Online Degrees, Certificates, and Courses

News

Coursera for University Students Program Enrollment Deadline is October 31 | 10.19.2020

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is now offering the Coursera for University and College Students Program for a limited time in response to increased course demand due to COVID-19.
This unique, short-term program enables university faculty, staff, and students on the Urbana-Champaign campus free access to content from Coursera’s other academic and industry partners. Faculty, staff, and students will continue to have access to all Illinois course offerings on Coursera.
IMPORTANT: The enrollment deadline is October 31, and the deadline to complete courses is December 31.
Users with an active @illinois.edu email address can join by going to http://ow.ly/wiUx50BWqL2.

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Free CITL workshop aims to optimize students' remote learning experience | 10.15.2020

Looking to optimize your performance in your online classes? Then join the Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning for a workshop that’s full of ideas to help you do your best.
“Excelling in Remote Instruction” will be held October 22, at 7 pm, on Zoom. It is free and open to all undergraduate students.
To join, go to: http://go.illinois.edu/Workshop_Zoom.
The workshop will be particularly helpful to those who have been struggling with remote learning. We understand some of the difficulties you’ve been facing, and we’re here to help.
For more tips and strategies to help you succeed in your studies, please visit CITL’s Student Resources at https://go.illinois.edu/studentresources.

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Winter Session is back! | 10.5.2020

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is offering online courses to current undergraduate students and non-degree students from around the globe during the winter break.
Winter Session begins on December 21, 2020 and ends on January 15, 2021. Priority registration begins in conjunction with Spring 2021 on November 30, 2020.
The courses are rigorous yet manageable, and provide students with the chance to either complete general education requirements, alleviate credit hours needed during the spring or fall semester, or increase their overall G.P.A. The online courses also offer students the flexibility to learn from nationally-recognized faculty wherever they are.
For a list of courses visit ONLINE.ILLINOIS.EDU/WINTER. (Please note: Undergraduate students are limited to taking one winter session course, and the session is not open to graduate students.)
Join the more than 7,000 students who have enrolled in the Winter Session. Hear more about their experience at ONLINE.ILLINOIS.EDU/WINTER.
One course could make all the difference!

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Register for IADP Certificate Program | 9.28.2020

The first course of the College of Applied Health Sciences' Information Accessibility Design and Policy (IADP) Online Professional Certificate program starts on October 19, and registration closes on October 12, 12 PM (CST).

Register for IADP Certificate Program

Overview

Through the IADP program, website/web application developers/designers, content creators in education and industry, information technology specialists, and disability service providers will learn the principles of accessible information architecture and universal design used in education, healthcare, and employment settings. Students will also learn the federal and state legal mandates governing information accessibility and their relationship to the civil rights of people with disabilities, as well as technology accessibility standards, design techniques that adhere to those standards, and tools that support validation and evidence of compliance to those standards. The IADP professional certificate program consists of 3 online 8-week courses that can be completed in one academic year, and the certificate is available to undergraduate, graduate, degree or non-degree seeking students.

Approved by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) for CAEC Professional Development Credit.

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Events

Date	Event
10.23.2020	Deadline for UG to add POT B (2nd 8 week) course (?)
10.23.2020	Deadline for GRAD to add Second 8 week course via Student Self-Service (?)
11.2.2020	Priority registration begins for Winter 2020-2021 and Spring 2021 (?)
11.3.2020	Election Day (all-campus holiday) (?)
11.13.2020	Deadline for GRAD to drop semester course without grade of W (?)
11.13.2020	Last day for GRAD students to withdraw from term without grade of W (?)
11.16.2020	Priority registration Time Tickets (earliest registration times) for Winter and Spring 2021 available on Student Self-Service (?)
11.21.2020	Fall Break (?)
11.30.2020	Priority registration for Winter and Spring 2021 begins (?)

Online Illinois Calendar

Blogs

Student Resources for Learning Online | 10.1.2020
The University of Illinois is committed to providing students with a rewarding academic experience. To help, the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning has developed a set of resources to ensure success in the online environment.

Below are a few tips included in their collection that help students succeed in all learning endeavors:
1. Create a functional study space to use the most of your time and create healthy and productive study habits.
2. Learn more about connecting with your online classmates.
3. Try out these simple study strategies to make the most of each study session.
4. Be sure to stay healthy and productive by using the provided tips in mindfulness, relieving stress and overcoming anxiety, as well as taking care of your whole self.
5. Lean on your resources and use the support tools provided to you by Technology Services, Campus Wellbeing services, and other campus departments.
For a list of resources specific to undergraduate and graduate students, including tools and tips for accessing technology, visit the Illinois Remote website.
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A Day in the Life of an (Online) College Student | 5.13.2020

Written by Kendall Job, Marketing & Communications Intern

Hi there! My name is Kendall, and I’d like to give you a look at the day in the life of an online college student. Like many other students, I hadn’t planned on taking courses fully online, but I’ve quickly found that it is totally doable and can be really fun once you get organized and know your responsibilities for each day. Follow along below to see what a day in my life looks like as well as a few tips on taking online courses from my friends!

7:30am - Wake Up
I only have class two days a week, and the other three days I work my internship remotely (here at Illinois Online!). Today is a Tuesday, so I have three classes back to back and need to be awake for classes through Zoom. I wake up around 7:30 am for my 8:00am class, then go right into my 9:30 am and 11:00 am classes.

7:45 am - Breakfast
With online classes, you don’t have the most strict schedule, nor do you spend any time walking (or running) to class like we normally would on campus. Breakfast has become increasingly important for me to get through these first few hours of the day filled with classes. It helps to keep me focused and on task until I can take a brain break after class.

12:30 pm - Plan for the day
After my final class ends, I take a look at what I need to accomplish throughout the remainder of the day. I like to go through my planner in order to see all my assignments written down and in my head so I can stay on track with my coursework. My friend Lauren, who’s studying Nursing, is an avid user of her planner. When it comes to staying organized in online classes, she said, “Creating checklists in my planner has helped me get everything done in an orderly and timely fashion. Crossing things off my checklists not only provides me satisfaction but also keeps me organized in knowing what I have and haven’t completed for the week.” It’s usually around this time that I plan out the specific tasks I want and need to accomplish for my internship the next day, too, so everything is planned out, and I can get right to work the next morning.

1 pm - lunch
Since I’m at home while taking online classes, I take a break for lunch near the middle of my work day. I try to eat lunch with my mom since she works from home, too, and we usually take a break from staring at our computer screens to catch up and spend time together. I have to admit; we do love the Food Channel, so sometimes we have that playing in the background as we cook and eat!

1:30 pm - Homework
I like to start working on my actual assignments for the week after lunch. Since I have class in the morning, I can structure the rest of my day with what I need and want to accomplish. Kelly, who’s an English student here at Illinois, told me her biggest tip for online learning is to create structure in your daily routine. “Since we don’t have the ability to go to a physical class, try your best to make that setting at home. Plan to do assignments at certain times in the day - even planning meals and other activities helps with structure.” I find this advice especially helpful with one of my Gen Ed courses, which is Introduction to Epidemiology. It sounds scary, but it’s actually pretty interesting! There are fewer tasks for this course in particular, but each one is time consuming, so I like to plan out which days I want to accomplish each assignment so it’s ready to be turned in by the deadline.

3 pm - Workout
It’s around this time I usually start to hit a wall with school and need to take a break to focus on something else. Since we’re all at home right now, staying active is super important to me. I’ll grab some weights and a workout mat and find a YouTube workout video to follow for around 30 minutes. Personally, I think it’s important to take time for yourself throughout the day to do other things. My friend Ashley, who studies English and Political Science, gave some great advice. “I think in order for students to succeed online, they need to be understanding with themselves… it is crucial that we as students are not so hard on ourselves and give ourselves credit for trying and adapting.” While online classes are convenient, it can be easy to hole up all day. Find something fun to do to get moving, even if it’s just an at-home workout or a walk around your neighborhood.

4:00 pm - Back to work
After a quick shower, I now have this time to delegate to other things. One of my online classes, Issues in Contemporary Sport, has a film we are required to watch each week. This is a good time for me to watch the film of the week because I get to relax and also check something else off my to do list of classwork for the week. Although I say “relax,” my friend Brendan, who studies Computer Engineering at Illinois, reminds all of us that online classes are no time to slack off on your work. He told me, “Just because you're home… absolutely does not mean that the work and the classes are any less demanding of you. Don’t slack off and remember that the semester is still in session!”

6 pm - Dinner
My mind starts to wind down from school around 6pm, when I usually eat dinner. After this, I’m pretty much done for the day, unless I have a big project to work on or an exam to study for. Again, it’s important to take some time for yourself each day where you’re not doing or thinking about classwork. I like to take the evenings to recharge for the next day and get some sleep before the next day of work!

While school and online classes are a priority, it’s also extremely important to take care of your body and mind, especially now. Whether that be cooking a healthy meal, doing a midday workout, or taking some sort of brain break, school consumes a lot of our life. That being said, online courses are just as demanding as traditional courses, so each individual must learn how they learn best, what schedule works for them, and how to organize their time for the most success!

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Navigating Group Projects In An Online Course | 4.16.2020

Written by Kendall Job, Marketing & Communications Intern

Ah, yes. The dreaded group project. Attempting to make these painless in person is one thing, but making it work in an online course? That can be a recipe for disaster. Luckily, there are some simple ways to make the experience a little more bearable and even enjoyable, especially if you’re still required to make a group project work in the midst of all the recent changes. Communication and accountability are some of the most important aspects of group project success, with just a few modifications made for those that must be completed throughout an online class. Here are a few tips on how to navigate a group project online.

Get to Know Each Other

First and foremost, you’ll want to get to know each other. Even if your group will only ever communicate via email or group message, have everyone share a small introduction about themselves. Explain your strengths and weaknesses so you can divide up group tasks based on what will allow everyone to succeed in their position and lead to ultimate group success.

Plan and Assign

Assign tasks and responsibilities early on so everyone is always on the same page and can be held accountable for their individual and group responsibilities. Setting deadlines is extremely important as well so you never miss a deadline and end up losing points unnecessarily. Consider creating a shared calendar with each assignment, who is completing it and the due date. This way, everyone can see the big picture and what they’re all working toward. In addition, there are countless group collaboration apps that can do all of the task assignment and organization digitally!

Communication is Key

Communication is one of the most important aspects to group project success. There are several options of group contact you have, such as an online forum with instructor access, a group message, Facebook group or group emails where each member is copied. It’s important to keep in regular contact with one another, ask for updates and follow up with members who may not be working up to speed with the rest of the group. If nobody is in contact with one another, the group will suffer in one or more aspects of the overall project.

Talk with Your Instructor

Your instructor is there to teach the material, give feedback and support you and your classmates. Especially in cases where you feel your group may not be doing the best it can, approach your professor and send an email asking for guidance. If you take their advice and there are still no improvements, update them on how things are going. In the case things are going extremely well for your group, let them know about your successes and update them on your progress!

Prepare for Slackers

One thing to prepare for going into a group project is realizing the possibility (and usual inevitability) of slackers. Whether it’s just one person or a few, not everyone is always willing to pull their weight, especially in a group project. There is a decrease in accountability when it comes to group work in online courses since you never really have to interact in-person. Realize this fact of life early on and reach out to encourage these classmates. See if assigning tasks that align with their strengths and interests motivates them to work up to speed with the other members of the group.

Make it Meaningful

Try to establish early what the purpose and meaning of the project is. While every member of the group may not be the most interested or invested in the topic, one thing you all likely have in common is the overarching goal of a good outcome: the grade. This is why it’s important to divide up the tasks fairly, taking into account each group member’s abilities and strengths so each person will succeed in their list of responsibilities. The more meaningful you can all make the project to yourselves, the more likely you will see an increase in motivation and quality work from everyone in the group.

These are a few goals to strive for and some methods to use for online group project participation and success. Ultimately, communication, organization and accountability are what make the world of group projects go around. Seeing the purpose and end goal early on will lead to higher motivation and more quality work being produced. Don’t forget to encourage one another and turn each member’s strengths into group success!

More sources:
http://bit.ly/33hWrdQ
http://bit.ly/2Njjyzr
http://bit.ly/2PLvGux

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Ways to connect with your online classmates during a time of social distancing | 3.22.2020
Now that you are an online student, you may find yourself wondering how to stay connected with your classmates. While it may feel challenging at first, you can make friends just as easily as you did in the traditional classroom.
1. Introduce yourself
2. Use the provided discussion boards
3. Connect on Social Media
4. Have virtual study sessions
5. Remember you aren't alone
Below is a list of additional resources on how to keep learning via alternative online modes of course delivery and ways to stay connected:
- Visit https://status.illinois.edu/ for information on service availability impacts to Illinois customers. Cloud services, including those used by the university, will continue to experience instability as they adjust to record demand. Technology Services will notify customers of issues reported locally, as well as those we can reproduce or suspect may affect the campus.
- Keep Learning: A university resource to help students transition to online learning
- Technology Services information for IT support and resources
- University of Illinois COVID-19 Homepage
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University of Illinois Illinois Online University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Community College Leadership

Teaching Endorsement in Computer Science

Register now for the IADP Program

Winter Session Online Courses

Access free online courses with Coursera for Illinois

An Introduction to Accessibility and Inclusive Design

Online M.S. Health Communication

Online M.A. in Translation & Interpreting

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