Learning online, in a Virtual Learning Environment, is a new experience for many students - as is, indeed, a postgraduate Master's course in language pedagogy! In order to help you decide whether the course is for you, and to prepare yourself for it if you do decide to enrol, we've put together a number of very detailed Orientation Packs.

If you request an Information Pack from us, we will include the first two Orientation Packs with the material we send to you, so that you can make an informed decision about whether you have the technical requirements in place, and have sufficient technical skills, to be able to embark on this course:

Orientation Pack A	Technical Specifications	You must have access to the necessary hardware and software to support Blackboard, the Virtual Learning Environment through which the TMLA is run. This pack gives full specifications.
Orientation Pack B	Technical Skills	You need to know how to operate within this online environment, post messages, save and print documents, send email and so on. This pack lists the basic skills you should have - or should acquire before beginning the TMLA.

After you have enrolled, we will send you an Enrolment Pack which will include three further Orientation Packs. These will help you to prepare for the start of online study, as well as forming a reference to which you can turn for guidance throughout the TMLA:

Orientation Pack C	Online Study Skills	Beyond the technical skills, you also need an understanding of what is involved in online learning, and what differences you can expect compared with face-to-face learning.
Orientation Pack D	TMLA Course Commitments	This pack outlines what is required in the TMLA in terms of time commitments and time management, as well as covering topics such as the requirements for contribution to and collaboration in synchronous and asynchronous class tasks, the types of assessments and how to approach them.
Orientation Pack E	Online Communication Skills	Because of the collaborative nature of online learning, you need an appreciation of the types of student-student and student-lecturer interaction which will occur, how to approach and respond to other students and the lecturers, how to obtain (and perhaps later, offer) feedback and help, how to deal with problems or complaints, and what is considered appropriate within the rules of “netiquette”.