Sakai@UD for Students
Categories:
- Student Access & Permissions
- Using Sakai
- E-Mail Notifications
- Assignments, Tests & Quizzes, Gradebook
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+ 1. Why can't I find my courses in Sakai@UD?
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If you log into Sakai@UD and you see a tab for your course, it means the course is using Sakai@UD. Each semester students registered for courses whose rosters are added to a Sakai@UD site will have access to the published Sakai@UD course site a few weeks prior to the first day of classes. The list of Sakai courses for the current semester is available online.
Instructors create their own course sites so if you don't see a tab for a course, ask your instructor. See also Access a site that does not appear on a tab.
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+ 2. I don't want other students to see my UD ID. Can I prevent this?
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As stated in the Sakai@UD Policies, the UD IDs displayed in some tools are directory information and cannot be used alone to access private data.Students can control whether or not UD IDs are visible to other students in the Roster tool. This option can be set on a course-by-course basis or for all course sites.
See Changing your privacy status. Be sure to read the "Things to consider" section.
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+ 3. How do I add my picture to a Sakai@UD course roster?
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This feature is not supported; however you may add your picture to your Blog profile, if your course uses blogs. See "Editing your Profile and Picture" in BlogWow! Help.
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+ 4. When I post something in Sakai@UD, who can see it?
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The following table provides an overview of the default privacy settings for some of the most commonly used tools:
Tool Visible to the public Visible to Other Students in Your Course Visible to your Instructor Comments My WorkspaceResourcesNoNoNoYou can make a file public by changing its settings in Resources (click Actions then click Edit Details). Course SiteAssignmentsNoNoYesSubmitted assignments are only visible to your instructor and/or your assigned TA. Tests & QuizzesNoNoYesSubmitted tests and quizzes are only visible to your instructor and/or your assigned TA. BlogWow!No*YesYesYou can decide to make a blog post public if you want to, but the default setting is to make it visible only to your course site.
* People can subscribe to public posts through an RSS feed.ForumsNoYesYesUnless your instructor changed some of the forums or topics settings, every post is visible to your peers. MessagesNoNoNoE-mail sent through the Messages tool is only visible to the selected recipients. If you send a message to a role (Instrutors, for instance), all instructors for a specific site will get it. WikiNoYesYesThe Sakai wiki tool is by default restricted to your course only.
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+ 5. How can I change which courses appear on my tabs?
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You can hide sites from previous semesters or choose which sites to display in tabs. See Showing, hiding, and ordering course and project sites.
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+ 6. How do I get old tabs back from previous courses in Sakai@UD?
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First, see Access a site that does not appear on a tab.
If you still can't find the course, check with the instructor to restore your access. See Sakai@UD policies for the end of the semester.
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+ 7. I just added a course in UDSIS today. When will I have access to Sakai@UD?
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First, check the list of current courses to make sure the course you added uses Sakai@UD. If it does, you may need to wait 24 hours to be able to access it on Sakai.
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+ 8. Can students create Sakai@UD project sites?
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UD faculty and staff can create Sakai@UD project sites and give access to a student to maintain the site and will be responsible for its content.
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- + 1. Is there anything I need to do in my web browser to use Sakai?
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Check the Technical Requirements for using Sakai@UD and configure browser settings to always show the most recent version of the page.
- • If you are a Mac user, use Firefox instead of Safari.
- • Have only one Sakai browser window or tab open. Users have reported issues when they have had multiple Sakai windows open.
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+ 2. How do I navigate in Sakai@UD?
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In Sakai@UD, you have access to a site called My Workspace where you can upload your private files, get information on the activity in all your sites, etc.
- • If one or more of your courses uses the Schedule (Calendar) and/or the Announcements tool, you will see all the upcoming events or announcements in My Workspace.
- • The Resources tool is a private file repository. You can post documents there and access them from any computer with Internet access. You might use your My Workspace area to keep a backup of a project file, post a powerpoint presentation to use in class, etc. Please be aware that Sakai@UD is to be used for academic purposes only. See the Code of the Web for more details.
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- + 3. How do I copy text from MS Word into a Sakai text box (e.g., in Forums, Assignments or Matrices)?
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If you are using...
Firefox Use the Paste as Plain Text button instead and copy the text from MS Word into the pop-up window. Reapply formatting as needed.
If you use the Paste from Word button with a MS Word 2003 or 2007 file (.doc or .docx), the text may include formatting codes which are not visible until the entry is published. The problem is especially noticeable with Word 2003 .doc files.Internet Explorer Click the Paste from Word button and use CTRL-V to copy text from .doc or .docx files (MS Word 2003 or 2007) into the pop-up window. There may be minor formatting issues.
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+ 4. I cannot open files created in a newer
version of MS Word, Powerpoint, etc.
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See Technical Requirements for recommended viewers, plug-ins, and other items needed to set up your computer to use Sakai@UD.
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+ 5. In Forums, sometimes I have to scroll to the right
at the bottom of the page to see the entire screen. How can I prevent this?
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A very wide graphic or long web address (URL), when pasted into a Forum window, can force the screen to become wider than what monitors typically handle; making you scroll horizontally to see all the information.
To prevent this:
- • If pasting a long URL, first create a short link name in the text editor window, select it and click the "Insert/Edit Link" icon. Copy the long URL into the URL area. The system will use your short link name, instead of the full URL, as the clickable link text.
- • If pasting a wide graphic or table, you can save the item into My Workspace Resources or on your computer and attach it to the forum post.
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+ 6. How can I check the spelling in my Forum posts / Blogs?
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If you use Internet Explorer, you can install and use a third-party spell checking tool called ieSpell.
The Firefox browser's spell checking system is incompatable with the Sakai FCK text editor at this time.
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+ 7. I am having trouble using the Chat feature.
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See "Using Sakai-1" above for technical requirements.
As stated in "Things to Consider" in Chat Room: Overview, the Chat Room tool does not provide a way to chat privately.
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+ 8. How do I quickly read through Forum posts and mark threads as Read?
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You can click the title of the Topic, and then click Display Entire Message to view all the threads in the topic. After reading the posts, click Mark All as Read.
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+ 9. I need help using my clicker in a Sakai@UD course.
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For technical information, check the IT-ATS Clicker support page.
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+ 1. Can I be notified via e-mail when something changes on my Sakai sites?
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By default, you will receive an e-mail message to your UD mailbox every time a high priority item is added to Announcements and Resources. You can also be notified when a low priority item has been created. See Changing notification preferences.
Note that you will also get e-mail when you submit an Assignment (under Assignments, Tests & Quizzes, Gradebook - item 3).
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+ 2. My course has several instructors.
Can I easily send the same message to all the instructors at the same time?
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See Sending a message (step 3).
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+ 3. If someone tries to contact me using Messages, do I have to log on to Sakai to see the message?
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No. You can set an option to forward a copy of all e-mail sent to you with the Messages tool to an e-mail address of your choice. This setting must be selected for each course or project site.
To reply to e-mail received from Messages, follow the instructions in the message.
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+ 1. When uploading files, I receive the error,
"Alert: The upload size limit of 200 has been exceeded," even for small files, or my browser freezes or stay on "Processing".
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This typically is a problem when using the Mac Safari browser. See Technical Requirements for a list of supported browsers. Firefox is the UD-recommended browser.
If the file is over 200 MB, students can use UD Dropbox to submit the work directly to the Instructor.
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+ 2. Sometimes when I am trying to enter text into an Assigments text box, the Assigment gets submitted before I am ready. How do I prevent this from happening?
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Avoid using the TAB key when editing HTML in the WYSIWYG editor. Doing so will cause your cursor to leave the text editor, which means that subsequent key strokes will not be entered into your HTML, and may cause unexpected results. For example, pressing TAB followed by ENTER or the SPACEBAR often activates a button outside the WYSIWYG editor. This can lead to inadvertant submission of Assignments, opening of a new interface, such as the Attachment interface, or the loading of a new web page entirely. Should you inadvertently press the TAB key, you can re-enter the text editor by clicking inside the box with your mouse.
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+ 3. How do I know if my assignment has been received?
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When you are ready to "hand in" your work using Sakai's Assignment tool, click Submit. You will see a confirmation message with a submission ID number. An e-mail message will also be mailed to you with the same submission ID. If you do not see either message, your work may not have been saved in Sakai.
Note: Be sure to keep a copy of your work on your computer and allow plenty of time before the deadline to deal with any delivery issues.
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+ 4. In a Test, when I try to submit an answer a question, either by clicking Save and Continue, Save for Later, or Submit for Grading, I get an error and my answer is lost.
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Under certain circumstances, an error is generated when students answer a short essay question using some symbols, including the +, -, =, and < characters. To prevent the error, you can spell out the symbol (for example, type "less than" instead of "<"). This problem has been reported.
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+ 5. What are some suggestions for taking online tests?
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While taking an electronic test, to ensure that your answers are properly recorded:
- • Do not use a wireless connection, especially on a public network. Other users may interfere with your progress and cause slow response.
- • If you are taking an untimed test and need to suspend working on it, click Exit to avoid having Sakai time out after one hour of idleness. You can return to the test later and click Begin Assessment to resume your work.
- • Take care not to click more than once when saving your answer. Even if the system is slow, doing so could cause further delay.
- • After clicking "Submit for Grading," wait for the submission screen that includes your Confirmation Number. If you close your browser before seeing this screen, your test may not be recorded.
- • Be careful not to have more than one window or tab open to the Sakai quiz. Doing so may cause your answers to be submitted incorrectly.
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