There are two places you should check out as you think about professional employment after college: Penn State Career Services and the services offered by your specific program.

Penn State Career Services

Penn State Career Services provides a host of services for students thinking about, or getting ready to hit, the job market. More and more of these services are becoming available to students online so that students like you can take advantage of their expertise and experience in career development. Included are areas such as resume preparation, interviewing skills, and job searching strategies.

Online workshops and recorded presentations are just a couple of the newly available services. Taking the time to look through what they have to offer may turn out to be a good investment of your time.

For instance, here are a couple of individual workshops that lead to noncredit certificates that are offered through Career Services:

• Professional Resume Preparation - Learn how to design and develop a professional resume. This workshop is hosted in ANGEL.
• Interviewing Skills - Learn how to prepare for all elements of the interviewing process. This workshop is hosted in ANGEL.
• Job Searching Skills - Learn how to design a job search strategy. This workshop is hosted in ANGEL.

Unique Services Offered by Program

Start by reviewing the information on the Career Advising page of your program's website. Whether you are just starting to think about your career or have some clear ideas, there are a number of links and contacts on your program website that you will find helpful. The most important thing to think about as you move forward is, "What can I do to network and connect with other professionals in my field?"

Check your program's website to see what resources are available.

Learning that takes place outside of formal coursework often leads to a more personal understanding about work, people, and the world around us. These types of experiences can be quite powerful.

EDGE

Consider taking the time to review the wide range of educational opportunities the Division of Student Affairs offers. Most of these are available both to those on campus and those learning from a distance, and they are all free of charge. Check out the EDGE website for more information about how to get started. Some of these sessions can lead to the earning of a noncredit certificate--a wonderful addition that looks good on any resume.

• Power and Privilege - Learn about the concepts of power and privilege and how they impact race and ethnic relations.
• Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination - Learn about stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination; how they differ from each other; and how they influence each other.
• Introduction to the Isms - Learn about the concept of "isms" and more specifically about how racism, sexism, classism, and heterosexism affects communications and community relationships.
• Sexual Assault Awareness - Learn the facts about sexual assault and sexual harassment, and develop practical skills to keep you and your friends safe.
• Cashcourse - Learn how to make informed financial decisions on managing your credit card debt, paying for college, living on a budget, and more.
• Know the Code - Learn about Penn State's Student Code of Conduct.
• Student Guide to Nutrition and Healthy Eating (pilot) - Learn about basic nutrition and strategies for eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.
• Stress and Self-Help Strategies to Manage Stress (pilot) - Learn how stress impacts your health and life as well as some self-help strategies for managing it.
• Landlord/Tenant - Learn how to read and understand a residential lease to make a well-informed decision before signing.

iStudy for Success!

For another opportunity to sharpen what you know or learn something new, check out Penn State's iStudy Modules. These are short modules on a variety of topics that all successful students will want to embrace. These include:

• Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, and Copyright
• Academic Research Interviewing Skills
• Active Reading
• Basic Statistics
• Databases
• e-Portfolios at Penn State
• Learning Online - Are You Ready?
• Making Revisions and Using Markup Symbols
• Notetaking
• Peer Tutoring
• Source Evaluation and Search Strategies
• Test Anxiety
• Instructor's Guide
• Testing and Assessment
• Time Management
• Written Reports
• Active Listening
• Brainstorming
• Celebrating Diversity in the Classroom
• Concept Maps
• Conflict Management
• Cooperative Learning
• Oral Presentations
• Planning Your Time with Gantt Charts
• Problem Solving
• Stress Management
• Resume Writing
• Writing and the College Experience

All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD 40, the University Policy Recording of Classroom Activities and Note Taking Services addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct, and/or liable under Federal and State laws.

For example, uploading completed labs, homework, or other assignments to any study site constitutes a violation of this policy.

Tutoring

Penn State Online offers online tutoring to World Campus students in math, writing, and some business classes. Tutoring and guided study groups for residential students are available through Penn State Learning.

EMS Giles Writer-in-Residence

EMS Giles Writer-in-Residence, Kevin Haworth, works with resident undergraduates throughout the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. See the Writing Tutoring Program page for more, including information on booking an appointment with Kevin. 

Dutton Institute Writer-in-Residence

World Campus students may work with Dutton Institute Writer-in-Residence Maria Wherley for tutoring. To discuss availability, contact Maria via email: mrs110@psu.edu

eLion provides secure real-time access to academic and financial records in the University's administrative database. For students at a distance (or on campus for that matter) this is the definitive source of information about:

• advisor contact information;
• course registration;
• grades, academic summaries, progress reports, and transcripts;
• bills, fees, tuition, and student aid;
• important dates (drop/add, last day of classes, academic deadlines, schedules, etc.);
• Penn State Principles, Student Code of Conduct, and other policies and rules.

Navigate to the eLion website and click on the Login link for Students. Authenticate using your Penn State Access Account user ID and password. eLion's menu is then presented on the left, and information is displayed in the main window as shown below in the demo version of the eLion site:

Please be sure to click the Logout button and close your browser when you are finished using eLion.

Google Alerts are a great way to stay informed! They provide e-mail updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.

See the Google Alerts Support page for details on how to make Google Alerts work for you.

Having access to and maintaining a calendar is essential in today's business world. In order to best leverage this critical tool for collaborative purposes, you need to be able to:

1. access your calendar wherever you are, and
2. share your calendar (at least portions of it) with others.

To find out more about Google Calendar, visit Get Started with Google Calendar. Learn how you can share your calendar with others and embed your calendar on a website.

Many times, visual descriptions help us communicate concepts that may be difficult to understand through narrative text alone. Visual system diagrams or concept maps are two means of adding value to the messages you are sharing. A concept map is a type of diagram that shows various relationships between concepts. See the Wikipedia Concept Map entry for an expanded overview.

To learn how to create and format drawings in Google, please view the instructions on the Google support site.

Creating Diagrams or Concept Maps

Below is a YouTube video describing the basics of creating a Diagram or Concept Map using Google Drawing in Google Drive. The first part (about 30 seconds or so) is simply audio explanation, then the "video" part of the movie will come on and walk you through the process of creating a simple concept map.

Background - What is Google Drive?

Google Drive is one service of Google that allows you to create documents, sheets, slides, forms, and other document types online. You don't need to download any software to your computer and you can access files anywhere. Here is a quick video that provides an overview of what Google Drive is all about:

Getting Started: Creating a Google Doc

Visit the Google Doc Editors Help Center to learn how to:

• Create and edit docs
• Organize and upload files
• Share and collaborate with others

Strategies for Collaborating with Others

1. Assign different color fonts or highlight colors to each group member.
2. Use folders: rather than sharing a single document, break your project into pieces that can be put together if need be.
3. Insert comments or footnotes.
4. Send a notification: under the "Share" button, this is a handy option. You can very quickly send a note to all the other document contributors.
5. Suggest edits in a document.
6. View the revision history.

For most of us, our first and primary use of Google Maps was to get directions. Google Maps has uncluttered the glove box in many automobiles, eliminating our dependence on road maps that are often outdated.

In addition to allowing you to be a consumer of maps, Google Maps allows you to be a creator of specialized maps.

One of the easiest tasks is to create a map that contains informational place markers. There are any number of reasons and contexts that motivate our placing markers on maps that we can share (or build together) with others.

To create a new map or to edit a map that already exists, please view these instructions.

Editing Google Maps

Below is a video that will walk you through a sample of how to add a pin in Google Maps.

Sharing Your Own Maps

Look for the link (upper left) on your Google Map page. The settings will provide you with a link that you can copy, paste and send to others, or you will have the option to invite people directly. To obtain the embed code and embed this map so that it shows up within the page of your blog or website, click on the menu next to the share icon.

Technical Requirements

For this course, we recommend the minimum technical requirements outlined in Technical and Communication Requirements. If you need technical assistance during the course, please contact the Outreach Helpdesk (for World Campus students) or the IT Service Desk (for students at all other campus locations).

Internet Connection

Access to a reliable broadband 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 wireless hotspot.

Mixed Content

This site is considered a secure website, so 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 on Technical and Communication Requirements to view the mixed content.

How to Communicate on this Website

You will be asked to post comments, questions, and responses directly on some content pages throughout the course. You can also request to be notified of subsequent posts by "subscribing" to these pages.

• Start by logging in to the website. Use your Penn State User Id and Password to do so.
• To post a comment, scroll down to the text box under "Post new comment" and begin typing in the text box, or you can choose to reply to an existing thread.
• When you are finished typing, click on either the "preview" or "post" button (post will actually submit your comment).
• Once your comment is posted, you will be able to edit or delete it as needed. In addition, you will be able to reply to other posts at any time. The first few words of each comment becomes its "title" in the thread. So, make those first three words count!

Activity

Take a moment right now to post a personal introduction including your name, why you are interested in this class and what you do when you're not taking this course.

Don't see the "Add new comment" area below? You need to be logged in to this site first! Do so by using the Login button. Once you have logged in, you may need to refresh the page in order to see the comment area below.

The three habits of successful learners

How do you define and achieve success in an online course like this one? It depends on your goals and perspective. A 19-year-old undergraduate student who registers for an online course in the hope of earning an easy “A” is unlikely to be successful, no matter how adept he or she may be with information technology. However, Palloff and Pratt observe that “in general, distance education has been applied to and seen as most successful in the arena of adult and continuing education” (Palloff and Pratt 2001, p. 109).

Much of the research done on successful students in distance education programs suggests that students who are attracted to this form of education share certain characteristics, including that they are voluntarily seeking further education, are motivated, have higher expectations, and are more self-disciplined. They tend to be older than the average student and to have a more serious attitude toward their courses, education, and learning. They are what most would consider to be nontraditional students. (Palloff and Pratt 2001, p. 109)

This is not to say that younger students can’t succeed in online classes. Indeed, “most [undergraduate] students today are older, are working, and need more flexible schedules” (Palloff and Pratt 2001, p. 109). The question is, assuming that a student is motivated to get the most out of an online class, and that the class is well-designed and led by attentive instructors, which attitudes and behaviors increase the student’s chance of having a satisfactory experience?

Swan and colleagues (2000) surveyed approximately 3,800 students enrolled in 264 online courses through the SUNY Learning Network. Of the 1,406 responses received, the researchers analyzed data associated with 73 courses for which there was a 40 percent response rate or greater. Among their findings were statistically significant correlations between student satisfaction and (a) perceived learning gains; (b) interaction with instructors; and (c) interaction with fellow students. Additionally, respondents who rated their own level of activity in online classes as high also tended to report higher levels of satisfaction.

Research results like these, along with lessons learned in our more than ten years of experience in distance learning, lead us to recommend the following three study habits that will maximize your chances for success in your online class:

1. Devote sufficient time and effort. Time-on-task is a necessary—if insufficient—condition for learning (Gibbs 1999; Chickering and Gamson 1987; Bransford et al. 2000). Schedule several blocks of time during each week to study the text, to work on project assignments, and to read and contribute to discussions.
2. Communicate effectively. Post succinct, specific questions and comments with informative subject lines. Whenever appropriate, share questions and comments with the entire class (through text commenting or discussion forums) rather than using private e-mail. Read others’ questions and comments and replies. Compose project reports with the same care and skill that you’d hope your instructor or employer would devote to a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Be civil. If frustrated or angry, wait until the next day to post a message.
3. Approach learning reflectively. Be aware of your strengths and weakness as a learner. Students who develop strong “metacognitive” skills tend to be the most effective learners. Also, those who are able to relate what they learned to situations outside the classroom (real or virtual) are most likely to retain that knowledge (Bransford, J.D. et al. 2000).

The software products listed there are available only to Penn State faculty, staff, and students, so you must log in or authenticate using your Penn State Access Account user ID and password (the "thumbprint" screen). The Software at Penn State site provides central access to all ITS-supported software. Here you will find software applications, updates, related information and read-me files for ITS-supported and managed software.

Quoted from the site: "Please note that by downloading software from this site, you agree to the terms outlined in the license agreements for each product. Please read this information once the product(s) is/are downloaded to your computer."

Of interest to students would be the following categories of software:

• Connecting to Penn State - what you need to connect to and through Penn State's Internet.
  • If you are on a Penn State campus, you will need VPN in order to access the wireless network.
• E-mail Clients - software to help you read your e-mail
• File Transfer - programs to help you transfer files from your computer to a remote server, safely and securely
• Virus Detection/Spyware Tools - tools to help you protect your computer from viruses, worms, and other forms of malicious code
  • Get these before you need them!
• Web Browsers - software that gives you access to websites on the Internet
  • You can get these other places on the Internet as well.

Special collection librarians put together guides to help students, faculty, and other researchers find valued information resources. Because the librarians are "specialists" in a given field of study, they have a very good sense as to where to find information. The research guides listed below may include links to articles, databases, books, websites, or government resources. Sometimes these are also organized by topic or by region of the world.

If you have an interest in a particular area, you will certainly find it handy to see where these information professionals encourage you to start your investigation!

Here are links to some examples that might be of particular interest to students taking courses through the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

• Energy Resources and Engineering
• Geography
• Geosciences
• Materials Science
• Meteorology
• Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources
• Water Resources

Have a Question About Career Advising?

There are two places you should check out as you think about professional employment after college: Penn State Career Services and the services offered by your specific program.

Penn State Career Services

Penn State Career Services provides a host of services for students thinking about, or getting ready to hit, the job market.  More and more of these services are becoming available to students online so that students like you can take advantage of their expertise and experience in career development. Included are areas such as resume preparation, interviewing skills, and job searching strategies.

Online workshops and recorded presentations are just a couple of the newly available services. Taking the time to look through what they have to offer may turn out to be a good investment of your time.

For instance, here are a couple of individual workshops that lead to noncredit certificates that are offered through Career Services:

• Professional Resume Preparation - Learn how to design and develop a professional resume. This workshop is hosted in ANGEL.
• Interviewing Skills - Learn how to prepare for all elements of the interviewing process. This workshop is hosted in ANGEL.
• Job Searching Skills - Learn how to design a job search strategy. This workshop is hosted in ANGEL.

Unique Services Offered by Program

Start by reviewing the information on the Career Advising page of your program's website. Whether you are just starting to think about your career or have some clear ideas, there are a number of links and contacts on your program website that you will find helpful. The most important thing to think about as you move forward is, "What can I do to network and connect with other professionals in my field?" 

Check your program's website to see what resources are available.

Introduction to Screencast-O-Matic

Screencast-O-Matic is a screen capture and recording tool that is easy to use! With just a few minutes of practice, a headset and a free download from the Screencast-O-Matic website, you can learn to make short, voice-narrated "movies" or screencasts of whatever is happening on your screen!

Downloading and Installing Screencast-O-Matic

You can launch Screencast-O-Matic right from your web browser without an install.

You can also download and install the Screencast-O-Matic application so you can launch from the Start menu on your Windows PC. There is a link to download this software right on the Screencast-O-Matic download page.

There are additional features (such as increased recording time and publishing options) available in the PRO version.

How to Use Screencast-O-Matic

View the Screencast-O-Matic 'Watch a Very Quick Demo"  video on the Screencast-O-Matic website. This video will walk you through the process of using Screencast-O-Matic to create a presentation.

Learn more about Screencast-O-Matic

Screencast-O-Matic provides many Help Videos. Taking a few minutes to review a couple of these videos would be a great way to become acquainted with some of the various features of Screencast-O-Matic.

Tutoring is available through World Campus Student Services in a variety of subjects.

How does this work?

"Students make an appointment through their online appointment scheduler, "show up" at the appointed time to the session, and use chat to correspond with the tutor. Students are also encouraged to evaluate the tutoring process, using online surveys to submit feedback following their tutoring sessions."

There are a number of tutoring programs that are geared toward different learning goals whether they be math, writing, or other areas of study. These include:

• Math
• Writing
• ECON 201
• STAT 200
• Accounting and Finance

Check and see whether Online Tutoring through World Campus is something that you can take advantage of!

Internet Connection

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.

Mixed Content

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.

• Firefox
  In “Permissions” Menu select “allow” for specific media content you are trying to access.
• Chrome
  Click the shield icon to the right of the address bar.
  In the icon dialog box, click "Load anyway."
• Internet Explorer
  Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click "Show all content."

Movies and Videos

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.

Video: How Online Learning Works at Penn State World Campus (1:14)

Having trouble? Troubleshooting tips...

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 and World Campus students should contact the Outreach Helpdesk. 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:

• the specific course page, quiz question, etc., you were on, what you attempted to do when that failed, and the exact language of any error message displayed on your screen;
• the date and time when your problem occurred;
• any other pertinent information (whether the problem happens consistently and always in the same way, etc.).

This course may be using Adobe Connect for online meetings.

Adobe Connect allows screen sharing, voice, and video communication. A headset with earphones and a microphone is recommended for audio conferencing; attempting to use the external speakers and microphone built into your computer or laptop may cause feedback. A web camera is required for video conference; however, we may not be using this feature. Please take the time now to familiarize yourself with Adobe Connect and test your system configuration.

Adobe has a version of Connect for most mobile platforms. You can find these at the appropriate online application store for your device. Mobile versions have limited capabilities, but are suitable for listening, watching, and commenting during a live session.

Step 1: Check Your Equipment

Test your computer and connection.

Step 2: Set Up Your Audio Connection

You will need to configure the audio conferencing features of Adobe Connect. To set up your audio connection, review the Audio Setup Wizard Tutorial.

Step 3: Become Familiar with Sharing

1. Visit the Screen and Applications Sharing Tutorial.
2. Visit the PowerPoint Presentation Sharing Tutorial.

Leaving a Meeting

To leave a meeting, simply close the computer window containing the meeting room. On a Windows computer, click the red X in the upper right corner of the window. On a Mac, click the red circle in the upper left of the window.

The content of an Adobe Connect meeting room does not change when anyone (including the host) leaves. The only part of the room that changes dynamically is the list of attendees currently present in the room. For additional help, consult the Adobe Connect Quick Start Guide.

Reminder: Complete all of the Course Orientation tasks!

You have reached the end of the Orientation! Double-check the to-do list on the Orientation Welcome page to make sure that you have completed all of the activities listed there before beginning the course.

The pages linked below provide information on the resources you will be using in this course.  Take some time to familiarize yourself with each one.

You can make free video and audio calls, chat, and share files with other Skype users. This is a great tool to connect with your faculty, advisors, and fellow students. It can be used to ask questions, brain storm, work on group projects, or hold a study session. Get creative and have fun connecting!

Visit Skype.com to get started.

The pages linked below provide information on the technologies you will be using in this course. Take some time to familiarize yourself with each one.

www.work.psu.edu

www.work.psu.edu is Penn State's one-stop information "kiosk" that reports information of importance to you!

Login to https://www.work.psu.edu using your Penn State Access Account user ID and password (the "thumb print" screen). Your Penn State personal contact information along with a host of other information related to your use of information technology at Penn State is reported to you.

Your Penn State Access Account Storage Space (PASS)

As soon as you obtain your Penn State Access Account, Information Technology Services allocates 500 MB of online storage for you. This is storage space that you can access from any computer connected to the internet (more about that later).

Allocation Quota

You may use this online storage space for any number of things that support your education endeavors at Penn State, such as backing up important files or creating websites or blogs associated with the courses you are taking.

You can also increase the amount of storage space available to you. Simply use the pull-down menu and select the amount that meets your needs. You can use up to 10 GB free of charge. Do it now!

Changing Your Password

Information Technology Services requires that you change the password for your Penn State Access Account once a year. This service provides you with a visual count down. Don't let it expire, because it's a pain to get it reinstated!

Official Directory Information

The middle of the page displays your Penn State contact information. Read through it and check to make sure it is correct. Find the contact for your college if you see anything that needs to be changed. This is the information that is used by Penn State about you.

Other Directory Information

The lower middle section of the page displays other information about you. There are two things to consider when looking at in this section

1) When you click the "Add/Change Other Directory Information" button, all of your directory information is displayed. You can change the information in the open text boxes. The shaded information can only be changed by your College's Human Resource contact.

Look for the field titled "URL." If you have activated your Penn State Web Space, this link is added automatically and links to the root directory of the www folder in your PASS space. You can change this to any other URL you would like, such as a personal website.

2) E-mail Forwarding: You are now the proud owner of a Penn State e-mail address. If you already have an active e-mail address you want to keep using, you can have all your Penn State mail forwarded to that address so that you don't have to check both accounts for new e-mail. To do this, click the "Change your e-mail forwarding address" link and have all your new Penn State e-mail forwarded to your regular account. In this way, when an official e-mail is sent to your Penn State Account, it is forwarded automatically and will appear with all your other e-mail in your account. Please don't forget to do this. You don't want to miss important information!

Alerts

Finally, in the upper right hand corner in red is the Alerts section. If you have a good connection at home but are having trouble accessing any of the Penn State services, this is the place to check. If there is a problem, it will be listed here.

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 tests to help make sure everything is in working order.

General Requirements

For this course, we recommend the minimum technical requirements outlined on the World Campus Technical Requirements page, including the requirements listed for same-time, synchronous communications.

Internet Connection

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.

Mixed Content

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.

• Firefox
  In “Permissions” Menu, select “allow” for specific media content you are trying to access.
• Chrome
  Click the shield icon to the right of the address bar.
  In the icon dialog box, click "Load anyway."
• Internet Explorer
  Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click "Show all content."

Movies and Videos

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.

Video: How Online Learning Works at Penn State World Campus (1:14)

Having trouble? Troubleshooting tips...

Request Help. If you still have not had any success, then it is time for you to contact the HelpDesk. University Park or Commonwealth Campus students should contact the IT Service Desk, and World Campus students should contact the Outreach Helpdesk. 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:

• the specific course page, quiz question, etc., you were on, what you attempted to do when that failed, and the exact language of any error message displayed on your screen;
• the date and time when your problem occurred;
• any other pertinent information (whether the problem happens consistently and always in the same way, etc.).

Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when preparing to be successful in an online course:

Treat online learning as you would a face-to-face class

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!

Intentionally schedule your time

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.

Engage, Engage, Engage!

Take every opportunity to interact with the content, the instructor, and your classmates by completing assignments and participating in discussion forums and group activities!

Be organized

Keep in sync with what's going on in the course and stay on top of deadlines and upcoming assignments.

Ask for help!

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.

Other Resources

The links below will connect you with other resources to help support your successful online learning experience:

• Tips for Being a Successful World Campus Student

  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.

• Penn State World Campus Technology Resources

  This website provides resources to help you learn to use technology, access Penn State tools, and purchase and download software.

• Penn State World Campus Blog

  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.

• Penn State iStudy for Success!

  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!

• LinkedIn Learning at Penn State

  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.

Set Up a Yammer Account

Go to yammer.psu.edu. Follow the steps in the First Steps document (linked here or at the bottom of the Yammer homepage) to set up your own Yammer account.

Additional instructions for using Yammer will follow later in this course.

Online Students Use of the Library

So that we can be sure you are able to access reserve readings and other library resources in this course, go to Online Students Use of the Library. This site will guide you to all that Penn State libraries offers you as an online student. 

Penn State's PASS Explorer tool lets you transfer files quickly and easily between PASS and a local directory/folder on your machine. Using the PASS Explorer, you can access your digital files from any computer with a browser connected to the internet.

The IT Knowledge Base provides detailed instructions on how to get started and perform a variety of file sharing functions using the tool. Some of the functions that can be performed include:

• Uploading/downloading files and folders
• Creating file shares
• Creating photo albums

Note: Anyone can create as many meeting rooms as they like. When you sign in to https://psu.zoom.us/ there is a tab that says "Personal Meeting Room." That URL never changes. You can even personalize the URL if you like. The "Upcoming Meetings" tab is where you can set up other meeting rooms (with different URLs). It may be useful to use the personal meeting room for all of your personal work (non-class) meetings.

For the purpose of teaching a class using Zoom, you may wish to set up a meeting room for that course - maybe with different parameters. A class meeting room might be set up so that no one can enter the room before you, or that recording automatically starts at the beginning of the meeting. But you might not set up those parameters for a personal meeting room.

To set up a class meeting room:

1. Go to https://psu.zoom.us/.
2. Click on the Sign In button.
3. Click on the Meetings link.
4. Click on the Upcoming Meeting tab.
5. Click on Schedule a New Meeting.
6. Give your meeting a title (“Your class title” for example).
7. Select the “Recurring Meeting” box. Then for "Recurrence" click "no fixed time" from the drop-down.
8. Click the “Save” button and then next screen will show you the meeting URL. Copy and paste this URL and put it in a place where students will easily find it (perhaps at the top of the Modules page in Canvas.

The course website is presented in an open source content management system called Drupal (for information, visit the Drupal website). One advantage to presenting the text in Drupal is that, in some cases, we can enable registered students to comment and ask questions directly on course pages. Another advantage is that Drupal allows us to publish the course openly for the benefit of anyone who has access to the Internet, regardless of their ability to pay tuition or their desire to earn academic credit.

Menu Items on the Drupal course website include:

HOME: Contains the course overview and links to individual lessons.

SYLLABUS: Link to the official syllabus for the course.

ORIENTATION: This is the content for Lesson 0 which comprises the first week of the course. This material is your guide to the structure of your online course and our online learning environment.

LESSONS: Link to the lesson chapters of the online text for the course. When you click on a Lesson link, links to the pages that make up the lesson are revealed. Each lesson in the online text includes:

• an Overview page,
• a page listing Reading Assignments for the lesson,
• multiple online content pages,
• an Activities page listing the lab and discussion assignments for the lesson,
• a Summary and Deliverables page with a completion checklist for the lesson. 

CANVAS: Link to the learning management system for registered students.

RESOURCES:

• Instructor Information (contact and other information about your instructor)
• Program Home Page (links out to the Penn State Online Geospatial Education website for program information)
• Adobe Connect (links out to the Adobe Connect classroom for this course)
• VoiceThread (links out to the PSU VoiceThread application)
• Esri Virtual Campus (links out to the Esri website)
• Library Resources (links out to Penn State library resources specific to Geography)
• Getting Help (information on how to get help with various aspects of the course) 

LOGIN: Anyone with a Web browser and Internet access can view the open courseware portion of our courses. Additional course material is be restricted to registered students who have a valid Penn State access account. If you are a registered student, click on the "login" link and then enter your Penn State Access ID and password.

Printing Options

Note the "print" button located in the upper-right corner of each page on the course website. The printer-friendly versions compile a single page or an entire lesson into a single HTML document.

Questions?

If you have any questions now or at any point during this week, please feel free to post them to the General Questions and Comments Discussion Forum in Canvas.

Registered students in online Penn State courses need to navigate among several environments in the World Wide Web. These include:

• Canvas: Penn State's course management system allows registered students to consult course calendars, communicate with instructors and fellow students, submit lab assignments and project reports, receive individual project critiques from instructors, take online quizzes, and check assignment scores and course grades.
• Zoom: Penn State's web conferencing software allows registered students to communicate and collaborate through online meeting rooms. Zoom provides chat, audio and video conferencing, and screen sharing.

NOTE: Only students who are registered for this course will have access to Canvas and VoiceThread elements for this course. Students who register for this Penn State course gain access to assignments and instructor feedback, and earn academic credit. Read more about Penn State's Online Geospatial Education programs.

Questions?

If you have any questions now or at any point during this week, please feel free to post them to the General Questions and Comments Discussion Forum in Canvas.