- Use your Internet Service Provider to
connect to the Internet.
- Open your Web browser.
- Enter the URL,
http://muonline.marshall.edu,
into the Address bar, then press the ENTER key on your keyboard. For easy
access, add this address to your Favorites.
- The "MUOnline"
homepage
illustrated below, will appear. Note that online program information,
Institution/Course/Organization Announcements, and many other resources are accessible from this
page.
- Locate the section labeled "MUONLINE
LOG-IN" as displayed at the left in the illustration above.
- Enter your MU ID and
PIN, then click login. Your MU ID is the
9-digit number that the university uses to identify you (901xxxxxx). The
default PIN is a 6-digit number created from your birth date in the form of mmddyy. For example, if you
were born on February 4, 1975, your PIN would be 020475. (NOTE: If you have
changed your PIN in myMU then this is the PIN that you should use.)
| Need Help?
...contact the Marshall University Information Technology Service Desk
(email and phone are provided in the section above). |
- After you enter your login information,
you will gain access to the area called "My MUOnline" (a sample
is illustrated below). Your name should appear in small print within the
header including My Places, Home, Help, and Logout at the top
of the page.
- The courses in which you are enrolled,
also illustrated above are included in the center section labeled
My Courses.
- To access a course click the underlined
course title.
- Click buttons or text links provided in
the menu at the left to access
different sections of the course. This may include content, assignments, communications tools,
and help. A sample course is illustrated below. Take some time to familiarize
yourself with the setup of each course you are taking. In this sample,
Course Tools are listed in the left frame. Course content is
represented by text in the large frame at the right.
- Pay particular attention to the menu
included in the frame at the left (illustrated above). Some common tools
include: Calendar will provide access to a course
calendar where most instructors will post assignment due dates.
Discussions may be used for online discussions with the whole
class or small assigned groups. Discussions may also be used for
Journals and Blogs in some classes. Mail or Messages provides access to direct communication with your instructor and/or classmates. The
Syllabus will typically be available here as well. Note that
additional tools may be used in some courses. Use My Grades to keep
track of your progress throughout the semester.
- At any point you can return to your My
MUOnline page to access other courses by clicking the labeled
My MUOnline tab at the top left.
- Additional links within the top frame
include My Places, Home, Help, and Logout. Use
My Places to update your personal information, add an
avatar, and adjust settings. Click Home to return to
the MUOnline login page. Access Help to visit
Blackboard's On Demand Learning Center. Click Logout
when you are finished to ensure the security of your account.
|
Directions
for Sending Messages and Attachments |
- Use the Message link in
the left menu to access an individual course messaging system, as shown
below. As shown below, by default Messages includes two folders -- the Inbox
(where messages are received) and Sent (which stores a copy of
every message you send). It is also possible to create new folders to
organize your messages using the Create Folder button.
- To begin a new message locate and click
the Create Message button. A Compose Message window, as
illustrated below, will appear.
-
 Click To..., which
appears under Recipients. The Select Recipients options
(as shown at the right) will appear. Locate the name of the
person to whom you wish to correspond. Select the
name and click > to move the person to the Recipients field. Repeat as
needed for multiple recipients or hold down the Control key and click
multiple names before > to identify more than one recipient at a time.
You may as carbon copy (Cc) or blind carbon copy (Bcc) using the same
procedure.
- Next, enter an appropriate *Subject: and type the Body of your
message in the labeled space under Compose Message
(as illustrated above). Note that formatting tools are available to
format text style, size, alignment, lists, spellcheck, and more.
- When your message is complete click
Submit, illustrated below.
If you want to include an Attachment continue
with the following steps before clicking Submit.
- Locate the Attachment section. To
the right of Upload Attachment click Browse.
- From the Choose File window
(illustrated below), select the location of the file you want to attach
by clicking the down pointing arrow to the right of Look in:.
Click the file that you want to upload. In the sample provided below the
file is a Word document named Jones-Assignment1. Consider naming your
files using your last name and some indication of the assignment you are
sending. Once you have selected the file you want to attach click
Open at the bottom right of the window.
- Click the Submit button when your
message and attachment are complete.
Note:
If you want to
verify that a message has been sent you can check by clicking the
Sent folder. |
|
Directions
for Posting Discussions and Attachments |
- Click the link for Discussions
included in the menu at the left of the course window. Your instructor
may create assignment specific topics, as illustrated below.
- Select the desired Discussion topic
within your course. In the example included below the Assignment 1
Discussion topic was selected. If messages have been posted you will see
a list of message subjects, authors, and posting dates.
- To compose a new Discussion posting, click
Create Thread. The Create Thread window illustrated below will
open.
- Enter a *Subject and type the body of your
Message in the space provided.
- When finished click Submit. Note that
you may also Add Attachments.
- If you want to include an Attachment
continue by using the steps outlined in the Message section above. Click
Submit when your message and attachment are complete.
More Discussion Tips:
To read an existing Discussion posting,
click the subject of any message you want to view. To post a
response to a Discussion posting click
Reply. |
|
Directions
for Submitting Assignments |
- Some courses will require you to submit
assignments to an Assignments tool (this is sometimes referred to
as a Dropbox). A sample submission window is shown
below. Information such as the due date and grading criteria are
included at the top. Your instructor may also provide additional
assignment Instructions. You may include comments in the space
provided next to Submission and Comments. When
completing assignments, most instructors will want you to submit your
work as an Attachment.
- To attach a file, such as a Word document,
click Browse My Computer.
- Select the desired file from your computer
then click Open. Wait for the file to upload. Note that the
larger the file the longer it will take to attach.
- Once the attachment is complete click
Submit (as shown above).
- You should receive a Confirmation
message, similar to that shown below.
- Get Started ASAP. Review course
requirements as soon as possible to get a sense of what is expected.
- Pace yourself! Time management is
key. Pay attention to the instructor's timeline or create your own timeline
for completing assignments. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO START AND
COMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS!
- Read carefully! Written content
online replaces oral communication face-to-face, please read course content
very carefully to avoid missing key concepts or important detail in
assignment directions.
- Print materials. If reading
information on a computer monitor is difficult for you, consider printing.
The printed copy can also be retained for future reference. When printing
content click on the content, then select the Print or Print Frame option.
- Communicate regularly with the
instructor(s). If you have questions or concerns about assignments or
course content use Messages to communicate with your instructor(s). Be
aware that it may take time to get a response, so ask questions early.
- Check the course often. Login to
the course often for general announcements, content updates, and responses
to your own questions. While checking in daily is optimal, at a minimum you
should check your course(s) every other day.
- Review your own work! To avoid
delays in course completion, review your work to verify that it meets the
content and submission specifications before sending it to your instructor(s).
- Enjoy the experience! Familiarize
yourself with the online environment and what it has to offer the adult
learner.
|
