Get online!

 

Prospective students

Online courses at South West TAFE

Enrolment procedure

Enrolling students

Getting ready to begin

TAFE Virtual Campus

Fees and charges

Policies and procedures

Student services

Enrolled students

Accessing your studies via WebCT and the TAFE Virtual Campus

Accessing your studies via OnCourse

Guide to online learning

Toolboxes and portal pages

Academic support, study hints and other information

Learning Resource Centre (LRC)

Enrolling in online units at South West TAFE

If you live in Hamilton, Portland or Warrnambool you are welcome to visit a campus and complete your enrolment at the front office of any campus. If there is no campus available to you, go to the TAFE Virtual Campus (TAFE VC) and complete an electronic enrolment form.

Step 1
Go to www.tafevc.com.au and follow the Find a course here and apply to enrol link.

Step 2
Select the Providers link then select South West Institute of TAFE

Step 3
Select the unit you are interested in, then Apply to Enrol. This is not an enrolment, but an application for enrolment. The form will give us all the information we require for your enrolment if you decide to proceed after being contacted by a teacher and accepted into the unit.

We will contact you with details for payment and assist you with the rest of your enrolment. As soon as your payment has been finalised you will be allocated any necessary ID's, your enrolment will be complete and you can begin studying. If you need assistance with the enrolment process please contact us at  dunnlm@swtafe.vic.edu.au. 

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Getting ready to begin studying

When you enrol in online study with South West TAFE you will receive a confirmation of enrolment, a letter with details for contacting your teacher, your global ID if you are studying via WebCT, your student ID for accessing your materials if you are studying via OnCourse, and the code for the course you have enrolled in. If you would like to study using the computers at one of our campuses in Hamilton, Portland or Warrnambool, you will need to take your student ID to the reception area of the campus you will be studying at to receive a network ID. This ID will give you access to our computer network. 

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Accessing your studies via WebCT and the TAFE Virtual Campus

If you are studying via WebCT, the following steps will introduce to the TAFE Virtual Campus (TAFE VC) where your online units are located. You will be advised if WebCT is the platform you are using.

Step 1
Go to www.tafevc.com.au

Step 2
Locate the Quick Login option on the left of the screen.

Step 3
Insert your WebCT ID and password (this will have been allocated when you enrolled). This will take you to a page consisting of links to any units you are enrolled in.

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Accessing your studies via OnCourse at South West TAFE

Step 1
Go to the Student Lounge to browse for information, or type in http://www.swtafe.vic.edu.au/students/index.asp

Step 2
Type in your allocated Student ID and your date of birth in the format described on that page.

Step 3
Select the Course/Unit that you are wanting to work in. Any notices or resources will be linked to this. You are also able to change your personal details here if necessary.

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Using Toolboxes and Portal pages

A lot of units and courses link to Toolboxes which are resources created to put a lot of your learning requirements together on a website. These Toolboxes are accessed via a Portal page link inside OnCourse. The Portal page is where your teacher will add more information such as instructions, assessments, contact details and further resources and also a link to your Toolbox.

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Assistance from your teacher

• Contact your teacher to establish the most suitable contact times.
• Let your teacher know via email if you are having difficulty with your study.
• Technical issues should be directed to dunnlm@swtafe.vic.edu.au
• Some units have details about particular times that the teacher or other students will be available in Chat Rooms. Take advantage of these times to maximise your online learning experience.
• Other units may require you to attend occasional workshops on campus. These workshops provide valuable opportunities for you to meet with your teacher and fellow students, and attendance may be a requirement of your course.

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Guide to online learning

This guide to studying online at South West Institute of TAFE will provide you with an overview to flexible learning along with information to support you in your studies. We hope you enjoy your online study experience. Make the most of your studies by using the online communication facilities and keeping in contact with your teacher and fellow students. Please contact us if you have any difficulties.
 

Important dates
The following dates provide you with an outline of the year's activities but remember to find out deadlines from your teacher:

February 2
Assignments will be accepted for assessment from this date. To accommodate the flexibility of flexible learning, students may enrol in additional courses and/or units at most times during the year after discussions with the Course Coordinator, although it is not always possible between the beginning of November and end of January.

November 14
All assignments should be submitted by this date to allow assessments to be completed before the end of the year. Some teachers may be unavailable over the Dec-Jan period and will advise of their availability.
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Submitting assignments
All assignments should be sent directly to your teacher using email. Remember to proofread and check your answers against the question before submitting. A cover sheet for your assignment can be downloaded here. (SSO students: please go to the SSO Communication Hub to download a coversheet.)

When emailing assignments it is recommended that you use the subject line of your email to display your name, along with the assignment number or name. Print your name and student number on each page of your assignment and retain a copy of all assignments submitted. Do not wait for the return of a previous assignment before submitting the next. Continue working and submitting assignments regularly. If corrected assignments are not returned within a reasonable time (14 days) contact your teacher.
 

Learning styles
Reflect on how you most effectively take in information. Is it by listening, reading or by undertaking activities? Let your teacher know your preferred learning style. You can find more information about learning styles here.
 

Materials
Where possible, online resources such as Toolboxes are used to support the units. However, some units may require additional study materials. Your student ID card will allow you access to our library facilities. You can review the services offered by our Learning Resource Centre by visiting www.swtafe.vic.edu.au/lrc.
 

Classmates
Communicate with other students by getting involved in a discussion group if your course offers this form of communication. It is a good idea to get to know other students who are studying so you can discuss common issues.
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Printing
Remember that you are studying online. It is not necessary to print everything. Try to print out only those things that you need to keep as a reference.
 

Copying
If you wish to take notes while you are researching on the Internet, open up your word processing package so that it is running in the background. You can then switch between the word processor and the browser. You may also paste a section of text from the browser into your word document by highlighting the text, edit, copy, switching to word and pressing paste.
 

Quoting
Copyright applies to the content on the World Wide Web. You should keep track of any sources you quote so that you can record them in your assignments. The following information is required when resource quoting:

• Author
• Title of document ("in quotes")
• Title of the complete work (in italics)
• Full web address or URL (in angle brackets<>)
• Date of quoting the resource (in brackets).

For more information on this topic, link to the Learning Resource Centre website: www.swtafe.vic.edu.au/lrc

Browsing the WWW for information
You can find a guide to browsing & searching in our Learning Resource Centre web site, along with a lot of other useful information.
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Viruses
Working in an online setting makes you vulnerable to computer viruses. These can range from harmless nuisances to being totally destructive. To minimise your risk you should have an up to date virus check program on your computer. Each time you download a file from another computer, you should check for viruses. You can download virus software information from www.swtafe.vic.edu.au/students/csc
 

Organising your files
It is important that you organise your electronic files. This means keeping track of files/emails that you send and receive by creating relevant folders in your email package or Windows Explorer. By keeping these folders up to date you will be able to track your work and keep a record of all correspondence you have sent or received from your teachers, fellow students, the Provider Administrator or anyone else involved in your studies.
 

Tips for studying online
Studying online can offer convenience and flexibility. You can study from a location and at a time that suits you. However without good study habits studying online can be challenging. When you study online you will need to create the right environment to study in. Work out a routine and try to follow these tips:

• Get to know anyone else who may be studying the same units/course as you so that you have someone to discuss ideas and thoughts with.
• If you are studying at home, find a quiet place where you can work uninterrupted. You may need to move the computer to another room away from distractions, or work out a roster with anyone else who needs to use the computer.
• Make up a timetable to assist you with organising your study routine to fit in with your regular daily routine.
• Participate in any online discussions or workshops that may come up.
• Contact your teacher every week. Let them know your progress (or lack of it)…it helps them to help you with your studies.
• Break your workload into small manageable parts so that it doesn't look so daunting.
• Don't hesitate to contact your teacher or the relevant person in our Student Services area if you find that you are having problems with your studies.
• Keep a check on when assignments are due. Even though online study is self-paced, there will still be deadlines to meet. Allow yourself plenty of time to complete your work.
• Try to plan any online work for a time when there is not a lot of other traffic on the Internet. Peak times such as after school can slow you down and cause frustration.
• Remember that your 'online time' costs you money so try to minimise this time. Download your email messages and disconnect from the Internet before you read them, especially if you don't have to respond to them immediately. Prepare your emails off line, and then upload at one time. You can also download some course files to your hard drive to read at your convenience.

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