Courses

Q. Can I view a sample class online?
A. Yes. Click here to view the listing of sample courses.

Q. What materials will be needed for the courses?
A. Materials needed for a course are listed on our web page with each course under the course description. It is very important that the books are of the correct edition. Naturally, Veritas Press is selling the correct edition. And if you find the book for less, we will gladly match the price. Just call us.

Q. How can I be sure my child has met the prerequisites requirements?
A. We assume you have done an honest assessment of his accomplishments. However, we want to protect your student and the rest of the class to make sure that your child doesn’t end up in a class where he cannot easily succeed. If you have any question about whether a student is ready for a particular course, don’t hesitate to contact us at 800-922-5082. We reserve the right to remove a student from a class if a lack of readiness becomes detrimental.

Q. How does a class operate and what does it look like?
A. We are currently using Wimba Classroom technology for our online classes. All classes are live, real-time with audio. The teacher and all of the students have a microphone. The teacher has the ability to mute and un-mute students’ microphones. The entire left side of the screen is a whiteboard on which the teacher can display notes, art, maps, power point, web sites and other applications. On the bottom of the screen both the participant list and chat box are visible. Students can communicate both by written chat and by microphone. Students use a hand-raise feature to indicate to the teacher that they have a question or something to say.

Technical Requirements

Hardware Requirements for Live Online Courses:

1. For use of the Interactive Classroom Environment (ICE), Internet connection must provide a consistent minimum download speed of 1Mbps (1 Megabit), as measured by common Internet speed tests.
2. Operating Environments
   • Desktop: any operating system capable of running compatible browsers
   • Mobile (tablets/phones): no support at this time, but it is planned
3. For best viewing, monitor should support 1024 x 768 or better
4. Minimum 1Gb RAM, 2Gb or more recommended
5. Web Browser - Browser updates can be freely downloaded from their specific procedures so it is highly recommended to be using the latest version of your selected browser.
   • Windows
     • Internet Explorer 7 or above (8 or higher preferred)
     • Firefox 3.0 or above
     • Chrome 2.0 or abov
   • Macintosh - Max OS X 10.4 or better
6. Flash Player 10 or above is required to view course content.  This software can be freely downloaded at http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
7. All pop up blockers should be turned off.  Alternatively, give specific permission to scholars.veritaspress.com to display pop ups.
8. Each course is registered for use by a single child.
9. A microphone and speakers, or preferably a headset with a microphone, are required to participate in the live online course setting.

Hardware Requirements for Grammar School History Self-Paced Courses:

1. Internet connection must provide a minimum download speed of 768 Kbps (kilobits per second). If the speed is less than this, self-paced course video will not run smoothly, and interactions will take longer to load.
2. Operating Environments
   • Windows
     • Windows 2000
     • Windows XP
     • Windows Vista
     • Windows 7
       
   • Macintosh - Max OS X 10.4 or better
   • Other operating systems, e.g., Linux, are not tested by Veritas Press and may not provide satisfactory performance
3. For best vieiwing, monitor should support 1024x768 or better
4. Minimum 1Gb RAM, 2 Gb or more recommended
5. Web Browser - Browser updates can be freely downloaded from their specific procedures so it is highly recommended to be using the latest version of your selected browser.
   • Windows
     • Internet Explorer 7 or above (8 or higher preferred)
     • Firefox 3.0 or above
     • Chrome 2.0 or above
   • Macintosh
     • Safari 4.0 or above
     • Firefox 3.0 or above
     • Chrome 2.0 or above
6. Flash Player 10 or above is required to view course content. This software can be freely downloaded at http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
7. All popup blockers should be turned off. Alternatively, give specific permission to scholars.veritaspress.com to display pop ups.
   
   

Hardware Requirements for Omnibus Self-Paced Courses:

1. Browser:
   • Internet Explorer 10 or better (10 is current version)
   • Google Chrome version 24 or above (24 is current version)
   • Firefox version 18 or above (18 is current version)
   • Safari version 5.1 or above (6 is current version)
2. Display: Absolute min of 1024x768 screen resolution (and that is actually a bit tight, 1024x800 is better)
3. Device:
   • iPad with iOS version 6 or better
   • Android Tablet with OS 4 or better using the Chrome browser and that has a 9 inch screen or above that meets above display requirements
   • Desktop or Laptop computer that meets the browser and display requirements.
4. Connection: Broadband internet connection measuring 2MB or better
5. Internet Explorer 9 is not supported since there is a free upgrade path to IE 10 which follows standard web conventions.
6. Though it is possible to view the content on a cellular 4G LTE connection it is not a good idea for regular access. The lesson material uses video extensively and you may use up a data plan very quickly.
   
   
   
   

Omnibus

Q. What is the difference between primary and secondary Omnibus?
A.If you look in the table of contents in the Omnibus text book you will see two sets of books, primary and secondary. The primary books are the more weighty books and relate more closely to the time period studied. The secondary books give the reader a lighter load and balance out the heavy material in the primary. For example, if the primary books are stronger in history (as in Omnibus I), the secondary books will focus more on literature and theology. They also help to reinforce the primary books in unique ways. For example, in primary the students read Plato and get a heavy dose of the Socratic Method in these dialogues. In the secondary books the students read the Peter Kreeft books which present a modern-day setting into which Socrates enters and confronts an abortion doctor (tearing apart his logic) and professors on a university campus doing the same. There is also a connection between Chosen by God (secondary) and Genesis (primary). Reading Tolkien in Omnibus II Secondary gives the student a better understanding of the Anglo-Saxon world, which aids in the study of this world in the Middle Ages. Students study the prophets in secondary while they are getting the historical background of what was going on in the world in the primary books (Herodotus, Livy etc.).

Q. How many credits do I get for taking Omnibus?
A. Since Omnibus is a combination of history, theology and literature a student who takes both primary and secondary Omnibus will receive three full credits, one in each of these areas. If a student takes only primary or secondary Omnibus he will receive one credit.

Financial and Registration

Q. When will the course tuition be charged?
A. The deposit is charged at the time of registration and is non-refundable unless we determine we are not able to admit the child. The remainder is due on or before August 15.

Q. Can I change classes after I've registered?
A.We understand that personal situations may change for any number of reasons. A fee of $15 will be charged to the credit card on file for each transfer. Course drops and transfers can be made by calling 800-922-5082.

Q. How can I learn more about the teacher for a given class?
A. The description of each course on the registration page includes biographical information for the instructor. For additional information, contact Bruce Etter, the Veritas Press Scholars Online Administrator, at bruce@veritaspress.com. However, if a course is yet to have a teacher assigned, any information he has will be limited.