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User:
1) Introduction to EducatorYou are at the Help Center for the Ucompass.com Inc. online course management system, Educator. Although each section in Educator has its own context-sensitive help screens, what follows is a mini-orientation to the most-often used areas in your online 'classroom'. Not every instructor does things exactly the same way. So certain details involving variables such as timelines or grading will not be covered here.
Folders You are probably familiar with the folder concept since you are comfortable using a computer. All of the course documents and files are put into folders that are labeled either by topic, chapter or maybe even week or lesson number.
Under the course materials is an additional folder called MY FOLDERS. Any time you upload files, they are stored in MY FOLDER. Note that the example shown has a lock icon next to the folder. This means that other students cannot see the contents in this folder. You cannot unlock the folder unless the instructor unlocks all student folders At the very bottom of all of the folders is a command link to SHOW FILES. This will display every file contained within each folder on a single screen.
Packets The packet method arranges all of the course materials into a unit which is arranged in the order in which they should be completed. Think of a packet as a bundle containing everything that you need to do for the current lesson. It may contain lectures, assignments, worksheets, tests and discussions. All of these will be individually explained in the next few pages. To reach the packets, click on the Course Materials main navigator link. You might also see a packets sublink. Click on the name of the packet to view its contents. You’ll then see a page that contains a table of contents on the left side of the screen, with links leading to documents that will appear on the right hand side of the screen. A sample packet appears below. ![]() Sometimes instructors who use packets don’t display navigation links such as assignments and exams in the navigation column, in favor of placing those documents into a packet. Now let's look at some of the types of document that you may typically find in a course packet or behind a navigation link… Assignments An assignment document is one that describes an activity that you must complete and turn in to your instructor for grading. Instructions for turning in assignments can vary depending on the nature of the assignment, so pay attention to the directions given during the class. General directions for uploading assignment files and submitting worksheets follow. Uploading Assignments Some assignments require you to use an external application to create your file. For example, to complete a term paper, you might use a word processor, save the completed file, and then upload it to your course. To turn in your work as a file upload:
![]() Note the “Submit for Grading” option at the bottom of the form. If you don't checkmark this, your instructor will consider the submission a draft and you may not be graded! After you have submitted your assignment, you will see a screen showing that the assignment was submitted. You can also check your student folder. If you can see your file listed, then it has been correctly submitted. You need not send a question to your instructor as he or she can only see what you can see. ![]() Worksheet Assignments Some assignments require you to input your work directly into the assignment form. These are called worksheets and can take many forms such as homework problems, pop-quizzes or tutorials. A sample worksheet follows: ![]() mark it as a draft so your instructor does not grade it. You may also see multiple choice questions, matching exercises or true/false questions on your worksheets. Online Discussions Online discussions are asynchronous….which means they don’t occur in real time, but over an extended period of time during which you can read messages left by others, and post messages yourself. Your instructor may put a link to the discussion board in a packet, or you may enter from the navigation column by clicking on the [DISCUSSIONS] link. A discussion is identified by the group that is having the discussion. A group may consist of the entire class, or a group may be limited to certain members of the class. You will only be able to view active discussions being carried on by the groups to which you belong. In the example below, the first group is named “Entire Class” and the whole class is a member of this group. The subject of this group’s discussion will be “online courses”. So far there have been two topics or “threads” posted. The second group is named “Team Three” and only has six members. They’ll be discussing thesis statements and so far, there is only one posting.
Clicking on the subject of a message will reveal that message. The same messages can be viewed in different ways. Let’s look at each viewing method separately. Linear vs. Threaded View Linear View Messages posted to a discussion board generally first appear in a linear view. This means that each message appears one under the other. To reply to the instructor’s initial message, you would scroll all the way down to the end of the page and click on the Reply to this message link. This would open up a textbox in which to type your response. If you wanted to reply to one of your classmate's responses, you would do so by creating a subthread—in other words, a message directed towards another student’s comments and not the initial posting by the instructor.
Threaded View Some people prefer the threaded view. It has a split screen that shows the threads and subthreads listed to the left and the selected message itself displayed on the right. Threaded view also has the advantage of indicating which messages have not been read yet. At the top of the screen, there is a MESSAGE VIEWING option where you can set the view you prefer as your default so that every time you enter a discussion board, you can view it in either linear or threaded view.
In the threaded example above, the “replies” to the professor are indented under the main message and are labeled: RE: Student tips… Subthreads are further indented under the replies and are labeled RE: RE: Student tips. Online Quizzes and Examinations You may be required to take a quiz or examination online. Depending upon how your instructor has set up the exam, it may be Here is an example of some question styles you may see. How many questions can you correctly answer?!
Note the checkbox located above the [Submit] button. This is a safeguard to prevent you from hitting the [enter] key and submitting your exam before you are finished. Make sure that you check this box before you [Submit]. GRADES / PROFILES You will have a Grades or Profiles link in the main navigator column that leads to your progress report. This not only contains grades for assignments and tests that you’ve turned in, but also links to instructor feedback, uploaded files and discussion board participation. Your profile is at the top of the page, and it contains your personal information. You may change the information contained in your profile by clicking on the Modify Profile sublink. Your instructor may choose to display a grade builder summary at the top of your grades/progress page. This section shows your current percentage, which is your grade based on what you have submitted. Your total percentage reflects your grade based on everything that is currently due. Sometimes the grade summary does not appear at all. Separate tables also make up a breakdown of all graded activities in the course. These tables will tell you the status of any assigned activity:
You may also see links to your instructor’s feedback for the work you submitted. Using Email Every student registered for courses having online components receives an email account that can be accessed from any active course. If you already have an email account that you prefer to use, you can set up your preferences to forward course mail to that account. Access to email is through the main navigator column [E-Mail] link which takes you to the Inbox. ![]() The inbox will list your received messages and indicate whether they’ve been viewed, who they are from, the date sent and the subject link. Click on the subject to open the message. Messages are scanned for viruses before being placed in the inbox. Note the mailbox icon at the bottom of the screen. This appears on most course pages and will provide a quick link to your mail. To highlight and delete or move many messages simultaneously, click on the Manage Multiple Messages link. You may then click on several messages at once and click on the [Delete] or [Move to Mail Folder] buttons. Note the sublinks under the main navigation link. To send a message, click on the Send Message sublink. If you are sending mail to someone in this system, all you need to type is their username in the TO: field. Or check the checkbox in front of your instructor’s name. DON’T type your instructor’s email address or username in the TO: field AND check the checkbox or your instructor will receive two copies of your message. You can create mail folders to separate your mail if you want to distinguish mail from different courses. You may or may not be able to send or receive mail outside of your institution. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
Technical Requirements: The equipment including hardware and software, needed to access Educator courses |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
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| First click on the Technical Support main navigation link. | |
![]() | At the top of the support form you'll see a search box that will allow you to search for information in the online Help Center. | |
![]() | Under that is information that your institution may provide for seeking help. There may be a helpdesk phone number, email address or specific directions addressing different problems such as library access, password changes etc. | |
![]() | If you haven't found the answer to your question in these areas, then open a new support case. Indicate the nature of your question or problem. Then, in the textbox provided, describe in detail where in the course you are referring to and any actions or experiences that would help technical support staff arrive at a solution. | |
![]() | Your email address will be pre-filled. You may change the address to another one if you want to receive an answer at another account.
Submit your request. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
Course Manager |
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
is the third of three possible methods that your institution may use to register students into courses. If you don't see screens or commands like those shown below, then this method does not apply to you.
The controlled enrollment method is used if your institution does NOT have an automated registration procedure. Your instructor or institution administration will initiate the enrollment process by issuing a 9 digit access code to you. Once this code has been created for you, you'll receive an e-mail similar to the one below:
Go to the registration URL provided where you will see options by which to search for a course.
Click to search either by your instructor's name, the Course ID or the Department.
Then type in the specific information and click [find course]
Click to enter the course if you have your 9-digit access code with you.
Sign in with the access code.
Finally fill in the student registration page.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor. |
Educator supplies you with a Calendar that doubles as both a Course Activity Calendar and a Personal Daily Planner Calendar.
The Calendar sublink is found under the syllabus/Course Information main navigation link.
By default, all 12 months appear on your calendar with past months appearing in blue and future days appearing in white. At the bottom of your Calendar you can specify which months you would like to have appear upon clicking into the Calendar. Dates that have passed are shaded in blue, the current date is shaded in red and future dates are shaded in white. Below is a screen capture showing the calendar for October as it would appear October 21:
Notice each current and future date is a hyperlink on the calendar. In this example, notice that on the 25th of the month there is a red 'R' icon representing a "Reminder". The "R" indicates that there is something scheduled on your calendar for which you are being reminded. You can click on the icon to view and or edit the information.
To schedule an upcoming event, first click on the date the event will occur.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3) Receiving Knowledge
Course content is stored and accessed in some sort of electronic format.
Educator is designed to let your knowledge providers easily take content in the form of files of any type from their computer, scanner, network, or CD and post it in Educator in an organized manner ready for distribution to you.
You also have tools as a learner that will let you transfer files to other learners or to your instructor(s).
In this section we will cover strategies of maximizing Educator's powerful content delivery and publishing capabilities.
An understanding of the types of content, i.e. file types, is extremely important when working on the web. Please read over the next several sections that go into web-readable and non-web-readable files and how to manage them.
After that, go over the course-specific documents that you will be using such as syllabi, folders, bookmarks, and posting your own home page on the web.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.1) Types of Content
Files can be stored in a variety of electronic formats resulting in an unlimited number of ways to store information.
The most common are
In addition, you may be asked to view FlashTM movies or download Excel spreadsheets, depending upon the type of course you're taking.
You will be provided with some fundamental information within this Help Center to help you understand different content formats you may encounter.
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3.2) Web Viewable Resources
Web-Viewable Resources are those that are viewable within your web browser.
Educator is a browser-based application, meaning it runs completely within the infrastructure of the web browser. You are generally viewing Educator in a web-viewable format (through your browser). As a student, however, you will be asked to complete and turn in work by your instructor, who will give you direction as to what format you need to use. If you are taking a writing class, for example, your instructor may request word processing documents be uploaded to your folder. If you are taking accounting, you may be asked to complete and upload a spreadsheet. These are NOT web-viewable. On the other hand, if you are asked to complete a web page as an assignment, the files you create ARE web-readable.
HTML
HTML which stands for the Hyper Text Markup Language, is a coding methodology for marking up content to be displayed in a web browser. You can also insert links to other files within an HTML file. The World Wide Web itself is an endless connection of links from one HTML file to another creating a network that spans servers across the planet.
You can embed other types of web viewable media into an HTML file including pictures, illustrations, movies, sounds and more.
Images
Images are served up over the web in one of two formats: GIF and JPG
GIF stands for Graphic Interchange Format
JPG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group.
PNG files are a newer format that are also viewable on the web.
GIF is pronounced 'jif', JPG is pronounced 'jay-peg' and PNG is pronounced "ping".
Web designers follow a simple rule of thumb regarding GIF and JPG images. The rule is that GIF images are better for saving illustrations or text while JPG images are better for saving photography. The differences in the two file formats relate to how they render and process colors. PNG images are an attempt to hybridize the two earlier formats.
There are many software applications for both the Macintosh and PC computers that enable you to save graphics into different formats.
Programs range from the freely available GIF Converter software to professional commercial products such as Adobe Photoshop.
This Help Center does not offer training in using Graphic software packages and you are encouraged to explore books or local training opportunities if you wish to learn more about designing graphics for the web.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.3) Non Web Viewable Resources
A knowledge provider or Learner who attempts to view content after downloading the content to their computer is viewing the content as a non-web viewable resource. Content displayed within the infrastructure of the web browser is accessed as web-viewable content.
Non web-viewable resources need to be opened in an application that can read the file in its native format.
Educator lets you publish and receive resources saved in any format. However, whenever possible we recommend saving resources into web-viewable formats such as HTML, GIF or JPG.
Most software applications that have been produced in the last several years have built in programs that let you export resources to a web-viewable format.
When you convert a resource into a web-viewable format, you can usually expect to see some change to the structure or appearance of the content depending on its complexity. Therefore, it will not always be possible to convert to a web-viewable format and you may need to deliver the resource in a non web-viewable format giving specific instructions about how to download and view the content.
As an example, if you had a Microsoft Word document comprised of text, you could save it as HTML and other than some minor font and/or formatting changes, the HTML resource would look close to how it originally looked in MS Word.
However, if you had something like an elaborate blueprint created in a desktop publishing software like Adobe PageMaker, when you convert to HTML, you may experience format changes which may be unacceptable with something as precise as a blueprint. This can result in a lower grade. When in doubt, look for directions regarding how to upload your course work within your course or ask your instructor for details.
Learning how to save content and convert from one format to another is a skillset that takes time and practice to develop.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.4) Resources that Require Players
You will find that some content can be web-viewable if the user has a specific player installed within the browser. Without the player, the content is either non viewable or must be downloaded to your computer to be viewed. Often, the user will be automatically prompted to download the necessary player in order to access the file desired.
A common example is Macromedia Shockwave Flash files. These file types can create and display animated, interactive web presentations when the flash player has been installed on the computer.
If your knowledge providers author content in a format that you know requires a player, they should be prepared to communicate this to you and also be able to direct you to a web address where you can download the player.
Educator has a number of downloadable players built in but there are literally thousands of different types of players and it is impossible to account for all of them.
CLICK HERE for a list of freely downloadable players for Macintosh and PC computers.
3.5) Course Folders
Your instructor can put course folders onto the Educator desktop and populate the folders with course files.
You are probably familiar with the folder concept since you are comfortable using a computer. All of the course documents and files are put into folders that are labeled either by topic, chapter or maybe even week or lesson number.
This example shows several folders and subfolders containing course materials.
Under the course materials is an additional folder called MY FOLDERS which is where you keep your own files that you add to the system. This is covered in the next section.
At the very bottom of all of the folders is a command link to SHOW FILES. This will display every file contained within each folder on a single screen.
Just about any type of file can be stored in a folder. However, only HTML and text files will actually open without the help of a helper application. Files such as Microsoft Word documents (.doc) or Excel spreadsheets (.xls) need a compatible word processor or spreadsheet program resident on your computer in order to open. Educator will download such files to your computer. Sometimes, instead of the document, you'll see a download progress screen instead.
If you need help with course procedures or content, please contact your instructor.
3.6) My Folder
Every learner has his/her own folder in all online course environments. The learner can upload/create/transfer files to My Folder for review/evaluation by their knowledge providers. Also, if the file is set as Unlocked you can share your resources with other learners in the course.
The My Folder sublink is found under the Course Materials main navigation link.
A shortcut icon can be found in the toolbar at the bottom of most course pages
My Folder Settings
Your folder, along with all other student folders, is actually contained inside another folder that your instructor controls. Your instructor's master folder is usually kept locked. That is why you cannot normally unlock your own folder. However, some instructors want students to share files, so they unlock the master folder. If this is the case, then you will be able to unlock your folder so other students can view the contents. You can create subfolders within your folder and lock those if you have contents that you wish to keep private.
To unlock (or lock) your folder, click on the MY FOLDERS icon at the bottom of the page (or enter through the navigation column).
Then click on your own name to access the folder itself.
Now click on the Modify folder link.
If the status is Locked, but there is a drop down menu allowing you to change to Unlocked, you may do so. If there is no way of changing the status, you'll see a lock icon instead.
If your folder is locked, then only you and your instructors will be able to see and access the folder. There is another way to share files within your folders that will be explained below. If it is unlocked then any learner in your online class will be able to access and view your resources.
Uploading Files
Once you access your folder, you will see a link labeled Upload to this folder. CAUTION! If it is an assignment that you are uploading, then there is an upload mechanism within the assignment document itself that not only uploads your file, but also identifies it as an assignment submission.
To upload a file to your folder directly...
After your file has been uploaded, you should see the filename in your folder. If you can see it then your instructor can see it too.
Note: If you are not in your folder, you can upload files through the upload center, a sublink in the Course Materials area of the virtual classroom. In this case, Educator will ask you to select a destination folder. After you choose the folder, you can proceed as outlined above.
File Permissions
If your folder is UNLOCKED then each file you put into your folder can be locked or unlocked.
Files that are locked are only accessible by the owner of the folder and the course instructor. Files that are unlocked are accessible by anyone having access to the Student Folders area.
Often, when you are given a team assignment, you need to transfer files among your team members. Although the method that comes to mind first is probably using email to attach files, this is not the most efficient way to transfer files. This results in multiple copies of files being stored within the course environment, which eventually will result in a slow-down of the system. It also can lead to confusion as multiple files pile up.
A better way for you to share files is right from your own folder. There are, in fact, several ways you can do this.
If you view a file that is stored in your folder, you will see an option to give other students within the class permission to open and view the file. If the you belong to a discussion board group, the entire group can be checked and each member of that group will then see a link to that file from within the discussion board.
The screen example below shows the information page for a student file named abigailsfile.txt. Note that individual class members are listed at the bottom of the page, followed by groups. This example shows the file being made accessible to the group TEAM 1 ETHICS.
If you were to go onto the discussion board and click on the group TEAM 1: ETHICS, you would see, in the control panel, a link called Group Files. Clicking on this link will show a list of files that have been made accessible to this group. Even though the files in this example don't exist, you could still go into the discussion board and find the Group Files link. There just won't be any files in it yet.
You don't have to start in your student folder. If you are already in a discussion board group, files can be added to the group files simply by clicking on the Group Files link as demonstrated above. All of the files contained in your folder will be listed along with an option to Add file to the group files. Other students won't see any of your files unless you add them.
If you need help with course procedures or content, please contact your instructor.
3.7) Adding/Uploading Resources
Uploading a file means to transfer a it from your computer to your Educator course folder.
You can either upload a file directly into your folder through a sublink under Course Materialscalled the Upload Center, or you can upload it through an assignment. The latter is recommended if the file actually is an assignment you're submitting for a grade. This way, the file will be identified as belonging to that assignment and your instructor will easily find and grade it.
Uploading from the Upload Center
If the upload is not for a graded assignment, then
This is very important: If you can see your file name in your folder, then your teacher can see it too. There is no need to send an email to ask if they 'received' it. They don't receive it as if it was an email message. They simply go to your folder when they need to view it.
Manually Adding Text or HTML
Using the New Text or HTML file link, you can manually create HTML or Text documents online as is illustrated below:
If you need help with course procedures or content, please contact your instructor.
3.8) Using Educator Desktop to Upload Files
Educator Student Desktop: Attaching files to assignments is often one of the more troublesome tasks for new students as files have to be uploaded within the confines of the web browser. Now, with the Educator Desktop, the online classroom interface and the student's desktop computer are one in the same, enabling students to simply drag and drop desktop files to a target assignment.
To start:
Once you have installed all the files, you will be taken immediately to the Educator Desktop login screen unless you uncheck the box prior to clicking Finish.
If you are not ready to enter the program, you may enter it at any time by clicking on the Educator Desktop icon which will be on your Desktop.
When you open the Educator Desktop, you will need to enter your Educator E-Mail Address and your password for your course(s).Your Educator E-Mail address is your username and then the URL (http address) at which you login. If you are unsure of the URL, simply go into any of your courses and click on the Email link on the navigation bar. When you click Send Mail, you will see your Email address.
Remember, your password is case-sensitive!
Once you are in the Educator Desktop, you will see the following screen:
In this screen, you will need to first choose the course in which you would like to submit assignment files.
Highlight the course from the dropdown box. All of your ACTIVE courses will be shown.
Once you have chosen your course, you will need to choose the Assignment for which you would like to submit a file. The Assignments shown will be those assignments within your course and will include assignments that have been submitted as well as those which have not been submitted.
Notice on the left side of the screen is a list of your files and folders on your computer. You may choose the Desktop dropdown box to choose another drive or area of your computer. The files listed below are those files within that folder.
Once you have found the file you wish to upload to the assignment, simply drag it from the list to the File box at the bottom of the screen.
You may type any notes to the instructor in the My Assignment Comments box.
If you are ready to Submit your work, make sure to click the Grade checkbox and then click Submit.
NOTE: If you do not click Grade, your instructor will not be able to see and grade your work.
Once the file is submitted, the assignment will disappear from your Assessment list in your course. Remember, though, the assignment will remain listed on the Educator Desktop.
If necessary, you may submit more than one file for each assignment or, if you mistakenly click and drag the wrong file to the assignment, you can click the Clear File button (see below).
Once you have submitted your work, you will see the following screen. Please do not close the Educator Desktop until you have clicked Ok.
Once your instructor has graded your work, when you re-enter the Educator Desktop, you will be able to see the grade and the comments from the Instructor.
If you need to resubmit the assignment, you can do so here by clicking Clear File, finding the additional or new file and dragging and dropping it into the File box.
Again, if you need to submit a new or edited file, remember to check the Grade checkbox and then click Submit.
Note: Technical support questions should be addressed to support@educator.ucompass.com
3.9) Adding Audio/Video
Audio/Video Recordingare new features in Educator that lets users record an audio or video into their Educator account. No special equipment is needed other than an ordinary sound input (and web camera for video).
IMPORTANT NOTE: This feature is only available to students when the instructor has turned the function on.
Your browser must have the Flash Player, Version 7 or later, to use Educaster and the Audio/Video tools.
To start, make sure you have your microphone and camera plugged in to your computer. At the bottom of any Text box where you normally type, there will be icons to Add Audio and Add Video.
When the instructor has turned on the feature, you will see the following icons.
Click on the link for the tool you wish to use. Audio can currently be recorded for up to 12 minutes for each file. Video can currently be recorded for up to 3 mins per file. Once you click on the tool, you will see the following window.
Choose Accept to allow the server to connect to your webcam and/or microphone.
NOTE: If you are not allowed access, please make sure Port 1935 is opened on your firewall.
In the filename field, type a short name for your file. You may use alphanumeric characters only. Spaces are allowed. Click Start Recording when you're ready.
You should see the recording time moving. If you do not see the blue volume indicator bar moving while recording, please make sure you're speaking directly into your microphone and that you're speaking clearly and loudly. When you have finished, click Stop Recording.
You will then have various choices to make.
You may wish to preview your file first or simply save the file. If there is a problem and you wish to start over, simply click Discard. If you close this window prior to clicking the Save button, you will lose your work.
Once you've saved your file, you will be given choices. You may:
When you save your file, the link will automatically be embedded in whatever text box you're currently viewing.
Your instructor will then see the following in the textbox in which you embedded the file.
Note: Technical support questions should be addressed to support@educator.ucompass.com
3.10) FlexTV
FlexTV: FlexTV is a new feature in the Ucompass.com, Inc. Educator Learning Management System designed to help students and teachers find television programming where they live that is supplementary or complimentary to the subject material of their courses.
NOTE: FlexTV is a Flash application. You need the latest version of the Flash Player from Adobe. Click the following link fo Adobe's website to download the latest version of the free Flash Player: Download latest version of Flash
You will be provided a link on the navigation bar or in the content to FlexTV if your instructor chooses to use this feature.
WHAT DOES FlexTV LOOK LIKE?
Below you can see a sample screen capture of FlexTV. It shows a user taking a Meteorology course searching for television programming relative to the keyword, Climate.
1. When you first access FlexTV, you'll be asked to input your zip code. Enter a five-digit zip code (currently only United States and United States territories are supported) then press the 'Go!' button. Each person would put in their own zip code.
2. Then, you will see a list of all registered television service providers and cable operators assigned to your zip code. Simply click on the company you use as your television provider. Unfortunately, while our data is very complete, we may not have all providers in all parts of the country.
3. Again, this student has searched for the word Climate in this instance.
4. At first, you will see a grid that lists all of the current day's television programming, fast-forwarded to the current time of day. You can use the time pull-down interface controls to move forward or backward in half-hour increments. You can also use the calendar interface control to move ahead up to 2 WEEKS into the future to display television programming by time.
5. There is also a drop down box that may show you terms provided by the instructor.
When you click on a TV program, you'll see something similar to the following:
When you click on the name of a TV program, you'll see a dialogue that lets you click on the name of the program and (sometimes) the names of any actors/actresses in the program. When you click on these links, you'll see info within the FlexTV interface straight from the IMDB (Internet Movie Database):
ADDING A TV PROGRAM TO YOUR CALENDAR
Upon clicking on the name of a TV program, you'll see an "Add to Calendar" icon. After you click this link, the television program will be added to your Educator calendar. You would then be prompted to watch the program you marked.
3.11) Content Navigation
Educator generally makes navigation within course content pretty easy. If your instructor uses Packets, the navigation is either in a table of contents on the left side of your screen, or via NEXT and PREVIOUS arrows at the bottom of the screen.
Navigation in a packet consists merely of clicking through the materials in the order the links appear.
If your instructor stores course materials in folders, the folder structure is displayed at the top of the screen as shown in the example below:
If you need help with course procedures or content, please contact your instructor.
3.12) File Management
Once you've uploaded a file into your folder, Educator will give you several options to manage that file depending upon what it is. For example, if you upload an image, Educator will automatically offer an option to display the photo in your profile. If it is a text or HTML file, Educator will offer you options to VIEW or EDIT the file.
If it is an external application file such as a Word Doc or Excel spreadsheet, you cannot edit it without using the external application.
If it is a zipped folder, Educator will give you an unzip option.
This is an example of an image file that has been uploaded to a student folder.
If you check the checkbox in front of
[]Display this picture in my profile,
then your image will show in the profile as long as you have it set to display to others.
Listed under the checkbox are standard file options that allow you to email the file,
delete the file from your folder,
copy the file to the common folders to make it shareable, or
grant access to specific students--a way to share files with group members or individuals you select.
The filename can be changed, but don't change the extension of an uploaded file.
The label is the way it will appear in your folder contents listing or the link name if you link to this file. You can customize that or leave it blank, in which case the filename will be used.
The assignment association should only be used if this file is to be graded. If you upload an assignment through the assignment page itself, it will automatically have the assignment association filled in correctly.
The Object ID is the way Educator identifies the file. If you use the object ID tag in any other document, email, the chatroom or discussion board, you will create a link to this file. Be sure to use the brackets carefully and put a colon between the word object and the ID number.
If you wish to make notes about this file, you may do so in the My Comments box.
The status indicates whether students can view your file (unlocked) or not (locked). Remember that a file that is in a locked folder cannot be unlocked. Your instructor may need to unlock the folders first.
The file type is automatically indicated upon upload.
The "ALT" tag appears only on image files. This is what shows if people view a web page with no image viewing capability. On some operating systems and browsers, it also appears as a 'tooltip' if you place your cursor over an image.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.13) Object ID Numbers
Every time you add a file to your folder, the resource gets stamped with a unique Object ID Number.
The primary purpose of this is to give you a way to link to that resource while you are working in chatrooms, discussion areas or assignments.
How do I find the Object ID Number of a resource?
When you click on a file in your folder, that resource's Object ID Number will be displayed.
Also, you can click on the Educator Explorer icon located in the toolbar at the bottom of most course screens to open up a small window that will display the paths to all your resources in all your courses. This is a quick and easy way to locate an Object ID Number:
As you can see from both examples shown above, Educator provides you with the correct formatting of a tag that can be used to embed the file into any course area--documents, chatrooms, mail, etc. The syntax includes the brackets on either end of a specially constructed 'tag'.
<object:s18393>
<object:s159>
How do I use Object ID Numbers to form links?
There are some basic techniques to learn about constructing Object ID links. Object ID links can be embedded into any part of Educator where text can be entered.
All Object ID links are structured in the following format:
<object:#>
Where # refers to the Object ID Number of the linked object.
For instance, in our screen capture above, if we wanted to embed the selected multimedia which has an Object ID Number of s159, we could embed the command: <object:s159>.
Object ID Link Attributes
You can also add special attributes to the tag in order to customize the display to take on a custom height or width, come up as a popup or to customize the text of the clickable link. The attribute scheme of an Object ID Link is shown below:
<object:#:Display Option:Custom Text:Height of Popup:Width of Popup>
Display Options
Custom Text
You can customize the link in your Object ID link by entering in a value into the Custom Text field.
If we wanted to give learners a link to the Energy and Heat movie from the above capture and we just formed the link as <object:159> then the link would be to the filename, energyandheat.swf. However, if we wanted to customize that link, we could format our Object ID link as follows: <object:159::Movie about Energy and Heat!>
Notice that there are TWO colons between the Object ID Number and our Custom Text. This is because the Display Option is blank. The Custom Text field is always found after the third colon in an Object ID command and if you are not using a display option, then the Display Option field is blank.
Setting the Display Height and Width
If you are using the popup Display Option or if you are embedding a Shockwave, QuickTime or AVI resource, you can specify the Height and Width of the movie playing area that is created upon executing your link. The Height and Width are in pixels. For example, if we wanted our Object 159 movie from above to open in a 550 pixel wide x 400 pixel high player we could format our Object ID command as follows: <object:159:popup:Movie about Energy and Heat!:550:400>
Object ID Table
Use the following table as a reference when forming Object ID links:
File Type Popup Option Custom Text HTML
Textpopup
embedSupported GIF
JPG
Shockwave
QuickTime
AVIpopup Supported All Others None Supported
If you embed an Object ID link to a file that is locked in your folder, you will still be able to share the resource as embedding an Object ID link directly to a resource will override that resource's security settings.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.14) Student Folders
Your student folder is where all files you upload are stored. Even if you upload a file from an Assignment page, it will be stored in your student folder--labeled with that assignment association.
You can get to your folder two ways:
One is through the Course Materials main navigation link.
The second is through the MY FOLDERS icon in the toolbar that's at the bottom of most course pages.
Your folder is normally locked, which means that no one but you and your instructor can view the contents. All student folders are located within a master student folder that your instructor controls. If your instructor unlocks the main student folder, you will be able to unlock your folder. You will also see the main Student Folder listed in the course folders. Clicking on this will allow you to browse the folders of other learners in your course who have unlocked their folders. You will not see this folder if your instructor keeps it locked.
Files within a folder can be locked even if the folder in which it is located is unlocked.
You can share files even within a locked folder by providing a link to it by using the object ID number that is associated with that file. To do this, locate a file within your folder and click on its file name.
In the center of the file information area, you'll see an Object ID number and tag, for example:
If you highlight the tag from bracket to bracket, right click your mouse and choose COPY, you can then go to any other part of the course, including email, the chatroom, discussion board, or another HTML or Text-format document*, and paste (right-click) the object ID tag. If the file is a document, this will create a link to it. If it is an image file, the image itself will display.
* Note: A Text document here refers to a special format having a .txt file extension such as those created in Notepad or TextEdit. A Word-document or other application documents containing text will not work unless you choose Save as type: 'plain text' when you save it.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.15) Course Syllabus
If your knowledge provider has posted a syllabus or course guide, it will be available at the Syllabus main link.
The resource will be saved as either a Microsoft Word document or an HTML/Text resource.
If it is in Microsoft Word, you will be prompted to download it to your desktop.
If it is in HTML or Text, you will be able to view it with your browser.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.16) Packets
The packet method of delivering course materials arranges all of the materials into a unit which is arranged in the order in which they should be completed.
Think of a packet as a bundle containing everything that you need to do for the current lesson. It may contain lectures, assignments, worksheets, tests and discussions. All of these are individually covered in more detail in this help center.
To reach the packets, click on the Course Materials main navigator link. You might also see a packets sublink.
Click on the name of the packet to view its contents.
You’ll then see a page that contains a table of contents on the left side of the screen, with links leading to documents that will appear on the right hand side of the screen.
OR
You'll see the first item in the packet with an navigation arrow that takes you to the next packet item like a slideshow.
Sample packets appears below.
Sometimes instructors who use packets don’t even display navigation links such as assignments and exams in the navigation column, in favor of placing those documents into a packet.
3.17) Tasksheets
A tasksheet is a time-oriented list of tasks that you need to complete for your course.
Although you may make comments to your instructor about the tasks, the tasksheet itself is not a graded object but an organization tool.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.18) Glossaries
You may have glossaries in your courses in Educator. The glossary function is a sublink under the main link Course Materials.
If the glossary has more than ten terms, you'll have an opportunity to play two word games: the matching game and hangman.
Click the links at the top of the glossary to start playing.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.18.1) Matching Game
Educator automatically includes a link to a glossary terms Matching Game whenever your instructor develops a glossary containing 10 or more terms.
The game contains 10 terms pulled at random from the entire glossary. Your goal is to match the terms or images provided on the left with the definitions or names displayed on the right. Submit your answers to get your score. You can reset and play again as many times as you like.
Below is an example of the glossary terms matching game in action:
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.18.2) Hangman
Educator automatically includes a link to a Hangman Game whenever a Knowledge Provider develops a glossary containing 10 or more terms.
The Learner clicks on the Hangman Link and the Educator Course Management System selects a random term from the glossary. The following Hangman layout is displayed:
In the above example, the Learner has already tried several letters that do not appear in the term we are looking for. The "Clue" is actually the set of letters that the Learner has guessed which are included in the term.
We think we know this one.....
Got it!
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.19) External Resources
Your instructor can link to a nearly infinite number of resources located on the Web to enhance the delivery of information. Because these resources are located outside of the Educator Course Management System, special features were developed that allow external web resources to be 'wrapped' seamlessly into your course.
To find the External Resources prepared for your course,
click on the External Links button in your naviation column.
External resources can be presented two ways: actively and passively.
The active method can be found by clicking the Interactive Web Tour link. In order to be active, however, your instructor must be online and interacting with you.
To use the external resources on your own, click on one of the folders to access the resources in that subject category.
The next two pages will go into more detail on both of these methods.
3.19.1) Interactive Web Tour
The Educator Interactive Web Tour is a Macromedia Flash collaboration feature that allows your instructor to select course files, external links or any URL and cause them to open in a new window on the screens of participating class members. This is a synchronous tool requiring your and student(s) to access at the same time. Unlike a chatroom, however, although your instructor can make comments about the site or document onscreen, the communication is one way.
There are a few things you must know before using this feature:
1. You must have Macromedia Flash 7 Player installed on your computer. This is available free of charge at http://www.macromedia.com/downloads/.
2. You must have popup killers disabled. Each page launches from the previous popup, so it's best to permanently allow popups from this site. If you only temporarily disable the popup killer, each new window will have to be set to allow popups again. (You should get a dialog box that asks you if you wish to always allow popups from this site...simply reply yes and your other popup blocking won't be affected)
To find the Interactive Web Tour click on the External Links button in your navigation column.
When you and your instructor click on the Interactive Web Tour link, a popup will appear listing the participants and an audio function on the left. On the right side of the popup you will see a simple dialog window where any comments sent by your instructor will appear.
If your instructor clicks on any web site URL contained within the External Links folders, or types in any other URL, a separate window displaying this site will launch for you and all other students who have entered the Web Tour at the same time.
Your instructor can also display course files in this manner.
Activating Audio Narration
To use the Audio feature, you and your instructor need to have a microphone and speakers activated. Place a checkmark by clicking on the [ ]Auto checkbox in front of the [Talk] button. Educator will ask permission to access your camera and microphone. Note that although the stock dialog box mentions cameras, it is not currently possible to use a camera in this feature--only microphones. Answer [Allow].
At this point anyone who has a microphone and speakers will be able to participate by actually speaking.
Usage Tips
Netscape Users: Edit Menu > Preferences > Advanced > Cache > Clear Cache
Firefox Users: Tools Menu > Options > Privacy > Cache [Clear]
Some versions of the above may vary.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.19.2) Site Folders
A Site Folder is a collection of topic-specific links to sites outside of Educator collected and posted by your Instructor.
button in your navigation column.
They can be found by clicking on the External Links
A table of External Folders that have been created by your instructor will appear.
Clicking on a folder will display the bookmarked sites that have been collected on that topic.
Clicking on one of the URLs on the list will open the site itself within the course. Information about the site will be located at the top of the screen. You may open the link outside the frame by clicking on the full screen view link in the top frame. That way you can bookmark the site in your own browser.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.19.3) My Bookmarks
One of your assignments may be to gather website bookmarks on course-related topics. You can store bookmarks in Educator that will automatically be viewable to your instructor, and, depending on how your instructor sets the preferences for Bookmarks, learners may be able to browse through each other's bookmarks.
To add a bookmark:
button in your naviation column.
Go to the My Bookmarks sublink under the External Links
Click on the link that reads add a new bookmark.
Name the site and type in the web address under URL.
You will not be able to view other students' bookmarks unless your instructor has set them to be viewable.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.19.4) Building Links in Content
This section refers to building External Links: Links from a course web page to another site outside of the course. To create links between internal pages, see the section in this help center titled Object ID numbers.
Like internal documents, external web sites may be linked into any area of your course. There are two different ways to do this, one using the object syntax, and one using HTML code.
The object syntax is based upon the object ID tag. Simply replace the object number with a complete web address (including http://).
Note the two colons between the URL and the custom text. If you put nothing between the two colons, the default action is to create a link. However, if you want this external link to come up in a popup window, type
putting in the display option of 'popup' between the two colons.
Because you often want to specify the size of a popup, here is an example. The syntax for this is the same as in the object ID tag, leaving three colons between the custom text and the width and height specifications:
If you are already familiar with HTML coding, to create the same link as above,use the following HTML syntax:
The advantage to using HTML syntax is that you may specify attributes such as the target, window style, etc.
For more information on linking internal pages, see the Help Center section: Adding/Uploading Resources
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.19.5) Search Tools
If you click on the Course Explorer icon located in the toolbar at the bottom of most course pages, , you will see an interface that lets you search the course and, if your institution has set it up, the web:
If we search the course for the keyword Sleet, all files containing that term will appear:
Below is the result we see upon searching the web for the keyword Sleet using the Alta-Vista Web Search Engine:
As you can see in the capture below, there is also a Discussion Search Engine which allows you to search discussion postings for keyword content.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
3.20) My Home Page
You can maintain your own website on the Educator system by uploading HTML files to your folder and designating one as your home page. This will assume you know how to create and link HTML files as it is beyond the scope of this help center to teach web design.
Once you have created your HTML file:
After the file(s) are uploaded...
All of your uploaded HTML files will display. Select the file that you wish to function as your home page.
If you already have a home page at another location, you can submit an external web address as an alternative.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4) Communicating
Establishing communication between Learners and Instructors is critical within an effective online learning and teaching environment.
Communication within Educator can be classified as Asynchronous or Synchronous.
Asynchronous communication occurs without the need for the course members to be using the program simultaneously. Educator's Discussion Board feature is an example Asynchronous communication tools. For example, a Learner can post a question to the Discussion Board in the morning, then in the evening, the instructor can answer that question.
Synchonous communication can occur among class members who are signed into Educator simultaneously. An example is the Educator Instant Messaging tool that enables a Learner to invite a classmate or instructor into a private, real-time chat.
In this section of the Help Center, we will focus on these and other synchronous and asynchronous communication methodologies and will present scenarios highlighting how they can be put to work to enhance the quality of instruction delivered to you.
4.1) Course Announcements
The announcements page appears as soon as you enter your course. Announcements are generally temporary bits of information declaring general information, changes and reminders. Your instructor may choose to archive old announcements right on the same page by dating new ones each class period.
Alternatively, you may see a link to an announcement archive which allows you to view different announcement files within your instructor's announcement folder.
To get back to the announcements from a different part of the course, click on the Announcements main navigation link.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.2) Educator's E-Mail System
Using the Course Email System
Your e-mail address in Educator is $username@educator.ucompass.com.
This may or may not be the only email address you have at your institution, but it is the one issued by the online course management system.
Educator's E-mail system is similar to most web-based e-mail system, enabling you to send and receive e-mail through your browser. There are many advantages to this - one of the greatest being that you can access your e-mail from any computer connected to the Internet unlike a traditional POP mail account that would require you to adjust settings on each different computer you used. You can also attach files, create an address book, automatically forward messages, and store them in folders.
Let's take a tour of the mailbox environment.
When you first enter the mail system, you'll be in the inbox area where your received messages are kept. A sample inbox is shown below. The Mail Folder can be changed at the top. You can view the inbox, outbox (sent mail) or any other folder you create to store messages.
Under the Mail Folder option is the option to sort your mail. The default is Newest to oldest, but you can also set it to sort by recipient, class, sender or oldest to newest by changing the drop-down menu choice and then clicking on the [View Mail Folder] button.
If you have a lot of messages, you can click on the Manage Multiple messages link which will display all messages in such a way that you can highlight several at once. This is explained in a later section below.
Clicking on the sender's name in the Who column will bring up that person's profile if he or she is in the system.
Clicking on a message subject will open the message.
Note that messages are automatically virus-scanned, however, you always have the option to scan files manually.
Under the toolbar on every educator screen will be a notice if you have received new mail.
Reading your Mail
To read a message in your inbox, click on the subject. If the person neglected to put a subject, which isn't a good habit, Educator will label the message subject No Subject.
The message will be displayed along with options to
You can also navigate to a new message form, the inbox of the current folder or the next or previous message if one is there.
Sending an E-mail Message
To send a message click on the Send Message sublink in the navigation column.
A form will open which will allow you to address and send a message.
First look at the top of the form which displays all of your current instructors from any online course component you are taking.
If you wish to send the message to an instructor, you may simply check the checkbox in front of their name. If you check the BCC column, the recipient will not be aware that a blind copy was sent to the instructor.
If you don't want to send a message to an instructor, you may either click on one of the 'Email specific students' links, or type in an email address at the TO: field.
NOTE: Do not check a checkbox in front of a recipient's name AND type their name into a TO field.
Depending upon how your institution has set up the email program, you may be able to email anyone at all on the internet, or be restricted to users within the online environment at your institution.
If you wish to attach a file, click on the Attach File paperclip icon, and then browse and search for the file.
Type your message in the message box and then click on the [Send Mail] button.
Deleting or Manipulating Many Email Messages Simultaneously
If you have a lot of messages in your inbox, you may sometimes have a need to delete or move many of them at one time. You can do that by clicking on the Manage multiple messages link in your inbox. This displays all messages in such a way that you can highlight several at once.
If you highlight a message (1) and then scroll down to another message(2), click on it while holding down the [Shift] key to highlight every message in between.
If you want to highlight only select messages, then hold down the [CTRL] while clicking on the messages you wish to select.
After selecting the messages, you may either click on the [Delete] key or the [Move to Mail Folder] key. (Read, Reply and Forward are single-message only options)
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.2.1) File Attachments
At the top of the new mail form, you will see a paper clip Attach File icon.
Once the Attach File button is clicked you'll see a file attachment preference form:
You may choose to either attach a file saved on your computer or one that has been uploaded to your course. Select From Your Computer on the drop-down menu in order to activate a [Browse] button that will allow you to search your computer drives for the file to attach.
Choose: Course Files from the file location pulldown if you wish to attach a file from your course folder. Then insert the Object ID Numbers of the outgoing file attachments.
Receiving File Attachments
When a file attachment is attached to an e-mail in your Educator mailbox, you can conveniently import that resource into My Folder.
Note! If you are forwarding mail to another email account, attachments may not be transferred properly. Make SURE that your forwarding preferences are set to preserve a copy of your mail within your Educator account.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.2.2) System Etiquette
When using the Educator-provided e-mail program, you should follow the System Etiquette rules below to ensure optimal functioning of the system:
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.2.3) E-Mail Preferences
Users can set E-Mail Preferences at the Preferences a sublink under the Mailbox main navigation link. You can set forwarding and return-to options for incoming and outgoing e-mail messages and control if a copy of the forwarded mail is also contained within the course management system e-mail. Forwarding E-Mail outside of Educator
The first thing you'll see at the top of the preference form is a place to type in a forwarding address.
Be Careful! Make sure that you check the option to preserve a copy of any course mail in your course account! Otherwise, you may lose important information.
In addition, realize that forwarding mail to another account encourages mail to be replied to from your other account. This may not be recognized by your instructor who may delete it as spam. So it is wise to always use your course account to send official course email.
You can add a signature in the space provided that will appear on each message that you create whether it is a reply or a new message. You'll be able to see it easily on a new message since it's the only thing visible yet in the message area. On a reply, however, it will appear at the bottom of the copied received message.
The next thing you can customize in preferences is your return-to address. The same cautions apply.
You can have the system automatically reject any mail that comes from outside the course, or reject mail from certain addresses.
Finally, you can customize the folder defaults.
For example, if you want the email screen to display your sent mail, or a custom-made folder, you can set that here.
Likewise, if you want the screen to display the inbox after you send a message, instead of the sent mail folder, you can also set that here.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.2.4) Address Book
When you click on the Address Book sublink, a form will display that will allow you to type in the name, address, phone number and email address of people you wish to include.
Once you click on [Add Entry], you will be taken to the alphabetical directory listing of the entry you just made. If you wish to create more entries, scroll down to the form at the bottom of the listings.
To leave the address book, use a link or sublink in your navigation column.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.2.5) Mail Lists
The Mail Lists sublink is located under the Mailbox main navigation link. This feature allows you to build contact lists for the purpose of group mailings of up to 100 recipients with a single click.
Below we summarize the process of building a mail list:
Note that recipients are blind-copied so that all addresses will not show to everyone.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.2.6) Mail Folders
Mail Folders are a convenient method of organizing and storing e-mail. You can form an unlimited number of Mail Folders within the Educator e-mail feature.
To create a new folder in e-mail, click on the Subject of your mail to view the e-mail message. Next, click on the Move to Mail Folder button located at the bottom center of the screen (as shown in the example below).
Once the 'Move to Mail Folder' button is clicked, the following dialogue appears:
At this point you can either select one of the folders that you've previously made, or scroll further down and locate the field in which to name your new Mail Folder. Then click the Submit button. You can view all your Mail Folders by going to the Main Link and clicking on the Mail Folders sublink from the Navigation Panel.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.3) Groups
Your instructor has the ability to break up your course into groups of learners ranging from the entire class to specific groups or teams. When you click on the Discussion navigation link, you can only view groups to which you belong. By the same token, only members of your group can view the discussion carried on within that group.
Each group has its own Discussion Board for asynchronous communication and Chatroom for synchronous communication. The next Help Center topics describe each of these tools in detail.
4.3.1) Discussion Boards
Online discussions are asynchronous, which means they don’t occur in real time, but over an extended period of time during which you can read messages left by others and post messages yourself.
Your instructor may put a link to the discussion board in a packet, or you may enter from the navigation column by clicking on the [DISCUSSIONS] link.
A discussion is identified by the group that is having the discussion. A group may consist of the entire class, or a group may be limited to certain members of the class. You will only be able to view active discussions being carried on by the groups to which you belong.
In the example below, the first group is named “Entire Class” and the whole class is a member of this group. The subject of this group’s discussion will be “online courses”. So far there have been two topics or “threads” posted.
The second group is named “Team Three” and only has six members. They’ll be discussing thesis statements and so far, there is only one posting.
If you were to click on the first group name, Entire Class, you would view a table listing the two threads that have been posted by the professor.
The first message has a subject called
Student Tips for Taking Tests Online. This message shows that there has been a total of eight posts.
Clicking on the subject of a message will reveal that message.
There are three types of communication activities that take place within
a Discussion Board:
Posts
A post is the initial branch or Initial Message of a Discussion Board event usually by the instructor.
Replies
Once a post has been initiated, course members can come in and issue a Reply:
Subthreads
This is a reply to a reply.
4.3.1.1) Linear Mode
The Linear Mode of Discussion Board viewing is the default environment.
Linear vs. Threaded View
Linear View
Messages posted to a discussion board generally first appear in a linear view. This means that each message appears one under the other. To reply to the instructor’s initial message, you would scroll all the way down to the end of the page and click on the Reply to this message link. This would open up a textbox in which to type your response.
If you wanted to reply to one of your classmate's responses, you would do so by creating a subthread—in other words, a message directed towards another student’s comments and not the initial posting by the instructor.
Initial Message:
Subject: Student Tips for Taking Tests Online
Posted by Professor Educator Wed Jul 23 16:35:14:2003
Message:
If you have taken an online course before, please share your experiences with the rest of the class! What advice do you have on taking tests for your fellow online classmates?
The following replies have been posted:
Posted by Abigail Student Wed Jul 23 18:38:11:2003
Message:
Never wait till the last minute! It’s so easy to procrastinate in online classes! If you study all week you’ll be better prepared for the test. At least read everything early in the week. Don’t leave everything for the last day.
Form a subthread
Posted by Tad Grad Wed Jul 23 18:38:11:2003
Message:
Make sure your computer’s clock is set to the exact same time as the server clock, or the atomic clock. If you’re anywhere NEAR the deadline for submitting the exam, make sure you have enough time.
Form a subthread
Reply to this message
next thread
This is the linear view of a typical discussion board. The initial message is posted by the discussion leader--usually the instructor.
<- Click on
FORM A SUBTHREAD
to respond to the post immediately above.
<- Click on
REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE
to contribute to the initial message.
Threaded View
Some people prefer the threaded view. It has a split screen that shows the threads and subthreads listed to the left and the selected message itself displayed on the right.
Threaded view also has the advantage of indicating which messages have not been read yet.
Within every group, there is a MESSAGE VIEWING option where you can set the view you prefer as your default so that every time you enter a discussion board, you can view it in either linear or threaded view.
In the threaded example above, the “replies” to the professor are indented under the main message and are labeled: RE: Student tips…
Subthreads would be further indented under the replies and labeled RE: RE: Student tips.
4.3.1.2) Threaded Mode
There is always an option to change the default viewing mode when viewing messages. Set the Message Viewing drop-down menu to the desired mode and then check Make Default View. Be sure to click [GO] to save your settings.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.3.1.3) Roundtable Mode
The third mode of discussion board viewing is the Roundtable mode.
Roundtable viewing lets you see what each group member has posted for each discussion. Each of your classmates is listed in alphabetical instead of chronological order.
The UNREAD reference means that the message has not been read by the user. Note: If you view a thread in linear mode, all current postings will display. This means if you switch to threaded or roundtable mode, all of those postings will be considered to be read--even if you never scrolled down to read them. Educator can't differentiate between which displayed messages have actually been read or not.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.4) Chatrooms
Learners have access to five different types of synchronous Chatrooms in Educator. The real-time Chatroom types are:
In this section we will explore the different chat methods in Educator.
4.4.1) Chatroom Mechanics
The General Chatroom
The General Chatroom in Educator is broken up into three panels:
The panels can be seen in the screen capture below:
The two images below show a close up of the Chat Speaking Window (Panel) and the Content Window (Panel):
Chat Speaking Area
Type your message in the top box.
Click the [Post Message] button to enter your message into the conversation.
Change the [Everyone] menu to a single name if you wish the message to be sent privately.
You can make the discussion window update more quickly or slowly by changing the refresh rate from every 6 seconds to every 2 seconds or 12 seconds, etc.
You can show more of the dialog in the discussion window by setting the message limit to a larger number. It will not take effect until you post your next message.
You can change the font of the discussion messages.
You can spell-check before posting.
You can view the entire conversation.
Click on [return to course] to leave the chatroom.
The icon bar is present in the chatroom just as it is in any other course view.
You can quickly move to another online course by clicking the menu under CURRENT COURSE. Any other online course you are taking will appear as a selection option.
Custom Chat Areas
As a student, you may have a need to chat privately with fellow students, or group members. You can create a custom chatroom at any time by scrolling down to the lower left side of the screen and clicking on the Form new chatroom link. This chatroom will not be logged.
The example here shows a custom chatroom called Chapter Six Homework Lab.
Chat Logs
Chat logs are transcripts of the entire chat conversation. They do not form until approximately one hour after the last person has left the chatroom.
4.4.2) Moderated Chatrooms
You will only see a link to the Moderated Chatroom if such a session has been opened by the instructor or designated moderator. The link will appear in the General Chatroom:
The Moderated Chat has three panels:
As soon as an instructor enters the Moderated Chat, the session begins and Learners are able to enter and pose questions or post comments to one another through the instructor.
Once you have posted a message, it must first be approved by your instructor before it can be accepted to the Stage area for all participants to see.
You cannot post another comment or question until after your current question has been rejected or accepted and posted.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.4.3) Temporary Chatrooms
Knowledge Providers and Learners can invite specific members of the course into the Temporary Chatroom or it can be open to all members.
The Temporary Chatroom will automatically expire after 10 minutes of inactivity and be removed from your course. It will not provide a chat log of the postings as is provided within the General Chatrooms and Group Chatrooms.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.4.4) Group Chatrooms
Group Chatrooms are ONLY open to members of the associated discussion board group.
When you enter the general course chatroom, you will see a listing of group chatrooms you belong to in the lower left corner of the chat screen.
Clicking on any one of those chatrooms will let you enter. In the lower left corner you will now see new links that will allow you to either navigate back out of the group chatroom and into the general chatroom or the course.
Another link will allow you to view any discussion board postings made by your group by clicking Group threads. For example, clicking on Group threads in the example above leads to the display of the thread as shown below:
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.5) Who's Online Function
Knowledge Providers and Learners have the ability to utilize the Who's Online function and view who is signed into the course at that moment in time. This feature can be set to open as a small pop-up window within the course screen; or defaulted to open when the user clicks on the Who's Online Main Link located in the Navigation Panel on the left side of the screen when in the default position. The value for users is the ability to initiate instant online two-way chats with students or other instructional staff signed in to http://educator.ucompass.com.
You will be able to see which students and Course Instructors are signed in to any of your courses. (Note: Although users are listed under the course that they are members of, which course they are currently in is not indicated. If users are taking or teaching more than one course, they will be shown online under all of them.)
The image below shows the pop-up window and related functions. Note the link that allows you to temporarily hide your online presence. Learners find this helpful when signed in to complete tasks for which they do not wish to be interrupted. This precludes the ability of other users to request an instant message session as they are unable to see your presence in the system.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.6) Instant Messaging
Knowledge Providers can send an invitation to Learners or other instructional staff for a one-to-one, two-way chat. To send an invitation to chat, click on the Who's Online link, and then click on the name of the user to whom you wish to initiate an Instant Message session. Click on the link to send an invitation to Chat.
The user receiving a chat request will see a message on their screen alerting them they've been invited to a chat. The user has the option of entering the chat or rejecting the chat. This dialogue is depicted in the image below:
The image below shows an example of an Instant Messaging session in progress. Note on the bottom panel of the window that the sender is including an object ID tag in the chat dialog box. The recipient will automatically see a link to the file that has been sent using the ojbect ID command.
The entire transcript of the Instant Messaging session can be e-mailed. By placing a comma after the users e-mail address, the user can send copies of the chat to multiple e-mail addresses.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.7) Broadcasting Messages
Instructors have the ability to Broadcast Messages to all Learners signed into the course at a particular moment in time. The message sometimes startles students, who aren't aware of this capability. The broadcasted message will not appear until you have taken a course action such as submitting or clicking a link. So you won't be disrupted in the middle of an exam or quiz.
In the following example, the Instructor has requested that the two Learners signed into the course meet in the Chatroom with the Instructor. Note that in this scenario, the contents of the General Chatroom session would be available to all students even if they did not participate in the Chatroom discussion. The Learners would simply access the Chatroom logs sublink located under the Chatroom Main Link.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
4.8) Paging Center
Users can utilize the Paging Center in Educator to increase the number of interactions and communication opportunities in the course. The Paging Center tool supports communications between Learners and Knowledge Providers who can communicate with each other at their cell phones and or pagers via an Educator course.
Knowledge Providers can locate the Paging Center sublink by going to the Announcements Main Link on the Navigation Panel.
Users utilize mobile devices by entering in the e-mail addresses of the phone or paging devices that are capable of receiving alphanumeric text messages.
Users who have been given permission to page you will see an indicator posted next to your name in their paging center.
So if John Doe gives John Scholar permission to page him, John Scholar will see the notation shown to the right in his paging center.
Users are responsible for any charges incurred from cell phone or pager providers.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5) Evaluation
Evaluation objects in an electronic classroom refers to just about any document or activity that can be graded. Specifically, these can include:
There is even a practice test that can be given, which will not be graded, but will help you work toward bettering your scores in actual tests and exams.
The next sections in the Help Center will help you understand how these evaluation objects work within your online course segments.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.1) Taking Quizzes
Quizzes in Educator are often administered as quick, formal assessments.
Although they are not usually timed, they may have a due date associated with them.
Quizzes can have one of the four types of questions:
You can only submit a quiz for grading once. You cannot back into a quiz and change your answers once you have submitted it, so be sure you're ready when you click on the [submit] button.
Note the two types of multiple choice selection options.
A checkbox means you can select MORE than one answer.
A radio button means you may select only one answer.
Here is some information that may help your quizzes go as smoothly as possible:
Again, this is a safeguard against accidentally submitting your quiz as some browsers interpret an [Enter] keystroke the same as clicking the [submit] button.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.2) Taking Exams
Exams are formal electronic assessments that ask you questions about what you've learned. In order to answer, you will have to either choose the correct choice(s) from an array of answers, indicate whether a statement is true or false, complete a sentence with a word or phrase that makes it a correct statement, match terms with examples or definitions or, in the case of an exam, write an essay about a topic.
To find an exam, follow the directions given by your instructor. Some courses have an EXAM navigation button, while others integrate tests into packets.
Your instructor may have set this in preview mode, which means you can see the link and the due date, but the exam will not yet be accessible to you.
If you see a link to an exam you haven't taken, it may display the date due as illustrated in the exam table shown here.
Time Restrictions
If it is active, you'll either see the exam itself, or a notice that it is a timed exam with an option to enter when you are ready to activate the timer.
If you click on Enter the exam, you'll activate the timer and be able to view all of the exam questions.
At the top of a timed exam, above the instructions, you'll see a link that allows you to see how much time is left.
But this timer does not update automatically. You need to click on the UPDATE TIMER link periodically.
Once you have reached the point where you have only five minutes left, a reminder will pop up to tell you your remaining time. (Make sure popups are not blocked!)
Taking the Exam
As you begin the exam itself, you need to review and answer all of the questions carefully. Make sure to fill in radio buttons and textboxes completely. This is a common mistake students make. Note in this image that there is a shadow around the true selection on the bottom example. Although the cursor on the selection produces a 'mark', this will NOT register as a selected answer unless you actually click and fill in the radio button as shown in the answer selection at the top.
(Some browsers treat the [Enter] key like a submit button causing you to inadvertently submit your answers before you finish.)
When you have finished answering all of the questions, before you click on the submit button be sure to check the checkbox that indicates you are ready to submit the exam. This is there to prevent you from submitting before you are finished.
Once you submit, your exam is over. There is no chance for you to go back to add or change answers.
Below is some information that may help your exams go as smoothly as possible:
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.2.1) Proctored Exams
In certain instances, your knowledge provider may require you to go to a specific location to take an exam under the supervision of a proctor.
You may be requested to nominate a proctor in your area. Proctor qualifications vary and will be provided by your instructor.
If you are asked to nominate a proctor, then the following procedures should be followed. First click on the title of the exam that you wish to take. This will result in a proctor information form that you need to fill out and submit. This sends the information to your instructor who will contact the proctor and accept or reject his or her suitability. You will be notified either way.
Once your proctor has been approved, set a time and date to take the test. In the meantime, your instructor will have the password for the exam sent to the proctor at the email address you've provided and your instructor verified.
When it's time to take the exam, appear at the time and place agreed upon by your proctor who will give you the exam password. This time, when you click on the exam title, a place to input the password will appear. Type in your password and take the exam.
5.3) Question Types
There are six different types of questions you may have to answer on quizzes and exams:
Multiple Choice Questions
May have more than one correct answer
Checkboxes indicate that you can select more than one answer.
Radio Buttons indicate ONE correct answer.
Example of a question using checkboxes:
True False
Example of a true/false question.
There are two types of Fill-In-The-Blank questions. In order to be scored correctly, they require different types of answers--either letters (text) or numbers.
Fill-In-The-Blank Non-Math
Fill-In-The-Blank non-math questions require TEXT answers.
Example of a Fill-In-The-Blank non-math question:
Fill-In-The-Blank Math
Fill-In-The-Blank non-math questions require NUMBERS as your answer.
Only use numerical values with no units. Any text typed into a Fill-In-The-Blank math answer will be marked wrong.
Example of a Fill-In-The-Blank math question:
Matching
Matching questions require that you choose the correct definition or example of the term or image presented.
Essay
Essay questions require you to write a paragraph or essay to answer the question. Answers will not be graded automatically like the other types of questions. Credit will be manually assigned by your instructor.
Example of an essay question:
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.4) Taking Surveys
A survey is an information or opinion gathering tool in Educator.
The image below shows a typical listing of surveys that may be presented in a course. Note that the top one is marked Not Anonymous. This means that your instructor will see your name on the survey responses you submit. The second one is marked Anonymous, which means the results will be tabulated without a record of who submitted what.
You may only participate once in a survey. If you have not yet taken the survey, a Participate link will take you to the beginning of the survey. Once you've taken it, you'll see a notation that you've Already Participated. If your instructor allows you to view survey results, you'll see a link to the submission results.
Although a survey cannot be directly graded, your instructor may associate participation in a survey with an assignment. In that case, grades for taking a survey will appear in the assignment listing of your grade summary.
(Click the main navigation link GRADES or PROFILE to view your grade summary.)
5.5) Taking Worksheets
Some assignments require you to input your work directly into the assignment form instead of creating an external file. These are called worksheets and can take many forms such as homework problems, pop-quizzes or tutorials. Here’s an example of a worksheet in the form of a tutorial:
Simply read the directions provided in the worksheet, type in your answers or responses and hit [Submit].
If the worksheet is long, you may wish to prepare your answers offline. Save your work on your own computer and then copy and paste each section into the appropriate workspace.
There is a 'do not grade' option that you may choose if you have not completed all of the worksheet segments and wish to return later to finish.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.6) Taking Practice Tests
Practice Tests
Practice tests are self-paced, question-by-question assessments that provide an opportunity to test your knowledge of course content.
Below is an example of a practice test situation:
When you begin a practice test, you will see a single question appear on the screen. It may be a multiple-choice, true/false or fill-in-the-blank question.
Click the submit button to find out if you're answer is correct.
Since all practice test questions are objective...in other words, have only one correct answer, the system will let you know immediately if your answer was correct or incorrect. If incorrect, your instructor may have left you a hint and a second chance to answer correctly.
After each answer is answered, you may find feedback from your instructor about the question and answer.
You must click on the continue link to get to the next question.
Once the practice test has been completed you may either reset it to take it again, or if you have successfully completed a test, you may print out the answer key as a study aid. Note that you must complete a practice test before you can view the answer key or reset it to take again. If you leave a practice test after completing only part of it, you will take up where you left off when you return to it later.
Practice test scores are not reported to instructors, however, your participation (whether or not you took the test) is reported. Look in your grade report to see your practice test notations.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.7) External Assignments
Uploading Assignments
Some assignments require you to use an external application to create your file. For example, to complete a term paper, you might use a word processor, save the completed file, and then upload it to your course. To turn in your work as a file upload:
Note the “Submit for Grading” option at the bottom of the form. If you don't checkmark this, your instructor will consider the submission a draft and you may not be graded!
After you have submitted your assignment, you will see a screen showing that the assignment was submitted. You can also check your student folder. If you can see your file listed, then it has been correctly submitted. You need not send a question to your instructor as he or she can only see what you can see.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.7.1) Linking a File to an Assignment
You may link files to one another by using the Object ID tag that Educator generates every time you upload a file into the system. .Go to your folder and locate the file that you want to attach TO the assignment.
.A file information page will come up.
In the center of the page is the Object ID number.
.Highlight and copy the Educator-generated HTML style tag. You must copy both angle brackets:
<object:s18323>
.Paste the tag into your assignment (or any other course area where you wish this document link to appear--even email, discussion boards or chat rooms).
The link will be whatever the filename is OR the label if you supplied one.
Associating a File with an Assignment
Associating a file you have uploaded with an assignment means to identify that file as a specific assignment that needs to be graded. Each time you upload a file, you will see an option labeled Assignment Association.
If you click on the pulldown menu next to the label, you'll see all of the assignments from the current course. Selecting one of these assignments will identify this file as part of that assignment. Checking the Submit for Grading checkbox will alert your instructor to grade it.
If you choose no association, the file will just reside in your folder.
5.7.2) Using Educator Desktop to Upload Files
Educator Student Desktop: Attaching files to assignments is often one of the more troublesome tasks for new students as files have to be uploaded within the confines of the web browser. Now, with the Educator Desktop, the online classroom interface and the student's desktop computer are one in the same, enabling students to simply drag and drop desktop files to a target assignment.
To start:
Once you have installed all the files, you will be taken immediately to the Educator Desktop login screen unless you uncheck the box prior to clicking Finish.
If you are not ready to enter the program, you may enter it at any time by clicking on the Educator Desktop icon which will be on your Desktop.
When you open the Educator Desktop, you will need to enter your Educator E-Mail Address and your password for your course(s).Your Educator E-Mail address is your username and then the URL (http address) at which you login. If you are unsure of the URL, simply go into any of your courses and click on the Email link on the navigation bar. When you click Send Mail, you will see your Email address.
Remember, your password is case-sensitive!
Once you are in the Educator Desktop, you will see the following screen:
In this screen, you will need to first choose the course in which you would like to submit assignment files.
Highlight the course from the dropdown box. All of your ACTIVE courses will be shown.
Once you have chosen your course, you will need to choose the Assignment for which you would like to submit a file. The Assignments shown will be those assignments within your course and will include assignments that have been submitted as well as those which have not been submitted.
Notice on the left side of the screen is a list of your files and folders on your computer. You may choose the Desktop dropdown box to choose another drive or area of your computer. The files listed below are those files within that folder.
Once you have found the file you wish to upload to the assignment, simply drag it from the list to the File box at the bottom of the screen.
You may type any notes to the instructor in the My Assignment Comments box.
If you are ready to Submit your work, make sure to click the Grade checkbox and then click Submit.
NOTE: If you do not click Grade, your instructor will not be able to see and grade your work.
Once the file is submitted, the assignment will disappear from your Assessment list in your course. Remember, though, the assignment will remain listed on the Educator Desktop.
If necessary, you may submit more than one file for each assignment or, if you mistakenly click and drag the wrong file to the assignment, you can click the Clear File button (see below).
Once you have submitted your work, you will see the following screen. Please do not close the Educator Desktop until you have clicked Ok.
Once your instructor has graded your work, when you re-enter the Educator Desktop, you will be able to see the grade and the comments from the Instructor.
If you need to resubmit the assignment, you can do so here by clicking Clear File, finding the additional or new file and dragging and dropping it into the File box.
Again, if you need to submit a new or edited file, remember to check the Grade checkbox and then click Submit.
Note: Technical support questions should be addressed to support@educator.ucompass.com
5.8) Worksheets
Worksheet Assignments
Some assignments require you to input your work directly into the assignment form. These are called worksheets and can take many forms such as homework problems, pop-quizzes or tutorials. A sample worksheet follows:
mark it as a draft so your instructor does not grade it.
You may also see multiple choice questions, matching exercises or true/false questions on your worksheets.
5.9) Attendance
Attendance can be tracked and displayed in your grade summary. (To reach your grade summary, click on the navigation link called GRADES or PROFILE.)
This is a function usually used in face-to-face classes rather than online courses so you may not see an attendance section in your own grade report.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.10) Tracking Events
At the Notification Center sublink under the announcements main navigation link you can track course events initiated by your instructors.
In the example below, the user wants to track Discussion Board Events that have taken place since the start of the course. A checkmark is placed in front of the Discussion Board Events option and the All Events is selected.
Upon submission, a list of discussion board postings made by the instructor is displayed, with links to each message as well as a notation as to whether or not each one has been read.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.10.1) Advanced Event Tracking
If you would like to get an email summary of all new course activities such as discussion postings, quizzes, assignments or unread course email, you can set up the advanced notification center in any or all of your online courses. The email can be sent to an address outside of Educator.
Suppose you want to be e-mailed each night with a summary of all new Discussion Board postings as well as any new quizzes that were posted to your course.
You could go to the Advanced Notification Center and set up the table there similar to the following display:
Usage Tips
Don't check all events AND the option to send email as soon as the events occur or you'll be getting dozens of emails every day. Only track what you really want to know about, and decide on a logical time and day to receive the mail.
Don't use your Educator email address to track new email or you'll get a notification of new mail every time a notification is sent out! This should be used as a method of checking course activity without having to go into the course itself.
5.11) Tracking Homework
In addition to finding grades, you should also be aware of how much unfinished work you currently have in your course. One easy way to do this is to check the workload, which is the wheelbarrow icon in the toolbar at the bottom of your course pages.
Once you access your workload, you'll see a set of links leading to each assignment, worksheet, quiz or exam that is due. Once you complete and submit an item for grading, it disappears from your workload. Once the due date passes, it will disappear as well.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
5.12) Tracking Your Grades
There are generally two places that you can find your grades for submitted work.
First is in the work itself. Most assignments, exams, quizzes and discussions have a place where a grade and possibly comments from your instructor can be found. If your institution uses the ASSIGNMENTS, EXAMS and QUIZZES link, you can just click on these to go to the individual assessment. If your institution uses packets instead, go back to the packet sublink and access your assessment there.
A central location is in your grade report which should be accessible from the main navigation panel.
You will have a Grades or Profiles link in the main navigator column that leads to your grade report.
Your instructor may choose to display a grade builder summary at the top of your grades/progress page.
At the bottom of the grade summary is your current grade, which is your grade based on what you have submitted as well as your total percentage reflecting your grade based on everything that is currently due.
Sometimes the grade summary does not appear at all.
The rest of the grade report is made up of separate tables listing all graded activities in the course. This area will either give you the status of the assessment (due date/submitted/not submitted)or the grade and link to feedback.
Your grade report will also include a listing of uploaded files and discussion board participation.
If you are given letter grades, your instructor may display the letter grade range, highlighting your earned score.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
6) Wireless Educator
Wireless Educator lets you take the powerful Educator program with you anywhere you go by bringing the content delivery, communication and evaluation capabilities of Educator to wireless devices such as PalmOS and Windows CE handhelds.
Wireless Educator is a version of Educator that has been optimized for small screens.
You can perform many of Educator's web-based features with Wireless Educator including e-mail, chat, instant messaging, discussion boards, and much more.
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.
6.1) PalmOS Devices
To use a wireless PalmOS device with Wireless Educator, do the following:
1) Download the WIRELESS EDUCATOR PQA. A PQA is a Palm Query Application that enables your wireless PalmOS device to clip Internet content.
2) Install the Wireless Educator PQA onto your PalmOS handheld
3) Find the Educator icon on your Palmtop and click on it
4) Enter your sign in URL for Educator, your username, and your password
5) Notice the different landscape of Wireless Educator where the navigation menu is a dropdown menu at the top of each page
6.2) Windows CE Devices
If you are using a Windows CE handheld or any other small screen device, including a PalmOS browser, you can point the device's browser to:
http://educator.ucompass.com/educator/wireless.html
and sign into an Educator environment optimized for small screens.
6.3) Pushing Course Info to Cell Phones/Pagers
At the lower part of the Advanced Notification Center, you can set up Educator to push information about course events to your cell phone/pager at specified time intervals.
First, complete the form at the top of the page specifying the learner actions you wish to be notified about:
Then finalize your settings:
If you have a pager or cell phone and are not sure if it is capable of receiving e-mail text messages, contact your wireless service provider.
The information that comes to your cell phone or pager is very brief and just provides a summary of events.
Many mobile phone/pager services limit pages to 150 characters or less. Therefore, we have derived the following special codes:
The codes are summarized below:
When using mobile phone/pager capabilities with Educator, you are FULLY RESPONSIBLE for any charges that you incur from your mobile phone/pager provider! Many mobile phone/pager companies charge customers on a per page basis!
If you need help with course content, please contact your instructor.