This is an archive. See the current website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
This page contains content from the Summer School 2009. For current information, visit the Harvard Summer School website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
Are all Summer School courses available via distance education?
Not every course is available online. See the list of distance education courses.
Can I take a distance education course entirely online, including exams?
In the event that a course has a classroom exam, students whose primary residence is outside the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) need to make arrangements through Academic Services to have the exam proctored at a school local to them. Students residing in the New England area must take any in-class exam on campus as scheduled by the instructor. Any questions regarding this procedure can be referred to Academic Services at distance_exams@hudce.harvard.edu.
What do I need to be able to take a course via distance education?
You need to have access to a computer system that is capable of streaming the video lectures. See the technical requirements for this information and links to necessary plug-ins. All students intending to take a course via distance education must first view a sample lecture to be sure their system is adequate before registering. It is important to determine this before classes start.
Can I attend a class and watch the videos?
In courses that are offered on campus and online, students may attend lectures in person or watch them online, and many enjoy the benefits of doing both. Some courses, however, are available only online.
When are videotaped lectures available for viewing?
Videotaped lectures are available for online viewing approximately 48 hours after the lecture takes place on campus. Once the link is posted, you can view the lecture video at any time. Lecture videos remain online for the duration of the semester and are taken off line when classes end. Course videos are only available in online streaming format, unless a course is made available as a podcast.
Are distance students able to participate in a class?
Much of the communication between teaching staff and students takes place via e-mail and the course website, for local as well as distance students. The format of each course varies, but most courses have a bulletin board or chat room to foster dialogue among students and teaching staff. You can look at the course website to get a sense of how the course is run, or contact the instructor via e-mail with more specific questions.
Can I take a distance education course at my own pace?
Distance education and local students follow the same schedule of due dates for assignments and exams. The lag time between the actual lecture and the availability of the online video is taken into account when determining these dates. Specific details of course schedules are in individual course syllabi on course websites.
Are distance education courses offered during the school year?
In addition to the Summer School's offerings, the Extension School offers distance education courses during the fall and spring terms.How do I register for a distance education course?
Registration is the same as it is for other Summer School courses. See Registration.
Where can I get more information about an individual course?
Course descriptions, including tuition and prerequisites, are linked in the list of courses. More detailed information is available on individual course websites, linked with the course title. If you need more information that is specific to a course, you can contact the instructor (contact information is available on syllabi).
Do students earn academic credit for distance education courses?
Students taking courses via distance education choose a credit status, earn academic credit, and are graded in the same way as students attending on-campus. Information on which credit status is available for a course is in the individual course description on the Summer School website.
What does the transcript say?
The Summer School does not distinguish between campus and distance students; thus, the transcript does not specify if a course is completed via distance education or not.
Can I use distance education courses toward programs at other schools?
Acceptance of transfer credit is determined by the receiving school, so you should check there to see if the credit is acceptable before taking Summer School courses.
Who teaches distance education courses?
Summer School faculty includes Harvard instructors, instructors from other academic institutions, and industry professionals. Instructors and their affiliations are listed in course descriptions.
Can I teach a distance education course?
The Summer School accepts proposals for courses and evaluates proposals each spring. If you are interested in teaching a course via distance education, mention this in your course proposal. For more information e-mail Mark Lax, mark_lax@harvard.edu.
Do I need to buy RealPlayer to view the lectures?
Both RealPlayer, which is free, and RealPlayer SuperPass can be used to view the lectures. Both can be downloaded from the same page at Real Networks.
What password do I need to view a lecture?
You may log in to password-protected videos using your Harvard University ID number and PIN. See ID Numbers and PINs for more information.
How can I test my video?
There are many ways to test your video. In addition to using the sample videos available on this site, you can test a video from the Real Networks test page. We recommend that you select the 512K video to test. For more sophisticated users (those with a technical background), you can test the performance of your system using a network test tool available from the Internet2 website.
Why is the lecture audio low or inaudible?
Audio is controlled by two sources: the RealPlayer application and your computer’s controls. To adjust the volume of a lecture, first use the volume control on the RealPlayer application. If there is no noticeable difference, adjust the volume level in your system’s control panels. Be sure that your system is not set to “mute” and that you adjust any volume controls on headphones.
I upgraded an older version of RealPlayer to the latest version. Why does the lecture still not appear?
It is better to download a fresh copy of the latest version of RealPlayer than to upgrade an old version. We recommend that you uninstall all instances of RealOne and RealPlayer from your computer, then download a new copy from Real Networks. To uninstall, Windows users should use the “Add/Remove” function in the Control Panels menu; Mac users should drag Real’s application files to the trash can.
Can I view the lectures if my system is behind a firewall?
Some firewall administrators block all video streaming into their site. More commonly, problems related to firewalls are the result of configuration errors, either of the browser or the firewall itself. RealPlayer provides help for firewall configuration on its website.
When consulting these pages note that RealPlayer instructions show how to configure RealPlayer via menus. Our system doesn’t display Real menus. However, Windows users can access the menus by right-clicking on the video window.
Why do I see green bars in the videos on my machine, but not on other machines?
The PC graphics card can create this effect on some computers. When this or similar issues occur, access the Preferences menu by right-clicking on the video window, then select the Performance tab. Deselect “Video card compatibility optimization.”
I’ve downloaded RealPlayer. Why can’t I see the videos?
Most problems are the result of an out-of-date version of RealPlayer or difficulty with a proxy/firewall. First download a new copy of the latest version of RealPlayer and ensure it installs properly; be sure to uninstall the old version before installing the new one. Reboot your computer (even though the instructions say this is unnecessary) and try the video again. If it does not load, stop the video playback using the Stop icon, then right-click over the video window. Select Play in RealPlayer, then Tools, then Preferences and choose Network Transports. If “Manually configure connection settings” is selected, try deselecting it and restarting RealPlayer. If this doesn’t work or if the box was not checked, try selecting “Manually configure connection settings” and choose RTSP Settings. Select “Attempt to use HTTP for all content” and deselect all other options. Select OK, exit Preferences, and restart RealPlayer.
Why did the audio and video get desynchronized when I moved through the lecture?
The audio and video can get desynchronized if you move the fast-forward bar too quickly. If this has been triggering the problem, try moving it slowly or in small increments. There’s a greater tendency for the desynchronization to happen when the bandwidth option is set to default. You can select 56k or DSL/Cable on the Video Preference page. If you’re using a 56k modem, you may not be able to get better performance because the connection simply isn’t fast enough to handle the stream when there is congestion.
Why do I get error messages about congestion?
Network congestion can cause poor or stopped playback. While this is a greater problem for slow connections, such as 56k modems, it can happen at any speed connection. You should specifically select the 56k video or audio-only option on the Video Preference page.
I have a 56k modem. Can I do anything to improve the playback?
To improve the quality of the audio/video playback on a slower Internet connection, select the 56k video or audio-only option on the Video Preference page.
Why does the lecture keep stopping and rebuffering?
If the lecture playback stops or freezes when rebuffering, you can reset the buffer size to allow your system to process the data in smaller increments. To do this, right-click over the video window and select Play in RealPlayer > Tools > Preferences > General > Playback Settings. Under More Options, make sure it says “Buffer up to 30 seconds for the clip...” (you may need to insert “30”).
Where can I get more information about distance education?
If you are looking for information that isn’t available on the distance education, Summer School, Extension School, or individual course websites, call (617) 495-4024 or send an e-mail to dce-distance-ed@harvard.edu.
What if my question isn’t covered here?
See the support and contact information.