Course Delivery FAQs

Q: When do Engineering Outreach delivered courses begin and end?
A: EO courses are offered during fall, spring, and summer semesters. The start and completion dates for courses are listed in the EO Calendar.

Q: Does EO offer online courses?
A: Yes. All course sessions are encoded and posted online at the EO Portal. EO students will view or download their course sessions online using a high-speed Internet connection.

Q: How do I access supplemental course materials, such as homework assignments or handouts distributed by the instructor?
A: Supplemental materials are posted online (at the EO Portal or on BbLearn, or the instructor's course website), or provided in print format if copyrighted.

Q: What is BbLearn?
BbLearn, formerly known as Blackboard, is the University of Idaho's sponsored online course management system. BbLearn is a web interface that allows users to securely use a multitude of tools for online interactivity, such as posted articles, discussions/blogs, grade book, assignment manager, and assessment tools. The University of Idaho supports BbLearn as an online course management system, but some instructors prefer to develop and maintain their own course Web pages. All course materials that are not copyright protected will be posted either on the instructor's course website or on the EO Portal, depending on the instructor's preference.

Q: Why don't all professors use BbLearn so we can have access to chat rooms and interact with our fellow students?
A: Some instructors prefer to develop and maintain their own course Web pages rather than use BbLearn as their course management system. EO encourages all instructors to consider using some kind of chat room or email list-serve for their courses.

Q: How do I find the textbook for my course or if a textbook is required?
A: A link to textbook information is provided in the course description for each course. See Courses. Textbooks may be ordered from the University of Idaho VandalStore. See Textbooks and Software.

Q: When will I be able to view my course?
A: EO begins posting course sessions on the first day of the semester. Sessions for live courses are available at the EO Portal within an hour after the sessions are recorded on campus. All sessions for pre-encoded courses are posted at the beginning of the semester. The EO website has a Course Schedule for each course, which shows the date each session is posted and notes when exams are given.

Q: Why do the number of sessions vary from week to week?
A: For live courses, the number of sessions depends on the class schedule, the exam schedule and school holidays. Normally, there are three hours of sessions each week for a three-credit course, during the fall or spring semester, and twice that number for summer courses, which are accelerated.

Q: How can I get a copy of the course syllabus?
A: Links to an online syllabus, or a course website containing a syllabus, are usually posted by the beginning of the semester. Visit the E O Portal, select your course, then [Handouts] or [Links].