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Using Online tools@UniSA

Online communication skills developed at university are useful for future employment. The online environment enables you to track your achievements, manage your learning opportunities and develop the skills you will need as a graduating professional.

At UniSA you will use the online environment for managing your study and learning.  Students and lecturers use email, online discussion forums and chat for communicating with one another. You will also use the UniSA's online tools to submit assignments and evaluate your courses.

This web resource will introduce you to using online learning tools at UniSA.  It assumes you have at least a basic knowledge of computers and are familiar with terms such as 'internet', web page', 'home page', 'myUniSA' and 'hyperlinks'.  If you require a more detailed explanation of these terms, visit Online@UniSA or Introduction to Computers.

Your course homepages

Each course at UniSA has its own homepage. Your course homepages are listed on myUniSA.  Here you will also find links to key university resources such as the library and Campus Central and to your class timetables and Course Coordinator's homepages.  You can also expect to find links to:

Your course website

There are many ways lecturers present their courses in the online environment.  For example, your lecturer may choose to develop a course website which is linked to the course homepage under 'learning resources for this course'.  This will have its own descriptive title such as 'Physiotherapy online'.

The website is linked to the homepage and is a central point for information about course content, schedules, assessment and policy. The course website might also have links to other online tools such as AssignIT, the course evaluation instrument (CEI) discussion, chat and quizzes.

Online discussion

Online discussion (sometimes known as a noticeboard, discussion list or forum) is used for 'asynchronous' communication between lecturers and students.  Asynchronous communication means your message is posted and a response is given at a later time - in a similar way to email.  Messages can be viewed by all participants which means everyone has the benefit of seeing questions and answers.

Sometimes discussion is used for course administration.  For example, a lecturer might post a message about a change in lecture arrangements.  On another occasion, a student might post a question asking for help with defining a key term in an essay question.  The lecturer's (or another student’s) response to this question helps to clarify information for all students.

At other times, online discussion might be a part of the learning process.  For example, a lecturer might post a discussion question such as 'what are the advantages of email in business?’  Students may be required to research this question, post a brief response, respond to their classmates' postings or pose questions of their own.  The discussion tool also enables you to upload files to share with others.
 
It is useful to remember that online discussion—like chat— provides an 'anywhere, anytime' learning environment which facilitates communication.

Online chat

Online chat is similar to online discussion in that it enables communication between lecturers and students. Again, this online tool can be used for administration or learning. An example of how an online chat might occur is where students are unable to attend campus during working hours.  The lecturer may choose to set up an online consultation time where students can drop in to a chat room to ask their questions.

The main difference between a discussion and chat is that it is 'synchronous'.  Chatting online happens in 'real time' (like speaking on the phone) at a time predetermined by your lecturer. Online chatting can be private (one to one) or public (open to all students) depending on what arrangements your lecturer makes.
 
Both discussion and chat work best where there is enthusiastic participation and a 'safe' environment which respects the views of others.

Netiquette

Netiquette fosters good manners online.  It involves a few 'rules' which help to create a productive and respectful online environment:

Quizzes

Some lecturers also like to use quizzes in their courses. These are linked to either the course homepage or course website.  Quizzes are useful for checking your progress, instant feedback from lecturers and linking to areas for further help.

Submitting assignments online

AssignIT is a web-based system that allows you to submit your work to your lecturer to a secure, electronic 'bank'.

To submit an assignment, you need to log on to AssignIT, and upload (or attach) your document. The person marking your assignment is alerted via email and can collect the assignment, mark and return it using AssignIT. AssignIT automatically tracks the progress of the assignment in the University’s information system and alerting you by email when your assignment has been returned.

Useful links and resources

 

 

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