getting started guide - cengage · instructors and students. the buttons listed vary according to...

Getting Started Guide for Instructors

Copyright © 2008 by Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

“Cengage Learning” and “Eduspace” are registered trademarks of Cengage Learning.

Blackboard and the Blackboard logo are registered trademarks of Blackboard. Copyright © 2003.

Blackboard Inc. All rights reserved.

Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior

written consent of Cengage Learning unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law.

Address inquiries to College Permissions, Cengage Learning, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116-3764.

Printed in the United States of America.

ISBN: 0618-45246X 23456789-CS-07 06 05 04

rev 06202008

Contents 1 Overview of Eduspace ............................................................................... 1

Where Do I Start? ....................................................................................... 1 System Requirements .................................................................................. 1 Other Sources of Information for Instructors ................................................... 2 Using the Online Help .................................................................................. 2 Contacting Eduspace Technical Support .......................................................... 3

2 A First Look at Eduspace ........................................................................... 4 Logging In and Entering a Course .................................................................. 4 The Eduspace Window ................................................................................. 5

Menu Buttons and Tools ............................................................................ 6 Tabs ....................................................................................................... 6

Instructor vs. Student View of a Course.......................................................... 7 3 The Control Panel ...................................................................................... 9 4 Preloaded Course Content ....................................................................... 11

How Do I Know What Is Preloaded in My Course?............................................12 5 Eduspace Tests........................................................................................ 14

Eduspace Question Pools .............................................................................14 Displaying Test Manager .............................................................................14 Creating a Test ..........................................................................................16 Deploying a Test ........................................................................................19

Deploying a Test .....................................................................................19 Setting Options for a Deployed Test ...........................................................20

Test, Question, and Question Pool Options .....................................................23 For More Information ..................................................................................25

6 Eduspace Homework ............................................................................... 26 Adding an HM Exercise as Homework ............................................................27 Changing HM Exercise Options .....................................................................30

Modifying an HM Exercise .........................................................................30 Modifying HM Exercise Options ..................................................................32

Adding an Assignment ................................................................................33 For More Information ..................................................................................36

7 Eduspace Gradebook ............................................................................... 37 Displaying the Gradebook............................................................................37 Adding a Gradebook Item............................................................................38 Adding and Modifying Grades Manually..........................................................40 Modifying an HM Exercise Grade...................................................................41 Exporting and Importing Gradebook Data ......................................................42 For More Information ..................................................................................46

8 WebAssign Homework, Tests, and Gradebook......................................... 47 What Courses Are Available?........................................................................47 How Do I Select to Use WebAssign in My Eduspace Course? .............................47 How Can I Tell if I Have WebAssign? .............................................................48 WebAssign User Guides...............................................................................48 WebAssign Customer Support ......................................................................49

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Eduspace Getting Started Guide for Instructors

9 Announcements ...................................................................................... 50Course Code Announcement ........................................................................51 Announcement Posting Order.......................................................................51 Adding an Announcement............................................................................52 Updating an Announcement .........................................................................54 Removing an Announcement........................................................................54

10 Adding a Syllabus.................................................................................. 56 Creating a Syllabus with the Syllabus Builder .................................................56 Attaching a Syllabus File .............................................................................60 For More Information ..................................................................................63

Appendix A Formatting Text....................................................................... 64 Rich Text in Internet Explorer ......................................................................64 Rich Text in Firefox.....................................................................................65

Appendix B Adding a Folder ....................................................................... 67

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1 Overview of Eduspace Eduspace is a web-based program that provides you with an online, customizable course for the Cengage Learning text of your choice. Powered by the Blackboard online learning system, Eduspace includes Blackboard features as well as preloaded course materials provided by Cengage Learning. You can use the course as is or further customize it by:

• Tailoring the preloaded content to your specific course needs

• Posting homework assignments and deploying tests

• Communicating with students via email, discussion forums, collaboration, and drop boxes

• Adding work outside of Eduspace to the gradebook

• Adding your own web-ready content

Where Do I Start? The Registration and Enrollment Guide, which you received from Cengage Learning, includes both your passkey and instructions for registration and enrollment. The instructions also cover creating a course.

Once you create a course, use this Getting Started Guide for the basic steps and procedures for working in your Eduspace course. Which chapters you read depend on your familiarity with Eduspace and your course needs:

• Chapters 1 through 3 provide overview information and basic navigation steps.

• Chapter 4 has information on preloaded content and the location of the Course Materials Guide, if one is available. At a minimum, all instructors are advised to read the Course Materials Guide.

• If you are using the Eduspace homework, tests, and gradebook, review chapters 5 through 7. If you are using WebAssign, see chapter 8 for the location of the WebAssign manuals and other resources. Not sure which one to use? Chapter 8 also gives you an overview of WebAssign.

• Chapter 9 has information on posting announcements, and chapter 10 covers adding a syllabus to your course. Use or skip these chapters according to your course needs.

TIPS If you are short on time or want to jump right in, start with the Course Materials Guide (page 12). This guide describes the course’s preloaded content, including the intended use of the content and what content needs to be made available or deployed to students.

System Requirements Both instructors and students can use the same wizard to make sure their systems meet Eduspace system requirements. First, click the Support tab in Eduspace. Then click the Wizard button. The wizard checks your system and displays a list of required software and plugins, showing which ones are okay and which need to be installed. The wizard also provides links for downloading any required or

recommended third-party plugins.

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Other Sources of Information for Instructors

Click the Help icon at the top of a course window to open the Eduspace Support page. This page has links to:

• The online instructor manual (also referred to as the online Help)

• Access to the Eduspace knowledge base

• Most popular and most recently asked questions

• Procedures from Eduspace Technical Support written for instructors based on frequently asked questions

Another resource, TeamUP Integration Services, offers in-depth training on integrating Eduspace and other Cengage Learning materials into your course. TeamUP offers web-based demonstrations, phone consultations, and in-person seminars. For more information, go to http://college.hmco.com/instructors/ins_teamup.html.

Using the Online Help The online Help, or online instructor’s manual, provides in-depth information on Eduspace features. The Help has overviews and procedures, an index, and full search capabilities.

To open the online Help 1.

Click the Help icon at the top of a course window to open the Eduspace Support page.

2. Click the Instructor Online Help Manual link to open the Help.

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http://college.hmco.com/instructors/ins_teamup.html


Contacting Eduspace Technical Support If you encounter problems when using Eduspace, refer to the Eduspace Support page (see page 2) to see if your question is answered there. If not, contact Cengage Learning Technical Support at 800-732-3223 x1.

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2 A First Look at Eduspace This chapter presents an introductory look at Eduspace, in particular a course’s home page and the options available from that page.

Logging In and Entering a Course After you receive an email confirming that your Eduspace course is ready, you can log in to Eduspace and enter the course.

1. Go to the Eduspace website http://www.eduspace.com.

TIP Since you will always use this website to access your Eduspace courses, you may want to add it to your browser’s Favorites/Bookmarks list.

2. Click the Login button.

3. Enter the Username and Password you created during registration and click the Login button.

The My Courses column lists the courses you are currently enrolled in.

My Courses column

4. Click the link for the course you want to enter in the My Courses block.

Eduspace displays the course’s home page, which is typically the Announcements page. This is usually the first page you and your students see when entering the course and is similar to the one shown in the following screen.

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http://www.eduspace.com/


Breadcrumbs

Course code

The links at the top of a window are referred to as breadcrumbs, and they show the path you took to display the current screen. To back up or return to a earlier screen, click its link in the breadcrumbs.

The Course Code announcement is automatically posted by Eduspace. You need to distribute the course code to your students so they can enroll in the Eduspace course. For both your convenience and that of your students, do not delete the Course Code announcement. (See chapter 9 for more information on announcements.)

The Eduspace Window The menu buttons and tools down the left side of a course window are navigation aids that you and students use to go from one area of a course to another. The tabs across the top of the window provide links to resources, both course-related and personal-interest links.

NOTE In Eduspace, always use the breadcrumbs, menu buttons and tools, or a page’s navigation buttons (such as Cancel or Next) to go from page to page. (Do not use the browser’s buttons).

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Menu Buttons and Tools

The buttons listed down the left side of an Eduspace window are the course’s main menu and are available to both instructors and students. The buttons listed vary according to features available in the course and its discipline. For example, the ChemWork and WebAssign buttons may be available for a chemistry course but not a writing course.

Clicking a menu button displays a course page as your students see it.

You can change the order of the menu buttons, add or remove buttons, and change the text that appears on the buttons. Look up manage course menu in the online Help Index for more information.

The Tools buttons, listed below the menu buttons, are also available to both you and your students with the exception of the Control Panel button. The Tools buttons function as follows:

• Communication: Displays links to available communication features in the course, such as the discussion board, drop box, and collaborations.

• Course Tools: Displays links to available tools, such as an online calendar, journal, and gradebook.

• Course Map: Opens a window that lists the course pages in an explorer-like format.

• Control Panel: Displays the Control Panel that you use for managing and administering the course. Only instructors can see and use the Control Panel.

• Refresh: Refreshes the screen display.

• Detail View/Quick View: Replaces the menu buttons with an explorer-like list of course pages. After you click Detail View, its text changes to Quick View. Click Quick View to restore the display of menu buttons.

For the Tools pages that list links, you control which links are displayed and the order in which they are listed.

As you probably noticed, some of the Tools are repeats of the menu buttons. If you prefer, you can remove or rename the buttons.

Tabs

The tabs across the top of the Eduspace window provide the following information:

Tab Provides

My Eduspace Quick access to the courses you teach and links to pages where you can change personal profile information such as your email address or password.

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Tab Provides

Courses A list of all courses you are currently teaching as well as any courses you are taking. Clicking a course link takes you to that course’s home page.

News Links to the latest headlines from a variety of New York Times publications.

Support A link to Eduspace Technical Support services, the list of Eduspace system requirements, and a wizard that checks whether your system meets the minimum requirements. There are also links to websites from which you can download required plug-ins such as Flash Player or QuickTime.

Teach with Eduspace

Resources on creating and copying courses, tips for preparing for the first day of class, best practices for using course content, and resources and tips on using Eduspace.

The My Eduspace, News, and Support tabs also provide tools for managing personal information such as your Tasks list or Address Book. Additionally, you can use the Modify Content and Modify Layout buttons (in the upper right of each tab) to change which content is displayed and in which column.

Instructor vs. Student View of a Course When you first enter a course, you are viewing it as your students see it. You can continue going from page to page, viewing the content of the course as a student. To then switch to the instructor view of the course (where you manage and modify course content), click the Edit View link. In the edit view, the link changes to Display View. When you want to switch back to student view, click the Display View link.

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This page is displaying the student view. To switch to the instructor view, click the Edit View link.

This is the same page in instructor view. To switch to the student view, click the Display View link.

Only instructors can switch between student and instructor view; students do not have access to the instructor view of a course.

As you switch back and forth between the views, note that the instructor’s view typically has more information and more content. If you find that you cannot locate or see something that you know was there before, you might be in the student view and need to switch back to instructor view.

TIP You can choose not to display certain content to your students. This can be done by hiding the content or making it unavailable to students.

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3 The Control Panel The Control Panel is the central location for course management and administration and is available only to instructors. Use these steps to display the Control Panel.

1. Display the course’s home page.

2. Click the Control Panel button.

Click this button to display the Control Panel.

The following screen shows a typical Control Panel.

The management and administrative functions are organized into categories. The availability of a specific function depends on the course’s content. For example, a link to HM Assess or Tutoring is available only if the course uses those features. The following paragraphs describe each category.

Content Areas These links provide access to the course content. For example, a Homework link displays a page with preloaded homework assignments and a HM

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Assess link displays preloaded assessment exercises. The Course Materials link takes you to the core of the course content.

All courses have a Course Materials link, and the remaining links depend on the course’s discipline and structure. For example, some courses preload homework on the Course Materials page and do not use a Homework page.

Course Tools These links provide a way to communicate, collaborate, and share information with course users. For example you can post announcements and a course calendar for all users, set up profiles with information on how to contact the course faculty, set up discussion forums, and send email to course users.

Course Options These links provide customization options for course components. Here is where you add or remove buttons from the main menu, control the availability and accessibility of a course, and manage the appearance of course features.

User Management These links provide lists of the course users and features for managing user groups.

Assessment These links provide information on your students’ progress. Here is where you create and deploy tests and view and work in the gradebook. You can also create surveys to conduct polls, collect evaluations, and conduct random checks of knowledge.

Help The Support link takes you to the Blackboard Support login, and the Contact System Administrator launches an email to Eduspace Technical Support.

NOTE Eduspace does not use the following Blackboard controls: Recycle Course, Course Copy, Import Course Cartridge, Export Course, Archive Course, Create User, Batch Create Users, Enroll User, and Remove Users from Course. These controls are always unavailable.

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4 Preloaded Course Content The content of your Eduspace course consists of the Cengage Learning preloaded content, your own material, or a combination of both. The preloaded content is related to the course text, and you can modify or hide it.

The types of preloaded content vary from course to course and discipline to discipline and can be any combination of the following.

Type of Content Description

Exercises and tests

Homework exercises that usually are automatically graded by Eduspace. These exercises/tests typically have static questions and are often included in Business, Communications, Development English, Economics, History, and Psychology courses. See the online Help for more information.

Test Question Pool

A pool of static questions from which you can create your own tests. See the online Help and chapter 5 in this guide for more information.

Assignments

Freeform homework such as an essay, diagram, or project. Assignments are manually graded by the instructor. See chapter 6 in this guide for more information.

HM Exercises

Homework and practice exercises that are typically included in Accounting and some Math courses. HM Exercises are usually algorithmically generated (numbers in the question change) or dynamically generated (text in the question changes) each time a student takes the exercise. These exercises often contain hints and step-by-step instructions to help students understand the solutions. HM Exercises are usually deployed by the instructor (rather than preloaded). See chapter 6 in this guide and the online Help for more information.

HM Assess

A diagnostic assessment that tests core concepts and provides students with access to individual study paths for self remediation. The study paths offer self-study options designed to appeal to a variety of learning styles through the presentation of concepts, examples, lessons, and practice lessons. HM Assess uses static questions.

HM Activity

A topic-based tutorial that teaches students course concepts, allowing for self-paced learning. In some courses, HM Activities provide self-testing and graded questions. Instructors generally use HM Activities as learn-on-your-own tools rather than graded exercises, particularly because some activities cover material not covered in the text book. See the online Help for more information on HM Activities.

NOTE If your course includes HM Activities, let your students know whether these activities are available as optional self-learning tools or gradable exercises.

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Type of Content Description

Practice Exercises These exercises have the same type of content as HM Exercises, but include options that provide students with additional help (e.g., hints and solutions), unlimited attempts, and no grades recorded in the gradebook. When a course’s HM Exercises are algorithmic, the practice exercises use the same question pool as the HM Exercises. When the HM Exercises are not algorithmic, the practice exercises use a separate, unique question pool. Practice exercises are typically preloaded so they are immediately available to students without instructor intervention. Instructors can however, override the default settings. See the online Help for more information.

Tutoring The online tutoring service, SMARTHINKING™, is available for some Eduspace courses. Clicking the tutoring link takes a student directly to the SMARTHINKING™ system without having to register or log in again. See the online Help for more information.

ChemWork

ChemWork exercises are preloaded for most chemistry courses. Because chemistry courses typically use WebAssign for homework, most instructors use the ChemWork exercises as practice exercises and do not grade them. However, when these exercises are preloaded, Eduspace automatically displays them in the Eduspace gradebook. See the online Help for more information.

How Do I Know What Is Preloaded in My Course? The preloaded material for most courses includes a Course Materials Guide. Typically a Microsoft Word document or .pdf file, this guide outlines the preloaded content and includes detailed information on the intended use of the preloaded content. The guide often includes a list of each type of content, the content’s source (for example, the homework exercises are from the end-of-chapter exercises in the textbook), default settings for each content type, and possibly notes from Editorial on the pedagogical purpose of the content and/or tips on how to use it with the course.

NOTE If the homework and/or practice exercises in the course are not taken from the end-of-chapter questions, this guide states their source. If the questions in the exercises are originally authored, the guide has a correlation table that maps each question to a textbook section, objective, or topic.

In all courses, practice exercises and tutorials are set up so students can view and use them without you having to make these materials available. However, in many courses homework and tests can be seen only by you until you make them available to students. Information on what is or is not available to students is also in the Course Materials Guide. When a course has a Course Materials Guide, it is on the Course Materials page.

Only an instructor has access to a Course Materials Guide.

To access the Course Materials Guide 1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).

2. Click the Course Materials link under Content Areas.

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The Course Materials page is displayed. The guide is typically in the first section on this page, “Important Information for Instructors.”

3. Locate and click the link to the guide to open it.

The Course Materials Guide is usually near the top of the page.

But for some courses you may need to scroll down to find it.

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5 Eduspace Tests Eduspace tests have a variety of settings for feedback, availability, presentation, and point values. You can modify the content of preloaded tests and even the questions. A test is made up of questions selected from a question pool, or questions that you create or customize. Most courses have question pools, and some have preloaded tests. When preloaded tests are not available, you can create the tests. You then assign or deploy the tests, and Eduspace automatically adds them to the gradebook. When students take a test, Eduspace grades it.

NOTE This chapter provides information on Eduspace tests. If you are working with WebAssign tests, see chapter 8.

Eduspace Question Pools Most courses’ question pools contain the same questions that are used in HM Testing for the respective course textbook. For any algorithmic HM Testing questions, a single, static instance of the question is added to the question pool. A few courses use the end-of-chapter or end-of-section questions for the question pools.

The benefit of a pool is that you can create and manage questions using the text’s organization, such as by chapter or by section. In addition, you can select any question from a pool and use it on one test or multiple tests. You also have the option of not selecting questions—not all questions in the pool need to be used. Most courses are preloaded with questions in the Pool Manager.

Displaying Test Manager The first step in working with Eduspace tests is to display the Test Manager. You use the Test Manager to create, deploy, modify, and delete tests.

1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).

2. Click the Test Manager link under Assessments.

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The Test Manager is displayed. The following screens show an empty Test Manager from one course and a Test Manager with preloaded content from another course.

Empty Test Manager—you can create tests for this course using the question pool.

Preloaded Test Manager—you can assign (deploy) these tests, modify them, or create your own.

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Creating a Test Use this procedure when the course does not have preloaded tests or when you want to create your own tests.

1. Open the Test Manager (see page 14).

2. Click .

The Test Information page is displayed.

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3. Enter the information as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

Name: Enter the name of the test as it will appear to your students and in the gradebook. (You may want to keep the name short to avoid having a very wide column in the gradebook.)

Description: Enter a description of the test. The description is also displayed to your students. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

Instructions: Enter instructions on how to take the test. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

4. Click the Submit button to create the test.

The Test Canvas is displayed. You use this page to either create the test questions or add them from the question pool. This procedure uses the question pool. See the online Help for information on creating questions.

5. Select From a Question Pool or Assessment from the Add dropdown list and click the Go button.

The Search Pools and Assessments page is displayed.

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6. Select the options as follows:

Search the pools and assessments below: Select the question pool from which you want to select questions to add to the test. For example, to search the questions for chapter 1, select Chapter 1.

Question types: Select the types of questions you want included in the search.

7. Click the Search button.

Eduspace displays all questions that match the search criteria.

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8. Select the questions to include in the test and click the Submit button (at the bottom of the page).

The Test Canvas is displayed again, this time listing the questions you selected.

9. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click OK to return to the Test Manager.

In order to make the test accessible to your students, you need to deploy it.

Deploying a Test The next procedure takes you through the steps of deploying a test as either homework or a test. The second procedure sets test options, such as when and for how long the test is available to students. Once a test is deployed, Eduspace automatically lists the test in the gradebook.

Deploying a Test 1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).

2. Under Content Areas, click the link for the area in which you want to add a test. (Tests are typically added to the Content Materials or Homework.)

3. Navigate to the content folder where you want to add the test.

Tip You may want to add a folder for the test (see Appendix B).

4. Click .

The Add Test page is displayed.

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5. Select the test from the Add Test dropdown list.

6. Click the Submit button.

The Test Added page is displayed.

7. Click OK.

The Modify Test page is displayed. From here you can:

• Modify the test by reordering, adding, removing, and editing questions. You can also modify the default test settings such as whether Eduspace provides feedback and question point values. See the online Help for more information.

• Modify the test options such as the test name and description, when the test is available to students, feedback (rejoinders), whether all questions are presented at once or one at a time, and whether questions are presented in random order. See the next procedure for more information.

8. Click OK.

Setting Options for a Deployed Test 1. Display the course page on which you added the test. For example, if you

deployed a test to the Chapter 1 folder, go to that folder.

2. Click the Modify button to the right of the test.

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Modify button This icon identifies a test.

The Modify Test page is displayed.

3. Click the Modify the Test options link.

The Test Options page is displayed.

4. Modify the options as needed (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 Test Information

Name: Enter the name of the test as you want it to appear in the course. (This does not change the name of the test in Test Manager nor in the gradebook.)

Choose Color of Name: Click to select a different color for the Name.

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Description: Enter any text you want to appear, such as the chapters or sections covered by the test or whether you are forcing completion of the test once it is opened. The description is displayed under the test link in the course. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

Open test in new window: Select this option to open the test in a separate window. Otherwise, the test opens in the course window.

2 Test Availability

Make the link available: Select this option to make the test available to students.

Add a new announcement for this test: Select this option to have Eduspace add an announcement to the course home page when the test is available. The content of the announcement is similar to:

Once the announcement is posted, you can modify or remove it. (See chapter 9 for more information.)

Allow multiple attempts: Select this option to allow students to take the test more than once.

Force completion: Select this option to require that students complete the test the first time they open it.

Set timer: Select this option to set a time limit for completing the test. Then select the maximum amount of time to allow, up to 4 hours and 55 minutes. As students work in the test, Eduspace displays the time allowed and time elapsed, and issues a one-minute warning before the time limit is reached. Once the time has elapsed, a student can complete the current question, but cannot go on from that point, and Eduspace does not automatically grade the test.

Display After: Select the check box and specify a date as the first date on which you want the test made available to students. If you do not select the check box, the test is accessible immediately after you okay it. (The Display After time is east coast time.) The “Make the link available” setting overrides date restrictions.

Display Until: Select the check box and specify the final date on which you want the test posted. If you do not select the check box, Eduspace displays the test until you deselect “Make the link available” or remove the test. (The Display Until time is east coast time.)

Password: Select this check box to require that students enter a password to open the test. Then enter a password in the text box. Passwords can be up to 14 characters and can include letters, numbers, spaces, and special characters. When students click the test link, Eduspace prompts for the password until the correct one is entered.

3 Test Feedback

Score Only: Select this option to display only the final score to students.

Detailed Results: Select this option to show all a student’s answers and final score.

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Show Correct Answers: Select this option to show all a student’s answers, the correct answers, and the final score.

Detailed Results, Correct Answers, and Feedback: Select this option to show all a student’s answers, the correct answers, answer feedback, and the final score.

4 Test Presentation

All at once: Select this option to present the entire test on one screen to students. At any point in the test, students can click the Submit or Save button.

One at a time: Select this option to display one test question at a time with navigation buttons to move between questions. The Save button is always available, and the Submit button appears only on the last question.

Prohibit backtracking: Select this option to prevent students from backtracking to questions. This option is applicable only if One at a time is also selected.

Randomize questions: Select this option to have the questions displayed in random order each time the test is launched.

5 Submit

Click the Submit button to save your changes or click the Cancel button to cancel them.

After you click the Submit button, the Test Options Modified page is displayed.

5. Click OK to return to the Modify Test page.

6. Click OK again to return to the page on which the test resides.

Test, Question, and Question Pool Options These options are referred to as “creation settings.” With the exception of question point values, these options have default settings, which you can modify, for question pools. As questions are selected for a test, the test’s options take precedence, but only for the questions in the test—the pool questions retain their original settings. You can also modify the settings for individual questions in a test, including the question point values.

The option settings are:

• Feedback: Determines whether feedback can be customized for individual questions rather than just one set of feedback for correct or incorrect answers. (Individual feedback cannot be provided for answers to true/false, multiple answer, and matching questions.)

• Images, Files, and External Links: Determines whether you can attach images, files, and URLs to questions or answers in a test.

• Question Metadata: Determines whether questions include the option to create categories and assign questions to categories. This option also enables adding keywords to questions. (When searching for questions from a question pool or tests, you can search on a category and keyword.)

• Scoring: Determines whether all test questions automatically have the same point value. If selected, Eduspace uses the default point value. (The point

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total for each question can still be customized in a test). A second option allows for partial credit options for answers.

• Display: Select these options to allow for random ordering of answers, specifying horizontal or vertical display of answers, and specifying numbering options for answers.

You can specify creation settings when you add or modify a test. (Look up creation settings in the online Help for more information.)

A question does not have a point value until it is added to a test at which time the question takes on the test’s default point value. You can then change the question’s point value for that test.

Modifying Options for a Question Pool You can change the option settings for a question pool when you create it or for an existing pool, as described here.


2. Click the Pool Manager link under Assessment.

3. Click the Modify button to the right of the pool for which you want to change the option settings.

The Pool Canvas page is displayed.

4. Click the Creation Settings link.

The Pool Creation Settings page is displayed.

5. Change the settings as needed.

6. Click the Submit button to save the settings.

Modifying Options for a Test These options set the defaults for questions in a test. The options can be changed for individual questions in the test.

1. Display the Test Manager (see page 14).

2. Click the Modify button to the right of the test for which you want to change option settings.

The Test Canvas is displayed.

3. Click the Creation Settings link.

The Test Creation Settings page is displayed.


5. Click the Submit button to save your changes.

Modifying Options for Individual Questions in a Test Depending on the type of question you are modifying, you can also use this procedure to change the content of the question.

1. Display the Test Manager (see page 14.)

2. Click the Modify button to the right of the test with the question(s) you want to modify.

The Test Canvas is displayed.

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3. Click the Modify button to the right of the question that you want to change.

The Add/Modify . . . Question page is displayed.



For More Information See the online Help for information and procedures on:

• Adding and removing questions from tests

• Adding and removing questions from pools

• Creating your own questions

• Importing and exporting pools of questions

• Writing and adding your own questions to the question pool

• Setting up and using question categories, topics, and keywords

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6 Eduspace Homework For the purposes of this chapter, homework refers to work that students perform and that is graded. Depending on the type of homework, either you manually grade student submissions or Eduspace automatically grades them.

In Eduspace, there are three types of homework: assignments, HM Exercises, and tests.

Assignments • Are best suited for freeform homework such as writing assignments

• Are also well suited for homework that requires a file, such as an Excel spreadsheet or Word document

• Are preloaded for some courses, but typically you create your own assignments

• Are automatically added to the gradebook when created

• Must be manually graded and the grades manually recorded in the gradebook

• Are available for all courses and are particularly useful for language and humanities courses

HM Exercises • Are available only when preloaded into a course, typically accounting, business economics, chemistry, and math courses

• Provide algorithmic questions that change each time a user opens them

• Are composed of end-of-chapter or end-of-section questions from the course text

• Are automatically graded by Eduspace

• Are added to the gradebook as students complete them

• Are stored in the HM Content Library

• Can be customized

Tests • Are available in most courses and are preloaded in some courses

• Can be used for both homework and exams/quizzes

• Are composed of questions selected from a question pool

• Have static questions (not algorithmic)

• Can be created, modified, and customized

• Are automatically added to the gradebook when deployed

• Are automatically graded by Eduspace

When setting up homework for a course, you can use all available homework types or just one. This chapter has the procedures for adding HM Exercises and assignments to a course. Chapter 5 has the procedures for adding tests. (If you are working with WebAssign homework, see chapter 8.)

CHEMWORK ChemWork exercises are preloaded for most chemistry courses. Because chemistry courses typically use WebAssign for homework, most instructors use the ChemWork exercises as practice exercises and do not grade them. However, when these exercises are preloaded, Eduspace automatically displays them in the Eduspace gradebook.

TIP Check the Course Materials Guide for information on whether homework is preloaded in the course and where the homework is located. (See page 12.)

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Adding an HM Exercise as Homework When a course offers HM Exercises, they are generally preloaded. However, you can want to change which exercises are preloaded for a chapter or add HM Exercises to the course.

HM Exercises are stored in the Content Library. When you open the library, you see the HM Exercises for your course.

When an HM Exercise is added to a course, the exercise is identified by the Houghton Mifflin pencil-and-paper symbol.

HM Exercises use a naming convention that identifies the applicable chapter/section or topic.

Chapter/ Section

Naming convention:

Example:

Chnumber.section number-item name category abbreviation sequential number Description

Ch01.01-Ex01 Section 1.1 Graphs of Equations: Exercise 1

Topic Naming convention:

Example:

Topic abbreviation.sequential subtopic number-item name category abbreviation sequential number Description

Gram-EX01 Grammar: Abbreviations Exercise 1

To add an HM Exercise You can also use this procedure to browse the HM Exercises in the Content Library.


2. Click the link for the area in which you want to add HM Exercises under Course Areas. For example, to add HM Exercises to a chapter folder, click the Course Materials link.

3. Click the folder in which you want to add HM Exercises if applicable.

4. Choose HM Exercise from the Select dropdown list and click the Go button.

The Content Library’s collection of HM Exercises for your course is displayed.

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5. To browse through the library:

• Click a arrow to display a chapter’s HM Exercises.

• Click a view link to preview an exercise.

• Click a modify link to change an exercise’s name and description, preview the questions, and add or delete a question. (See the online Help for more information.)

6. To select an exercise, click its check box in the Select column. You can select as many exercises as you want.

7. Click .

The Exercise Options page is displayed. These are the same options that are displayed on the Configure Exercise page. You can review and reset these options now or add the exercise to the course and modify the options then.

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8. Click the Submit button to add the HM exercises to the course.

9. Wait until the Exercise Added message is displayed.

10. Click OK.

NOTE Do not copy HM Exercise or HM Assess Content. These content types are linked to a course, and the links will not be reassigned to the destination course or folder.

Changing HM Exercise Options There are two choices for modifying an HM Exercise once it is added to a course.

• Modify the HM Exercise: Use this procedure to change the level of difficulty, specify which questions are visible or hidden, change the point value assigned to questions, and preview questions. See the next procedure, “Modifying an HM Exercise,” for more information.

• Modify HM Exercise options: Use this procedure to change settings ranging from the exercise name to the exercise’s availability and feedback, whether the exercise is recorded in the gradebook, and the availability of help options for students. Modifying HM Exercise Options starts on page 32 information.

Modifying an HM Exercise Use this procedure to modify HM Exercises already added to the course. (See the online Help for information on creating custom exercises in the Content Library.)

1. Go to the folder with the HM Exercise that you want to modify.

2. Click the Modify button to the right of the HM Exercise.

The Modify Exercise page is displayed.

3. Click the Modify the exercise link.

The Exercise Canvas is displayed.

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4. Modify the options as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

To change an HM Exercise’s Name, Description, and Instructions, see Modifying HM Exercise Options on page 32.

Difficulty: Select the exercise’s level of difficulty from the dropdown list. The level of difficulty is displayed to students when they open the exercise.

Questions and Points: The number of Questions and total number of Points for this exercise are updated as you change which questions are Visible and their Point values.

Visible?: Select or deselect check boxes to determine which questions are available to students.

Question: Click a question’s to preview the question.

Points: Change a question’s point value if needed.


The Content Submitted page is displayed.

6. Click OK.

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Modifying HM Exercise Options Use this procedure to change HM Exercise settings such as the exercise name, availability and feedback, and whether the exercise grades are recorded in the gradebook. (See the online Help for information on creating custom exercises in the Content Library.)

1. Go to the folder with the HM Exercise that you want to modify.

2. Click the Modify button to the right of the HM Exercise.

The Modify Exercise page is displayed.

3. Click the Modify the exercise options link.

The Configure Exercise page is displayed.

4. Change the settings as needed (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 General Information

Name: Enter the name of the exercise as you want it to appear to your students and in the gradebook. (You may want to keep the name short to avoid having a very wide column in the gradebook.)

Description: Enter a description of the exercise. The description is also displayed to students. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

Instructions: Enter any applicable instructions for completing the exercise for your students. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

Launch item in external window: Select this option to open the exercise in a separate window. Otherwise, the exercise opens in the course window.

2 Availability

Do you want to make the link visible?: Select this option to make the exercise available to students.

Display After: Select the check box and specify the first date on which you want the exercise made available to students. If you do not select the check box, the exercise is accessible immediately after you okay it. (The Display After time is east coast time.) (The “Do you want to make the link visible?” setting overrides date restrictions.)

Display Until: Select the check box and specify the final date on which you want the exercise posted. If you do not select the check box, Eduspace displays the test until you deselect “Do you want to make the link visible?” or remove the exercise. (The Display Until time is east coast time.)

Allow multiple attempts: Select this option to allow students to take the exercise more than once.

Set time limit: Select this option to set a time limit for completing the exercise. Then select the maximum amount of time to allow, up to 4 hours and 55 minutes. As students work in the exercise, Eduspace displays the time allowed and time elapsed, and issues a one-minute warning before the time limit is reached. When the time limit is exceeded, a student can complete the current question, but cannot go on from that point, and Eduspace does not automatically grade the exercise.

Capture time on task: Select this option to record the amount of time a student spends working on a single attempt of the exercise. Time on task is recorded as hours, minutes, and seconds. (See the online help for detailed information on capturing time on task.)

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Set password: Select this check box to require that students enter a password to open the exercise. Then enter a password in the text box. Passwords can be up to 14 characters and can include letters, numbers, spaces, and special characters. When students click the exercise link, Eduspace prompts for a password until the correct one is entered.

3 Feedback

These options determine the amount of feedback students receive and whether the exercise is recorded in the gradebook.

Score Only: Select this option to display only the final score to students.

Detailed Results: Select this option to make the following options available:

Total Score: Select this option to display a student’s total score.

Student Answers: Select this option to display a student’s answers.

Correct Answers: Select this option to show all a student’s answers, the correct answers, and the final score.

Additional Information: Select this option to display answer feedback to students.

Record in gradebook: Select this option to display grades for completed attempts of this exercise in the gradebook. (When this is checked, the HM Exercise is graded, even if it is labeled "Practice." To prevent the exercise from being graded, clear this check box.)

4 Presentation

Prohibit Backtracking: Select this option to prevent students from going back to previous questions. When this option is selected, students cannot backtrack to questions, even questions they skipped over. In the exercise instructions, you may want to let students know that they must finish each question in sequence and that they cannot go back to previous questions.

5 Question Help (These options vary from course to course.)

Learning Aids Available: Select this option to allow students to view learning aids such as hints, step-by-step guided solutions, and a worked example for each problem.

Check Before Submit: Select this option to allow students to check the correctness of their answers while working on the exercise.

NOTE For some Math questions, Learning Aids Available and Show Answer options are enabled only when Check Before Submit is selected.

Show Answer: Select this option to allow students to view the correct answer after the number of incorrect attempts you set here.

6 Submit

Click the Submit button to save your changes.

The Content Submitted page is displayed.

5. Click OK.

Adding an Assignment You can create assignments and add them to a content area. An assignment states the work students need to do and can have attached files. Students complete an

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assignment in a separate file and submit it using the course menu. You then use the gradebook to access the submitted file and enter a grade for the assignment.

To add an assignment 1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).

2. Click the link for the content area in which you want to add the assignment under Content Areas.

3. Select Assignment from the Select dropdown menu and click the Go button.

The Add Assignment page is displayed.

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4. Complete the assignment information as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 Assignment Information

Name: Enter the assignment’s name as you want it to appear in the course. Keep the name short as it will also appear in the gradebook, and the name determines the width of the gradebook column.

Choose Color of Name: Click to select a different color for the Name.

Points Possible: Enter the maximum number of points students can earn for this assignment.

Instructions: Enter any applicable instructions for completing the assignment for your students. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

2 Assignment Files

File to Attach: Click the Browse button and select the file to link to the assignment.

Name of Link to File: Enter the text of the link that students will click to open the assignment file.

Currently Attached Files: Displays the files currently attached to the assignment.

3 Options

Make the assignment available: Select Yes to make the assignment available to students.

Track number of views: Select Yes to specify that Eduspace is to track the number of times users access the assignment. (The results are displayed on the Course Statistics page, which is detailed in the online Help.)

Choose date restrictions:

Display After: Select the check box and specify the first date and time on which you want the assignment made available to students. If you do not select the check box, the assignment is available immediately after you create it. (The Display After time is east coast time.)

Display Until: Select the check box and specify the final date and time on which you want the assignment available to students. If you do not select the check box, the assignment remains accessible until you remove it or specify a Display Until date. (The Display Until time is east coast time.)

NOTE The “Make content available” setting, when selected, overrides date restrictions.

4 Submit

Click the Submit button to create the assignment or click the Cancel button to cancel the assignment.

After you click the Submit button, Eduspace displays a message that the assignment was updated.

5. Click OK.

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• Adding custom exercises to the Content Library

• Adding questions to HM Exercises

• Changing HM Exercise content

• Modifying and deleting assignments

• Accessing, downloading, and grading assignments

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7 Eduspace Gradebook The Eduspace gradebook tracks students’ performance and progress in Eduspace tests and homework. As students enroll in the course, their names are automatically added to the gradebook. Eduspace also automatically adds tests when you deploy them, assignments when you create them, and HM Exercises and Tutorial Mastery Tests as students complete them.

A student can view only his or her own grades, and you can customize gradebook options to further control what students see.

Although Eduspace automatically grades Eduspace tests and HM Exercises, you can modify an automatic grade and add grades for homework or tests you need to manually grade, such as written assignments. You can also add items to the gradebook that are outside of Eduspace, such as class participation. Other gradebook options include weighting grades and end-of-class grades.

You can manage all aspects of student grades in the gradebook, including:

• Grade weighting

• Gradebook export (download)

• Item import into the gradebook (upload)

• Display settings and options

NOTE This chapter provides information on the Eduspace gradebook. If you are working with the WebAssign gradebook, see chapter 10.

TIP Are you tracking grades in both Eduspace and WebAssign? You can export both gradebooks to an Excel spreadsheet, then move data from one to the other to create a consolidated spreadsheet.

Displaying the Gradebook When you initially open the gradebook, it displays the spreadsheet view.

To open the gradebook 1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).

2. Click the Gradebook link under Assessment.

The Gradebook View Spreadsheet page is displayed.

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Each column (also referred to as an item) is homework, a test, or other graded item. A row displays a student’s grades for each item. The legend describes the characters and symbols that Eduspace displays in the rows for each item.

If you see columns for homework you did not assign, it means some students are working on exercises on their own.

Adding a Gradebook Item You can add and modify gradebook items. Items are typically added for work done outside of Eduspace, such as a group project or class participation. Adding an item adds a column to the gradebook.

To add a gradebook item 1. Display the gradebook (see page 37).

2. Click .

The Add/Modify Gradebook Item page is displayed.

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3. Complete the item information as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 Item Information

Item Name: Enter the name of the item as you want it to appear in the gradebook.

Category: Select a category from the dropdown list. (See the online Help for more information on gradebook categories.)

Description: Enter a description of the gradebook item. The description is displayed below the Item Name in the gradebook.

Date: Enter the date of this assignment. (This entry is for your information only.)

Points Possible: Enter the maximum number of points for this item.

Display As: Select how you want the grade displayed from the dropdown list.

2 Options

Make item available to users: Select Yes so students can view this item in their grades. Select No to hide the item from student view.

Include item in Gradebook score calculations: Select Yes to include this score in calculations such as the total grade and grade weighting.

3 Submit

Click the Submit button.

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The Gradebook Item successfully updated page is displayed.

4. Click OK.

Now that the item is added, you can manually enter the grades.

Adding and Modifying Grades Manually You can manually add and modify grades for items not graded by Eduspace, such as assignments. You can also modify grades automatically recorded by Eduspace.

The following procedure has the steps for adding or modifying grades for assignments, homework, tests and other gradable course content, except HM Exercises. See page 41 for steps on modifying an HM Exercise grade.

To add or modify a grade 1. Display the gradebook (see page 37).

2. Click the grade or exclamation point (!) or equal sign (=) for the item for which you want to add or modify the grade.

The Modify Grade page is displayed.

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For an item where the student submitted a file or a written assignment, the Modify Grade page displays the User’s Comments. After you review the submission and provide feedback and notes, the page also displays the Feedback to User and Instructor Notes. See the online Help for more information.

3. Do one of the following on the Modify Grade page:

• Edit the Grade and click the Submit button.

• Click the View button to review the details of the homework or test on the Grade Assessment page. You can also change a grade, click the Clear Attempt button so the student can resubmit the homework or test, open or download homework or a test submitted as a file and enter your comments and feedback.

4. Click the Submit button to save changes to the scoring or to save your feedback, comments, or uploaded file.

The Assessment Grade Updated page is displayed.

5. Click OK.

Modifying an HM Exercise Grade Use this procedure to modify or clear a student’s grade for an HM Exercise.

To modify an HM Exercise grade 1. Display the gradebook (see page 37).

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If there is a score for the HM Exercise in a student’s row, the student has submitted the exercise. A lock icon indicates that a student is still working on the exercise.

2. Click the HM Exercise grade that you want to change.

The Grade Exercise page is displayed.

The top of the page displays a summary that includes the student’s grade. The remainder of the page displays the questions and the student’s responses. To view a question, click its “Review the question” link.

3. To change the points the student was awarded for a question, enter a new value in the text box to the right of the question.

Another option is to clear the student’s grade by clicking the Clear Attempt button in the summary.


The Assessment Grade Updated page is displayed.

5. Click OK to return to the gradebook.

Exporting and Importing Gradebook Data You can download and save gradebook data as a comma-separate value (.csv) or tab-delimited (.txt) file. Both formats can be opened in a spreadsheet, such as Excel; however, you may find the .csv format easier to work with.

When uploading information, you select a specific gradebook item, such as a quiz or test, and specific student grades for that item to upload.

NOTE Eduspace uses the terms export and download interchangeably, as well as import and upload.

To download/export gradebook data 1. Display the gradebook (see page 37).

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2. Click .

The Download Gradebook page is displayed.

3. Select Comma or Tab as the Delimiter Type.

4. Click the Submit button to create the file.

Eduspace creates the file and displays the instructions for downloading it.

5. Right-click the Download button and select either Save As or Save Target As.

The Save As dialog box is displayed.

6. Select a directory and enter a file name for the download file. Then click the Save button.

Eduspace names and saves the file in the specified directory.

7. Click OK.

To upload/import a gradebook item (column) For best results, download a gradebook, modify or add the column you want to import in the downloaded file, then upload that column.

If any of the following errors occur, the upload will fail:

• Not all rows of data have user names

• A user name in the upload file is not an enrolled user in the course

Also, any changes to users’ first and last names are not uploaded.

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When uploading an item, you specify which item/column to upload and which grades to upload for that item.

NOTE You can upload grades for only one item/column at a time.

1. Display the gradebook (see page 37).

2. Click .

The Upload Gradebook page is displayed.

3. Click the Browse button and locate the file to upload.

4. Click Submit to upload the file.

The Choose Column to Import page is displayed.

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5. For Choose Imported Item, select the item you want to upload from the file.

6. For Choose Existing Item, select either the destination column for the uploaded item or select Create New Gradebook Item to have Eduspace create a new column in the gradebook for the uploaded item.


The Choose Rows to Import page is displayed.

8. Select the students (users) for whom you want to upload a grade for the uploaded item.

NOTE If you click Select All and upload grades for an assignment that already has grades in Eduspace, the grades already in Eduspace will be overwritten by the uploaded grades.

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The Gradebook Item successfully updated page is displayed.

10. Click OK.


• Downloading files submitted by students and uploading files with your comments

• Modifying or removing gradebook items

• Managing settings such as how student/user names are listed in the gradebook, adding categories, and adding grade display options

• Viewing the gradebook by item or by user

• Weighting grades

• Sorting gradebook items by category

• Filtering gradebook items by category

• Filtering users by their user names

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8 WebAssign Homework, Tests, and Gradebook Cengage Learning has partnered with WebAssign®, the expert in online homework management, to provide a complete solution for both instructors and students that addresses important learning needs surrounding course management, homework, and assessment. WebAssign was developed by teachers and for teachers at North Carolina State University to enhance the teaching and learning process.

WebAssign takes the Cengage Learning end-of-section exercises in math texts and end-of-chapter exercises in chemistry texts and loads them into the WebAssign system. These exercises are then precoded with extensive randomization and made available through your Eduspace course. Your selection of homework assignments and tests is done through WebAssign, and WebAssign collects, grades, and records assignments and tests in the WebAssign gradebook.

NOTE WebAssign can be used in any discipline, but for any discipline other than Math and Chemistry you have to create the exercise and test questions in WebAssign.

With WebAssign you can also:

• Create your own questions and customize assignments (with proper display of algebraic expressions)

• Create, post, and review assignments

• Deliver, collect, grade, and record assignments instantly

• Assess student performance to keep abreast of individual progress

• Customize the gradebook with weighted categories and scores

• Track, manage, and download individual student and class progress

What Courses Are Available? An up-to-date list of Cengage Learning textbooks supported in the WebAssign system is available at www.webassign.net/hmco.

How Do I Select to Use WebAssign in My Eduspace Course? Within a few days after you create an Eduspace course for which WebAssign is available, Cengage Learning contacts you by email. The email offers you the option of having Cengage Learning set up the Eduspace-WebAssign link in your course and a prescheduled demo of using WebAssign. If you are new to either Eduspace or WebAssign, the email also offers a consultation on how to use the partnered course.

NOTE If you choose not to use WebAssign, the Eduspace assignments, tests, and gradebook are still available to you.

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http://www.webassign.net/hmco


How Can I Tell if I Have WebAssign? WebAssign is displayed within the Eduspace window. The following two screens show examples of the WebAssign My Assignments page and Gradebook page. When you are working in WebAssign, the WebAssign tab is displayed.

WebAssign tab

Once the WebAssign link is set up, click the WebAssign menu button to display the WebAssign tab.

WebAssign User Guides WebAssign provides extensive user documentation for both instructors and students. For links to an instructor’s How to Guide and User’s Manual, go to the Faculty tab on the WebAssign website at http://www.webassign.net/info/faculty.html.

• The How to Guide is an online guide that provides quick and easy access to procedures on how to use WebAssign.

• The User’s Guide provides all-inclusive information including overviews and descriptions of concepts and features as well as procedures. This guide is available in both online and .pdf formats.

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http://www.webassign.net/info/faculty.html


Also browse the Faculty tab for links to the community forum, listserv, and help with creating questions and assignments.

Students have access to an online user guide and a list of common problems (similar to FAQs) at http://www.webassign.net/info/students.html.

WebAssign Customer Support As the instructor of an Eduspace course linked to WebAssign, you qualify for WebAssign customer service. For additional questions on working with WebAssign or problems with any WebAssign assignments or exercises, contact their customer support at [email protected].

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http://www.webassign.net/info/students.html

mailto:[email protected]

9 Announcements Announcements are useful for:

• Alerting your students about new assignments or changes in the syllabus

• Posting assignment clarifications or exam schedules

• Reminding students about upcoming tests and assignment deadlines

• Informing students of virtual classroom sessions and guest speakers

Eduspace posts announcements on the Announcement page. Anyone with access to this page can read the announcements. As the course instructor, you can add, update, and remove announcements.

Click a tab to display only announcements scheduled for that period.

Announcements

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Course Code Announcement Probably the most important announcement, this has the course code that your students need to enroll in the course. Eduspace creates this announcement for you.

Course code

You can copy the course code, then distribute it to your students so they can enroll in the course.

It is recommended that you never delete the Course Code announcement. Without this code, students cannot enroll in your course, and you cannot copy the course.

Announcement Posting Order Eduspace displays announcements in the following order:

1. Permanent system announcements

2. System announcements within the date range of the selected tab

For example, clicking the View Last 7 Days tab displays system announcements that were scheduled to be displayed at any point over the last seven days.

3. Permanent course and organization announcements

4. Course and organization announcements within the date range of the selected tab

Within each of the above listings, Eduspace displays the announcements in the order of creation, with newer announcements listed before older announcements.

TIP When creating or updating an announcement, you can specify the date on which an announcement is to be first displayed. This means you can write announcements in advance of Eduspace posting them.

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Adding an Announcement After you complete the announcement content, Eduspace previews it for your approval before posting the announcement. Any part of an announcement can be modified after you create it.

To add an announcement 1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).

2. Click the Announcements link under Course Tools.

The Announcements page is displayed. Typically there are Eduspace (permanent) announcements that appear for every course.

3. Click .

The Add Announcement page is displayed.

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4. Complete the announcement information as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 Announcement Information

Subject: Enter the heading or subject line for the announcement.

Message: Enter the text of the announcement. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

2 Options

Permanent announcement? Select Yes if this is a permanent announcement; that is, an announcement you want to appear throughout the course.

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Display After: Select the check box and specify a date as the first date on which you want the announcement posted. If you do not select the check box, Eduspace displays the announcement immediately after you okay it. (The Display After time is east coast time.)

Display Until: Select the check box and specify the final date on which you want the announcement posted. If you do not select the check box, Eduspace displays the announcement until you remove it or specify a Display Until date. (The Display Until time is east coast time.)

3 Course Link

Use this option if you want to link a file to the announcement.

Location: Click the Browse button and select the file to link to the announcement.

4 Submit

Click the Submit button to create the announcement or click the Cancel button to cancel the announcement.

After you click the Submit button, the Announcement Receipt page is displayed.

5. Click OK to submit the announcement for posting.

Updating an Announcement After creating an announcement you can modify it. Modifying an announcement does not change its position in the announcement list; the announcement retains its original location in the list. (See Announcement Posting Order.)

To update an announcement 1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).


The Announcements page is displayed.

3. Click the Modify button to the right of the announcement you want to update.

4. Modify the announcement information as needed. (See page 53 for information on the settings.)


The Announcement Receipt page is displayed.

6. Click OK.

Removing an Announcement You can remove an announcement, but once deleted the announcement cannot be undeleted or retrieved. If you might want the announcement later, change its display dates so the announcement is no longer posted.

To remove an announcement 1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).


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The Announcements page is displayed.

3. Click the Remove button to the right of the announcement to delete.

4. Click OK to confirm the deletion or click Cancel to cancel the deletion.

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10 Adding a Syllabus You can create a course syllabus using either the Syllabus Builder in Eduspace or a document or media file you already have.

With the Syllabus Builder, you can pre-build as many lessons as needed or build lessons one at a time. At any time you can add, modify, reorder, or remove lessons. The Syllabus Builder also provides custom designs that you can apply to the syllabus.

If you decide to attach your own syllabus file to a course, you also determine whether the syllabus is displayed on the course content page or whether students click a link to open the syllabus.

Regardless of how you create the syllabus, you can place it in any content area. Many instructors place the syllabus in its own folder on the Course Materials page.

Creating a Syllabus with the Syllabus Builder You can add a syllabus to any content area in the course. The following procedures add a syllabus to its own folder on the Course Materials page. Because Eduspace displays a syllabus in its entirety, placing it in a folder makes the syllabus less of a distraction on the Course Materials page.

To create a syllabus 1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).


3. Click the link for the folder into which you want to place the syllabus. (See Appendix B for a procedure on creating a folder.)

4. Select Syllabus from the Select dropdown menu and click the Go button.

Go button Select dropdown menu

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The Add Syllabus page is displayed.

5. Complete the information as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 Name

Syllabus Name: Enter the name or title of the syllabus as you want it to appear in the course.

2 Syllabus

Create a New Syllabus: Select this option to create a syllabus using the Syllabus Builder.

NOTE To use one of your own files as the syllabus, select Use an Existing File (see page 60).

3 Submit


Eduspace displays the Syllabus Builder.

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6. Complete the syllabus information as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 Syllabus Information

Name: Edit the name of the syllabus if needed.

Enter the course Description, Learning Objectives, and Required Materials. If you choose not to complete any of these fields, they are not displayed in the syllabus. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

2 Syllabus Design

Style: Select one of the following styles for the syllabus.

Style Description

Document image Mainly white with an image of a document faintly visible in the background

Notepad Similar to notebook paper, the background contains faint blue horizontal lines

Modern A thin border surrounds the entire syllabus

Classic A wider frame around the entire syllabus

Contemporary A wider frame surrounds the content and is separated into two boxes by the Lessons heading

None The syllabus is styled like other content items with no borders or frames

When you select a Style, the Colors options change accordingly.

Colors: Select the colors and background pattern to apply to the style.

3 Build Lessons

You can choose to create lesson shells now or later. A lesson shell is an empty slot into which you can enter content.

Create specified number of lesson shells: Select this option and enter the number of lesson shells you want Eduspace to create. For example, you may want a lesson shell for each time the class meets. (You can later modify the syllabus and change the number of lesson shells.)

Do not create lesson shells: Select this option to not have lesson shells in the syllabus.

4 Options

Make the Syllabus available: Select Yes to make the syllabus available to students.

Track number of views: Select Yes to indicate that Eduspace is to track the number of times users access the syllabus. (The results are displayed on the Course Statistics page, which is detailed in the online Help.)


Display After: Select this check box and specify a date as the first date on which you want the syllabus posted. If you do not select the check box, Eduspace displays the syllabus immediately after you okay it. (The Display After time is east coast time.)

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Display Until: Select this check box and specify the final date on which you want the syllabus posted. If you do not select the check box, Eduspace displays the syllabus until you remove it or specify a Display Until date. (The Display Until time is east coast time.)

NOTE The “Make syllabus available” setting, if selected, overrides the date restrictions.

5 Submit

Click the Submit button to create the syllabus or click the Cancel button to cancel the syllabus.

Eduspace next displays a preview of the syllabus.

7. Click OK to complete the syllabus creation process.

Eduspace returns to the page or folder from which you created the syllabus and adds the syllabus to the bottom of the page/folder.

Attaching a Syllabus File When attaching your own syllabus file to a course, you specify whether the file is displayed in place or whether students click a link to open the file. You can also specify that Eduspace first unzip a zipped file, then display its contents.

To attach a syllabus file to a course 1. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).


3. Click the link for the folder into which you want to place the syllabus. (See Appendix B for a procedure on creating a folder.)

4. Select Syllabus from the Select dropdown menu and click the Go button.

Go button Select dropdown menu

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The Add Syllabus page is displayed.

5. Complete the folder information as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 Name

Syllabus Name: Enter the syllabus name or title that you want to appear in the course.

2 Syllabus

Use an Existing File. Click the Browse button and select the file to use.

By default, Eduspace uses the file name as the text that students click to open the syllabus. However, after completing this procedure, you can modify the syllabus and enter specific text that students can click to open the syllabus.

Note To use the Syllabus Builder instead of attaching a file, select Create a New Syllabus. See page 56 for more information.

3 Submit


The Modify Item page is displayed.

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6. Complete the information for attaching the syllabus file as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 Content Information

Name: Edit the name of the syllabus if needed.

Choose Color of Name: Click to select a different color for the name.

Text: Enter any text you want to appear, such as a description, under the syllabus links. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

2 Content

NOTE To attach additional files, complete this procedure, then modify the syllabus and select an additional file to attach.

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Attach local file: Use this option to attach an additional syllabus file if needed. Click the Browse button and select the syllabus file to attach to the course.

Name of link to file: Use this option to enter the text that students will click to open the additional syllabus file.

Special action: Select one of the following:

Create a link to this file: Creates a link to the file. Students click the link to open the syllabus.

Display media file within the page: Shows the content of the syllabus file in the Eduspace page. (Depending on the type of media file, you may need to complete an additional page of media information.)

Unpackage this file: Instructs Eduspace to unzip the zip file and then display its contents.

The action selected is applied to all attached syllabus files.

3 Options

Make the content available: Select Yes to make the syllabus content available to students.

Track number of views: Select Yes to indicate that Eduspace is to track the number of times users access the syllabus. (The results are displayed on the Course Statistics page, which is detailed in the online Help.)


Display After: Select the check box and specify a date as the first date on which you want the syllabus made available. If you do not select the check box, the syllabus is accessible immediately after you okay it. (The Display After time is east coast time.)

Display Until: Select the check box and specify the final date on which you want the syllabus posted. If you do not select the check box, Eduspace displays the syllabus until you remove it or specify a Display Until date. (The Display Until time is east coast time.)


4 Submit

Click the Submit button to create the syllabus or click the Cancel button to cancel the syllabus.

The Success page is displayed.

7. Click OK.


• Adding, modifying, reordering, and removing lessons

• Updating a syllabus created with the Syllabus Builder

• Updating an attached syllabus file

• Moving and reordering folders and content

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Appendix A Formatting Text Several Eduspace pages provide a text box where you can format the text. There are two versions of this text box, and which one you see depends on which browser you are using. Regardless of the text box displayed, you can enter plain or formatted text and equations. (Formatted text is also referred to as “rich text.”)

Rich text box as it appears in Internet Explorer

Rich text box as it appears in Firefox

The following two sections explain how to use each style of rich text box.

Rich Text in Internet Explorer This rich text box has more robust formatting options that include font and typeface settings and basic word processing formats for headings and bulleted and numbered lists. You can also copy and paste text from another application, such as a word processor, into the rich text block, and enter html tags, equations, and Flash or Shockwave content.

This text box provides popup descriptions of the formatting icons. To display a description, hover the mouse pointer over the icon.

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The selections in the paragraph-style dropdown list are similar to those you use in a word processor. The Normal and Heading styles apply their formats to either the selected text or the text you are typing and wrap the text to fit in the text box. (To change the style for an existing paragraph, select it, then select the style from the dropdown list.)

Use the font size and typeface dropdown lists to change the size and typeface for the selected style.

The Formatted option is similar to Normal, except that Formatted does not wrap the text. The Address style is italicized, and it creates a single-line break when you press Enter.

The paragraph styles also automatically create a link when you type an URL (such as www.hmco.com or http://www.hmco.com).

You can also use the following icons for spell checking the text, entering equations and html tags, and previewing the text.

: Opens the Spell Check feature. See the online Help for more information.

: Opens the WebEQ™ Equation Editor, which is a general purpose equation editor. This editor provides an interface and icons for entering equations so you do not need to code the XML tags. See the online Help for more information.

: Opens the MathML Equation Editor where you can enter an equation’s XML tags. See the online Help for more information.

: Opens the text in a separate window where you can edit the html tags.

: Opens a window that approximates how the final text will appear.

Rich Text in Firefox For this rich text box you can type the text directly into the text box or copy and paste text from another application, such as a word processor. Using the options described below, you can format, spell check, and preview the text as well as enter html tags and equations.

Smart Text: When you select this option, Eduspace recognizes the following:

• A link to a website (if the link is preceded with http:// or https://). The URL is converted to a link when you submit the page on which you are entering the text.

• Html tags. Eduspace interprets the tags when you preview or submit the page.

Plain text: Displays the text as it appears in the text box.

HTML: Accepts only html tags as text formats. Eduspace interprets the tags when you preview or submit the page.

: Opens the WebEQ™ Equation Editor, which is a general purpose equation editor. This editor provides an interface and icons for entering equations so you do not need to code the XML tags. See the online Help for more information.

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: Opens the MathML Equation Editor where you can enter an equation’s XML tags. See the online Help for more information.

: Opens the Spell Check feature. See the online Help for more information.

: Displays the text approximating the final formatting.

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Appendix B Adding a Folder When adding content to a course, you can also add the content to its own folder. For example, you may want to add a syllabus in its own folder on the Course Materials page or add tests in their own folders. Regardless of where you are adding the folder, the procedure is the same.

To add a folder 1. Display the page where you want to add a folder.

For example, to add a folder to the Course Materials page:

a. Display the Control Panel (see page 9).

b. Click the Course Materials link under Content Areas.

2. Click the button.

Eduspace displays the Add Folder page.

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3. Complete the folder information as follows (fields with a red asterisk (*) are required):

1 Folder Information

Name: Enter the folder’s name as you want it to appear in the course. The Name is also the link that students will click to open the folder.

Choose Color of Name: Click and select a different color for the title.

Text: Enter any text you want to appear, such as a description, under the folder’s Name. (See Appendix A for information on formatting text.)

2 Options

Make the content available: Select Yes to make the folder’s contents available to students.

Track number of views: Select Yes to specify that Eduspace is to track the number of times users access the folder. (The results are displayed on the Course Statistics page, which is detailed in the online Help.)


Display After: Select this check box and specify a date as the first date on which you want the folder made available to students. If you do not select the check box, the folder is available immediately after you create it. (The Display After time is east coast time.)

Display Until: Select this check box and specify the final date on which you want the folder available to students. If you do not select the check box, the folder remains accessible until you remove it or specify the Display Until date. (The Display Until time is east coast time.)


3 Submit

Click the Submit button to create the folder or click the Cancel button to cancel the folder.

The Success screen is displayed.

4. Click OK to return to the page on which you created the folder.

The folder is added to the bottom of the page.

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