UBC ATSC 113: Orientation Activities

Tips for the Online Quizzes

See the "New to Canvas" web page provided by UBC: http://students.canvas.ubc.ca/new-to-canvas-heres-a-place-to-start/

and also the Frequently Asked Questions:
http://students.canvas.ubc.ca/faq/

BROWSER TUNE-UP

Canvas runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, or any other device with a modern web browser.

This link from Canvas tells which web browsers are supported:
https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10720
Please be sure that you have installed an up-to-date web browser.

From our past experience, we have two recommendations:

1) Do NOT use a cell phone or electronic pad. The frequent cell-signal outages will disconnect you from Canvas while you are writing a quiz. Also, the screen area on many cell phones is too small to interact well with the online material in this course.

2) DO use a desktop computer or a laptop computer connected to the internet with either a direct line, or with a reliable high-speed wi-fi connection. If you have used your laptop at a location (e.g., internet cafe) where your data reception is slow or sometimes is interrupted, then find a different location before you start to write your quizzes.

There are many operating systems, settings, operating tool updates, security systems, virus protection, etc. Thus, not only do different computers interact differently with Canvas, but a problem for one computer may not be apparent in another. It is best to experiment during the Orientation module at the beginning of this course to find the optimum computer and internet connection, so you can use it for the remainder of this course.

Help Desk

You can access the quizzes from the Canvas learning management system. If you have a technical problem associated with the quiz (cannot connect to it on the internet, or your connection is interrupted during the quiz, etc.), then use the Help (?) button at the lower left side of your Canvas window. A pop-up menu will give you access to the UBC Learning Technology Hub (LTHub), where you can get help. The Help desk staff will get back to you as soon as they can. It is crucial to inform help desk staff as soon as computer issues arise because they may have to investigate your problem. Remember, they are only available during normal UBC business hours on weekdays.

IMPORTANT: In light of the above information, please do not contact the instructors or teaching assistants of this course to assist you with computer issues.

WRITING THE QUIZZES in Step 4

A) Before Attempting any Quiz

Ensure that your computer and browser are compatible with Canvas.
We recommend using reliable Internet servers (i.e. not "UBC Visitor") and working from wired connections (i.e. home/library desktops) to mitigate issues caused by poor Internet connections.
DO NOT attempt a Quiz from a hand-held device (electronic pads, smartphones, etc) as Canvas has not been optimized to operate fully on these platforms
ALWAYS start with a fresh session of your browser by first Quitting or Exiting your browser then opening a new session.

B) Starting a Quiz

Most of the quizzes are accessed from page 1 of each Module on Canvas. You will find the quiz links in Step 4, at the end of each row in that Step. There might also be other quizzes or assignments linked from other steps in the module.
The time allowed is 50 minutes for each quiz in Step 4. If your connection is interrupted, the timer does NOT stop. So please connect again as soon as possible.
You will be **allowed 2 attempts** on each Step-4 Quiz. No additional re-starts, rewrites, or do-overs are allowed. This way, you can learn from your mistakes.
Your Quiz time starts when you click BEGIN and ends when you click the "Submit Quiz" button at the bottom of the quiz web page, or when the ****50-minute**** period is up, whichever comes first.

C) During a Quiz

Read each question and all the answer options carefully. Select the BEST ANSWER by clicking the button to its left.
Canvas will SAVE your answer automatically.
If you change your answer, Canvas will save it again. However, no further changes will be accepted after you click the "Submit Quiz" button or the 50-minute period is up, whichever comes first.
If a quiz question is unclear, answer it to the best of your ability.
The Running Time will appear to the right of the quiz questions. It tells you how many minutes are remaining.
Before submitting, check that all questions have been answered. A summary of the questions you answered is to the right of your quiz questions, near the top of your web page. You might need to scroll up to find it.
Click the "Submit Quiz" button at the bottom of the web page when you are done. You might need to scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the Submit button.
A confirmation info will appear at the top and the right of your quiz web page.
Note that you can have open a second window on your browser that you can use to access the meteorological concepts to refresh your memory while you are writing the quiz.
WARNINGS:

You won't have enough time to teach yourself all the material from scratch during the 50 minutes of the quiz, so complete your online readings and study BEFORE you start the quiz.
Be very careful when you are manipulating multiple windows on your browser that you don't accidentally close the Canvas Quiz window.
If you use this method of having multiple windows open at the same time, please be sure you have a reliable and fast internet connection.

After you submit the quiz, it will not only tell you which questions you answered incorrectly, but it will give you tips on which web page to check if you got an incorrect answer. This way, you can learn from your mistakes before you do your second quiz attempt.
If you attempt the Step-4 quiz a second time, you will also have 50 minutes to do the second attempt.

D) If you exit your Quiz BEFORE you are done

Calm down. Do not panic. You will be allowed back into your Quiz as long as your 50- minute period has not expired.
Quit your browser and re-start your computer (if needed).
Log back onto Canvas as soon as you can and restart your Quiz. NOTE: The Quiz timer will continue throughout your disconnection. So it is important that you return to your Quiz as soon as possible.
If needed, report the incident to the LTHub by clicking on the Help (?) button at the bottom left of Canvas.
The report from the LTHub and the logs of your Quiz will help us determine whether your situation warrants an alternative assessment or compromise.

E) After a Quiz

When you finish the quiz, Canvas shows your score for each attempt near the top of the quiz web page, and it automatically keeps the highest score.
If you still had some questions incorrect after the second attempt, then scroll down to look at the questions you got wrong, because it will show hints about where to look for the correct answer. The midterm and final exams include questions similar to the quiz questions, so you would be wise to learn from your mistakes before you move on to new material.
The quizzes are graded automatically by Canvas, and the resulting scores will appear almost instantly in the Grades tab on Canvas. (See a link to it near the top left of the Canvas web page.)
Some Canvas assignments (e.g., Step 3 in most Modules) require short essay answers. These will be graded later by human TAs, so the grades might not appear in your Grade sheet for a week or longer. Please be patient.
Finally, on your Grades page in Canvas, all the relevant items appear in blue font (often with links to the assignment). At the end of the Grades sheet are some Boldface items that are NOT RELEVANT FOR THIS COURSE. Please ignore any scores or totals that appear in these items. (We are working with UBC IT staff to figure out how to hide these irrelevant items.)

***IMPORTANT: Due to the high risk of cheating associated with an online course, we cannot re-open any segments (i.e. modules, individual steps) of the course. (Except that the Orientation Modules and the first Flying Module are automatically kept open for students who join the course late.) For the other modules in the course, we are willing to offer alternative assessments only if it is called for by special circumstances. You will need to contact the the course Administrator if this applies to you. ***

Image credits. n/a.