Basic

From e-Learning Documentation

Revision as of 14:08, 1 December 2010

Last updated: 12-01-2010

Getting Started - Browser and Internet Requirements, Log In, Navigation, Help

If you have an compatible browser and internet connection (preferably a broadband connection such as DSL or cable), you should have no problem connecting to and using e-Learning in Sakai.

The officially recommended requirements for e-Learning in Sakai are:

• A fully updated and compatible browser. Currently, on Windows based PCs, Sakai performs best using Firefox 3.x, or Internet Explorer 7.x or 8.x. For Mac users, Firefox 3.x and Safari 4.x will work. Opera, Chrome and other browsers are not recommended for use with e-Learning in Sakai.

A broadband Internet connection is strongly recommended. Slower connections should still be able to access e-Learning in Sakai, but will take longer to load. SPECIAL NOTE: Some users with satellite Internet service may find their online courses do not load quickly or consistently due to satellite network design issues.

Log In

• Open your Internet browser and navigate to https://lss.at.ufl.edu

NOTE: If you are going to create a bookmark for Sakai login, please bookmark http://lss.at.ufl.edu, not the actual login page or the "My Workspace" page once you are in Sakai.

• Click Continue under the heading "Sakai System Entry"
• Login using your gatorlink username and password. After logging in, you will be taken to your "My Workspace," where you can access the courses and/or project sites in which you are enrolled.

Navigating

While using e-Learning in Sakai, avoid using your browser back and forward buttons. Navigate within the system by clicking on links and icons.

Links to Tools are in the menu bar on the left side of the screen. Links to Courses and Project Sites appear as tabs across the top of the page. The Reset icon appears when you are in a tool. Clicking this icon will refresh the view and reset the tool back to it's default screen.

Log Out

A Logout link is located in the upper right corner of the screen. When you click Logout, you are not actually logged out of the system. You must completely close your browser before your logout takes affect. This is especially important if you are using a public computer such as in a library. Make sure you completely close all browsers before you leave the workstation.

Help

Help is available throughout e-Learning in Sakai wherever you see the icon. If you click on the Help icon in the Gradebook, for example, the Help screen that comes up will give you an overview of the Gradebook. If you click on the Help icon in the Announcements tool, you will get an overview of Announcements. You can search for more in depth information if the answers you need are not provided in the overview.

Content Editor - Create HTML Documents and Edit Text

Throughout Sakai, you will see the "Content Editor."

When you use the Content Editor, you are creating HTML that is viewed in Sakai without students needing to open a MS Word document, a PDF document or other type of file. This type of Content Editor is called a WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, which means that you can create HTML without knowing any HTML coding. You use the icons at the top of the screen to format your content and the Editor automatically inserts the HTML code in the background. If you are comfortable creating an MS Word document, you should experience little difficulty in using the Content Editor.

Where can you find the Content Editor?

• Resources
  • Within a folder, click Add and then click Create HTML Page. Be aware that if you insert an image or link to other files in Resources using this Content Editor, the links will be broken when you import the content into future semesters unless you use relative linking. The links will look fine to the instructor, but students cannot access them.
• Home
  • Click Options. Here again, if you insert an image or link to other files in Resources using this Content Editor, the links will be broken when you import the content into future semesters. Relative Linking is not an option in this Content Editor.
• Lessons
  • When adding Content Items, one option is to "Create an HTML Page" which opens the editor. If you insert an image or link to other files in Resources using this Content Editor, the links will copy from one semester to the next with no problems because the Lessons tool actually imports those files into the Lessons tool inventory.
• Syllabus, all Communication tools, Assignments and Tests & Quizzes tools provide a Content Editor for formatting text. Here again, if you insert an image or link to other files in Resources using this Content Editor, the links will be broken when you import the content into future semesters. Relative Linking is not an option in this Content Editor.

Note:You can copy text from a MS Word document into the Content Editor to quickly convert MS Word to HTML. Make sure you use the "Paste from Word" icon to preserve formatting and remove coding text.

Note:For advanced users that are using HTML, please see Unsupported Tags

Tools - Overview of all Available Tools

Default Tools

The following is a short description of each of the default tools that are pre-selected for you when you request a course in eLearning in Sakai. There are other tools available for your use also. See the "Secondary Tools" list to see a short description of those tools.

Home

This space is available to post basic content about your course. Best practice is to use this space to give students information about how to ouse the course, which tools you are using and how, where they can find readings, and how to get help using eLearning in Sakai (student tutorials and UF Helpdesk). Users also see current Announcements, Calendar postings, unread Mail messages or Forum (Discussion) postings.

Announcements

A communication tool for passing along information to your students.

Assignments

Post Assignments to provide a place for students to submit their work. This tool keeps up with who has submitted, who hasn't, date and time of submissions, records grades and feedback to the students. "Turnitin," the online anti-plagiarism tool) reports are available on all MS Word documents attached to the Assignment by students.

Calendar

A communication tool to post and view events, deadlines, and other information in a Calendar format.

Discussion

Encourage student interaction with online discussions. Discussions can be assigned to specific groups of students and can also be graded.

Gradebook

Calculate and securely deliver grades to students.

Lessons

Provide content to students in an organized structure with a Table of Contents and navigation. You can provide any type of file including audio and video, as well as links to internal and external content.

Mail

A communication tool for communication within eLearning in Sakai. Users can send a message to individuals, groups, roles, or all users. These mail messages can be cc'd to "gatorlink@ufl.edu" email accounts.

Resources

A tool for storing files. There are two main options for using the Resources tool: 1 - Use the Resources as a repository for files used to build the course, such as an image for the home page, image files used in test questions, folders containing Articulate files, etc. These are files that you need for the course, but you don't need students to be able to access these source files. If you choose this option, hide the Resources tool from the students. Note: Hiding the Resources tool does not prevent students from accessing Resources by other means. It just removes it from the students' toolbar so that they do not think there is content there for them. 2 - Use the Resources as a repository of files to give to the students. Place readings, lecture notes, Power Point presentations, etc., in folders for student access. This option would take the place of the Lessons tool. If you choose this option and you have some files used to build the course such as those described in Option 1, be aware that students will see those files.

Site Info

Access several management options for your Site, including adding and removing tools, organizing and hiding tools, manage participants, manage groups and reuse content for future semesters.

Syllabus Post and maintain your Syllabus by adding the Syllabus as HTML, as a file attachment, or redirect to a website where your Syllabus is located. Tests & Quizzes Online Assessments can be used for everything from self-assessment study aids to information gathering surveys, to high-stakes exams. The Assessments are automatically graded and can provide feedback to the students at the Instructor's discretion. Web Links Add links in the menu bar to any web content. Help Get contextual help wherever you see the icon.

Secondary Tools

The following tools are not provided by default, but are available for you to use. To add any of these tools in your course:

1. go to Site Info>Edit Tools.
2. Check the box next to any tool you want to add.
3. Click Continue. A list of the selected tools will be shown, including any new tools you added to the list will show in red font.
4. If the list is accurate, click Finish

Blogs

The difference between the Blog and the Discussion tool is that the Discussion is meant to be a conversation among many participants. The Blog is "owned" by a particular participant and contains that person's thoughts. The individual user is in control of who can view and comment on his/her blog.

Chat

Chat tool allows real-time online conversations. Unlike a Discussion or a Blog, participants can't post to a Chat at any time, but everyone must be in the Chat room at the same time. This is a very limited Chat tool. There are no instructor controls and no White Board in this Chat tool.

Feedback

Information can be delivered to students via a .csv file upload. Like in the Gradebook, the Feedback tool shows students only their own information, not the information for other students.

Podcasts

Podcasts are audio files that participants can download to a media device such as an iPod. You can add podcasts of lectures, or any other audio/video material. Students will be able to access the podcasts when they are not connected to the internet, such as on a bus.

Polls

Anonymously gather information and opinions from participants. You can release the results to students to see the overall class responses.

RSS Feeds

Keeps you updated on the most recent postings to websites. Connect your class to newscasts, blogs and other sites that are frequently updated.

Roster

Allows participants to see the roster, including, role, user ID and email address, plus a link to the participants' profile where a photo is available (if the participant has set up the profile and made it available).

Wiki

A collaborative website which can be edited by anyone with access to it. A Wiki requires that editors use a few special codes to format the content, but there is a list of those codes available within the tool so that anyone should be able to add and edit content.

Participants - Overview of all Roles

Student-Type Roles

• Student - can view and interact with any content that has been released to them by Instructor.
• Auditor - exactly like the "student" role except does not receive a final grade for the course.
• CE Student - exactly like the "student" role except is not enrolled through the Registrar. Must be enrolled by the Instructor.

Instructor-Type Roles

• Instructor - has full authority to create content, grade submissions and interact with participants.
• Facilitator - has most of the privileges of Instructors except they cannot revise announcements and calendar postings made by the Instructor.
• Teaching Assistant - has most of the privileges of Instructors except they cannot delete or edit content created by the Instructor, cannot run Site Statistics reports, and cannot create Assessment Types in the Tests & Quizzes tool.
• Grader - has fewer privileges than the Teaching Assistant. This role can view content, send mail to participants, access Gradebook and can grade Assignments and Assessments. They cannot create or edit any content except Mail, cannot add or remove participants, and cannot enter the site if it is unpublished.
• TA-NonGrading - has the same roles as the Teaching Assistant, except this role cannot grade or access the Gradebook, cannot run Site Statistics reports, or create Assessment Types.
• Designer - can create and manage content, but cannot grade or access the Gradebook and has almost no interaction with students. The only interaction with students in the ability to send and receive mail.
• Guest Lecturer - has limited ability to post content and interact with students. This role can use the communication tools, create and participate in Chats, Polls and Wiki, and can post content. This role cannot create, edit or grade Assignments or Assessments, edit or delete content added by other Instructors, run Site Statistics reports, or add or remove participants.
• Observer - can view all content, Announcements, Calendar entries, etc., but cannot interact with other participants or the content.

Participants - Add, Manage, and Remove

Add Participants

The “Add participants” function allows you to add members to your site. From the menu bar inside the Course or Project Site:

1. Click Site Info
2. Click Add Participants
3. Enter the Gatorlink username(s) of the person(s) you would like to enroll in the box labeled "Gatorlink Username or UFID." You can add more than one person at a time by hitting "Enter" after each username.
4. If you are assigning all of these participants to the same role, leave the default setting to "Assign off participants to the same role."
   1. If these participants will need different roles, select "Assign each participant a role individually."
   2. Click Continue
   3. If you are assigning the same role to all new users, select the role and click Continue.
      1. If you are assigning different roles, you will see each person listed with a drop-down menu beside her/his name. Select the appropriate role from the drop-down menu and click Continue.
      2. You may notify the new users by email that they have been enrolled in your Course or Project Site by selecting "Send Now." Click Continue.
      3. Verify that names and roles are correct. Click Continue.

      You will be returned to your "Site Info" default screen where you can see a complete list of all members and their roles.

      Change Participant Role

      You have the ability to change the role of users within your course or Project Site. Perhaps you enrolled someone as a Designer, but now want that person to be a TA.

      1. Click Site Info. You should see a complete list of all participants under the heading "(course name) Participant List." (You may have to scroll down, depending on how much information is in your Site Description listed at the top of the page.)
      2. Beside the name of the person you want to change, choose the new role from the drop-down menu.
      3. Click Update Participants.

      Remove Participants or Make Them Inactive

      You have two options for preventing enrolled individuals from further access to your course; you can make them inactive, or you can remove them altogether. If you remove a TA or other Instructor-type role, content that person created, such as Announcements, Gradebook columns, Assignments, etc., will remain.

      Both options will remove the student from the Gradebook and remove all the student's submissions and grades. If you make the person active again, or re-enroll the person, his or her submissions and interactions will return.

      The Registrar will change an active student to inactive if he or she has a Registrar issue that must be resolved. Resolution of the issue should automatically change the person to active status again.

      Unless you know for sure that the person is never going to access the course again, making "inactive" is the best bet.

      To make a participant inactive:

      1. Click Site Info. You should see a complete list of all participants under the heading "(coursename) Participant List." (You may have to scroll down, depending on how much information is in your Site Description listed at the top of the page.)
      2. Beside the name of the person you want to change, choose "inactive" from the Status drop-down menu.
      3. Click Update Participants.

      To remove a participant:

      1. Click Site Info. You should see a complete list of all participants under the heading "(coursename) Participant List." (You may have to scroll down, depending on how much information is in your Site Description listed at the top of the page.)
      2. Beside the name of the person you want to remove, check the box under the "Remove" heading.
      3. Click Update Participants.