You only need to log on at the beginning and at the end of the session. It will be the same cost as a single telephone call if you have a local Internet service provider.
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4. How many times may I take the comprehension test
This depends on the particular subject instructor. Many instructors allow multiple attempts for all quizzes and use this as a learning mechanism for students. Others allow only a single attempt. See your subject outline and/or email your tutor to clarify the position for a particular subject.
Once you have viewed the answers to the quiz (via the "Quiz Answer" button) you are generally not allowed to re-take the quiz.
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5. Will studying from a videotaped copy of a lecture affect my attendance and comprehension checks?
No, it won't. If you follow the instructions during the broadcast class and download successfully at the conclusion of the lecture, it will make no difference at all. The system is designed to be flexible to your lifestyle.
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6. What type of questions is in the comprehension test
All the questions are multiple choice. They usually relate to the main ideas of the lecture. These not only check that you have understood the key areas - they also provide you with a great summary of the most important aspects of the lecture
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