Prepare for Online Success

BEFORE YOUR CLASS STARTS TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS SKILLS FOR SUCCESS

BEFORE YOUR CLASS STARTS

Take note of any additional information or requirements for your course.
Look in the Course Schedule for scheduled meetings or other specific instructions. Further details about each section are available in the Notes column for each class in course schedule.
Prepare for your online experience!
Use our tutorials and resources to begin building skills for success in an online or hybrid course. Watch the Tutorials Now.
Check your TU Email
Don't forget to check your student email account (TUmail ) for messages about the course from your instructor. You will log in using your TU AccessNet Username and Password .
For fully online classes, you should receive a Welcome Email Message from your instructor approximately 3 days before the class begins.
Log in to Canvas
You will log in to Canvas using your AccessNet Username and Password New Tab. The direct URL for Temple University's Canvas is canvas.temple.edu New Tab. You can also access Canvas via the TuPortal New Tab.
When your course is made available to you in Canvas can vary from instructor to instructor. Your class in Canvas will be availble no sooner than 7 days before the term begins and no later than the first day of class, which is the start date published in the schedule of classes.
IMPORTANT!
- If you're a new student at TUJ, you may be able to log in to Canvas until you’ve registered for your first class.
- If you have just registered/added a course in TUPortal, it can take up to 24 hours before you see the course in Canvas.
Check your Canvas Settings
The first time you log in to Canvas you will want to make sure your account settings are correct.
1. NOTIFICATION SETTINGS: Canvas includes a set of default notification settings you can receive for your courses. You can change the default settings by setting your own notification settings. These settings only apply to you. See How to Manage Your Notification Settings .
2. TIME ZONE: Make sure your own time zone for your user account is set to Tokyo time (Tokyo +09:00). Your time zone should be correct, but the first time you use Canvas, it is good to check just in case. See how to set (check) your time zone in your Canvas student user account .
Questions? Contact your Instructor
If you have any questions about the course, e-mail you instructor from TUmail . You can find your instructor's e-mail address in the TUJ Faculty Directory: Faculty Search.
Recommended Method: If your course is available in Canvas , you can contact the instructor from your Canvas Inbox (which is the e-mail system inside of Canvas). See instructions on How to Use the Canvas Inbox .

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

In an online and hybrid classes, most of your readings, assignments and tests will be in the university's learning management system, Canvas.
You will need to make certain that you have access to a computer and stable Internet in order to complete your course, and you will usually need to log in every few days.

Technology Access

WHAT TECHNOLOGY DO I NEED TO TAKE AN ONLINE OR HYBRID COURSE?

Computer

It is best to have a desktop/laptop computer that is less than three years old.
This is a list of basic computer system requirements to use Canvas . Canvas will still run with the minimum specifications, but you may experience slower loading times if the computer is older or not up-to-date.

If you do not have a computer, you can borrow a computer on a daily basis at the Information Technology Services office on the 5th floor (room 501).

Internet

Web Browsers

Mobile Device Access

Additional Plug-ins:

For some courses, you may be required to have one or more plug-in application programs on your computer or laptop such as:

Adobe Reader
Windows Media Player
QuickTime
Java
Shockwave/Flash Player

Often, plug-in software is already present on your computer. Your instructor should provide the minimum requirements for your class.

Note that Temple University Students have free access to the following: Zoom; Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, SharePoint, etc.); Google Workspace (Google Drive, Google Sites, Google Groups. etc. - NOT Gmail); Adobe Creative Cloud (Acrobat, Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, etc.).

You can access these tools and view the full list for each in the TUPortal New Tab (on the left side menu).

Additional Peripherals

SKILLS FOR SUCCESS

Get ready for your online classes and enhance the academic and technical skills you need for success in the online learning environment!

Below are a set of interactive tutorials and tools, which may increase your chances of success in any online course. Whether this is your first time taking online classes, or you have taken a few online courses in the past, these tutorials are interactive, helpful, and tailored to your needs to help you prepare for online classes!

Interactive Tutorials

Netiquette

Participating in activities in your online classes, such as posting online discussion boards or participating in live Zoom sessions, are important learning activities required in almost all online courses. These forums offer everyone a chance to contribute their thoughts about the content being studied as well as to reflect on the ideas of others in the class.

Engaging in a healthy discussion while employing Netiquette builds community, allows students time to consider ideas and incorporate research into their response, and develops critical thinking and writing skills necessary for success in college and beyond.

Common Rules of Netiquette

Be scholarly. Students should use proper language, grammar, and spelling. They should be explanatory, justify their opinions, and credit the ideas of others by citing or linking to scholarly resources. Students should avoid misinforming others when they may not know the answer to something. When students are discussing something they are unsure about or supplying a guess, they should clearly state that.
Be respectful. The privacy of others must be respected; students should avoid sharing personal information about classmates. Students should respect diversity and opinions that differ from their own. Communication should be tactful, with disagreements based on scholarly ideas or research evidence.
Be professional. Everyone should strive to look their best online. Truthfulness, accuracy, and running a final spell check are appropriate expectations for university students. Writing in a legible font and limiting the use of emoticons is considered professional behavior. Profanity and participation in hostile interactions, known as flaming, is unprofessional as well as disruptive.
Be polite. Students should be addressing instructors by the appropriate title or requested name. Students should also address each other by name and be mindful of their written tone. Students should interact online politely, just as they would be expected to do in a physical classroom environment. Sarcasm rudeness, and writing in all capital letters (shouting) should be avoided.

Discussion Board Netiquette

Common discussion board rules, in addition to the use of proper spelling and grammar, are:

Read all other comments before posting. Students should contribute by adding to the discussion, not by repeating in their own words what others have already posted. In addition, other students may have posted questions about the course or an assignment that have already been answered within the discussion board.
Be clear and stay on topic. Be clear about what you are saying so that it is not misunderstood. Read your words aloud before posting to test the clarity of your message.
Be mindful of your tone. The tone of messages in an academic environment should be polite and display respect for others. The use of sarcasm, profanity, and ALL CAPS (shouting) should be avoided.
Be credible. Do not mislead other students by providing information that might not be accurate. If your response is a guess, state that clearly. Be sure to give credit where it is due by citing sources, providing links, or crediting the ideas of other classmates.
Respect diversity. Online courses bring students together from all over the world. Recognize that others may have different cultural backgrounds and skill levels with writing in the English language. Treat others with respect, regardless of race, gender, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. Additionally, be respectful when opinions differ from your own; disagree in a polite manner.

Temple University,
Japan Campus

Contents

BEFORE YOUR CLASS STARTS

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

Technology Access

WHAT TECHNOLOGY DO I NEED TO TAKE AN ONLINE OR HYBRID COURSE?

SKILLS FOR SUCCESS

Common Rules of Netiquette

Discussion Board Netiquette

More In This Section

Temple University,Japan Campus

Contents

BEFORE YOUR CLASS STARTS

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

Technology Access

WHAT TECHNOLOGY DO I NEED TO TAKE AN ONLINE OR HYBRID COURSE?

SKILLS FOR SUCCESS

More In This Section

Temple University,
Japan Campus