Course Delivery

Registration
Independent Study in Idaho courses do not follow the academic year; students can enroll at any time. Each course must be completed within one calendar year from the date of registration. If a course is not completed within one calendar year, one course extension can be purchased. (See Forms.) On average, ISI students can expect to spend at least 45 hours of scholarly activity per course credit to successfully complete a course.

Upon registration, the student will receive a Registration Confirmation Letter, Proctor Information Form, and Student Guide: Academic Integrity Issues brochure. The letter contains information pertinent to the course, including the student’s ID number (V number), the instructor’s contact information and office hours, a list of course materials, lesson and exam guidelines, and online ISI course access information. The Proctor Information Form must be completed and returned to ISI at least two weeks prior to taking the first exam. (See Forms.)

Course guide
Course guides are required for all courses. Each course guide includes the course syllabus, assignments, exam information, and lecture materials. For most courses, a printed course guide may be purchased from the University of Idaho Bookstore, or an electronic copy can be accessed online. Textbooks and/or supplemental materials are required for most courses. See the course descriptions for textbook information). Each course guide provides a list of all textbooks and supplemental materials required for that course. (Important ISI guidelines are found in the Appendix: ISI Policies and Procedures at the back of the course guide. The course guide Appendix and the Registration Confirmation Letter should be read closely by the student prior to submitting the first written assignment.

Print-based courses
The course guide, which you may purchase after you register, contains print-based materials for your course. Lessons may be submitted via e-mail for most courses. See your Registration Confirmation Letter for more information.

Online courses
Online courses require minimum computer system requirements and are accessed through a password-protected Web site after you register. When you register for an online course, ISI sends you access instructions for Blackboard courses in your Registration Confirmation Letter. Contact ISI for information. Textbooks and supplemental materials should be purchased from the UI Bookstore after registration. Lessons may be submitted via e-mail.

Internet Access Requirement
Whether a student uses a print-based or online course guide, some college courses require Internet access to successfully complete assignments. To see if a course requires Internet access, see the course descriptions under College Courses.

All ISI exams require a proctor unless the study guide indicates that an exam is to be self-administered.

 System requirements for online courses
 The following minimum computer specifications are required for online courses:

  • Computer with at least a Pentium II 300 MHz chip
  • 128 MB RAM
  • Internet connection
  • Graphical web browser (Internet Explorer 6.0 or Firefox 2 or higher is recommended)

Technical support
For instructions on how to access your online course, see How to access Blackboard.

See Blackboard Tips and Trouble-Shooting if you are having trouble opening Blackboard because of pop-up blockers, Java, or Web browser problems.

Contact ISI for additional help.