The Foreign Service Journal, June 2010

78 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 1 0 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT training for instructors and the quality of the course material to the admis- sions personnel at each institution. Test Drive the Course Another way to narrow down the options is to “test drive” a course before signing up. Many institutions offer a free demo course on their Web pages (for example: www.umuc.edu/ spotlight/testdrive.shtml). If not, ask- ing for a sample course will help to show how they really work. This also allows prospective stu- dents to make sure their computer equipment is up to date, check on software requirements and find out whether they will need to invest in specific hardware such as a webcam. Many online courses have streaming components, and some even take place via videoconferencing, which can require high-quality Internet bandwidth. While most cities around the world offer good Internet service, there are still a number of posts where connections are slow or unreli- able. University and college Web sites generally provide minimum technical specifications for online courses. UCLA, for example, offers an online certification for college counseling that is popular with Foreign Service family members. Their technical specifications Web page (www.uclaex tension.edu/str/OnlineCourseTechSp ecs-How-To.aspx) includes a link to a Blackboard orientation, a list of browsers compatible with the class and a list of answers to common ques- tions. Experienced online educators also suggest that prospective students find out what resources the school offers for student support while enrolled (tutoring, provision for family emer- gencies, etc.) and whether it provides help with job placement and career counseling. Students might also check on library access — most col- lege libraries can now be accessed through virtual protocol network soft- ware that is installed on students’ computers. School Web sites usually provide Apart from for-profits, which are often more expensive, the cost of online classes and on- campus classes tends to be roughly the same.