Self-Paced Frequently Asked Questions

Non-WT students register for self-paced courses by completing the online application and submitting a transcript. Once a student is registered, EoD emails a welcome letter with the course start date, expiration date, course access information, and payment instructions. All self-paced courses are available online through WTClass. After creating Buff Portal credentials and logging into WTClass, you will find course information from the professor in the syllabus and welcome page. Most professors have concepts and assignments separated by units. Students have until the end of their expiration date to submit all work to the professor or request a 3-month extension with the EoD office.

To ensure the quality of student learning, students cannot complete three-credit hour courses in less than three weeks and four credit-hour courses in less than four weeks. Education on Demand professors provide feedback throughout the course, which prevents completion in less than a three or four week span, regardless of the course start date. This means students may be unable to submit multiple assignments at once or complete large portions of the course content without instructor guidance or assessment. Professors have up to 10 working days to return an assignment and are not required to submit grades to meet student deadlines (e.g. graduation). Students must submit assignments early enough to allow for grading time before student deadlines. Students are responsible for planning their work accordingly.

Once EoD receives and approves transcripts from your current or last school, you will receive the welcome email with course access information within one week.

EoD courses are equivalent to their on-campus or online equivalent in academic rigor and standards. The same WTAMU instructors teach both the EoD and on-campus courses. The appropriate department head and academic dean review EoD courses yearly and approve enrollments for the academic year to ensure the quality of each EoD course.

Self-paced courses offer greater opportunities for learning but it is not right for all students.

Advantages:

1. Students can work on their own time in a comfortable setting of their choice.
2. There’s no travel time or expense going to and from the university.
3. Students who dislike interacting with a classroom full of students may feel more comfortable interacting by written communication.

Challenges:

1. There is no face-to-face time with instructors or classmates.
2. Students must be self-motivated to keep up with the class and complete the work.
3. Students who lack technical skills with programs like Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer and have limited knowledge about computers may become frustrated with the technology.

Courses taken through EoD are granted the same credit as courses taught in the classroom. For WTAMU students, EoD seeks approval from the student’s dean to make sure the course will count towards their degree. Non-WT students must talk with their home university advisor ensure the credit will transfer to their degree plan.

You can drop the course at any time during the life of the course and receive an X (GPA neutral). To do that, non-WT students should send an email to educationondemand@wtamu.edu. WT students should drop the course via Buff Advisor, email EoD, or email the registrar.

Students who do not complete all assignments and/or tests will receive a grade of X (GPA neutral).

Instructors have 10 working days from the date of submission to grade assignments. The more a student submits at once, the longer grading will take. Please turn in assignments as soon as you complete them; do not upload assignments in batches.

Most of the instructors communicate with students via email or course message.

All self-paced courses are independent study courses; there are no meetings with the instructor or other students.

The student should talk to their academic advisor prior to registering for a class to ensure the EoD course is in their plan of study. EoD personnel are not trained or qualified to advise a student regarding their degree plan.

The WTClass system is very user friendly. As long as the software on your computer, specifically the internet browser, is up to date, you should not encounter problems. If you do have technical difficulties, you can call the WT Help Desk at (806) 651-4357.