Australian Institute of Management SA. Student Support Guide to Online Learning

Transcription

1 Australian Institute of Management SA Student Support Guide to Online Learning

2 Contents Page Welcome... 3 Preparation... 4 Your Learning Environment... 5 Netiquette Online Communication Tips... 6 Access to the AIM SA Online Learning Community... 7 Locating your Subject/Qualification Course... 8 Communicating and Support for Online Learning... 9 Assessment & Gradebook Conclusion Australian Institute of Management SA 2

3 Welcome You are our most valuable asset and here at the Australian Institute of Management we want you to feel valued, confident, challenged, respected and successful throughout your studies. To help you understand what is expected of you and to assist you to plan for your studies we ask that you spend some time looking at the student menu bar on our Online Community which contains links to our Participant Handbook and other relevant documents. Australian Institute of Management SA 3

4 Preparation Although the courses at AIM SA are run face-to-face we have recently introduced our Online Community which allows you to use e-learning resources as a value add to the face to face learning sessions you attend. The online community allows you access your course notes remotely and to communicate with your facilitator and each other wherever and whenever you need. E-learning is using a computer to access learning resources, communication tools and support via the Internet. With e-learning you can have a choice of where and when you study (either at home, your workplace, on campus). Do not be worried if you have limited experience in the use of computers and/or the Internet. This guide will soon help you develop the e-skills that you require, and support is always available by or phone. The AIM SA s VET Online Learning Community is friendly and easy to use. It is much more than some web pages put together to deliver content it also includes communication tools and assessment tasks. Your facilitators are able to track your progress and record assessment results. To use the Online Learning Community you will need a computer with access to a modem, internet, internet software and a printer. Australian Institute of Management SA 4

5 Your Learning Environment When learning online you could spend a lot of time in front of a computer, so it is important (if possible) to make your learning environment as comfortable as possible. Some tips for a good learning environment: Quiet room, limited distractions Sufficient lighting and ventilation A desk or table which is large enough to have room for your computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse pad and don t forget about your textbooks and note paper. An adjustable chair for correct posture OH&S tips while working on your computer: Take regular breaks Stretch your muscles and rest your eyes Adjust furniture and computer for comfort and safety, try to avoid twisting Keep feet flat on the floor or footrest Sit well back into the chair (making sure your lower back is supported) Australian Institute of Management SA 5

6 Netiquette Online Communication Tips When communicating online there are some do s and don ts to be mindful of. Some tips for network etiquette (netiquette) are: Be respectful to your fellow students when communicating online you don t have the luxury of gestures, the tone of your voice or facial expressions to support you, you only have words. Before you respond to a posting in a discussion, a suggestion would be to think to yourself would you say this to their face. Also always read what you have written before you send it. Follow same standards of behaviour online that you follow in real life do not lower your ethical/personal behaviour standards, be aware of comments that could be discriminative or could possibly be deemed as harassment. Respect other people s time try not to ramble, your time, your fellow student s time and your facilitator time is very valuable so get to the point succinctly and try not to post multiple copies. Make yourself look good when participating in online discussions, you will be judged on your ability to express yourself effectively in writing. Make sure you have researched your material and make your argument clear and logical. Share expert knowledge please do not be afraid to ask questions and don t be shy about sharing information/knowledge. Just remember to cite your sources and do not share information that you do not have copyright permission for. Respect other people s privacy do not forward sensitive information to others without the writer s permission. Discussion forums are confidential spaces where only your facilitator and fellow students can access. Be forgiving of other people s mistakes everyone is a beginner once. Try not to show off or put people in their place by publicly correcting them (especially spelling) Australian Institute of Management SA 6

7 Access to the AIM SA Online Learning Community Start your computer and connect to the Internet (if required). Go to the website (or alternatively go to and connect by clicking on the VET Online Community blue button). You will need to login to access this site. The login area can be located at the top right of the screen. Your username is (e.g. Your temporary password will be provided separately in an after enrolment (1 week before the commencement of the course). You will need to change this password the first time you login it will need to be 8 characters long and include at least 1 upper case character, 1 lower case character and one number. Click the Login button and the screen will refresh and you will now be able to move around the site having access to your course you have enrolled into and other features on the Online Learning Community: Product Information Promotional Information AIM SA resource documents Uploading assignments Blogging with fellow students Quick access to your gradebook Calendar of events Latest news reminder notices Important links to other websites (including MemberNet and Mahara E-portfolio) Australian Institute of Management SA 7

8 Locating your Subject/Qualification Course AIM SA subjects/qualifications are located under the drop down menu bar called Subjects (this is the first heading on the menu bar). Each course is categorised under a knowledge area such as below: You will need to first identify your course s category. In most cases this should be obvious, but if you are unsure of the category name either go to the website link or support on online@aimsa.com.au. Select the correct category and then click on the name of your course/qualification that you are undertaking. You will find these in the middle of the screen under sub-categories. You will then need to click on your specific class, this can be identified as the start date of your subject/qualification (e.g. Class 1 st June 2011). You will now have access to your online learning subject page. This page may consist of course materials for viewing and downloading, activities, discussion forums, assignment or e-tasks and links to other web resources/aim SA resources. All monitor and look out for latest news messages from your facilitators on the left-hand side of the page! Australian Institute of Management SA 8

9 Communicating and Support for Online Learning Communication and support tools for E-learning consist of: Phone Discussion Forum (via the Online Learning Community) Calendar (via the Online Learning Community) support is available during business hours (8.30am 5.00pm), send your query or question to address: Phone Phone support is available during business hours (8.30am 5.00pm), dial and ask for Kelly Staveley Program Coordinator Graduate School of Business Discussion Forum Discussion forums are a good tool for communication between your facilitator and fellow students. These can be sent and read anytime. Your facilitator may set up a forum during your course to discuss current subject content and ask for your opinion. Discussion forums are usually public meaning that everyone in your course can view your discussion. Australian Institute of Management SA 9

10 Calendar Each student has their own calendar online. Your calendar can show: Events for the whole site, things happening at AIM SA (e.g. events, special presentations, etc) Events for just the course you are enrolled in (e.g. assessment due dates, presentation dates, etc) Personal/private events that you can enter for yourself (e.g. birthdays, assignment timelines, etc) Each of these types of events are customised in colour to identify the difference. Australian Institute of Management SA 10

11 Assessment & Gradebook Another feature of our Online Learning Community is the uploading of assignments/e-tasks. We are limiting hard copy hand in and ! Instructions for Uploading Assignments/Activities Log in to the VET Online Learning Community (either using the blue button on the AIM SA website or by entering the URL ) Locate your class page Amongst your course notes you will now be able to find assignment/e-task icons as well, they look like a hand holding a piece of paper. The assignment/e-task icons can either be found under a particular topic or there will be a separate subsection, usually the last subsection called Assignment Details. Where you find these assignment icons will depend on how your facilitator has set out your subject page (e.g. week format or topic/module format) Click on the correct assignment/e-task which you wish to upload and submit This will bring up a page which gives you details regarding the selected assignment/e-task. Click on the Upload files button Australian Institute of Management SA 11

12 Please click on the add button A new window will appear, please select Upload a File on the left-hand side of the window and then click browse to select your assignment/activity document/s wherever you saved these (e.g. on your hard drive or USB). The address path of your assignment/etask will populate the space next to the browse button. Then select Upload this file You will return back to the assignment page, if you are happy with your document please select the save changes button. If by some chance you have selected the wrong documents select the cancel button Australian Institute of Management SA 12

13 Continue the above steps if you have multiple documents to upload for assignment/e-task (e.g. appendix documents) At this stage it will give you a chance to double check your document. Send for marking if still happy When you are ready to finalise your upload of your assignment/etask, click the Continue button Australian Institute of Management SA 13

14 If you have submitted successfully it should look like this Australian Institute of Management SA 14

15 Gradebook Your Gradebook provides personal information about your results and progress. The grade and comment cannot be seen by any other student. An assignment/e-task result will be available after your facilitator has marked (graded) it. Access to the Gradebook Click on your subject On the right-hand side of the screen on your subject page you should see a small green & red square icon called Grades, click on this link This will bring you to your Gradebook page, detailing all your current grades and comments from your facilitator for individual assignments/activities Australian Institute of Management SA 15

16 Conclusion Good luck with your intended study program. Remember it is up to you to get the most from your learning experience. You are an adult learner, which means you are responsible for your own learning. Challenge your facilitator, challenge your own theories and interact with your fellow colleagues. Best wishes. Australian Institute of Management SA 16