Lesson 00: Course and Program Orientation

ANGEL: A New Global Environment for Learning

ANGEL is a web-based online learning environment that will be our virtual home for this semester. ANGEL is the mechanism by which we communicate with each other. I can present lessons using many types of computer media elements including text, still graphics, and video. You can also jump to other websites by clicking on the embedded links, download and upload many types of files, and email the instructor and your classmates. ANGEL also gives us the capability to have online discussion forums, and is where I will provide your quizzes, other graded assignments, and feedback via grades in the gradebook. So welcome to your new virtual classroom home-ANGEL.

ANGEL Online Orientation

To ensure you are familiar with the ANGEL online learning environment, read through the online Quick-Start Guide for Students.

NOTE: You can use this abbreviated printer friendly version ANGEL 7.1 Student Quick Start Guide pdf file as a reference for basic ANGEL information.

Here is how we use the tabs in this course:

  • Syllabus - Quick access to the syllabus. If you haven't already, read it carefully, as you are bound by it! It also contains helpful contact info for the instructor.
     
  • Calendar - Our source for all assignment and due dates in the course! By default, the calendar will show you a month at a time. "Page forward" using the "Next" link in the calendar to see the rest of the semester.
     
  • Lessons - Under the Lessons tab you will find all of the content for the course. There is a separate folder for each lesson of study. When you are ready to begin a lesson, simply click on the corresponding folder under the Lessons tab, then review ALL of the materials within it! (No need to do this all in one sitting, though!) The materials inside each unit folder include...
     
    • A link to the lesson content (which contains a to do list for the week, commentary, activities, etc.)
    • End-of-lesson quizzes and/or
    • Dropboxes to submit assignments
       
    NOTE: Lessons are scheduled to "appear" on a set schedule (again, see the Calendar tab for specific dates) so that we all work together at the same general pace.
     
  • Resources - These can include course announcements, Penn State Library tools, links to resources on the Web, etc.
     
  • Communicate - ANGEL e-mail and discussion forums are found under the Communicate tab. Be sure to check these regularly, as these are the primary communications vehicles for our course! See the following documents for specific how-to information:
      In the Discussion Forums area, you will notice that, in addition to discussion forums for each lesson, there are several general-purpose discussion forums we'll be using:
     
    • General Discussion - for general postings and questions (i.e. not lesson- or project-specific)
    • Technical Issues - for peer-to-peer technical support
    • Suggestion Box - for suggestions on improving the course
       
    The course roster is also located under the Communicate tab.
     
  • Reports - provides tools to help you track your course progress (a way for you, and us, to see what you have accessed and what you have completed in the course), grades, milestones (a handy list of everything "due" in the course, with color coded notations showing what you have completed), and more.

ANGEL Help & Information Guide

The ANGEL Help & Information Guide can be accessed by clicking on the " ? " link in the upper left corner of your ANGEL window. The Help & Information Guide is a searchable guide that can be used as a resource to ensure you fully understand how to navigate within the learning environment, and complete your assignments.

ANGEL Technical Preparations

For this course we recommend customizing your ANGEL space by modifying the following settings:

  • Update your "Personal Information Settings" for ANGEL to make sure that the rest of us have current information about you.
     
    • Visit the ANGEL Help Guide: Personal Information page for information on how to do this. Fill in the boxes on the resulting page with your current information. Be sure to include the URL for your personal home page at Penn State. That is how your instructor and classmates will access your portfolio.
       
  • Set up your course e-mail preferences. You have the option of forwarding a COPY of your course e-mail to your personal e-mail address. You will NOT be able to reply to class e-mail that way, but it is a way to be notified of e-mail sent to you in the course.
     
  • Turn on the "Unread discussion forum posts" and "Unread mail messages" alerts. On your Profile page you have the option of being alerted to any new items that have been added to your courses, including discussion forum postings and e-mail messages. We recommend that you turn on the "Posts" and "Mail" alerts to ensure you don't miss anything!
     
  • Subscribe to Discussion Forums. When you subscribe to a discussion forum, you receive an e-mail message every time a new post to the forum is made.
    Note: You can only subscribe to discussion forums if you have first specified an e-mail forwarding address.
     
    • If you want learn how to receive an e-mail message every time a new posts are made to a discussion fourm, visit the ANGEL Help Guide: Subscribe to a Discussion Forum page for information on how to do this. If not, you can skip these directions!