Frequently Asked Questions

• While traditional learning takes place in a classroom with four walls, an online learning environment takes place in a virtual classroom contained in the University's learning management system, Blackboard. 
• Blackboard Ultra allows users to access course materials, activities, assignments, and to collaborate online. Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is an online meeting environment that provides real-time online lectures, recordings, office hours, and group collaboration. Students can access their courses and collaborate online from anywhere and at any time through a web browser. All course content is secure and must be accessed with a username and password. 
• Visit the University's Blackboard Information to learn more.

• Digital Learning and Design offers individualized training for faculty as well as technical support during course preparation and delivery. You can also contact the Learning Platforms Team or check out the resources available through UM IT.  
• If you're interested in continuing your education to become a more effective online educator, our Instructional Design and Technology Certificate and Leadership in Instructional Design and Technology Certificate are excellent options! 
• Need more help? Click “Learn with Us” above or request a consultation for more assistance. 

The benefits of online learning include flexibility, access, and convenience since the courses can be taken and delivered from any location. Successful online programs can also lead to increased satisfaction, higher retention and enrollment rates, and greater productivity for instructors. Incentives are available for first-time course transitions. These incentives include monetary stipends toward first-time course development and additional teaching assistant support during the online course delivery. Department support and approval is required before a course can be offered online. 

• Teaching in the online environment is different from teaching a traditional face-to-face course, and it may not be the right fit for every topic or instructor. Instructors must consider carefully when deciding if their course learning objectives could be achieved through online resources and technologies. Instructors often need to rethink the design of their course and consider a variety of new instructional techniques to enhance learning.  
• There are great benefits to teaching online, but challenges as well. The Digital Learning and Design Institute is here to discuss needs and propose solutions.  
• Learn more about course building by clicking “Design with Us” above or request a consultation to get started. 

• The Digital Learning and Design Institute offers a host of services aimed at helping instructors transition to teaching online. These services range from aiding in the initial phases of course development to hosting individual sessions about best practices for revising existing course content. Members of our team will also work with faculty to utilize video production and learning object development in their courses. 
• Ultimately, we aim to assist faculty in creating engaging educational experiences that bring together strong course goals with effective instructional tools. This includes providing technical support for the platforms instructors will use in their courses. 
• We're ready to help you develop your course! Request a consultation today.  

• Transforming a course for the online environment often requires redesign effort to clarify learning objectives, organize course content, and identify resources. It’s estimated that an instructor needs approximately 30 to 40 hours to design a course, 10 to 20 hours of technical support, and 6 to 16 hours of instructional design to reconfigure and support the online course. 
• Ready to start building your course? We can help. Click “Design with Us” above or request a consultation.  

Students come to the University of Miami with a variety of experiences and opinions. Students exploring online classes for the first time may have reservations about venturing into this new environment. For some, the online option offers exceptional flexibility and convenience. But just as teaching online requires new and different skills, online learning may not be easy for every student. 

• University of Miami students enrolled in online courses at the University have access to daily technical support. Online students with the Digital Learning & Design Institute have unlimited access to the campus bookstore and libraries, which offer online databases for research. 
• Efforts are underway to ensure that students in an online class have access to all the same services as traditional students. Services such as advising, tutoring, The Writing Center, and Disabilities Services are all expected to be available for participants in online courses. 

• In addition to personal drive and determination, good time management skills, and good reading skills, your learners will need reliable access to the internet and a reliable computer. Some courses may require a web camera and headset with microphone for synchronous meetings. Both are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased online or in stores.  
• Students will also need the Microsoft Office Suite of products. Specialized courses may require additional software but are usually listed within course material requirements. As a student at the University of Miami, you are eligible for a copy of these products. To learn more, visit the Microsoft Office information page. 
• Click here to learn about what systems are available through UM IT.  
• Students can check browser capability with Blackboard here. 

1. When will my course be available to me? You will have immediate access to the semester shell of the course as soon as it’s available. This is usually sometime during the semester before. If the shell is empty, it’s because the content hasn’t been copied yet. Typically, courses are copied within two weeks before the preview date of a course. You can always reach out to the Instructional Designer you work with if you have specific needs or questions.  
2. Who can I contact about enrolling my TAs, textbook changes, etc.? The UOnline office can be contacted for these inquiries at the UOnline Support Center.  
3. How long do UOnline courses run? UOnline courses are 7 weeks long with an additional preview period where students can evaluate if they would like to take the course based on the syllabus and course overview.  
4. When will the content become available to students? All modules will become available to students after they complete the syllabus quiz and agree to the terms of the course. The syllabus quiz automatically opens for student participation starting at midnight on the first official day of class.  
5. What changes can I make to a UOnline course? You’re able to make any course content changes (course materials, grade center, assignments, discussions, etc.) and can request assistance from your Instructional Designer. UOnline courses follow a consistent design structure with modules, weeks, or units for the seven active weeks and the additional preview week. The syllabus quiz is included in every UOnline course, for no points or points (under the instructor’s discretion) under the preview module along with a place for the course description, course syllabus, and university policies.