Getting Started, Tutorials, and Help

  1. If you do not have a SacLink account, then you will need one to access all online course material and requirements:
    Get started by Setting Up a SacLink Account

  2. If you already have a SacLink username and password but are not familiar with online learning or the Blackboard Learning management system, then log in to Blackboard here: www.csus.edu/sacct

  3. Once you have logged in to SacCT and selected this Course, you find the Course Menu in the leftmost column on the home page for this course:
    Click on "START HERE: About the instructor and this course" link to begin.

  4. EXPLORE what is available within SacCT, focus first on Learning Module 1. At the start of the video lecture/slideshow for the first module I present a short tour of course elements within SacCT. Other modules become available as the course progresses according to the Schedule on the Syllabus.

  5. There is more to see and do in each Learning Module, find the "To Do List" within each module for details on what tasks to do and in what order I suggest you do them.

 

Click on the hyperlinks below for more information about online learning and Blackboard components

FAQ about eLearning - Online courses are more demanding than conventional courses. There are numerous required activities one must accomplish on one's own by specific deadlines. Students in such courses should be independent, self-disciplined, self-motivated learners with good study skills. Students who have good time management skills will generally do very well in this type of learning environment.

Warning: Blackboard and mobile devices do not play nicely together sometimes, but the situation is improving. For instance, do not use the Blackboard Mobile Learn app to take tests. Sometimes it works on an iPads, tablets, or phones, but mostly I find it to be erratic and unpredictable. I am sorry about this but neither I nor the campus are able to support such apps. Therefore, never attempt a graded assignment using the Blackboard Mobile Learn app. For best results use a desktop or laptop when interacting with Blackboard material for this course. Also, some videos and webpages are not visible on an iPad or an Android, so do view Learning Modules using a laptop or desktop. For best results, I recommend that you use campus computers and a valid saclink account. The course is designed for use on several platforms but we cannot guarantee that it is stable on all platforms, so if your browser acts oddly, then please try another browser. I use and design my material for Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome but I cannot guarantee that everything will work as intended. Please report any dead or poorly functioning links to me ASAP so that I can resolve the problem.

 

The Most Important Details and Tutorials about Online Course Components
  1. Accessing SacCT/Bb courses at Sacramento State - This is the place to start. It is a video that tells you how to use SacCT/Bb in online courses offered at our campus.

  2. Courses and Content - Courses contain content and tools for your learning experience. Any online SacCT/Bb course consists of the Course Menu and a content frame which includes links to files, folders, and webpages. Your instructor manages and delivers the the course via the Course Menu. This menu links to content and tools and the content frame displays the feature you select. Start reviewing online course material by finding the course menu, which appears on the left side of the page within your in SacCT/Bb course. The course menu contains links to materials and tools within the course you will need to use, so click around and see what happens.

  3. Learning Modules - A learning module (LM) is an organized collection of content presented and grouped together. Learning modules are shells in which other content items such as files, folders and tools and weblinks are added. It can support a course goal, a course objective, a subject, a concept, or a theme. Learning modules enable you to follow a structured path for progressing through content. This course has several LMs, access these via the folder on the Course Menu, look for these there now.

  4. Tests and Assignments - Tests (sometimes called quizzes) and assignments used to assess your mastery over course content and objectives. You will find these under the Course Menu or in a learning module. Here is a video on How to take tests in SacCT. This info page also contains more info and How To videos for Taking a Test Online and Submitting Assignments, follow these for more.

  5. Discussion Board - If used in the course, these will appear under the Course Menu. The discussion board is a tool for sharing thoughts and ideas about class materials, and participation is graded. This page tells you how access and use Discussion Boards in Bb, see the videos on How To post and respond to Discussion Board threads at the bottom of the page and see this video here: Interacting in Discussions. We will use discussion boards also as a kind of open email and virtual chat area. For example, whenever I have online office hours (and really anytime else) I ask that you post your questions to the "Ask Prof. Merlino" discussion board so that other people mught benefit from our discussion. See specific discussion boards in and threads in Bb for more info.

  6. Journals - NOTE: Philosophy 131 does NOT use Journals this semester. If used in a course, these are individualized and a link to yours will appear under the Course Menu, it is called "My Journal". Journals are a personal space for you to communicate privately with your instructor, and jouranl efforts are graded. You can also use a journal as a self-reflective tool to post your opinions, ideas, and concerns about your course, or discuss and analyze course related materials. For example, you can describe problems you faced and how you solved them. Your instructor can direct journal entries to be more formal in nature and narrower in focus by listing topics for discussion. Your instructor can choose to make journal entries public, allowing all course members to view all entries. You can read what other students wrote and build on those ideas. The journal topic page is divided into two main sections. You can view the instructions in the content frame. Click the X to collapse the instructions. In the side panel, you can view information about the journal. Expand and collapse sections in the side panel using the arrow next to a title. Here is a video on How to Create and Comment on Journal Entries.

  7. How to Check Your Grades - The My Grades page shows the status of gradable items, such as tests, assignments, journal and blog entries, and discussion posts.

 

More General Tutorials and Information
  1. Accessibility - Your instructor, CSUS, and Blackboard are committed to ensuring that the online learning environment is usable and accessible. The code and user interface design techniques are continually audited to ensure that the Bb is usable by everyone, to the greatest extent possible, regardless of age, ability, or situation. Bb measures and evaluates accessibility levels using two sets of standards: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act issued from the United States federal government and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) issued by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). For help, please consult with your instructor and Services to Students with Disabilities (SSWD) as early in the course as possible. Sacramento State Course Accessiblity guidelines that instructors use are here: www.csus.edu/accessibility/checklist.html.

  2. Blackboard Help for Students - This is the Main Page where you can find answers to lots of questions specific to the online components of any course that uses Bb.

  3. Blackboard Learn Environment - This is an overview page from which you can get answers to questions about browser compatibility, accessibility, and navigating Bb.

  4. Global Navigation and My Blackboard - This page shows you how to access global navigation, change personal settings (text size, personal info, etc.), and see recent posts, etc. for each of your courses in Bb.

  5. My Blackboard Profiles - Use this to create a personal profile, decide with whom to share it, and view profiles of others.

  6. YouTube Blackboard Videos - Many links to videos on Bb appear here, some of which you will find relevant and useful to this course. Take a look around.

  7. Sacramento State student resources and videos - Here is the main page for students with information about SacCT/Bb for our campus: It contains information about Getting Started, Browser Settings, Tutorials, Workshops, System Issues & Resolutions, Accessibility Resources, New Features and Updates, and the Student Code of Conduct - consult these as needed.

 

More Stuff