Training Products

How do I obtain information about the DAU courses that are available for registration?

The DAU iCatalog is an online resource that provides information about various foundational learning products offered by the university. Such information used to only be presented in a physical, printed format. However, in an initiative to "go green" and ensure that the most updated information reaches our student population, DAU has transitioned the printed catalog into a live, online format that is now the iCatalog.

What information is available within the iCatalog?

The DAU iCatalog is a resource rich in information about nearly every facet of obtaining training necessary to meet your professional requirements. It provides the most up-to-date information regarding the university’s classroom and online learning assets, various acquisition career field certification and developmental guides, and alternate means to meet training requirements through various programs or partnerships.

More specifically, the iCatalog includes detailed course descriptions and information regarding course length/duration, course schedules, assigned course credit (CLPs, CEUs, RRPs, etc.), course objectives, and replacements for predecessor courses and enrollment prerequisites requirements. It also lists information about DAWIA Certification requirements, to include information about educational and experiential standards, and how to obtain credit on your DAU transcript for equivalent courses completed through different educational institutions.

What are CEUs?

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are handled by non-DoD organizations such as (but not exclusively by) the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), and have broad applicability across public and private sector academia. For example, IACET authorizes educational providers to award the IACET CEU and DAU happens to be one of those institutions. Please Click Here for more information.

What are CLPs?

Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) are points awarded for successful completion of Continuous Learning activities and are required for members of the Defense Acquisition Workforce (DAW). Generally speaking, 10 CLPs translates to 1 CEU, and 1 CLP translates to 1 "contact hour" (or "sit time" involved with course participation). DAW members are required to meet the goal of 40 CLPs each year or the mandatory requirement of 80 CLPs within two years. Additional CLP information can be reviewed at the Continuous Learning Center, Click Here.

What are RRPs?

Reservist Retirement Points (RRPs) are awarded to Distance Learning Courses and Continuous Learning Modules only. Resident/Classroom courses are not granted RRPs because it is assumed that if a person is taking a resident course on military time, they are already getting points for being on active duty.

The RRP value that is awarded for each course a student completes can be found in the DAU iCatalog. The calculation of RRPs is determined by dividing the earned Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) by four. The DAU Transcript System will also reflect the points a student has been awarded for each completed course.

Individuals with questions regarding RRP application process should contact their local unit.

Does DAU maintain an archive of course catalogs from previous years?

Yes – Both the most recent edition and past issues dating back to 2000, are available online in PDF format. Click Here to view, print or download current/previous DAU catalog issues. Please keep in mind that updates and changes after publication are captured in our iCatalog.

Is it possible to request a printed version of this year's catalog?

Yes – DAU’s printed catalog is published annually on October 1. The printed catalog contains information accurate as of its recent publication date. If you would like to receive a printed catalog, please e-mail your request and mailing address to Scheduling@dau.mil.

Course Content / Instructional Support

What recommendations can you make to ensure that I am successful with my eLearning experience?

The following artifacts offer recommendations that will help you effectively and efficiently manage your online studies:

• Managing Your Time
• Managing Your Study Habits
• Managing Your Environment

What if I need help with an online course; is there an instructor I can contact for content assistance?

Yes! Instructors are available to address content questions. If your course has a "Learning Support Community", the Instructor information will be displayed in that location. Otherwise, you may contact the DAU Help Desk to request the contact information for your Instructor.

What is a Learning Support Community?

Some online training courses have a Learning Support Community associated to them. Students have the opportunity to post content questions in this forum and receive a response from experts. Students also have the ability to browse questions and answers posted by others.

IMPORTANT! Posts in communities are for questions about the content. All members of the community will be able to see what you write. Please keep your posts appropriate and DO NOT directly post examquestions!

Additional information is available on the Student Task Aid; Page 12and the tutorial video How to Join and Use a Support Community.

I am not currently enrolled in a DAU course, but I have an acquisition-related question. Who should I contact?

DAU has many Knowledge Sharing assets that are available to enhance your job performance and support your workflow learning needs. Our Online Resources provide access to sources for instructions, directives, guidebooks, handbooks, manuals, and other knowledge libraries within the DoD and associated Service portals. You can also utilize the Ask a Professor (AAP) service that is offered by DAU faculty, advisors, and subject matter experts. Users may submit acquisition-related questions and receive formal responses. In addition, AAP contains a database of questions and answers that are categorized by subject area to enable community members to browse/search through previously submitted inquiries.

Navigating the Online Learning Environment (Virtual Campus)

Classroom and Pre-Course Assignments (Blackboard)

What is Blackboard?

Blackboard is an academic Learning Management System (LMS) which DAU uses in combination with its corporate LMS (the Virtual Campus). It is used to support DAU’s “going green” initiative, by presenting pre-course assignments and classroom course materials in an online format. Students will only have access to this resource when enrolled in a course that uses Blackboard as part of course delivery. Such enrollments may be accessed by going to the DAU Virtual Campus.

I am receiving an error that indicates that the "module information is temporarily unavailable" how do I get the module to load?

This is a common Internet Explorer compatibility discrepancy. Please Click Here for a quick solution and alternative work-around information.

I am enrolled in a classroom course and, when I log into Blackboard ("MyClass"), a different class location is referenced. Did I sign up for the wrong course or has the training location changed?

The location, as it appears in DAU Blackboard, is populated by the host school code from the course registration system. The "host" school typically represents a regional DAU campus. However, many classes are physically held at satellite locations that fall under a particular DAU region. In such cases, the region that supports the enrollment will be reflected within DAU Blackboard.

Students enrolled in a classroom course should receive a "Welcome" letter via email that outlines the specifics regarding the physical classroom location. This email is generally disseminated approximately 60 days before the classroom start date. Please follow the guidance supplied in this email, unless you receive another email from DAU that specifically references a change in location.

I am on the wait list for a classroom course that has a pre-course assignment. I am planning to arrive as a "walk-in" on the first day of class in an attempt to secure a free seat. How can I be prepared and complete the pre-course assignment?

Pre-course assignment information may often be located in DAU Blackboard under the Public Use tab; no login required. Simply select your course from this list and navigate to the course/student materials section. Any questions related to the assignments should be directed to course instructor. Please contact the DAU Help Desk if you require assistance in determining the appropriate parties for consultation.

NOTE: Many courses DO NOT authorize walk-in placement. This currently includes: ACQ450, ACQ453, CON243, CON244, CON290, CON360, CON370, ENG301, PMT257, PMT402, and TLR350.

I recently graduated from a course that used Blackboard. How can I obtain a copy of my course materials?

Many courses will remain available for x-amount of days following the resident portion of training. This access window varies for each course.

If you were presented with a screen indicating that "The DAU system you have attempted to access is restricted" in your attempts to login to your course, OR if your course is no longer reflected in the "Courses" list within DAU Blackboard, the access window has likely expired. You are encouraged to review the course/student materials available in the Public Use tab of DAU Blackboard to see if your desired materials are available for public download. If they are not, you should contact your Instructor for assistance.

NOTE: The DAU Help Desk and Blackboard Support teams will not be able to reactivate your access to the course.

Administrative Course Support

Policies & Procedures

What policies apply to completing exams in Distance Learning courses?

There is one test policy for Online Training Courses (Continuous Learning and Distance Learning).

Students have 3 attempts to pass a test.

Passing score = 80%.

If you do not score 80% on the 1st attempt, all subsequent attempts will contain the full number of questions that were presented during the 1^st attempt.

If you do not score 80% on the 3^rd test attempt ALL your progress in the course will automatically be reset. This means any lessons and tests that you previously completed will now reflect they have not been accessed. You will have to start the course over from the beginning. There is not a limit to the number of times your entire course progress can be reset if you do not achieve a score of 80% by your 3rd test attempt.

After submitting a test, the results page will display your score and advise you of the questions that were answered correctly and incorrectly. The answers you selected will not be displayed.

For additional guidance, please view the Student Task Aid; Page 9 and the tutorial video: How to Complete an Online Training Course.

Are there any exam policies/restrictions involved with DAU Continuous Learning Modules?

Students enrolled in DAU Continuous Learning Modules (CLMs) will be required to achieve a minimum score of 80% on each online assessment. Online Training Courses, which includes both Continuous Learning Modules and Distance Learning Courses, allow for 3 attempts to achieve the mastery requirement. Your course progress will automatically be reset if the minimum score has not been obtained. There is not a limit to the number of times your entire course progress can be reset.

What other policies apply to students?

Please see: DAU Directive 704, Student Academic and Administrative Policies and Procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Training Products & Procedural Information

How do I access the Virtual Campus?