Virtual Learning Support Home

Two conditions must be met for you to be able to see a course in which you are registered:

The course must have started. For Regular Studies, this will be the first day of the semester. For Continuing Studies courses, this will be the first day of classes. Your course must be activated by your instructor. If the course has started, and you cannot see it in Brightspace, please contact your instructor first and ask them to make sure they have set the course to Active.

Please note that it can take up to 24 hours after a new registration for a Brightspace course to become available to students. If it has been 24 hours and you still cannot see your course, please contact your instructor.

The Langara Student Success Course (LSSC) course will be available on Brightspace a few weeks before the beginning of each semester. We encourage students to complete the LSSC before their semester begins.

Online learning basic technical skills include the ability to:

• Create new documents 
• Use a word processing program  
• Navigate the Internet 
• Download software 

There are a few things you can do to get ready to learn online from home:

• Create a good study environment – you need a dedicated quiet space to work
• Read your course outline carefully for information about learning outcomes, major assignments, and class schedule
• Make a study schedule – time management is key to your success

Your instructor will give you a course outline at the beginning of the class. Your course outline will include a brief description of the course and the learning outcomes. The learning outcomes are statements that tell you what you are expected to be able to do by the end of the course.

The grading system and marking scheme are also in the course outline. The grading system tells you how much each assignment, presentation, quiz, and exam are worth.

Every course will be different, so it is very important that you read your course outline and communicate with your instructor if you have questions or concerns.

Online courses typically have an asynchronous, or self-paced, portion; students’ complete coursework on their own time but still need to meet a weekly deadline.

Some online classes may also have a synchronous component, where students view live lectures online and sometimes participate in discussions through videoconferencing (Zoom).

Your instructor will usually communicate with you through:

• Email
• Brightspace course announcements
• Brightspace discussion posts

Your instructor may hold office hours through:

• Zoom  
• Brightspace discussion posts 
• Telephone

The approach to online learning will vary depending on the course. If you are required to do group work for your course, consider the following tips:

• Establish connections early with your group members
• Establish each person’s role(s) in the team
• Decide how you will communicate: Zoom, discussion forums, email

Meeting classmates and making friends online will make your learning experience and your semester much more enjoyable. Here are some suggestions on how to do that:

• Introduce yourself and participate in online discussions
• Join or create a study group
• Join or create a virtual club
• Volunteer remotely
• Connect on social media

Visit https://langara.ca/the-hub/index.html to find out more about virtual clubs and volunteering