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eCollege is a leading provider of an integrated, standards-based eLearning solution to the post-secondary and K-12 education industries. Pearson eCollege designs, builds and supports some of the most successful, fully online degree, certificate/diploma and professional development programs in the country.

In 1999, TCU chose eCollege as the LMS for two graduate online programs; Nursing and Master of Liberal Arts. In 2002 a faculty adhoc group was created to select one LMS to support both fully online and web-ehanced classes. The 15 member faculty adhoc group reviewed various vendors and selected eCollege. In 2009, eCollege was used by over 795 TCU faculty.

How does a faculty member at TCU request to use eCollege with their course(s)?

To request to use eCollege with your course, TCU faculty need to request a course shell. Please use the online course shell form to request your new, blank shell. Once the Koehler staff receives your request, the staff will build your eCollege shell and create a eCollege user profile. Please note, your TCU network login will not be your eCollege login. TCU network and eCollege are two separate systems and do not share passwords.

How does a faculty member at TCU learn to use eCollege?

The Koehler Center offers video tutorials, face-to-face workshops, and documentation. To view the online resources for eCollege, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions regarding eCollege:

How do students access my eCollege shell?

When do students access my course shell?

How does my Teaching Assistant or Graduate Assistant get enrolled in my eCollege course shell?

How do I know if all my students are listed in my eCollege course shell?

How do students access my eCollege shell?

Can I teach a fully online course at TCU?

How long can students access my eCollege shell?

How long can faculty view their eCollege course shells?

I understand eCollege has an online gradebook. Can I import my eCollege grades into People Soft final grade page?

FAQ Answers:

Question: How do students access my eCollege shell?

Answer: When faculty request a course shell, the Koeher staff flags the course requested inPeople Soft. The Koehler staff runs the enrollment program for eCollege which pulls student enrollments from courses flagged in People Soft. The course number in People Soft is also listed in eCollege which identifies which students get enrolled into which eCollege course shell.

Question: When do students access my course shell?

Answer: Students can access all course shells on the first day of the active semester. If you are planning on using eCollege for fall 2009, you students will be able to access your course shell on the first day of classes, August 24, 2009 at 12:01 a.m.

Question: How does my Teaching Assistant or Graduate Assistant get enrolled in my eCollege course shell?

Answer: The Koehler staff can enroll TA's, GA's, guest facutly, students auditing your course, or students doing an independent study. Only the Koehler staff can enroll faculty, students, TA's, guests, or audits in eCollege. To request a manual enrollment, please write to the eLearning email alias: elearning@tcu.edu.

Question: How do I know if all my students are listed in my eCollege course shell?

Answer: To verify your enrollments you will need to use your electronic roster in People Soft found in the Faculty Center area in my.tcu.edu and compare the list of students from your e-roster with your course enrollments in eCollege. To verify enrollments in eCollege please login to your course shell, select Course Admin tab, select Course Enrollments button. Course Enrollments in your eCollege shell will provide date and time of enrollments as well as students who have dropped.

Question: How do students access my eCollege shell?

Answer: For face-to-face students there are two optons for students to access eCollege course shells. Option 1: students can go login to my.tcu.edu, select the link titled eCollege, select the second link titled eCollege and a list of courses the student has registered for that will be using an eCollege course shell will be listed. Students can select the the course link and this will take the student directly into the eCollege shell. Option 2: Students can go directly to the eCollege website and login using their TCU ID number and mmdd of their birthdate for first time students using eCollege, or their latest password for returning students that have used eCollege in previous semesters.

Question: Can I teach a fully online course at TCU?

Answer: TCU full-time, tenured faculty can teach a fully online course after approval and specific training is completed. For more information about teaching fully online please contact the Koehler staff by writing eLearning@tcu.edu with specific questions. The Faculty Handbook does have an area with specific information regarding standards and procedures for teaching fully online.

Question: How long can students access my eCollege shell?

Answer: Students have access to current semester eCollege courses from the first day of classes until two weeks after the end of the semester.

Question: How long can faculty view their eCollege course shells?

Answer: Faculty can access their eCollege shells forever. Each semester the eCollege term (example: Fall 2009) will automatically expand and open on the first day of classes and will collapse and close two weeks after the end of the semester. Faculty can expand previous closed terms in eCollege by selecting the + sign in the semester title on the COURSES tab in eCollege.

Question: I understand eCollege has an online gradebook. Can I import my eCollege grades into People Soft final grade page?

Answer: Unfortunately People Soft and eCollege do not have a solution built to export final grades from eCollege to People Soft. All final grades must be entered in my.tcu.edu in the Faculty Center by each faculty member. Final grades are due on a specific date. The Registrar's office will send out email to all faculty with instructions and due dates regarding grades.