Before we begin our semester of study together, it is important that you review all of the material on the course orientation pages (there are several) and on our course syllabus. These resources will not only prepare you to be successful in this course, but they will also help you prepare for the "Course Information" quiz at the end of the orientation. You must get a score of at least 90% on that quiz to gain access to the assignment dropboxes for this course...and the answers are all contained on the syllabus or in this orientation!
This course orientation will complement and expand on the information provided on our syllabus. Be sure to review that document, too...carefully!
Optimally, you should complete the Course Orientation before the first week of class. Please refer to the Course Schedule section of the Syllabus for specific time frames and due dates.
The following is an overview of those activities that must be submitted for Course Orientation. Detailed directions and submission instructions are located within this orientation.
(You may want to print this page to serve as a checklist as you go along.)
If you have any questions during Orientation Week, please post them to our Orientation Discussion Forum (not e-mail), located on the Modules page in Canvas. I will check that discussion forum daily to respond. While you are there, feel free to post your own responses if you, too, are able to help out a classmate. Each week, you will find a new Discussion Forum located in the Module for that Lesson.
On the following pages, you will find important information about the course structure, requirements, scheduling, and technical requirements and assistance—all of which you'll need to know in order to pass the course. Remember, you are also responsible for the information located on our course syllabus.
This course, EME 805, is delivered in Canvas. Please refer to the resources below and read/view as needed to help you get comfortable and up to speed with Canvas. You may wish to return to this page throughout the semester for quick help with Canvas questions you may have.
Following is information about Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS). In Canvas, registered students may consult course calendars; communicate with instructors, teaching assistants, and fellow students; submit assignments; receive feedback from the instructor and teaching assistant; take online quizzes and surveys; and check assignment scores and course grades. A link to Canvas appears on every page.
If you are new to Canvas, it is strongly recommended that you complete the PSU: Canvas Student Orientation [1].
You may also want to review the Canvas Student Guide [2] to acclimate yourself further, and watch the following video:
Credit: Canvas Overview for Students [3] from Canvas LMS [4].
In this video, you will learn how to navigate your Dashboard, courses, and Global Navigation Menu in Canvas.
When you log in to Canvas, the first thing you see is the Dashboard, which provides a high-level overview of your current courses. The Dashboard can be displayed in three different viewing options.
Card View displays a course card for each of your favorite courses. Each card can include clickable icons for Assignments, Announcements, Discussions, and Files. List View displays an agenda view of graded items from your courses, as well as any non-graded items your instructors designate for a course To Do list. You can also add your own items to the agenda.
Recent Activity View displays a stream of recent notifications from all your courses, including announcements, conversations, assignments, discussions, and peer reviews.
You can also access the course grades page from the Course Card and Recent Activity Views by clicking the View Grades button. The Grades page displays grades for all of your courses. To view grade details for a specific course, click the name of the course.
To view a course, click the Courses link in Global Navigation and click the name of the course you want to view. The course opens to the home page set by your instructor.
You can use the Course Navigation links, breadcrumb navigation, or the sidebar to navigate to different areas of the course.
The sidebar includes a To Do list that displays links to announcements and other items that require action in your courses, such as assignments, quizzes, discussions, and pages.
If your course includes student groups, you can view a list of your groups in Course Groups. Click the group name to view the group homepage. View recent assignment feedback in Recent Feedback. Click the assignment name to view feedback in the Submission Details page.
Canvas displays a Global Navigation Menu that gives you direct access to your courses and other areas of Canvas.
Click the Account link to log out of Canvas, specify your notification preferences, upload and view personal files, modify your user settings, manage ePortfolios, obtain a QR code to log in to the Student app, view global announcements, and enable a high-contrast user interface.
Click the Dashboard link to return to the Canvas Dashboard. Click the Courses link to quickly access your favorite courses and view a list of all your courses. Click the Groups link to access groups in which you are enrolled or view a list of all your groups.
Click the Calendar link to view your personal calendar and course calendars. Click the Inbox link to view and send messages to your instructors and peers within Canvas. Click the History link to view a list of course content and content areas you have viewed within the last three weeks.
Click the Help link to access help resources for your institution.
Thanks for watching this Canvas overview video. To learn more about Canvas, ask questions, or engage with other Canvas users, please visit community.canvaslms.com.
The Canvas Help Center provides extensive, up-to-date documentation [5] on making sure your computer is configured properly for Canvas. Failure to follow these recommendations may result in significant issues while viewing materials, taking assessments, and using drop boxes. Use of unsupported browsers is at your own risk.
Using the resources below as needed, complete the following.
Your Canvas Profile and User Settings let you control your personal information in Canvas. Take a few minutes to personalize your Canvas profile and set your Notification Preferences, by following the instructions below.
Task | Instructions |
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Personalize your Canvas Profile |
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If you use PSU OneID |
Students who are enrolled with OneID will not receive emails automatically from Canvas due to not having PSU email access. We advise that students set up a personal email address for notifications.
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Set your notification preferences |
You have the option to select how, when, and for what information you would like to receive notifications. This can be very helpful when keeping track of items such as discussion posts, assignment due dates, and exams. Visit Canvas Notification Preference Support [7] and follow the instructions for setting up your notification preferences. The video below this table provides additional information. To ensure that your Canvas Inbox messages forward to your regular e-mail account immediately, check the "Notify me right away" option (the checkmark) for each item under "Conversations" in Notification Preferences. |
Set your timezone |
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Download the Canvas App | For information on using the app by device, please see the following:
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Now that you've had a chance to learn about the course and the online learning environment, I'd like to get to know you...and help you get to know each other! Complete the activity below, then continue with the first lesson of the course!
We will use a discussion forum in Canvas to post and read, self-introductions. To access the discussion forum:
Need more help using discussion forums? Review the Canvas discussion forum directions "How do I view discussions as a student [11]" and "How do I reply to a discussion as a student [12]".
NOTE: The same discussion forums can also be accessed through the Modules tab in Canvas.
Many of you have been out of school for a while, and many of you have never gone to school online. You are now "Adult Learners," and the research shows that adults learn differently, especially in an online environment. You do not all learn in the same way, either. What I want to do in this section is to prepare you for success by helping you understand different learning styles, and what style best suits you. I also want you to understand the different levels of cognitive learning so that you will be successful in the course.
Review the information on the following website so that you understand the characteristics of adult learners and what motivates adult learners. After you review the website, ask yourself, "How does all of this apply to me as a student?"
Instructional Resources [13]
(Last accessed December 8, 2022)
The Ageless Learner [14] website (Last accessed December 8, 2022) has all sorts of useful references and tools. If you want to assess your own learning style and motivation style, then try these two assessments.
You are now doing graduate-level work, which demands higher levels of cognitive learning. Benjamin Bloom created his famous Bloom's Taxonomy where he categorized levels of cognitive understanding. Basic competencies at the knowledge level such as memorizing and recalling facts are inadequate for the geospatial intelligence practitioner and for graduate students. You will be called upon to engage in critical thinking, requiring you to demonstrate higher order thinking skills.
Review Bloom's Taxonomy to ensure you understand the terminology and what higher order thinking skills will be expected in your coursework.
This course will focus on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Be sure you apply these concepts when asked to do so in assignment instructions. The following website serves as a quick reference with examples of Bloom's Taxonomy. It is worth a moment of your time to review and perhaps print them out.
University of Victoria Counselling Services: Bloom’s Taxonomy [17]
(Last accessed December 8, 2022)By now, you realize that learning is different for each individual. However, I, as an instructor, must standardize the course material to fit the Canvas environment. I try to cater to different learning styles, but, ultimately, you have to take the course as it is. Learning comes easier for some than others. To help you study "smarter" rather than "harder," the following websites are resources to help you.
Set yourself up for success by developing a study plan. Consider where, when, and how you will study and then make a plan that will work for you. Students who fail to make such a plan often have unnecessary difficulty with what should be a great educational experience.
I do not know about you, but my life is in constant overdrive. Between my job, family, and all the other little extras, it seems like I am always on the go. As adult online learners, you do not have the discipline or support of scheduled classes in a brick and mortar classroom. It gets so easy to just push studying farther back on your list of priorities. You must be self-disciplined to schedule time (about 8 hours a week) for study and assignment completion. I recommend you set aside several standardized blocks of time in your schedule (put it in Outlook and on your Blackberry/PDA; then you will have to study). You might think about making a weekly calendar listing all of your activities, and then identify the blocks of study time to which you can commit. This class has assignments due every week. Some of them are group discussions where it will be evident if you are unprepared. Do not let yourself get behind - so that you do not let yourself and your classmates down.
The website below from Virginia Tech is an interactive tool to help you figure out how much time there is for study.
Time Schedule Strategies [21]
(Last accessed December 8, 2022)
For this course, we recommend the minimum technical requirements outlined on the Dutton Institute Technical Requirements [22] page, including the requirements listed for same-time, synchronous communications. If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the IT Service Desk [23] (for students at University Park and all other campus locations).
Before you begin working through the course content, you need to make sure the computer you are using is configured properly for the multimedia that you will encounter. Below are specifications and a test to help make sure everything is in working order.
Access to a reliable Internet connection is required for this course. A problem with your Internet access may not be used as an excuse for late, missing, or incomplete coursework. If you experience problems with your Internet connection while working on this course, it is your responsibility to find an alternative Internet access point, such as a public library or Wi-Fi ® hotspot.
This site is considered a secure website, which means that your connection is encrypted. We do however link to content that isn't necessarily encrypted. This is called mixed content. By default, mixed content is blocked in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome. This may result in a blank page or a message saying that only secure content is displayed. Follow the directions below to view the mixed content.
We have YouTube video material in many of the lessons in this course. Chances are pretty good that you already use a Web browser that is configured to view YouTube videos, but to be safe, here is a "test" file that you should try out now to make sure you won't have problems later in the course. If this video (1:14) runs smoothly for you, then you're ready to go. If you can't get the video to play on your computer, then please refer to the steps at the bottom of this page to troubleshoot your problem.
Request Help. If you still have not had any success, then its time for you to contact the HelpDesk. University Park or Commonwealth Campus students should contact the IT Service Desk [24] and World Campus students should contact the Outreach Helpdesk [25]. It is in your own best interest to be as specific as you possibly can. Vague descriptions of a problem only delay assistance. Try to include information such as:
To be sure you are able to access reserve readings and other library resources in this course, visit the library’s Online Student's Use of the Library [26] site. This guide outlines all that Penn State libraries offer you as an online student. It is strongly recommended that you visit the Services for Students [27] page.
If you have questions, just ASK! [28] a librarian! The ASK! page will connect you to librarians in a manner that meets your needs; e-mail, phone, or chat for a quick response.
Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when preparing to be successful in an online course:
You should plan to devote 8 - 10 hours per week to completing lesson readings and assignments. Your learning will be most effective when you spread this participation out and engage with the course on a daily basis, if possible. Log in at least once a day to check for new announcements, course e-mails, discussion postings, and grades or feedback from the instructor.
Take every opportunity to interact with the content, the instructor, and your classmates by completing assignments and participating in discussions and group activities!
Keep in sync with what's going on in the course, and stay on top of deadlines and upcoming assignments.
Ask for guidance when you are in need of clarification. You can also use the "Questions about EME 805?" discussion to ask general questions about the course set-up or content.
The links below will connect you with other resources to help support your successful online learning experience:
This website provides links to many resources on everything from taking notes online to managing your time effectively. Please note that you must be a World Campus student to receive some of the support services mentioned on this website.
This blog features posts by Penn State staff and students on a wide variety of topics relevant to online learning. Learn from online students and alumni, as well as staff members dedicated to student success, how you can get the most out of your online course experience.
The iStudy online learning tutorials are free and available to all Penn State students. They cover a broad range of topics including online learning readiness, time management, stress management, and statistics - among many others. Check out the extensive list of topics for yourself to see what topics may be of most use to you!
This website provides access to an extensive free online training library, with tutorials on everything from creating presentations to using mobile apps for education. There is a wealth of information here - all provided free of charge to Penn State faculty, staff and currently enrolled students.
Meaningful interactions among students and instructors are the hallmark of a successful online class. Canvas supports several types of communication, as described below.
In addition, registered students have Penn State e-mail accounts (<Access Account ID>@psu.edu) that they need to monitor for any official communications that come from the University or from the Penn State World Campus.
Please note that this is a comprehensive list of communication tools available in Canvas. This course may or may not utilize all of the options below.
These are messages from your instructor that contain important information. Current announcements can be accessed through the Announcements link in Canvas. Announcements may highlight assignment due dates (also published in the course Calendar), lesson recaps, a preview of an upcoming lesson and other essential course information.
The Inbox is the equivalent of e-mail in Canvas. It's great to use for a quick e-mail to another student, instructor, or a whole team. Keep in mind that the text editor is very minimal, and does not have much formatting capability. Please use the Canvas Inbox only for private messages to instructors or fellow students.
Discussions allow students to interact with the instructor and other classmates. Threaded discussions allow multiple posts and replies. New posts appear in the Course Activity Stream page, so you will know when something has been posted.
Conferences allow instructors or student Groups to host synchronous meetings online. Canvas integrates with BigBlueButton, a conferencing tool similar to Adobe Connect. Recordings made in BigBlueButton are available for a period of only two weeks after creation.
Whenever you post a message in a forum or send course mail, please title every message with a descriptive subject line. Subject lines that include the gist of a question or comment increase the chances that students and instructors can retrieve the messages we're looking for. Poor subject lines, such as "Question" or "Lesson 1," are not very useful as search keywords. When replying to a prior message, consider whether or not the subject line should be altered to indicate the content of your reply!
Links
[1] https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1780857
[2] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4121
[3] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/Canvas-Overview-Students/ta-p/383771
[4] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/tkb-p/videos
[5] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1284
[6] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1285
[7] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10624-4212710344
[8] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1559
[9] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1666
[10] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/Notification-Settings-All-Users/ta-p/383690
[11] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10655
[12] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10561-4212190706
[13] https://www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/facdev/teaching-techniques/
[14] http://agelesslearner.com/index.html
[15] http://marciaconner.com/assess/learningstyle/
[16] http://marciaconner.com/assess/motivationstyle/
[17] https://www.uvic.ca/learningandteaching/assets/docs/instructors/for-review/Teaching%20Support/BloomsTaxonomy.pdf
[18] http://www.geosoc.org/schools/pass/
[19] https://www.ucc.vt.edu/academic_support/study_skills_information/study_skills_checklist.html
[20] https://campushealth.unc.edu/health-topics/academic-success/obstacles-academic-success/avoiding-study-traps
[21] https://www.ucc.vt.edu/academic_support/study_skills_information/time_scheduling.html
[22] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/techspecs
[23] http://helpdesk.psu.edu/
[24] http://itservicedesk.psu.edu/#
[25] http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/technical-support
[26] http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide
[27] http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/c.php?g=516093&p=3540332
[28] http://ask.libraries.psu.edu/?stream=8
[29] https://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/academic-support-resources/strategies-to-improve-online-learning
[30] http://studentblog.worldcampus.psu.edu/
[31] http://istudy.psu.edu/
[32] https://linkedinlearning.psu.edu/
[33] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/tkb-p/student#Announcements
[34] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1293
[35] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/tkb-p/student#Inbox
[36] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/tkb-p/student#Discussions
[37] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/tkb-p/student#Conferences