Let’s face it, this isn’t the semester you thought you were going to have. But, it is the semester we have!
So, you can still succeed in your courses..it just might look a bit different than you first expected.
Here are some tips to get you prepared for remote teaching and learning.
- If your instructor is shifting to Brightspace for instruction
- If your instructor is shifting to Office 365 for sharing instructional materials
- If your instructor is shifting to Zoom for instruction
- If you have other tech questions
- If you have never really done any online classwork before…YOU CAN DO IT!!
If your instructor is shifting to Brightspace for instruction
Brightspace is the learning management system used at Pellissippi State.
- Brightspace Tutorials – The tutorials you’ll find at this site introduce the most common activities you’ll encounter as complete your online course.
- Tour of Pellissippi State’s Online course environment
- Student Quick Reference Guide – Tutorials describing how Pellissippi’s Brightspace course system functions
- Student FAQ – From D2L, the company that makes Brightspace
- Tech Ready Site – A technology checklist to be sure you have the information you need to succeed.
- Links to download Brightspace Pulse App – Android – Apple
While many of the features of Brightspace can be used from mobile devices through the Brightspace Pulse app, most students find using a laptop or desktop computer the easiest (and sometimes required) way to complete assignment submissions and quizzes. You may need a webcam and microphone for some of your class activities.
If your instructor is shifting to Office 365 for sharing instructional materials
You can log into your Office 365 account from https://www.office.com or where you log into your college webmail. Office 365 provides you with online version of Microsoft Office such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint as well as OneDrive (a cloud based storage drive much like Dropbox but secured with your college account and integrated into Brightspace)
If you haven’t used Office 365 very much, here’s help to get started:
Using Teams
Office 365 also includes Teams, which is a hub of communication for groups. It supports chat, video conferencing, collaborative file editing, screen sharing and more. If your instructor chooses to use Teams for video office hours, etc, here are some resources to help get your started.
Teams does work in a browser, but if you find yourself using Teams a good deal, the best experience is from the dedication app on your phone and computer.
- Installing Microsoft Teams
- Enabling Notifications for Teams
- Microsoft Teams Quick Start Guide (PDF)
- LinkedIn Learning: Microsoft Teams Essential Training
- If you are not sure how to access LinkedIn Learning, check out the instructions on the Pellissippi State Library website.
- Microsoft Office Teams online training
If your instructor is shifting to Zoom for instruction
Zoom provides a real-time videoconferencing platform that can be accessed by a computer, laptop, tablet, phone or other device.
- Join a Zoom Meeting (video)
- Joining and Configuring Audio and Video (video)
- How to Use Zoom Mobile (iOS)
- How to Use Zoom Mobile (Android)
- My Video/Camera Isn’t Working
- How to Chat (all devices)
- ETS Getting Started Guide (Assists in preparing audio, microphone, and webcam)
If you have other tech questions
Check out the Student How-tos page
If you have never really done any online classwork before…YOU CAN DO IT!!
It can be daunting to suddenly become an online student. Here are five tips for success from our office of Distance Education to help make the transition because we know you can do this!