eLP Student Resource Guide

Student Resource Guide - eLP

2

Contents Page

CONTENTS PAGE ............................................................................................................................... 2

LEARNING OUTCOMES .................................................................................................................... 3

GETTING STARTED NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY ELP ........................................................ 4

INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................... 5 COURSE MENU .................................................................................................................................................. 5 PERSONALISE COURSE LIST ............................................................................................................................ 6

COMMON FUNCTIONALITIES STEP BY STEP GUIDE ............................................................. 7 USING A DISCUSSION BOARD.......................................................................................................................... 7 SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 8 TURNITIN UK PLAGIARISM DETECTION SERVICE ...................................................................................... 9

SUMMARY CHECKLIST ..................................................................................................................11

TASKS ..................................................................................................................................................12

BLACKBOARD PUZZLE ..................................................................................................................13

FURTHER READING AND ONLINE RESOURCES .....................................................................14 READING ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................. 14

STUDENT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) ............................................................15

FEEDBACK EVALUATION FORM.................................................................................................16

HELP ....................................................................................................................................................17 IT HELPLINE .................................................................................................................................................. 17 ASK4HELP ...................................................................................................................................................... 17

Student Resource Guide - eLP

3

Learning Outcomes

1. Reinforce and adapt the appropriate skills gained from using the eLP to apply these in everyday use.

2. Develop a further understanding of the components used in Northumbria University eLP to diminish the prospect of running into difficulties within the system.

3. Exercise the knowledge through simple tasks and puzzles using key parts of the system, which will help attain what, has been learnt.

4. Ability to understand other resources, which can be used as a

reliable informant of information to gain help on difficult tasks.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

4

Getting Started Northumbria University eLP

Blackboard is a web-based application available to all students of the University enabling users to find the various materials needed for enrolled courses and modules. The following instructions will provide details on the various popular functionalities available within the platform provided Northumbria University, which a student may have to initiate throughout their courses.

Click on the Students tab when accessed the University website (www.northumbria.ac.uk).

Select the eLearning Portal and access the Login Screen.

Enter the provided login details delivered by the University and access to the system will be granted, this will be a Username and Password.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

5

Information

Course Menu

Announcements – Information relating to the course about lectures, seminars, assignments and other relevant broadcasts.

Module Information – Contains information relating to the module, which may include the module guide and module overview.

Module Schedule – Will provide an explanation of how the module is integrated including the dates of seminars, lectures and assignment submission dates.

Contacts – This includes contact details of the Module Tutors (Email, Telephone, Office Location and Office Hours).

Learning Materials – This area is of importance, as it will contain all the lecture and seminar material provided throughout the module.

Assessment – Material that includes Assignment specifications, marking schemes and other material.

Reading & Resources – The reading lists of relevant Books, Texts and Journals related to the module.

Discussion Board – An area of discussion between students and tutors to flag queries, questions and problems regarding the module.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

6

Personalise Course List

It is possible to change the modules and courses you would like to see when logged into the Blackboard interface. This is particularly useful if you would like to remove completed modules from the list.

To perform these tasks click the settings icon to the right of the Course List toolbar.

From this menu it is possible to Select or Unselect modules to be shown. In addition checking or unchecking the tick boxes can also alter the items of information, which appears on the webpage. Click Submit to confirm all ac

Student Resource Guide - eLP

7

Common Functionalities Step by Step Guide

Using a Discussion Board

A discussion board will promote members of the specific area to allow conversations between students and staff. A thread can be posted which represents a conversation; a user has the capabilities of posting new threads in which other members can reply in the form of creating a discussion between the specific groups. The instructions below will provide details of the most common tasks involving a Discussion board.

Select the appropriate module from the Course List within Blackboard. From the menu select Discussion Board (Assuming it has been made available). If not available within the menu board can be accessed through the Tools section.

The Discussion Board will show various Threads from the participants and their replies to questions as shown within the example. The board will allow members to Create Thread, Subscribe and reply to other posts.

When part of specific discussions users can create a Thread to ask questions. It is compulsory to have a specific Subject entered and a message within the body. It is also possible for members to Attach files. When completed the member can Save Draft or Submit to the Discussion board using the appropriate buttons.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

8

The Thread Detail section of the Discussion Board will allow members to view all posts, Reply to posts and perform Message Actions like Delete or mark as Read and Unread.

Submission of Assignments

Using the eLP it is possible for members to submit their module assignments electronically if requested to do so by the Module Tutor providing that they have setup an Assignment area within the content. A strong Internet connection is needed to use this feature as large files may timeout upon upload. The following instructions will provide a guide of submitting an assignment through Blackboard.

Select the appropriate module from the Course List within Blackboard. From the menu select Assessment (Assuming it has been made available).

Within this folder an option of submission should be available. Clicking the relevant link will enable the user to submit a piece of work.

The Assignment Brief is an outline of what needs to be submitted following the given instructions.

The Assignment Materials offers the student to navigate their Computer to upload the file by clicking Browse My Computer.

Note: If uploading more than one file, repeat the process as multiple uploads are not yet applicable.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

9

Once complete the student can add comments for the tutor to see, otherwise the submission can be submitted at the time or saved for a later date by using the appropriate buttons.

Turnitin UK Plagiarism Detection Service

The Turnitin tool used within Northumbria University eLP can help students to reference their written material properly to avoid the possibility of Plagiarism. Within Blackboard a module tutor may ask students to upload and submit work electronically through the Turnitin facilities adopted by the eLP. When submitting this will be through a link in Blackboard the service will produce an originality report of the referenced material. The following points will aid users in this type of process.

Select the appropriate module from the Course List within Blackboard. From the menu select Assessment.

Some modules may offer the opportunity for students to submit Revisions before the completed final draft. This way they can check written work for referencing errors.

By choosing to Submit students can upload pieces of work to Turnitin. The option to View uploaded work and download submissions is also available.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

10

Step 1: Enter the details of the author, which included a First name, Last name and Submission title.

If the file is stored on the computer in use select Choose File to browse the location of the piece of work. Select Upload to process and move to the next step.

Step 2:

Provides a final preview of the uploaded file before the student makes a decision Submit the document to Turnitin.

Step 3: If successful the submission will have completed without any errors. All submissions will be accompanied with a Digital Receipt containing the first page of any upload.

From the Assignment Inbox where the initial submission occurs, students can view their uploaded document regarding the Originality score and how Similar the submission is to the referenced material included.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

11

Summary Checklist

To ensure understanding of the previous material, before trying out some tasks think about the following points:

Are you able to perform these responsibilities?

1. Login to Northumbria University eLP.

2. Post comments on the Discussion Board.

3. Reply to comments on the Discussion Board.

4. Send a message in the Discussion Board with an attached file.

5. Upload an assignment for submission within the eLP.

6. Upload a file for checking on Turnitin UK.

7. Understand the methods and originality score provided.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

12

Tasks Try the following tasks to reinforce the previous material learnt…

1. Successfully login to Blackboard using the provided username and password to view the enrolled modules belonging to your course.

2. Within a module that provides a Discussion Board subscribe to this board to receive emails of new Threads and Posts.

3. Create a new Thread on the Discussion Board and write a post introducing

yourself to other students within the module.

4. Reply to a post within the Discussion Board inserting an attached file relevant to the module.

5. Practice uploading an Assignment for submission through the eLP.

6. Successfully submit a piece of work through Turnitin if available and view

the originality scoring.

If the following tasks are completed with ease you now possess a solid understanding of the common functionalities within Northumbria Universities eLP.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

13

Blackboard Puzzle Use the puzzle to help, understand and identify areas and functionalities of the eLP system…

Across 5. Method of measuring knowledge within a module. 7. Communication method within Blackboard. 8. Unique identifier to gain access to Blackboard. Down 1. Important message from a tutor. 2. Many modules equal one… 3. List of taken modules within the course. 4. To respond to a question within the discussion board. 6. A set out plan for the module teaching and assessment.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

14

Further Reading and Online Resources

Additional resources to which are available to users of the eLP to gain a further depth of understanding on problems, which may not have been identified within this guide.

Reading

An online help guide for students using Blackboard within Northumbria University: https://elp.northumbria.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/orgs/ORG1/bb9student/index.html

The official Blackboard Help website: https://help.blackboard.com/

Blackboard Quick Tutorials Library: http://www.blackboard.com/quicktutorials/quicktutorials.htm

On Demand Learning Centre for Students containing video tutorials: http://ondemand.blackboard.com/students.htm

Additional Resources

Facebook page for social integration concerning issues students may have within the system: https://www.facebook.com/NorthumbriaElp

Wiki page dedicated for a private discussion with members relating to their difficulties of the eLP: https://northumbriaelp.wikispaces.com/

Leaflet made available throughout the University to inform students of the Resource Guide that has been made available in the School Offices.

A website created for Students who may not have access to resources on campus, allowing downloadable content including the Resource Guide:

http://northumbriaelp.weebly.com/index.html

Student Resource Guide - eLP

15

Student Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. I am having problems login onto Blackboard via the University website. What should I do? Please contact the University IT helpline outlined in this guide.

2. How do I change the default language used within Blackboard? Logout of the system and along the bottom of the web browser within the Blackboard front page there is a list of available languages, select the appropriate and login again.

3. How do I change my password for the eLP? Please contact the University IT helping outlined in this guide.

4. Why are some modules ‘unavailable’ within the Blackboard system? Access to the modules is endorsed through the module tutors who will grant whether or not the materials will be available on the eLP.

5. The course menu within Blackboard has disappeared? Course menus on the left side of the window will disappear on click to allow for greater content space. To retrieve this menu, click the pointer at the very left of the screen.

6. Which Internet Browsers are compatible for using Blackboard? For Windows PC’s: Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox. For Mac’s: Safari, Firefox and Chrome.

7. Issues when submitting pieces of work to Turnitin UK. Most of the recognised technical issues within Turnitin on the eLP can be resolved by switching web browsers using an alternative to Internet Explorer.

8. I cannot see the Module Announcements made by the tutor? There are two types of announcements, one is permanent and the other isn’t. Permanent will always be made available at the top of the list non-permanent will be listed in order of date.

9. Is it possible to submit an assignment within Blackboard after the submission date? The system will allow a submission after the deadline, if this occurs the tutor will be notified. A late submission will be flagged regarding the student.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

16

Feedback Evaluation Form

I am a: Undergraduate Student Postgraduate Student

Please indicate your impressions of the Resource guide:

Strongly

Agree Agree Neutral Disagree

Strongly Disagree

1. The guide met my expectations.

2. I will be able to apply the knowledge learned within the eLP?

3. The learning outcomes for the guide were identified and met.

4. The content was structured and easy to follow.

5. The materials circulated were relevant and useful.

6. The guide was applicable to user need.

7. The quality of material was diverse and sufficient.

8. The delivered tasks reinforced learning.

9. The materials provided access in different forms.

10. Using the eLP has become less daunting?

11. How do you rate the resources overall?

Excellent Good Average Poor

10. What aspects of the guide could be improved?

11. Other comments?

Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Student Resource Guide - eLP

17

Help

IT Helpline Tel: 0191 227 4242 Free Phone: 0800 923 4242 Text: +44 77 81 48 27 86 Email: it.helpline@northumbria.ac.uk Chat: www.northumbria.ac.uk/itchat Online Support: www.northumbria.ac.uk/knowhow

Ask4Help Ask4Help – Information and Advice 24/7 on or off Campus, Email, Telephone or Visit Ask4help@northumbria.ac.uk 0191 227 4125