Student Services

Welcome Handout & Account Tracking

Be sure to read through the UW Independent Learning Welcome Handout and My Independent Learning Accounts to familiarize yourself with a few highlighted program policies and resources and help you keep track of your Independent Learning (IL) accounts.

Canvas Access – for Online IL courses

When you register for your IL  course, you will receive two e-mails related to setting up your account in Canvas, the digital learning environment. One e-mail will contain your username and the other will provide a temporary password. Follow the instructions in those e-mails to set up your IL Canvas account. Once you have set up your password and password recovery options, you will be able to access your online course in Canvas.

Goal Setting

Because your course is self-paced, you will want to create a plan and set aside time to work on your course. One tool to help formulate a plan is the Goal Setting Assignment.

The Goal Setting Assignment is available in all Independent Learning courses and is a good way to reflect on your goals for the course, track your own progress, and help stay on track. This activity is required in select courses, please check your course in Canvas for more information. 

Check out this Sample Goal Setting Assignment.

After submitting your Goal Setting Assignment, your course facilitator will review your plan and provide feedback. If you need additional assistance mapping out a timeline, please contact your Course Facilitator. Their contact information is available within your course in Canvas.

Accommodations

Seek early approval for any special accommodations you need to be successful. Refer to our Accessibility information for more guidance.

Veterans Resources

There are many great resources for students with a military background. Refer to Military Background Students for more guidance.

Next

In alignment with the self-directed model of Independent Learning, we acknowledge that each student has unique needs. As a result, we have identified a wide array of support tools for students to self-serve in achieving their goals. Below are a few examples of common resources Independent Learning students have found helpful.

Online Writing Lab (OWL)

The UW Extension OWL is available to assist in improving paper-writing, citation use, organization of ideas, and more. Learn more about the OWL on our Resources for Success page.

Time Management

Because your course is self-paced, you will want to make sure to make a plan and set aside realistic pockets of time to work on coursework. A useful tool is our Time Management Calculator. This interactive tool will illustrate to you how you currently allocate your responsibilities in a typical week. Using this chart you can quickly identify areas of opportunity to maximize your potential for success.

Next

As you’re wrapping up your course and preparing to move forward, the Success Coaching team will continue to be a valuable resource in assisting you with your course completion and beyond. Below are some recommendations for steps to take during this time.

Request Your Transcript

Remember to leave time to process your transcript request and for the transcript to arrive in the mail. We recommend that you submit your final assignments at least 2 weeks before the date you will need your final grade and transcripts. To be eligible for a transcript, a student must have a final course grade and no outstanding balances.

Share Your Feedback & Success

Be sure to complete the course evaluation! We encourage you to share your feedback to help us continue to enhance the Independent Learning experience. Additionally, we would love to hear more about how you’re doing after you’ve completed your IL course. If you have a success story that you would like to share about your experience, please send the Success Coaching team an email at il@uwex.wisconsin.edu. If your story is selected to be shared, we will get in touch with you regarding further details.