Before we begin our semester of study together, it is important that you review all of the material on all these pages 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 drop boxes for this course...and the answers are all contained 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! A link to the syllabus is located in the Resources menu.
In the Course Orientation, we will:
You should complete the Course Orientation the first week of class. Please refer to the Calendar for specific time frames and due dates.
The following is an overview of those activities that must be submitted in order to complete the 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, please post them to our Questions? discussion forum (not e-mail) 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.
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.
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 [2] 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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Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when preparing to be successful in an online course:
You should plan to devote at least the same amount of time to your online courses as you would to attending lectures on campus and completing assignments. Other good study habits, such as attending class (logging on) regularly and taking notes, are just as important in an online course as they are in a lecture hall!
You should plan to devote 10-12 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.
Take every opportunity to interact with the content, the instructor, and your classmates by completing assignments and participating in discussion forums 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 Discussion Forum 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 website provides resources to help you learn to use technology, access Penn State tools, and purchase and download software.
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.
As stated on our course syllabus, we will be using the student version of ArcGIS Pro and Extensions from Esri for this course. You will be using this software to complete courses from both the ArcGIS Tutorials and the Esri Virtual Campus as part of your lesson assignments for GEOG 469. You will also be using this as part of the course term project that begins later in the course. You will get access to the Esri E-Learning courses and ArcGIS free of charge as described below.
NOTE: ArcGIS Pro and other Esri products are commercial software packages that are restricted to personal use by the student. It is unlawful for anyone to use this software package without the appropriate commercial license from Esri Inc. to generate personal or corporate profit or revenue. Esri software ArcGIS Pro, ArcDesktop 10.X, etc., only runs on a Windows operating system.
Please note that ArcGIS is a Windows-based software. If you are a Windows user, follow the directions below. If you are a MAC user follow the directions for Using ArcGIS Pro in Mac OS X [13] provided by ESRI. If for some reason that doesn't work, you may be able to either use someone else's computer for a bit (friend, spouse, or work computer) or purchase a cheap PC with a Windows Operating System, then install and run ArcGIS.
Upon enrolling in the course, you must contact our Program Assistant, Susan Spaugh, at sns4@psu.edu [14] to request an Esri Authorization Code and an invitation to access the ESRI Academy. It will be provided to you free of charge. You must make this request immediately and have it installed and running successfully before the start of Lesson 2 or you will not be able to proceed with the Lesson 2 activity. Again, if you have a windows machine, follow the instructions below. If you are a Mac user, follow the directions for Using ArcGIS Pro in Mac OS X [13] instructions from ESRI.
Link to AcrGIS Pro Installation Instructions [15] for Windows Users.
This copy of the software will cease working one year from the date you install it. Please follow the instructions EXACTLY or it will not work. And remember, The ArcGIS Pro software must be installed and running on your personal computer before you can move onto Lesson 2, so install the software now, as we will begin using it in Lesson 2.
If you have any questions about requesting a copy of the software, please contact our Program Assistant, Susan Spaugh, at sns4@psu.edu [14] or toll-free (U.S.) at 877-713-7778.
You will gain experience using ArcGIS Pro through completion of three Esri E-Learning tutorials in Lessons 1 and 6.
1. Getting Started with ArcGIS Pro (5hrs 30min) (Lesson 2)
2. Displaying Raster Data Using ArcGIS Pro (2hrs 45min) (Lesson 6)
3. Editing Basics in ArcGIS Pro (2 hrs) (Lesson 7)
Registered Penn State students are entitled to a student license of ArcGIS and access to the Esri E-Learning software training courses offered through Esri E-Learning Website. Your instructor will provide detailed instructions for accessing the Esri E-Learning website during the first week of class.
The Esri access authorization will be sent to your <username>@psu.edu email account. Please make sure you have the mail sender My Esri <service@esri.com [16]> set up as a safe sender in any spam filters that may be applied to that account or an account to which you have that email automatically forwarded.
Once you have received notification from Esri granting you access to the E-Learning courses (You should receive this in an email from Esri: If you do not, please contact your instructor), follow these instructions to access a specific course:
1. Go to: Esri [17]Training [18]
2. Click on “Catalog”
3. Enter the Esri course name in the Search Box and click the Eye Glass symbol on the right in the search box.
4. Once the course is returned, click on the course icon and follow the instructions.
Technical Support
This Education Edition of the software does not include any data or technical support. If you cannot find the answer you need, please post your question to our ArcGIS Questions discussion forum.
Introduce yourself on the Personal Introductions discussion forum and read your classmates' introductions as well.
Install ArcGIS Pro and upload a screenshot of it opened on your desktop to the "Screenshot of ArcGIS opened on your computer" dropbox.
By now, you hopefully have a much better idea of what this course, and the online course environment, will be like. Time to test your skills! Once you have reviewed all of the materials for the Course Orientation and read and understand the Syllabus, you will need to take the Course Information Quiz and pass it with a score of 90% or better in order to unlock the assignment drop boxes for this course. You can take the quiz as many times as you need until you obtain at least 90%.
You have reached the end of the Course Orientation! Double-check the to-do list on the Course Orientation Overview page to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed there before you begin Lesson 1.
Links
[1] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1285
[2] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10624-4212710344
[3] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1559
[4] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1666
[5] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/Notification-Settings-All-Users/ta-p/383690
[6] https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/tkb-p/videos
[7] https://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/academic-support-resources/strategies-to-improve-online-learning
[8] https://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/help-and-support/technical-support
[9] http://studentblog.worldcampus.psu.edu/
[10] http://istudy.psu.edu/
[11] https://linkedinlearning.psu.edu/
[12] http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgis10/index.html
[13] https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-pro/3d-gis/arcgis-pro-in-mac-os-x/
[14] mailto:sns4@psu.edu
[15] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog469/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.geog469/files/documents/ARCGIS_PRO_INSTALLATION_INSTRUCTIONS.docx
[16] mailto:service@esri.com
[17] https://www.esri.com/training/unlimited-esri-training/?utm_source=esri&utm_medium=email&utm_term=205512&utm_campaign=t16demandgen%2F
[18] https://www.esri.com/training/