To get started with eCourse you'll need the following:
The base platform needed to effectively use the eCourse system is a 4.x or higher browser with JavaScript and cookies enabled.
Netscape: In the Edit menu, choose Preferences. After the Preferences window pops-up, click on Advanced. To the right should appear various check-boxes. To turn on JavaScript, check the box marked Enable JavaScript. To turn on cookies, select the Accept all cookies button. Then click OK.
Internet Explorer: In the Tools menu, choose Internet Options. Now
click on the Security tab and, with the globe Internet icon selected, click
on Custom Level. Scroll down to Cookies and select either the enable or prompt
buttons. Next scroll down to Scripting and select either enable or prompt
for every option under Scripting.
Go to the eCourse homepage (http://ecourse.plu.edu) and click on the Login button. Now enter your PLU ePass username and password and press the Login button.
Your ePass account at PLU is required in order to use the University's email,
databases, log onto computers, and use eCourse. Accounts are provided to all
students prior to the semester that they will be enrolled at PLU. Note: If
you have registered for Fall classes and have not yet received your ePass
account card, contact Computing and Telecommunications Services (CATS) at
253-535-7525.
Users manage their profile in the User Directory from the Select Privacy Options page. You must choose to make information available through the User Directory and what information will be displayed. The default setting excludes the user profile from the User Directory.
Click "Select Privacy Options" from the Personal Information page. The Select
Privacy Options page will appear. Select the check boxes to make information
available to other users through the User Directory.
Some files on eCourse may be in file formats such Adobe Acrobat .pdf files that require readers or plug-ins. Go to http://www.plu.edu/~ecourse/tools.html to get plug-in and readers.
The Courses Tab area lists courses specific to each user as well as the Course Catalog for PLU. Simply click on a course from the Courses Tab area to access the course Web site. The My eCourse tab has links for accessing:
Access e-mail functions for specific courses through the Send Email
page. You'll be able to send messages to other course
participants.Click Send Email from the Tools box on the My Institution
area. The Send Email page will appear. Click on a course to access the
Send Email tool for that course.
The Digital Drop Box is a private resource which can be utilized for transmissions of assignments or drafts to and from students and instructors. Click Digital Dropbox from the Student Tools page. The Digital Dropbox page will appear. The following functions are available from the Digital Drop box page:
Students are able to review homepages created for groups of students. From a group's page, users are able to send Email to group members, exchange files, enter discussion forums and enter a virtual classroom discussion. All of the functions available from group pages with the exception of the file exchange, function the same in the course Web site.
Students can access group pages from the communications center. The following functions are available from the Group Pages:
Most of the items in eCourse that you will want to print are MS Word and
PowerPoint documents--follow the links to the documents, the application will
launch, and you will then be able to print the documents from within the application.
To print out a discussion board conversation or grades from My Grades, use
your Web browser's print command (make sure you have selected the frame where
the information is located, eCourse is formatted in frames).
To find your Course Reserves material, go to Course
Reserves
in our Library Catalog, select your Instructor and/or Course and click
on Search. Do not select from all three pop-up menus. Selecting from
the Department pop-up menu will bring up all readings for that
department.