Certified Student Leader: Group Fundamentals FAQ
What is the Certified Student Leader: Group Fundamentals online course?
The CSL: Group Fundamentals online course consists of eight modules, corresponding handouts, activities, and processing questions, and a final certification assessment. After you have viewed all eight modules, you are ready to take the final assessment and complete your certification. Upon passing the assessment, you will be able to print your certificate.
How does the course work?
The course is very easy to use. Once you register and log-in to the course website, you’ll be able to access all of the course documents. You’ll watch the course welcome video, review the user guide, print your course materials, and then you’re ready to begin. For each module, you’ll watch the 40 minute presentation on the topic, then you’ll take time to work through the activity or case study. After that, we encourage you to review the processing questions to deepen your understanding of the module material and pause for consideration of how you’ll implement the strategies you’ve learned from the module.
Next, you can complete the Check on Learning, a quick, five question quiz at the end of each module, to gauge your understanding of the module content. After you complete the Check on Learning, you’re ready to move on to the next module.
After you’ve completed all eight modules, you’ll want to review your handouts and notes before proceeding to the final assessment. After passing the final assessment with an 80% or better score, you’ll be able to print out your certificate, supporting your new designation as a Certified Student Leader®.
How long does it take to complete the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course?
The entire course is 8 modules and it takes approximately 90 minutes to complete each module. After participants complete the eight modules, participants take the final assessment required for certification as a Certified Student Leader®. You can expect to devote approximately 12-15 hours to complete the course.
Are the course modules available at specific times (date and time) or available at any time?
The course modules and the entire course site are available any time of the day and any day of the week. The whole course is available on-demand, so you can work in the course whenever it’s convenient for you!
How many times can a participant access each course module?
Course modules can be accessed as many times as participants would like. This can be beneficial for reviewing the course material prior to completing the final assessment.
How long is the certification valid?
Your designation as a Certified Student Leader® is a life-long certification. You’ll never need to renew your certification.
How can I utilize the course on my campus?
There are a variety of ways you can utilize the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course on your campus. You could utilize the course for the members of all the campus student organizations, or certify just one organization’s members, like the student government or residence hall association. Whether you certify a small group of student leaders or all of the student leaders on your campus, you’re sure to notice the impact of this course!
What students should participate in the course?
The course is designed for collegiate student leaders and their advisors. Any students involved in student clubs or organizations, or those looking to get involved, can benefit from the content of the course.
I want the best per person price available, but my student organization only has so many members, what can I do?
Be resourceful! You can invite other campus organizations to certify their student leaders as well, thereby increasing the number of participants on campus and bumping you up to the next registration level (with better per person pricing).
When will I receive the registration instructions for the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course?
You will receive registration instructions via email from our customer service department within five business days of receipt of your order.
When will I receive the link to handouts for the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course?
Once you receive your course registration instructions from our customer service department, you’ll be able to create your account on our course website and begin the course. Once you enter the course, you will be able to access the course supplemental materials packet and print the packet for your use during the course.
What is the final assessment?
The final assessment tests your knowledge of the course material to ensure you meet the requirements for certification as a Certified Student Leader®. It consists of 50 multiple choice, true/false, and matching questions. To pass the final assessment, you must receive a score of 80% or better. You’ll have one attempt to complete the final assessment.
How do I advance the slides in each course module?
The slides are presented one at a time as the presenter goes through them. They will advance automatically whenever the presenter moves onto the next slide. When viewing the course modules, you have the ability to skip ahead in the program, or go back to previously covered material, and the appropriate slides will be in sync with the video being shown. Copies of the slides are also included in the printable handouts that are offered with the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course.
I will have a group of participants viewing the course together – can I make copies of the handouts for the participants?
Definitely. You are allowed to make as many copies of the course handouts as you need for course participants.
Do you have transcripts of the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course?
Yes, transcripts of each module are available within the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course.
Do you offer continuing education credits for the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course?
We do not offer continuing education credits for any of our courses.
Does NCSL offer a satisfaction guarantee for the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course?
Your satisfaction with this course is important to us. If you are not completely satisfied with the online course, let us know within the first 30 days for a full refund.
What technology do I need to view the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course modules?
• Broadband Internet connection, at least 256 Kbps.
• Sound card with speakers.
• Cookies enabled in your web browser.
• Projector if you will be viewing the program as a group.
| Operating System | Browser | Media Player |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 2000 or later | Internet Explorer 6.0 with Service Pack 1 or later or Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later | Windows Media Player 9.0 or later |
| Mac OSX 10.4.8 or later | Safari 2.0.4 or later or Firefox 2.0 or later | Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 or later (You should be prompted to download/install upon first attempt to play a presentation. If not, you can download it here: http://silverlight.net/.) |
Why is the audio and/or video choppy when I try to view the course modules?
If the audio and/or video appear choppy, it might be because of the network used to connect to the online course modules. We recommend viewing the presentation from a computer that can independently access the Internet.
What should I do if my computer won’t access the course modules?
If you have trouble accessing the course modules, try disabling your pop-up blocker. You should also check your firewalls to make sure they are not blocking the presentation.
I am having audio and/or video playback issues. What can I do to resolve this?
Please check that you meet the minimum requirements, including having bandwidth speed of at least 256 Kbps.
If you can’t hear the audio, make sure your computer’s speakers are properly connected, turned on, and not muted. Also verify that your computer’s volume control is turned up (on a PC, this is typically found in the system tray in the bottom right corner of the Windows task bar or under Control Panel > Sound).
If you are still having playback issues, you can also try adjusting the streaming protocol settings in Windows Media Player:
- Open Windows Media Player and click Tools/Options.
- Go to the Player tab and be sure “Connect to Internet” is marked with a check.
- Go to Network tab, and under the heading “Streaming Protocols”, be sure all of the boxes except the box that says UDP are marked with a check.
- Close out of Media Player and re-connect to the presentation link (you may have to exit your browser first before the changes take effect).
Please note: If you are uncomfortable making these changes, or are not authorized or able to do so, please consult with your IT staff before attempting to change these settings.
For IT staff: Please ensure the following ports are open for the Windows Media stream:
UDP: 554, 5005
TCP: 554
HTTP: 80
I am using a Mac, and I meet the requirements for playing the CSL: Group Fundamentals online course modules, but it still does not work. What else can I do?
It is likely that your computer has the Flip4Mac Windows Media component for QuickTime installed. This interferes with the Media Player plug-in that is required to play NCSL online programs. To disable the Flip4Mac plug-in:
- Click your desktop, and select Apple > System Preferences to open the Mac System Preferences.
- Under Other, click Flip4Mac WMV.
- On the Plug-in tab, clear the “Use Flip4Mac WMV Internet Plug-in” checkbox.
- Exit the dialog to save your changes.
- Try to play a presentation. You may have to re-launch your browser for the change to take effect.