Checking in to your course
Checking In
In face-to-face classes, if you don’t make it to the first day of class your instructor will drop you from the course. But you’re taking an online or hybrid class, so how does that work? What does the first day of class mean?
In an online/hybrid class your instructor will give you information about what you need to do to check in to the class (often in either or both the Welcome Letter and the course Welcome Announcement). This is usually a specific course Check-In Assignment, which could be something like introducing yourself to the class in a discussion forum or taking a self-assessment/survey about the course materials.
A course check-in is like when you travel by plane and check in online. Just checking in online to get your boarding pass isn't enough -- you still need to show up in person to get on board and reach your destination. In online and hybrid classes it's the same. Simply accessing your course by the check-in due date is not enough – you’ll also have to participate and 'show up' in the class.
Try taking the Course Check-In Survey about online learning to get an idea of what a check-in assignment/survey might look like in an online class.