Using Learn

The course page

From the top right hand side of the page you have access to quick links for the TAFE SA website, MyTAFE SA and TAFE SA Learn Help page. Directly below these links are My Courses and icons for Messages and Notifications:

• Find out more about the course page

  Course banner

  The course banner stretches across the complete width of the page, here you’ll also find the course name and site breadcrumbs. Selecting the course name will bring you back to the Home page of the course.

   

  

  Course information - Contents

  The course information is split into two sections. On the left is the CONTENTS with a list of all the sections available, you can also search the course from this area. Under each content’s menu item, you can see the progress for each Section. Down the bottom of the list is the Course Dashboard.

   

    

  

  Course Dashboard

  The Course Dashboard shows the progress and grade for the course along with quick access to the Gradebook, Open Reports and Badges. Below this are two (2) blocks:

  1. Completion progress
  2. Activities

  The completion progress shows you a visual representation of your progress through this course.

  Use the activities block for easy navigation to each activity type. This means, if you select forums, you will see a screen with a list of all of the forums in this course and the topic number they are located in.  Each forum will also be linked so you can also select one of the links to directly access the selected forum. 

   

  Course resources

  The course resources are on the right side of the page. Here you will see all the resources your lecturer has put together for you, these resources may include books, web links, activities, images, video and audio.

Course icons

The following icons may be used throughout this course to help you identify important information or activities you are required to undertake. If at any time you are unclear what an icon means you can always refer back to this page.

• Find out more about Course Icons

  System icons

  		Assignment The assignment provides a space into which you can submit work for lecturers to grade and give feedback on.
  		Attendance Enables a lecturer to take attendance during class and you to view your own attendance record.
  		Book Books can contain media files as well as text and are useful for displaying lengthy passages of information which can be broken down into sections.
  		Chat Enables you to have text-based, real-time synchronous discussions.
  		Checklist Is a checklist / to do list / task list for you to work through.
  		Choice A single question with a selection of possible responses.
  		Collaborate single session Single instance of a virtual classroom. Compatible with Firefox or Chrome only
  		Collaborate multi session A regularly scheduled virtual classroom. Compatible with Firefox or Chrome only
  		Database Enables you to create, maintain and search a collection of entries (i.e. records).
  		File A file is a course resource.
  		Folder Contains a number of files inside a single location.
  		Forum The forum activity module enables you to have asynchronous discussions i.e. discussions that take place over an extended period of time.
  		Glossary Enables participants to create and maintain a list of definitions, like a dictionary, or to collect and organise resources or information.
  		Interactive Content Can contain interactive content such as interactive videos, question sets, drag and drop questions, multi-choice questions, presentations etc.
  		Lesson A lesson is used for self-directed learning, scenarios or simulations/decision making exercises.
  		Lightbox Gallery A lightbox gallery enables you to view a gallery of images and if available leave comments.
  		Page A page is a web page used to present content that can display text, images, sound, video, web links etc.
  		Quiz A quiz comprises a range of various question types including multiple choice, matching, short answer and numerical. Each attempt is marked automatically and grade may be is recorded in the gradebook.
  		SCORM Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) is an electronic package that is used for presenting multimedia content and animations.
  		Survey The survey is used to assess your online learning experience.
  		URL A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is also known as a web address, it is a reference to a web resource that specifies its location on the internet.
  		Wiki The wiki enables participants to add and edit a collection of web pages.
  		Workshop The workshop enables the collection, review and peer assessment of students' work.

Messages

Learn also includes an instant messaging tool so you can communicate with your lecturer or fellow students individually.

• Find out more about sending and receiving messages

  Access messages

  1. When you first log in to Learn you will be directed to your My Courses window. If you are already in Learn, select the My Courses link at the top right of the screen.
     
     
  2. To the left side of the the My Courses window, select View my messages.
     
     
     
     
  3. From here, you can view, create or respond to all of your messages.
     
     

  Find a contact

  You can search for a contact by entering their name in the Search field or, if you’ve previously emailed them, you can select their name from your Contacts list.

  

   

  Send a message from the Course Dashboard

  A convenient way to contact someone in your course group is to look them up in the Participants area of the Course Dashboard.

  1. From the course page, select Course Dashboard at the bottom of the left side navigation menu.
     
     
     
     
  2. Select Participants.
     
     
     
     
     
  3. Select the participant you want to send a message to.
     
     
     
  4. Select Message.
     
     
     
  5. Enter your message in the 'Write a message...' field and select Send.
     
     
     

   

  Receiving messages

  When someone sends you a new message you will get an email notification, this will be sent to the email you have saved in your profile. The number of unread messages will also be displayed next to your My Courses link.

  

Quizzes, activities and assignments

There are various ways that your lecturer may assess your progress within your course:

• A written assessment done online in your Learn course as a quiz
• A written assignment prepared offline and uploaded into Learn for your lecturer to access
• A practical assessment (or observation), where you complete a practical task and your assessor either assesses you as you do it, or via the uploading of a video or audio file.

Your course may also contain quizzes and other learning activities, such as interactive exercises, to test your knowledge or give you the opportunity to practice before you proceed to the assessment stage.

• Find out more about quizzes

  

  Quizzes are represented by this icon.  You may be required to answer questions in different formats such as “true or false”, multiple choice, choose an answer from a drop-down menu, fill in the blanks, etc.  Quizzes may be for assessment, or may be designed to test your knowledge before you attempt assessment in your course.

  Each quiz will have the following details:

  1. Overview
  2. Elements and performance criteria
  3. Time (estimated or allowed time)
  4. Instructions
  5. Completion
     

  Step-by-Step Guide for Quizzes

  1. Click on the quiz you are required to answer to:
     
     
  
  
  2. After reading the instructions, click on the Attempt Quiz button:
     
     
  
  
  3. Respond to the quiz questions. When you are confident with your answers, click on the Finish attempt button at the bottom of the quiz page:
     
     
     
  
  
  4. Again, if you are confident with your answers, click on the Submit and Finish button to see your results. If not, click on Return to attempt to review your answers:
     
     
  
  
  5. The system will ask you again if you are 100% confident with your answers, if so, click on Submit and Finish:
     
     
  
  
  6. Once you have submitted and finished your attempt, you will see the results of your quiz outcome:
     
     
  
  
  7. Depending on the TAFE SA Assessment Policy, you may be able to attempt your assessment components more than twice. Contact your lecturer if you have any questions around these policies.

• Find out more about activities

  
  This icon can represent a range of different interactive activities; from drag and drop exercises through to puzzles, memory games, timelines, hot-spots and interactive videos. These types of interactive activities will not usually be part of your assessment, but are learning activities only.

   

• Find out more about assignments

  Uploading assignments

  

  This icon indicates you are required to submit an assignment online. The type of work that you may be asked to provide could be in the form of a word document, a spreadsheet, images, audio or even a video. Lecturers can then receive, review, mark, grade and provide feedback online.

  
  

  How to upload an assignment:

  1. Select the Assignment icon/ link:
     
     
     
  2. Select the Add submission button:
     
     
     
     
  3. Select the Add file icon to choose a file or drag and drop your file to the area where it says, You can drag and drop files here to add them:
     
     
     
     
  4. In the file picker window, select the Choose File button. 
     
     
     
     
  5. Navigate to where you saved your file and select Open:
     
     
     
     
  6. Make sure your file appears in the File submission box and select Save Changes.
     
     
     
     
  7. At this point you have the option to Edit submission or Submit your assignment if there are no further changes to be made. You can also add a Comment about your submission for your lecturer:
     
     
     
     
  8. Once you submit your assignment, check the Confirm submission box and select Continue:
     
     
     
     
  9. Your assignment will be submitted, and no further changes can be made. Your lecturer will be notified when you have submitted an assignment and will provide feedback to you online. You will receive notification via email when your lecturer has provided a grade or feedback.
     
     

  Uploading large files

  Depending on the course you are studying, some of the assignments you may be required to submit may be video or audio files, or may be large files with lots of graphics.  Such files are usually considerably larger in size than Word documents or spreadsheets.  Learn has a maximum file upload limit of 20 MB, so your file may go over this size.

  If this happens, you will need to choose an alternative way to upload a file. You can upload using your OneDrive and a link.

  This video shows you how to upload a large file that will not fit on Learn and how to share the link and upload a txt that contains the link.

  
  

Recording video and audio

Lecturers and students now have the ability to record audio and video directly in Learn. Two additional icons will appear in the top row of the text editor’s toolbar wherever this option is available.

• Find out more about recording video and audio

  1. Lecturers and students now have the ability to record audio and video directly in Learn. Two additional icons will appear in the top row of the text editor’s toolbar wherever this option is available.

     This short video on YouTube demonstrates how to insert audio and video:

     
     

YuJa is another option available to TAFE SA staff and students for video recording, editing, and storage.

• Find out more about Yuja

   

  What can I do with YuJa?

   

  

   

  Yuja allows you record video content or upload pre-existing video content to be stored and shared. It is integrated in to LEARN, to make it as easy as possible for you to creating and sharing video.

  You may find yourself using videos as part of activities in LEARN such as forums or assessments throughout your time at TAFE SA.

   

  How can I access YuJa?

   

  In Browser

  • You can access YuJa by going to the TAFE SA YuJa website and sign in with your TAFE SA Single Sign On.
  • From here, you can record, upload, store, edit and manage your video and audio content.

  In LEARN

  • You can also record video content and share your pre-recorded video stored in YuJa directly in LEARN by clicking on the YuJa Icon Button in the Atto text editing bar in LEARN.
  • The YuJa icon button looks like two rainbow semi-circles interlinking.
  • The Atto text editor is available in a range of LEARN activities such as forums and assessment submission areas.

  On a mobile device

  • The YuJa mobile app allows you to record video content which will upload and be stored to your YuJa account. You can also view some video content that has been shared from your LEARN subjects. Note: sharing, editing and managing your media can only be done in the Browser version of YuJa.
  • You can download the YuJa mobile app from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Just search for YuJa Video.

   

  How can I get help with YuJa?

   

  The library provides support services if you need help using YuJa. They have helpful user guide which can be found on the library website.

  If you need assistance, you can book an appointment with a librarian for support through the TAFE SA Students website: Libraries (tafesa.edu.au)

   

View your course in different formats

Looking for course content that fits your learning needs, your busy schedule, and your multiple devices? Alternative Formats through Ally transform selected course files into different formats to help you learn better.  

• Find out more about viewing Learn courses in alternative formats

  

  You may notice an icon next to some of the documents in your LEARN course. If it is available, click on the Ally icon (the capitol ‘A’ with a down arrow - like the image above) and select alternative formats”. Alternative formats are available on selected documents and are automatically generated versions of the original text. The format you select may initially take a few minutes to download. You can save this alternative format file on your device. Remember, the quality of the alternative formats can depend on the original and the quality of the automated conversion process, so check the original file if something doesn’t look right.

  
  Enhance your Understanding

  Did you know that when you engage different senses, like reading a text and listening to a text, you activate different parts of the brain, which can enhance your understanding? For example, try reading the Tagged PDF first and then listening to the Audio MP3 for review. Or, if you are struggling to understand the text, you might try listening and reading at the same time.

   
  Improve your Time Management

  With your busy schedule, maximising your time on task and study opportunities can help you reach your learning goals. For example, if you’re reading on your mobile, try the HTML format for a file that’s responsive to your screen size so that you can read faster and with fewer distractions. Or listen to theAudio MP3 when you’re on the go for extra time reviewing your materials.

  
  Find a Higher Quality Alternative

  The readability of your course materials can affect your comprehension and study practices. For example, if you notice the original course file is a scanned PDF that you can’t highlight, copy-paste, or keyword search, try the OCRed PDF for an editable, easier to read document. Or if the font of the original is hard to read, try the ePub format to customise the font and contrast.

  
  Become a Better Learner
  Think about the best format for your learning context and objective and include multiple formats in your study process. Leading up to practicals or assessments, keep a journal of the ones you use to discover how you learn best. For more information on the alternative formats, visit the Blackboard website: Alternative Formats | Blackboard Help
  
  
  Each alternate format is listed below with its features and advantages.

   OCRed PDF - uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to automatically extract text from PDF
         scanned documents (essentially an image) into editable text for better searching and reading.

   Tagged PDF - improves PDF accessibility when viewed on devices without MS Office or when
         using screen readers and reduces the file size.

   HTML - creates a mobile-friendly and device responsive version of the content.

   ePub - enables easy changes to a document's visual display, including annotation, highlighting, or any other customisable features such as font size on ePub devices.

   Electronic Braille - provides learning content converted to work on braille assistive technology.

   Audio - converts text into an audio MP3 file to flexibly engage with your learning such as during a commute, while running, or listening to content while reading along with the text.

   BeeLine Reader - enhanced features to promote eye and attention focus improving reading.

   Immersive Reader – reads text aloud at the same time as highlighting the words being read.  Can help improve reading, comprehension and grammar.

   Translated version - selected content that has Ally enabled can be automatically generated into
          over 56 languages to support learning.  

  
  

  This quick reference guide indicates with ticks how alternative formats can support your learning!

  Your needs and preferences	Electronic Braille	Audio (MP3)	PDF / OCR	Tagged PDF	HTML	ePub	Translated Version	Immersive Reader	BeeLine Reader
  Adjust text, font, and background colour
  Listening & Adjust audio playback speed
  Commuting
  Commuting while driving
  Copy, paste and search
  Format adapts to device
  Highlighting, note taking and bookmarking
  Mobile device
  Working Offline
  Prefer reading
  Print based materials
  Text to speech and speed adjustment

  (Resources adapted from Blackboard Ally Communications & Adoption Kit)
  
  

  Watch this video: Choose Your Alternative Format For Blackboard Learn