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REGISTERING ON THE NEW LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Q:
What are the system requirements to use the new learning management system? Do I need to install any software to use the new learning management system?
A:
You will need a computer or tablet that has a browser and is capable of running Adobe Flash. You will need to install the latest version of Flash Player for your browser, available here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer List of compatible browser versions are:
Internet Explorer 6.x - 8.x
FireFox 2.x - 3.x
Google Chrome 1.x
Safari 1.x - 4.x
Q: How do I register as a new user for the learning management system?
A:
On the right hand side of the learning management system homepage, you should see ‘To create a new account, register here’ (just below the user login area). Click on the link. You will be taken to a registration page. Fill out the information (the ones marked with a * are required fields) and click on the ‘create registration’ button at the bottom of the page. You will then be taken to the course catalog page, from which you can select courses to enroll in. Check your e-mail (the one you used to sign up with); you will have received confirmation along with your username. Remember your username and password use it to log in to our system anytime.
Q: I forgot my username and/or password. What do I do?
A: If you forgot your password, click on the ‘I forgot my password’ link in the area just below the user login.
If you forgot your username, refer back to the welcome e-mail you received when you registered as a new user, or e-mail us at crlc@columbia.edu and we will send it to you.
Q: Will I need to register separately for each course I want to take?
A:
No, you need to register as a new user only once. Once you are logged in to the system, you may enroll in as many courses as you wish. You can see all the courses you have been enrolled in by clicking the ‘My Account’ tab in the top gray navigation bar (again, you must be logged in to see this).
Q: Will my personal information be shared with anyone?
A:
Absolutely not. The Columbia Regional Learning Center will not provide anyone with your personal registration or test data.
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FINDING A COURSE AND ENROLLING IN IT
Q:
What courses are available? Where can I find them?
A:
All available courses and public health seminars can be found under the ‘Course Catalog’ section. You will be automatically taken to the Course Catalog page as soon as you log into the system. Alternatively, click on the ‘Course Catalog’ link on the top gray navigation bar.
Q: Where can I find the Basic Emergency Preparedness course?
A:
The Basic Emergency Preparedness course has been renamed as ‘Fundamentals of Emergency Preparedness’. This course is listed as PREP 1101 in the course catalog. Please note that the structure of the course has been modified. It is no longer in two parts.
Q: What is the difference between ‘Online Certificate Courses’ and ‘Public Health Seminars’ in the catalog?
A: The courses listed under 'Online Certificate Courses' offer certificates of completion and incorporate pre and post tests. The materials listed under 'Public Health Seminars' are merely for informational viewing purposes and do not offer certificates.
Q: How do I know what the course is about and what topics are covered in a course?
A:
Click on the blue highlighted course code number in the course catalog. You will be taken to the course description page where you can find a description, key messages, and learning objectives for each course, as well as the competencies and capabilities the course material will cover
Q: Who are these courses meant for?
A:
The courses are for the mid-level public health workforce, but they can be taken by anyone.
Q: Do I have to pay a fee to take any of the courses?
A:
No, you do not. All of our courses are FREE and available to the public.
Q: How do I enroll in a course?
A:
Browse through all available courses in the course catalog. Click on the course number of a course you are interested in enrolling in. This will take you to a course description page. Here you will find an ‘Enroll’ button. Click on it and the course will show up in your ‘My Account’ section.
Q: Where can I access all the courses I am enrolled in?
A: Click on the ‘My Account’ tab after logging in. You will see all the courses you have enrolled in and completed as well the certificates you have obtained.
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COMPLETING A COURSE
Q: How many sections does a course have?
A:
Our certificate based courses have the following lesson structure:
1) Pre-test- This is just a way for you to test your own pre-existing knowledge. There is no required passing score for this lesson.
2) Course Material
3) Post-test – After you have completed the course material, you will need to take a post-test and achieve a passing score of at least 80%. You can take the post-test as many times as you like but you will be eligible to receive your certificate of completion only upon passing it
4) Satisfaction survey – A short satisfaction survey where you can provide feedback on the course you have taken. Your certificate of completion will show up only after you complete this survey.
Q: Will I have to complete the entire course all at once?
A:
No, you can log in and out and take the course in multiple sittings if you wish, as per your convenience.
Q: What if I fail a test in the course?
A: You can take a post-test as many times as you like until you achieve a passing score of 80%.
Q: Will I receive a certificate of completion for the course I just completed?
A: Yes, provided you have completed ALL the modules in the course.
- CERTIFICATES
Q: Where can I access my certificate and print it?
A: After you have successfully completed a course, your certificate will be listed under the ‘My Account’ section on the left-hand side. You will be able to print it out as well.
Q: Can I receive CHES certification for the courses I take?
A: Yes, for our course PREP 1101 Fundamentals of Emergency Preparedness. Please e-mail us at crlc@columbia.edu if you wish to receive CHES certification for this course.
Q: My certificate is not showing up. What do I do?
A: Please verify that you have completed ALL lesson modules of the course. Your certificate will not show up if you have not completed the satisfaction survey, even if you have successfully passed the post-test. If your certificate is still not showing up, please e-mail us at crlc@columbia.edu.
Q: My name is not being printed correctly on my certificate. What do I do?
A:
Bear in mind that the certificate will print your name exactly as how you entered it during the initial registration process. You can modify this by logging in anytime, going to ‘My Account’, clicking on ‘My Profile’, and editing or updating your information. If you continue to have problems, please e-mail us at crlc@columbia.edu.
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WHO WE ARE
Q: What is the Columbia Regional Learning Center?
A: The Columbia Regional Learning Center (CRLC) is one of the 14 Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLCs) awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Details of the PERLC grant can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/perlc.htm The CRLC provides both web-based and in-person training sessions for public health workers and other responders. These trainings are designed to help public health workers master the skills and knowledge that they will need in actual emergencies.
Q: What is the relationship between Columbia University, the Mailman School of Public Health, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, and the Columbia Regional Learning Center?
A: The Mailman School of Public Health is the graduate school of public health of Columbia University. The National Center for Disaster Preparedness is a research and training center affiliated to the Mailman School of Public Health. The Columbia Regional Learning Center is the education and training division of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness. Established in 2003, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness works to understand and improve the nation's capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. NCDP carries out research and policy analysis in these areas, and provides education, training and technical support to public health workers, local and regional governments, and public health, hospital, and community partners.
Q: Where can I get news and updates about the training center?
A: Please visit the homepage of our learning management system for news, updates, and new course announcements regularly: http://ncdp.crlctraining.org You could also watch some fun ‘trailer’ videos for some of our popular courses on the homepage! If you are a registered user on our learning management system, you will receive new course announcements via e-mail.
Q: How can I contact the training center?
You can e-mail us at crlc@columbia.edu if you are having technical difficulties or have any other questions, comments, or suggestions. Follow us on Twitter @columbia_ncdp or ‘like’ our page on Facebook.
Q: I have taken a course on the old system. Can I use the same username and password to log in to the new learning management system?
A:
No, you cannot. You will have to register as a new user with the new learning management system. However, you will need to do this only once – you can log in and out of the system and enroll in any number of courses using the same username and password.
Q: I took a course on your old website. Do I need to redo the course on the new learning management system?
A: No you need not. Please e-mail us at crlc@columbia.edu if you wish to retrieve your old certificate. However, we suggest registering on our learning management system as a new user so you can enroll in new courses.
Q: Can I retrieve my old certificate?
A: See above.
Q: My supervisor sent me a link to the course ‘Basic Emergency Preparedness’. I am unable to access the course properly using the link.
A: The link is not meant to be valid anymore. It is only kept alive so users can retrieve their old certificates and scores. The course has been migrated to the new learning management system and renamed as ‘Fundamentals of Emergency Preparedness’. Please also note that the course is no longer in two parts. Part II i.e. the competency checklist is still part of the course but as a self-directed learning tool that you can respond to, print out, and discuss with your supervisor. The responses no longer require validation from your supervisor.