How it works

Four courses are broadcast live over cable television and webcast live over the Internet each trimester. Viewers are able to call a toll free number or send in an text message and communicate with the instructors during the live classes. Two additional courses are taught online each year that do not include any television broadcasts or Internet webcasts.

Students can enroll in one, two, three or possibly four classes each trimester. Courses are repeated every two years. None of the courses have prerequisities. Students do not need to complete the courses in sequence except APS 300 which should be completed in the first or second semester and APS 490 which should be taken in the last semester.. Students can complete all of the upper-division courses and earn a fully accredited Bachelor of Science in Applied Studies without ever coming to campus.

Students are expected to view all of the broadcasts, either live or archived. Classes are broadcast live on cable television in Southern California and the Internet. If you live in Southern California you can call the Distance Learning office at 310.243.2288 to find out what channel the class will be on in your city. If you want to make a comment or ask a question you can call 800.339.1193 and speak to the instructor during the class.

If you live outside of Southern California you can view the broadcast on the Internet.

You will need Flash Player to view DHTV on the Internet. You can download the Flash Player for free at http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer.

It is important you try to connect a few days prior to the first class so we can address any problems you may have. We will be busy and cannot offer tech support during the class.

To find out if you can connect to the class go to http://dhtv.csudh.edu and make sure you have Flash player on your computer. When you click on the play icon (a triangle) you should be able to hear and see what is currently being broadcast on our television channel. If you cannot connect send an email to washley@csudh.edu or call the distance learning office at 310.243.2288.

If you are unable to view the broadcast live you can view an archived video of the class. Go to http://youtube.com/csudhtv.

In addition to the weekly class broadcast you will need to check your campus email and visit the course website regularly. All email from your instructors, fellow students and program administrators will be sent to your campus email. You can forward your email to your personal email account. You will have to go to http://toromail.csudh.edu/ and login in with your username and PIN to access your email. It is essential you check your email frequently. If you do not check your email you may miss an important message from your instructor or a program administrator that will affect your success in the program.

The same username and password that you use to access your campus email will allow you to access the Blackboard, the campus learning management system and your course website at http://toro.csudh.edu . When you login in to Blackboard you will see tabs at the top of the portal. If you are new to distance learning and Blackboard you should click on the tab that says BbTutor and review the different functions you will need to use. When you click on the Courses tab you will find link(s) to the course(s) you are taking. On the course website you should find a syllabus (read it carefully and frequently), course materials, assignments, discussion boards and tools such as your gradebook.

You should receive your username in an email from the College of Extended and International Education. Your username should be your first initial, your last name and a number. You will need your username to access your email and the course website. Your PIN or password should be a 6 digit number. Frequently your PIN is your date of birth, i.e. February 15, 1985 would be 021585. If you know your username is correct and you cannot login to the campus email to helpdesk@csudh.edu .

If you have problems with Blackboard or any of the technical aspects of the course during the semester it is important you get support from the distance learning students, the distance learning office or your instructor as soon as possible. Do not let technical issues be an excuse for not succeeding in this program.

In addition to the broadcast classes, each course has a course website on Blackboard. While anyone can view the broadcast classes only enrolled students have access to the course websites. Students who enroll in a course are given a username and password that allows them to log on to Blackboard and enter the course website.

The course websites provide students with additional course content, information about assignments, discussion forums, access to the instructor and other students, their grades and other material necessary for successfully completing the course. Students are expected to visit the course website at least twice a week if not more frequently.