Digital investigations for journalists: How to follow the digital trail of people and entities (October 5 – November 1, 2020)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I joined the course but I am not receiving any messages from the course.

First, check your spam folders. If messages from the course are going to your spam folder you need to add journalismcourses@austin.utexas.edu to your contacts. You should also add the email of the course assistant Ryan Sagare at ryansagare@utexas.edu.

What do I do if I can’t remember my password and/or username?

Go to kccourses.org and click on the “Forgotten your username or password?” option and follow the directions to retrieve your information. You will need to remember your username or the same email address you registered in our system when you created your account. If you still cannot retrieve your information, please email the course assistant at ryansagare@utexas.edu.

When do the classes meet for this course?

Never. In general, there are no live classes, no live components. Occasionally, an instructor may hold one Google Hangout or Facebook Live session during the course, but live participation is not required, and the replay is always available to watch after the fact. This is an asynchronous course; each student can take the course on his or her own time. The course is divided into weekly modules. Each week has recommended deadlines for quizzes and forum participation.

What do I need to do for each module?

For each week you should:

1. Read the orientation message for the module.
2. View the video lectures. We also have transcripts available.
3. Read the articles/links/resources.
4. Participate in at least one discussion forum each week by given deadline.
5. Take the module quiz. Each module has one quiz.

How long will course materials remain available and accessible to participants?

The course closes a couple of weeks after the course ends and the verification process has been completed. Once the course closes, in most cases we will publish a self-directed course page that you can turn to as an ongoing resource. Once the course closes, we do not open it again.

How do I navigate through the course site?

Our navigation is very simple. There is a starting page where you can see the Introduction Module and the instructional modules. You can click on Introduction or any of the modules to visit those sections. Then, when in one of those sections, you can navigate to different modules using the arrow at the top of the page under the banner and course descriptions. We also have a breadcrumb navigation in the upper lefthand corner of the page.

How do I know what I have participated in?

1. First make sure that you are on the course page and not the general platform. To make sure, after you log in, go to the course page and you will see the course modules.
2. Click on your name located under your profile picture on the top right-hand side of the main course page.
3. Under the Course details block, there’s a list of courses underneath the subtitle Course profiles. Click on the course name.
4. To view forum posts or details, click on the subtitles Forum posts or Forum discussions under the Miscellaneous block.
5. To view details about quizzes, click on the subtitle Grade under the Reports block.
6. Another way to track your progress is to look for a check (tick) that appears against the activity when you meet this criterion. The criterion might be viewing, receiving a certain score or participation in a discussion forum.

Any questions or issues, please email Ryan Sagare at ryansagare@utexas.edu

How do I unenroll from the course?

To un-enroll please click here and fill out the form. We will un-enroll you from the course in a few days. If you have any problems, please email Ryan Sagare at ryansagare@utexas.edu.

Course requirements for certificate of completion

To be eligible for the certificate of completion, you must:

1. Watch the weekly video classes and read the weekly readings
2. Complete weekly quizzes with a 70% minimum score. (You can retake the quizzes as many times as needed. Only the highest score will be recorded.)
3. Create OR reply to at least one discussion forum each week

Apply for a certificate of completion

• A certificate of completion will be available for those who meet all of the course requirements and pay an administrative fee of $30 USD.

What if I’m behind?

You can still catch up. Our deadlines are flexible. It is best to meet them as much as possible so you do not fall too behind but if you do, there is NO PENALTY for late work. Complete the module activities as soon as you can. Please read the orientation messages available in each of the modules to know what to do for the corresponding module.

Communication with the course assistant

• Be sure to add us to your contacts lists so our emails do not go to your spam folder:
  ryansagare@utexas.edu and journalismcourses@austin.utexas.edu
• The course assistant will do their best to respond to your emails and questions in the technical and help forums within 24 to 48 hours. It might take a little longer during the weekends.
• If you have any questions after reading this FAQ, please post your question(s) in “Questions about the course platform.”