WVU-P eCampus Help and Support

Where can I go for help?

Call or e-mail the WVU at Parkersburg's Help Desk for assistance. The Help Desk will log a trouble ticket to calls left overnight on voice mail or by messages received by email at the beginning of each business day.

WVU at Parkersburg Help Desk Contact Information

Telephone: (304) 424-8296

Email: helpdesk@wvup.edu

FAQS - Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  How can I find my WVU-P eCampus ID and log-in information?

A:  Visit the 'How Do I Log-In?' webpage on this eCampus orientation website. It can be found on the following link!

Q: Besides online and traditional classes, what all kinds of classes are offered at West Virginia University at Parkersburg?

A: In efforts to accommodate all learning and living styles, West Virginia University at Parkersburg offers courses in several different formats.

Alternative Delivery System (ADS) courses involve non-traditional instruction for up to 80% of the course content. Typically, no more than five class meetings will be required for each course. Computer and Internet access along with an e-mail account are mandatory.

Students may be required to come to campus to view course content.

Additional software or plug-ins may be required.

Blended Courses are courses with some of the course content, typically less that half, delivered electronically. Blended courses are typically a hybrid between traditional and electronic means of course delivery.  

Blended courses will require classroom attendance. Computer and Internet access along with an e-mail account are mandatory.
 

Electronic Courses involve remote electronic delivery for 100% of the course content. Computer and Internet access along with an e-mail account are mandatory.

Additional software or plug-ins may be required.

In traditional courses, lecture is the main form of learning. One characteristic of traditional learning is that the student is required to be present at the same time and predefined dates.

Students have the advantage of receiving face-to-face interaction with the instructor which enhances their classroom experience.

Q:  Can I access eCampus from the WVU-P computer labs on campus?

A: Yes, you can. The computers in the labs should have at least the minimum software requirements needed for eCampus. There is the posibility that your instructor has uploaded content for which additional software may be needed that may not be available on a lab computer, in which case you may need to contact your instructor or the lab advisor.

Q: Why do I keep receiving an "Incorrect User Name and Password" message?

A: There could be a few different reasons for this. First, passwords for eCampus are case sensitive, so make sure your caps lock button is not on. Also, new students will not be able to log into eCampus until shortly before the term starts. (Access to any course is also restricted until the first day of classes.) If you are still having trouble, you may need to contact the help desk or visit this page from the WVU eCampus Help/FAQs page for more information.

Q:  Why do I keep receiving a "Session Already Running" message?

A: You can't have more than one eCampus window open at a time. (You may have additional windows open if they are open in different web browsers, such as Internet Explorer and Firefox.) Try closing all windows and logging into eCampus once again.

 
Q:  Where can I find more instructional videos or step-by-step instructions/guides for using eCampus tools?

A:  The videos linked on our 'Using eCampus' page can be very helpful.  These videos came directly from WVU eCampus, where you may find more student training and support.  You can access these both by clicking on the 'Student' and 'Support' tabs located at the top of the eCampus home page.  However, we have also made a list of the videos and step-by-step guides offered by WVU eCampus.  You may find our list by clicking on the link below.

Q:  Why can't I view or open the documents or movie/sound clip/media available from my instructor?

A:  This could be because you need an additional program, viewer, or plug-in installed on your computer.  While most computers already have many installed, some may require additional programs, viewers, or plug-ins to be installed in order to view certain files.  For example, Adobe Acrobat reader may be required in order to view certain types of files or documents.  Movie and sound clips may require Quicktime or Real Player, programs used to view media files.  Your instructor may require certain programs for the course, so make sure to check your assignment instructions or/and course syllabus!

Visit our requirements page in order to view a list of possible plug-ins and viewers and links that can direct you to where you may download and/or update each item.  If you are unsure of what kind of program you may need or if this does not answer your question, you may want to try asking your instructor.

 
Q:  Why does my assessment, exam, or test not appear when I click on the one I want to complete?

A:  Assessments usually appear in pop-up windows. A pop-up window is a seperate and usually smaller browser window or box that appears on your screen while still leaving your original internet browser window open.  Many browsers are set to block these pop-up windows because many advertisements and spyware tend to "pop up" in these windows while visiting some websites.  Your assessment may not being showing up due to this blocking feature. 

Most browsers will alert you if the pop-up is blocked once you click on a link that needs to "pop up". If your browser does not allow the pop-up to appear, you will need to change your settings to allow pop-ups on the eCampus website.

Q:  Are there any online "rules" or additional online course regulations I should know about?

A:  Taking an online course and corresponding via the Internet presents students and educators with the task of overcoming the lack of nonverbal signals in communication. When taking a course online, it is important to exercise etiquette in order to ensure proper interaction between the students and their instructors.

The following guidelines should be followed by students participating in an online class.

Participate. - In the online environment, it's not sufficient to just “show up”! We need to hear your voice in order to feel your presence. By actively participating in your online course, your comments and ideas contribute to the collective learning and the sense of community in each class.

Share tips, help others, and ask questions. - For many of us, taking online courses is a new experience. There are no “dumb” questions. Please share with your classmates by posting your questions or posting answers to technical questions on the Discussion Board or other communication tool. **Seek approval from your instructor before answering an assignment question in a public forum.

Think before you push the Send button. - Remember that we cannot see the smile on your face when you make a sarcastic comment or the concern about an issue if you only state it in a few words.  In other words, help us "see" you by explaining your ideas fully.

Netspeak. Although electronic communication is still new, many standards have already been established. DO NOT TYPE IN ALL CAPS. This is regarded as shouting and is out of place in a classroom. Acronyms and emoticons (arrangements of symbols to express emotions) are popular, but excessive use of them can make your message difficult to read.  Many instructors grade students on grammar usage.  You need to be aware of when posting this type of "slang" is inappropriate.

Remember a course is a course... You may be familiar with many of the previous items if you have participated in other forms of electronic communication in the past. However, Web-based courses have some added constraints not present in other arenas. Keep in mind these additional four points:

Remember where you are. A virtual classroom is still a classroom, and comments that would be inappropriate in a traditional setting are likely to be inappropriate in a Web-based course as well. Treat your instructor and your fellow students with respect.

Brevity is best. Be as concise as possible when contributing to a discussion. Online courses require a lot of reading, and your points might be missed if hidden in a wordy posting. If you have several points that you want to make, it might be a good idea to post them individually, rather than as a single, lengthy, a message.

Stick to the message. Contributions to a discussion should have a clear subject header, and you need to stick to the message. Don't waste others' time by going getting side tracked in your postings.

Read first, then write. Don't add your comments to a discussion before reading the comments of other students unless the assignment specifically asks you to. Doing so is tantamount to ignoring your fellow students and is rude. Comments related to the content of previous messages should be posted under them to keep related topics organized, and you should specify the person and the particular point you are following up on.
 

Citations and Other Etiquette Sources
Many of the suggestions made here were taken from The Core Rules of Netiquette, excerpted from the book Netiquette, by Virginia Shea. The Core Rules of Netiquette can be accessed at
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html.

Information was taken from Arlene H. Rinaldi's The Net: User Guidelines and Netiquette, which can be found at http://www.rdc.com.au/Netiquette.htmland from University of Wisconsin's Online Etiquette: A Brave New Electronic World. The article can be accessed athttp://online.uwc.edu/Technology/onlEtiquette.asp.

Although your course may be online, all students are required to adhere to the same policies stated in the West Virginia University at Parkersburg student handbook. The student code of conduct may be found by clicking here.

Q: Does eCampus support mobile devices? Can I access eCampus on my cell phone?

A: Currently, eCampus does not support any type of mobile device. Courses on eCampus can be accessed on your smart phone or iPhone browser, as with any website. However, the software vendor doesn't support mobile devices for the version of software we are currently using and there is no way to troubleshoot or advise on problems encountered during a mobile session.