astroportal instructor quick start for comins and kaufmann

AstroPortal Instructor Quick Start for Comins and Kaufmann, Discovering

the Universe, Eighth Edition

For technical support call 1-800-936-6899

AstroPortal Quick Start for Comins and Kaufmann, Discovering the

Universe, Eighth Edition Table of Contents

Overview.......................................................................................................................................... 1 System Requirements ..................................................................................................................... 1 Accessing AstroPortal ..................................................................................................................... 2

Instructor Access - Adopting AstroPortal ..................................................................................... 2 Directing Your Students to Access AstroPortal ........................................................................... 2

Student Option One: Purchase Access Directly Via the Site ................................................... 2 Student Option Two: Register with an Activation Code ........................................................... 3

Logging in to the Course.............................................................................................................. 3 Customize the Portal ....................................................................................................................... 4

The Home Page Layout ............................................................................................................... 4 Adding a Course Description ....................................................................................................... 5 Tab Setup..................................................................................................................................... 5 Diagnostic Quizzing (Personalized Study Plan) Settings ............................................................ 6 Setting the Time Zone.................................................................................................................. 6 Viewing the Course as a Student ................................................................................................ 6 Online Help .................................................................................................................................. 7

AstroPortal eBook............................................................................................................................ 7 eBook Functionality...................................................................................................................... 7 Customizing the eBook ................................................................................................................ 9

Instructor and Student Resources................................................................................................. 10 Quizzes and Assignments ............................................................................................................. 10 Gradebook ..................................................................................................................................... 12

For technical support call 1-800-936-6899

1

Overview Welcome to AstroPortal for Neil F. Comins’s and William J. Kaufmann’s Discovering the Universe, Eighth Edition. AstroPortal combines an array of instructor and student content with numerous assessment and course management tools.

This quick start guide is designed to get you up and running in the course software. You will be introduced to the main features, and should be comfortable enough to begin working in AstroPortal. After working your way through this guide, you will be able to:

Ensure your computer is properly set up for AstroPortal

Understand how instructors and students access AstroPortal

Login to AstroPortal

Customize your AstroPortal

Access AstroPortal eBook content and customize the eBook page

Find AstroPortal resources and add new resource content

Create a AstroPortal quiz assignment

Access and use AstroPortal Gradebook functions

System Requirements The following Web browsers are formally supported and tested for use with AstroPortal:

Windows: Internet Explorer version 6 or 7 and Firefox version 1.0 and above.

Mac OS X: Firefox version 1.5 and above.

In addition, some AstroPortal resources require Adobe Shockwave Player, Adobe Flash Player, Apple QuickTime (5.0 or above), Java, or Adobe Reader (version 6 or above). The latest versions of these plug-ins can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe, Sun, or Apple Web sites.

To see which plug-ins you have installed and to find installers, go to the System Check page, available from the

AstroPortal Welcome Screen, the online help system (in the System Requirements section), or directly at http://courses.bfwpub.com/syscheck/.

Note: To view some features of the Portal, you may need to turn off your browser’s pop-up blocker, and any pop-up blocker(s) in third-party toolbar(s) you may have added to your browser, such as the Google or Yahoo toolbar.

For technical support call 1-800-936-6899.

http://courses.bfwpub.com/syscheck/

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Accessing AstroPortal This section describes the procedures for instructors and students to access AstroPortal.

Instructor Access ‐ Adopting AstroPortal If you don’t yet have access to your own AstroPortal course, take the following steps to begin your course activation process: 1. Go to the AstroPortal login page at

http://courses.bfwpub.com/dtu8e.php 2. Click the ADOPT AstroPortal link. A form

will pop up. Fill in the requested ion all four pages.

nformation

3. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the final page.

4. Once you have completed these steps, the course will be created within 48 hours. You will receive all of the necessary information and instructions by e-mail.

Directing Your Students to Access AstroPortal Once you’ve set up your course, you will need to make sure your students know how to register and access your course. To get access to AstroPortal, your students have two options, described below.

Note: We can provide you with an electronic handout/syllabus insert and PowerPoint slides to help explain the registration process to your students.

Student Option One: Purchase Access Directly Via the Site 1. Students should go to http://courses.bfwpub.com/dtu8e.php, select PURCHASE access to

AstroPortal and then select their state/province from the drop down menu. Students will then be prompted to select their institution and your course from additional drop-down menus.

2. Students will set up the profile that they will use to access the portal. They must enter their name and e-mail address and choose a password.

3. Students must then enter payment information including their name (as it appears on the credit card), credit card number, expiration date, billing address and click NEXT. After confirming their information, they should click on PLACE YOUR ORDER.

4. Once the system has confirmed payment, a thank you screen will display that confirms the student’s name, e-mail address, username, and password. Students will also receive a confirmation e-mail. When the payment has been processed, the students will be able to log into the portal using the profiles set up in Step 2. They will not need an Activation Code.


http://courses.bfwpub.com/dtu8e.php


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Student Option Two: Register with an Activation Code 1. Students who received an AstroPortal

Activation Code do not need to purchase portal access through the site. Instead, they should go to http://courses.bfwpub.com/dtu8e.php and select the REGISTER an Activation Code link. The registration screen will appear.

2. Students must enter their Activation Code, name, and e-mail address (the e-mail address will serve as each student’s AstroPortal username).

3. Students then create a password and password hint. The password must be at least 4 characters long and should be something memorable.

4. Students register for a specific class by selecting their school location (state/province) from the drop-down menu at the bottom of the screen. Subsequent drop-down menus allow them to choose their institution and course/instructor.

5. Students then click NEXT at the bottom of the screen, confirm their information on the following screen, and click CREATE ACCOUNT to complete the registration process.

Note: Students won’t be able to change their e-mail address once they’ve registered, so they must choose an address that will be valid for the duration of the course.

Logging in to the Course Both you and your students will go to http://courses.bfwpub.com/dtu8e.php to login to the AstroPortal course. 1. Supply your e-mail address

and password. 2. Click LOG IN.

Note: If you or your students have trouble with a login id or pcall 1-800-936-6899 or contact technical support via e-mail at [email protected].

assword,




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Customize the Portal Once you’ve logged in, you will arrive on the home page. From here, you can access all the information, tools, and resources in AstroPortal. As the instructor, you can customize this home page to match the needs of your class.

Home Page Components

Course Title and Description

The Home Page LayoutYou can cust

omize the “components” available to you and your students on your course home

page. Follow the steps below to add, delete, or change the arrangement of your home page

me page, select Customize Your Portal below your course title. . Select Home page layout from the Customize Your Portal page.

omponent

.

isplay . The

ick the e right of

ade your desired changes.

components. 1. From your ho23. To add a component to your home page, select it in the list and click the Add C

button. The item’s position defaults to the bottom of Column 1

4. Drag and drop component(s) to rearrange the don the home pagenumber of columns is controlled by your placement of the components.

5. To remove a component, clsmall “X” to ththe component name in the layout.

6. Click the Save button when you’ve m


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Adding a Course Description Add a course description that will appear at the top of your home page. 1. From the home page, click Customize Your Portal in the top-left corner of the window. 2. Click the link for Course

description on the Customize Your Portal page.

3. Enter your course description. You can use the toolbar to format text, add links, and add pictures.

4. Click Submit Description. Your new description will be displayed. If you see a mistake, follow the same steps outlined above to make edits.

Tab Setup At the top of the portal window are namcourse. You can modify these tabs and evare also provided to control which tabs 1. From your home page, select

Customize Your Portal. 2. Select Tab setup from the

Customize Your Portal page. 3. Click the about link for a description

of the tab’s function. 4. Click the checkboxes to include or

remove tabs from your course. 5. Rename the tabs by changing the

text in the Name fields. 6. Use the yes/no radio buttons to

indicate whether or not each tab should be available to students.

7. Reorder the tabs using the up

ed tabs that jump to significant areas of your online en create a new tab that links to a Web site. Options

will be available to students.

down Move arrowheads.

8. For Custom tabs, you will be asked to supply a URL or content item to link to from the tab.

9. When you're done, click the Apply Changes button at the bottom of the page.

10. Click the Revert to Default Settings button to abandon changes.


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Diagnostic Quizzing (Personalized Study Plan) Settings ed study plan. The plans include quizzes that ed on responses to the tests, the portal

recommends specific sections of the chapter for them to review. Additionally, you can view a ons for each section,

llowing you to tailor lectures and exam reviews to the topics in the course where your students

access Personalized Study Plan settings.

ect rtal.

g )

r Portal

on in

4. a due date, you can easily change it by

date.

ettings in the Portal. By efault, Portal courses are set to US Eastern Time. Follow the steps below to set the time zone

ct Customize Your Portal. m the Customize Your

to indicate your time zone. the setting.

ill be automatically

a Student l you see is very different from what your students see. Students

have to add course content or edit components.

e course looks to your students, click the view as button in the top-left

course, grade assignments, or do any of r tasks. To return to Instructor view, click view as again, and click OK.

Every chapter of AstroPortal includes a personalizstudents can take to assess their knowledge. Bas

report showing how your students did as a group on the Self-Test questianeed the most help.

Follow the steps below to

1. From your home page, selCustomize Your Po

2. Select Diagnostic Quizzin(Personalized Study Planoverview/settings page from the Customize Youpage.

3. Set a due date for the Chapter 1 Self-Test by clicking the Assign buttthe Self-Test column, thenModify Assignment Settings. Once you set

clicking on the

Setting the Time Zone The time zone function affects due dates, calendar dates, and other sdfor your course. 1. From your home page, sele2. Select Time zone settings fro

Portal page. 3. Use the radio buttons4. Click the Submit button to complete Note: Daylight savings time changes wtaken care of by the Portal.

V iewing the Course asIn some places, the portadon't have any of the options you

1. To see how the onlincorner of the portal window.

2. Click OK to confirm entering Student view. 3. In Student view, you won't be able to modify the

your usual instructo


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The current view mode is indicated by either (Student) or (Instructor) after your name in the

Details on using the many

wer-left ow.

rrows, and irections or opic.

Web-based

top-right of the portal window.

Online Help

AstroPortal features and tools are available in Online Help.

Click the Help button in th1. e locorner of the AstroPortal wind

2. Click on highlighted words, aimage icons for detailed dmore information about a t

Note: To sign up for a live, training session, visit us at http://bfwtraining.webex.com/ Sesabout an hour and a trainer walks through all of the tools and option

sions take you

s.

A nline version of Neil F. Comins’s and William J. Eighth Edition.

ctionality

tutorials, animations, and flashcards – evant.

of content eBook

k,

(on the left) and the Preget go t

3. Jumc rr

stroPortal eBookThe AstroPortal eBook is a complete oKaufmann’s Discovering the Universe,

eBook Fun Links throughout the eBook connect to study tools such asall designed to make the learning experience more effective and rel 1. To open the eBook’s table

s, click the tab at the top of the page.

2. Once you’re in the eBoouse the Navigation Pane

vious and Next links to around in a chapter or to o another chapter. p to the section sponding to a page in o e

the printed text by entering the page number in the Search box in the upper right corner of the window, or enter search terms for a


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list of eBook sections and resources about any given topic.

4.

Personalized Study Plan. Students take the Diagnostic Quizzes and are aterials based on their responses.

1. Select a chapter from the eBook’s tabl

2. ClicPla

. A description of the Self Tests and

e

he instructor’s perspective.

uestions (be

review materials. Topics hi

est or Mastery Quiz, you will see their overall results on you will have an option to view individual scores or a s by eBook section.

ck the eBook Tools button

pop-up, click Add Note or Add will appear at the top of the

s note, choose Public from the drop-down menu above

)

Use the Open in new window link to keep an eBook page open while you visit other Portal content.

Each chapter contains athen guided to review m

e of contents. k the link for Personalized Study n.

3Mastery Quizzes is given here, along with a link at the bottom to View thstudent’s perspective of the page. From the student perspective page you will see a link to Return to t

4. Click the Try the Self-Test yourselflink. Complete the test qsure to get some wrong) and click Submit. Your results will display. Click the Continue button at the bottom of the test result page to see a report with links to

ghlighted in red are areas that require additional study.

Once your students have taken a Self-Tthe Personalized Study Plan page, and class report breaking down these result eBook Tools allow you and your students to access bookmarking, glossary, highlighting and note-taking functionality.

1. Navigate to any eBook section and clion the right. From the resultingSticky Note. A Note (or Top Note) page. A sticky note will be positioned anywhere you choose on the page.

2. Type in a note. 3. If you want your students to see thi

the note text. “Private” notes will not be visible to your students.

4. Click SAVE. If you designated the note as public, your students will automatically see the note on this section the next timethey log in. (Students can also add their own notes to each section; their notes willshow up right above yours intheir “copy” of the eBook.

5. Double-clicking any phrasein the eBook will highlight the phrase.


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Cu the eBook

chapters in

ch you will

t

3.

4.

ull chapters or chapter sections of the eBook

. Click the Assignment tab. specify a due date. Other

for students and to include the item in the Gradebook.

m and click

ption for the item you’d like to lick Link to create a

To add a link to an rtal, click

e the item you ary depending example, if ould supply a on the

f the Content URL.

stomizingIn addition to the functionality noted above, the AstroPortal eBook provides several options to customize eBook content.

You can rearrange theyour course’s copy of the eBook to match the order in whicover topics in your course. To do so, follow these steps: 1. Click the eBook tab at the top of

the Portal to see the eBook table of contents.

2. Click the rearrange link jusunder the eBook title. Drag and drop the chapters in the subsequent screen to reorder them. Click Save when finished.

F can be assigned and scheduled for students. 1. Navigate to and select a chapter in the eBook. 2. Select the change settings link under the chapter title. 34. Click the Assign Item checkbox. A dialog opens where you can

available options are to schedule a reminder e-mail

You can also add new content items (e.g. web links, uploaded documents, or pages you write from scratch right in the Portal) anywhere in the eBook. 1. Navigate to the chapter or section folder

where you want to add the itethe add content link under the folder title.

2. Click the oadd. For example, clink to another Web site.existing resource in the poShortcut.

3. You will be prompted to creatselected. These steps will von the assignment type. For you had selected Link, you wlink name – e.g. Astro Link —Content tab. At the bottom otab you would supply a Link


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Instructor and Student Resources

(but

lect the tab for Resources. either the STUDENT RESOURCES or INSTRUCTOR

wn here, “All instructor resources” has ructor Resources drop-down.

rs.

age to access the materials. o to the Resources page and click ee links to these items when they

e

al, you have a wealth of activities, quizzes, quiz questions, and eBook content you an access to shape your course. You can also create assignments using your own content,

AstroPortal can be assigned from the Assignment quiz.

e AstroPortal banner frame. The Assignment ur course, but as you add assignments, they will be

nts. iz from the Create a new assignment drop-down

.

rs in the quiz). To edit these s before creating the quiz, click Create Quiz & Edit Settings.

Study tools such as Animations and Interactive Exercises, web links, and flashcards are linked throughout the eBook sections. These tools are also available directly from he Resources tab. Youtnot your students) can also access instructor-specific resources, such as PowerPoint slides and answers to Observing Projects. 1. From anywhere in the Portal, se2. Select a resource type from

RESOURCES drop-down menu. In the example shobeen selected from the Inst

3. Use the chapters drop-down to select resources for a specific chapter, or select all chapte. Click the go button. 4

5. Click any of the folder links to on the resulting p6. To add additional resource materials for your students, g

m button. Your students will sthe Add a new content iteaccess the Resources tab. The process to add these items is similar to that described abovfor adding a new content item to the eBook.

Quizzes and AssignmeIn AstroPort

nts

cwhich you can add to the course. Anything in Center. Here, we’ll walk you through creating a 1. Click on the Assignment Center tab in th

Center will be blank when you first get yoconveniently listed here for you and your stude

2. Click Add an assignment, then select Quand click go

3. To quickly create a quiz and start addingquestions, enter the quiz name and click Create Instant Quiz. You can come back to the Assignment Center later to set the due date, scoring, and other settings (for example, you can scramble the questions and/or multiple choice answesetting


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4. Now that you have created an instant quiz, you will now be in the question picker. You can

use the From an Existing Question Bank dialog to browse, filter, and select questions from ry creating a question of

our options.

ype a

r in the

ts

r ted

ght of

the hundreds provided in the AstroPortal question bank. For now, tyour own. Under the Create your Own dialog box, use the drop-down to view ySelect Multiple Choice and click go.

5. In the text field, tquestion (in the exampleshown, the question is “What is 2 + 3?”). Entethe answer choices“choices” and add poinfor the correct answer inthe points fields to the left of the choices.

6. You can add feedback fospecific answers selecin the fields to the rithe answer choices, or General Feedback for the question in the field below the answer choices.

7. Click Save. Note that your new question will be listed on the right side of the screen.

icking the pencil icon (8. Edit questions by cl ) and delete them by clicking the ( ) icons. Use dding

9.

AstroPortal, use the Assign an existing terials are located, and click go. On the o add, then click Continue. You will be

able to enter due dates for each resource you’ve sele .

the arrow icons to move questions up and down in the quiz. Click the done aquestions link at the top of the screen when you have finished. Back at the Assignment Center, you will see your new quiz added. You can experiment and take the quiz. To change settings, hover your mouse over the quiz title and then click the settings link that appears to the right of the title. Click the Remove button associated with the quiz to Unassign or Delete it.

To assign existing content (such as Resources) from the content item drop down to select the area where the maresulting page, find and select the resource(s) you want t

cted


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Gradebook The AstroPortal Gradebook functions much like Gradebooks in other learning management systems such as Blackboard, WebCT, and Angel. 1. Click on the Gradebook tab. 2. Links to your Course Roster and Attendance pages will appear at the top of the screen. 3. Click the drop-down for Other Gradebook Functions including Display Preferences and

Import/Export options.

4. Students are listed in rows; assignments are listed in columns. Click on a student to view or

edit his/her grade details. 5. Click a column heading to get a menu of options for an assignment or assignment category. 6. The button for a Printable Version at the top right will generate a print-friendly PDF view of

your Gradebook.


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