Presenter:

Alison Thompson Transition Support Officer

Learning Development

Centre for Teaching and Learning

Introduction to UoN computing systems

Purpose of session

• Introduction to UoNline and Blackboard

• Introduction to useful functions in MS Word

• Online information systems overview

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• The only way to:

– access course information

– submit assessment tasks

– listen to lectures

– And more!

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• Located in Blackboard

• Information, tip sheets and videos to help you navigate your courses

• Great information on how Turnitin works here

• Always check Blackboard first!

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• Turnitin is the most common way you submit written assessment tasks

• You upload your assignment, Turnitin registers it (and gives you a receipt)

• The software program issues you with an Originality Report which shows where you have used material from academic or other sources (like the internet)

• You use this report to make sure you have referenced all the information you have used

• Your tutor will also check this once the final assignment date has passed

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• Need assistance with structuring written assignments?

• Learning Development is the place to go

• Group or individual assistance

• Try an e-consult!

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Commonly used software

• Most students and academics use Microsoft Office software for their work

• Other software can be used, but check to see if it is compatible with that used by your tutor or lecturer – if they can’t read it, they can’t mark it!

• Learning tricks to make Word (and other software programs) behave can make your life easier, and make preparing assessments easier

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Purchasing Office for home use • Students can buy the software from this link:

http://itsnotcheating.com.au

• You can also purchase it through other retailers – check the prices to make sure you’re getting the best deal first!

• If you need specialist software for your program, check this link to see if there are cheap (or free!) options for students: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/software/for-

students/mypc.html

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Using Word at UoN

• Word is the most commonly used word processing program at UoN.

• Most assessments need to be prepared using Word – but always check the requirements before starting work.

• Most computers available for use by students on campus have Word already loaded (with the exception of the computers that are only for library searches).

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A few handy tips

• Saving your work

• Headers and footers

• Page numbers

• Spelchik

• Proofreading!

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Saving your work Students are responsible for backing up their own data.

To avoid 'losing' all or part of your work, it is important that you save regularly and make back up copies of your files.

All students are provided with a or U:\ drive (User drive ) which is a 500 MB network drive for personal storage of course related data.

Accessing your U:\ drive

Where to back up

• Save or copy files to your U:\ drive

• Copy to USB thumb or external hard drive

• Burn a copy to CD or DVD

• Print a copy of the document

• Email it to yourself at your uon.edu.au address

It is advisable to back up your files in at least two of these ways.

In the University computer labs, any files you have saved to the C:\ drive or desktop are deleted when you log out. March 27, 2014 11 MABTS | 16 February 2013 | www.newcastle.edu.au

Scenario

• You’ve produced a brilliant assignment but your tutor needs confirmation that you’ve met the criteria for the High Distinction

• The tutor arranges to put a copy of your assignment in the course co-ordinators mailbox for ‘double marking’

• The tutor unstaples your assignment, photocopies it but drops the pages before it can be restapled

Disaster! You didn’t put a footer on your assignment with page numbers or your name and student number!

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Adding a header or footer • Open Word

• Type some words on the page

• Click the ‘insert’ tab

• Click ‘footer’ to insert your name, student number and page numbers

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Footers

• Choose ‘blank’ footer

• Type your name into the box

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Footers • After your

name hit the ‘tab’ key

• Type your student no.

• Tab again and click ‘page number’ and insert in ‘current position

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Spilchik

• Sometimes the words you type will be spelled correctly, but not the correct word for the sentence

• Common mistakes are:

– There/their/they’re

– Affect/effect

– You’re/your

– It’s/its

• Don’t rely on spellcheck

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Library databases

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Databases

• Warehouses of information – like a department store for articles

• subject databases listed under their title (eg history under ‘H’, sociology under ‘S’). If you are unsure ask a librarian.

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Subject research guides

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Need to know more?

• Librarians

www.newcastle.edu.au/library

• Learning Development

http://www.newcastle.edu.au/unit/centre-for-teaching-and-learning/about-the-centre/learning-development/

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Questions

27 March 2014

CRICOS Provider 00109J | www.newcastle.edu.au