Brief guide to the most used functions in My Space

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for those responsible for classes, teaching staff, administrative contact persons, administrators

Introduction

Information about tuition at the University of Bergen is gathered in My Space. Each class and study programme (community) has its own home pages.

The first page you arrive at is called My Space and is your personal page. The page consists of portlets, which gather all information published in the class and community pages, e.g. News messages, discussion groups, timetables etc.

If you are in the home page of a class or a community, the class name is displayed in the upper left corner of the window ”Class Home” or the community name in the ”Community/Subgroup Home ” window. In order to access the home page of a class or community, click on the name (follow the link) of the class or community in the portlet called ”Classes and communities”.

Membership in classes and communities

The students are automatically placed in classes and communities on the basis of their registration for examinations, affiliation to a study programme, institute or faculty. All information published in class and community pages is displayed on the student’s personal page, ”My Space”. Remember that students cannot drop classes for which they have registered for examinations. You can thus be sure that published information will be displayed on students’ personal pages (My Space).

Staff are not placed in classes or communities but they can themselves join through [Join/Drop a Class or Community group ] in the class or community portlet in My Space. Please note that membership in classes and communities does not confer administrator rights (write access).
Each department has one or more superusers who establish administrator rights (write access) for teaching staff. This is normally the duty of the study consultant. If you have been granted administrator rights (write access) in a class or community, they will automatically be displayed in the class and community portlet in My Space.

Contact the superuser at your department if you wish administrator rights (write access) to a class or community.

How to add applets

Additional functionality (Blog, Resources via RSS etc.) which can be added to communities/classes are called applets and they must be added before they can be used.

The applets are added from “Manage Applets” in the Admin page. Select the applet you wish to use and click “Add” after the name of the applet.

When adding new applets, they will be displayed as portlets on the main page of the community.

Membership status:

In the Applet Staff List click on Member list where you can see the membership status for all the members in the class:

X : Membership fetched from Studentweb. Can be both an exam or just a class entry signup
U : Membership fetched from Studentweb. Is only a class entry signup (not an examn signup)
-- : Membership created manually. Role is student, but will not be shown.

Displaying a class in My Space for longer than a usual semester:

The classes normally disappear from the students’ overview in My Space on 1 January and 1 July respectively. It is possible to keep up membership for the students in a class into the following semester for a limited period. This is useful if you wish to receive an assessment of the teaching at the beginning of January for a class that ended in the autumn.

How to extend the display period for a class for students:
On the Admin page for the class under Group Administration, go to “Edit Group Properties – Change names, descriptions etc.”
Set a final date for displaying the class in which it says “Drop memberships on the subject on a given date.”

Note: The maximum extension is 3 months from 1 January and 1 July respectively.

Roles (Administration rights)

There are only two types of rights in My space; reading rights and administration rights (writing rights). Therefore there is no difference in the rights between an Administrator and a Teaching Assistant.

Rolle Vist under Stab Role Shown in Staff List Administrator rights
Emneansvarlige/Forelesere Ja Professor/Lectures Ja Ja / yes
Undervisningsassistent Ja Teaching Assistant Ja Ja / yes
Administrativ kontaktperson Ja Course Administrator Ja Ja / yes
Administrator Nei Administrator Nei Ja / yes
Student Nei Student Nei Nei / No
-- Nei

--

Nei Nei / No
Sensor Nei Sensor Nei Nei / no

The role Sensor is a member role and therefore has no administrating rights. Persons with the Sensor role can see all the assignments in the assessment folder and the Master`s thesis folder. The Sensor role can be used to give external sensors admission to retrieve assignments from My Space on their own and to prevent the internal sensors (with administrator rights) to see the content in the Learning folder.


Publishing information

Information must be published in the class or community to which the target group belongs, e.g. News messages to students in a specific class are published on the class page; emails to all students in a study program or a department are sent from the programme’s or department’s community page.


Note:

A typical error is to try to make information available to students on My Space (your personal page). My Space is personal and can only be viewed by you. In order to make information available to students, you must be in the home page of a class or community.

Everything published on the home pages of the classes for which a student has registered for an exam, and the communities of which he/she is a member, is shown on My Space. This makes it easy for students to maintain an overview, and every time they log on, any new information will be flagged.

==Admin== With the exception of the calendar and file storage functions, all functions (News, email, forums etc.) will be administered from the Admin-pages. Only those with administrator rights (write access) to a class or community have access to Admin-pages. Administrator rights are granted by the superuser at your department or faculty.

News messages

Administrators can mark news as read, directly in My Space or on the classes’ home pages. Students must access the actual news item to mark it as read. This is in order to ensure that students receive important information given by the faculty, department and class.

Click on either ’Add a News Item’ in the News portlet in the class or community window or go via the Admin page for the class/ community and select ”Create a news item”. After the Title and Body fields have been completed, you must state how long the message is to be displayed. The message will be automatically archived after that date.

If you wish the message to be displayed permanently, you must tick ”never” (will be displayed all the time).

In order to publish the news item, select Preview and then Confirm in the next window. The news item will be displayed on both the home page of the class/community and on My Space. In the Body field, internet addresses will automatically be activated so that students can easily click them to access the page in question.

Note:

Remember to set the archiving date for the message!

Messages can also be written in HTML. (Start and finish with

.....

) It is important to do so if you wish to format the text. Select “The text is formatted as

HTML”.
If the contents of the message are in a text file (.txt), it is possible to upload the contents of the file to the Body field. To do this, click Browse to find the file on your own computer. (NOTE: Only applies to txt files, not Word, PowerPoint, Excel files etc.)

Making news available to several classes or communities at the same time:

Either click “Create a news item for one or more communities” in the news field in the class or community window or go via the Admin page for the class/community and select “Create a news item for one or more communities”. Select the classes and/or communities for which the news is to be available.

Select “Add a news item”.
After the Title and Body fields have been completed, you must stipulate how long the news is to be shown. The news item will be automatically archived after that date. If you want the news item to always be displayed, tick “Never” (displayed all the time).
In order to make the news item available, select Preview and then Confirm in the next window.

The news items will be shown both on the home page of the classes and/or communities you have specified and on My Space. In the Body field, internet addresses will automatically be activated so that it will be easy for students to click them in order to access the page in question.

Note: Remember to stipulate an archiving date for the news item.
You can also write a news item in HTML. (Start and finish with

.....

) This is important if you wish to format the text: Select The text is formatted as HTML
If the contents of the news item are in a text file (.txt), it is possible to upload the contents of the file in the Body field. In order to do this, click Browse in order to find the file on your own computer. (NOTE! Only applies to txt-files, not to Word, PowerPoint or Excel files etc.)

Edit/reopen messages

You can edit news items by selecting Manage News under News Administration on the Admin page for the class/community. A list of all news items will then be displayed. Select Edit for the news item in question and follow the procedure described above. In addition, you must fill in the Revision Log field. (This field has been created in order to allow people other than administrators to read the changes that have been made.)
In the Manage News window, you can choose between news items that are [Published | Unapproved | Approved | Archived | All]. If you choose Archived items, an overview of previous news items will be displayed. Archived news items can be reopened by selecting Edit for the item in question and setting a new final display date as described above.

Make files and links available in the File Storage system.

Go to File Storage. There, you can view the folders for the class or community. The folder names are standard, but they can be easily changed by selecting Edit Folder, or Delete This Folder.

In File Storage, you can for example, upload old exam assignments, solutions, PowerPoint presentations from lectures etc. In addition, it is possible to make URLs available. It is also possible to add or delete catalogues and give catalogues new names. To add files, do the following:

  • Click File Storage
  • Choose the catalogue to which the file is to be added
  • Then click Add File
  • Browse for and select the desired file
  • Enter the name of the file
  • Entering a description of the contents is optional.
  • Click OK

The administrator can upload individual files of up to 100 megabytes. For students (others), the limit is 8 megabytes.

Note:

Use file formats that can be opened using standard software.

The file has now been made available to all students who are members of the class or community, and it is accessible in File Storage.
In principle, only those with administrator rights can add files (and URLs) in File Storage. In order to give students write access to a folder in File Storage, open the folder in question and select Modify permissions on this folder - Read only/ Both Read and Write Access.

NOTE: Please note that when the students are given both read and write access to a folder, they can change and delete files in the folder, including files that others have made available. We therefore recommend that you should always use the Homework applet (see Homework for more information) for the submission of student assignments etc.

Upload more than one file at a time.

You can upload more than one file at a time (Multiple Files) if the files are compressed in a ZIP file (this can be done in the file storage system on most PCs). Follow the procedure described above, but, instead of entering the name, tick the box for “This is a ZIP file containing multiple files which are to be unzipped". (Note that the name and contents field are grey.) Click OK and the file will automatically be unzipped in the file storage system.

Move/Copy files between folders and classes

You can move/copy several files at a time between folders and classes.
NOTE: There are built-in restrictions for deleting, moving and copying files in and from the Homework folders (the Learning Folder, Assessment Folder and Master’s Thesis Folder). See the section on “Homework” for more information.

  • Open the folder and tick the files that are to be moved or copied.
  • Select Move or Copy.
  • Select the folder and any sub-folder to which you wish to move the files.
  • Select Move here

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

These pages are intended to help provide answers to the most frequently asked questions. They can be questions which you are often asked by students or to which it is important to make answers more permanently available during the semester. The creation of such pages is done via the link New FAQs under FAQ Administration.

Forums

Forums enable communication between staff and students or just between students. All members of a class or community can take part in the discussion and respond to contributions from other members. Forums are created from the Admin-page by clicking the link New Forum and selecting:

  • Name
  • Purpose
  • Presentation (with threads or flat, which influences how contributions are shown)
  • Contribution policy
  • Open (default choice; all members of the class or community can write contributions freely)
  • Moderated (all contributions must be approved by the administrator)
  • Closed (members cannot write contributions)
  • Users can start new threads (yes or no)

Note:

The administrator for the class or community must ensure that the contents of the forum are not inappropriate.

Blog

Blog for classes, subgroups in classes and other communities. Here, students and administrators can blog in academic contexts. Images can be included in the blog and the blog also has RSS, making it possible to subscribe to it from other pages.

In order to use Blog for a class or subgroup, it must first be added in the same way as for other applets.

Entries in the Blog are administered from the Admin interface by clicking the Admin tab and then “Administer Blog”.

New entries are created by clicking “Add entry” in the Blog field/portlet.
In the form that appears, you enter the title and contents of the entry.
If you are going to use images in the entry, the images must already be available on the internet, and you simply refer to the URL address (e.g. http://www.uib.no/images/topp_03.gif) in the dialogue box which appears when you click the image icon.
When you have finished writing the entry, you can publish it immediately or leave it as a draft.
If you want to publish the entry, select “Publish” from the box at the bottom. The entry will not be readable by anyone other than the administrator until it has been changed to “published”.

Others can comment on entries by clicking “Add comment” when in the actual entry. Comments will be displayed underneath the entry.

Resources from RSS

An applet in which administrators can enter RSS feeds for a class/subgroup which retrieves information from other websites and displays it in a portlet in the subgroup or class.

In order to use Resources from RSS for a class or subgroup, it must first be added in the same way as other applets.

To add a new Resource (RSS feed):
Click the Admin tab for the class and then “Manage subscriptions” under “Resources from RSS Administration of”.
Write in the URL for an XML news feed which you wish to subscribe to or select a feed the system already knows.
Click the “Add” button (the RSS address for bt.no, for example, looks like this: http://www.bt.no/rss).

In other words, you can choose to display resources which have already been entered in My Space by selecting them from the dropdown menu or you can add a new URL for a feed from another resource.

Information Pages

Provides flexible opportunities for administrators to add graphic elements such as images, as well as texts etc. as supplementary pages under classes. The editing is done in a simple HTML editor. When each new version is created, a backup copy is made of the previous version, which makes it possible to access previous versions of the page. This may be well-suited to information at faculty or department level (communities), making it is possible to create one information page for Bachelor students and one for Master’s students. Information pages can be used in several different ways, but the main point is that administrators can add more web pages containing text and images that are easy to edit.

In order to use Information Pages for a class or subgroup, it must first be added in the same way as other applets.

Note: The first page you create will be the main page, but will not have its own tab.

To add a new page:
Go to Administer Information Pages under the Admin tab.
Select “Administer Information Pages”.
Then select “Create a new Information page”.
Then you must specify the “Page name” (it will be part of the URL. So it cannot contain the letters ‘æ’, ‘ø’ or ‘å’ or spaces between letters) and “Page title”.
On the next page you will have an opportunity to change the description and content of the Information page by clicking “Edit” on the right hand side of the window. You edit text and images using the HTML editor which appears. If you are going to add an image, click on the image icon . Images you are going to use must already be available on the internet, and you add an image by specifying the address of the image.
When you have finished editing the text, click “OK”.
To publish or make use of other options (preview or view revision versions), you use the options under “Publishing options”.
The Information page must be published by clicking “Commit your work” to make it visible to people other than the administrator and this must be done every time you edit the page.
If you create more than one page, the Information pages will be organised under clickable tabs.

Note: If you are the administrator, a link will be displayed on the right on all Information pages called “Edit this page”. This will take you straight to administration of the page, so that you can edit it.

Email (new functionality)

You can send emails to everyone or to individual members in a class or community.
The new feature is that you can also send emails to several classes or communities at a time – also to selected role types in each class.
To send emails to everyone or to individual members in a class or community:
From the “Staff” applet (in a class), click the link “Send email”.
Alternatively: From the Admin page for the class/community under the menu “Bulk email”, select “New Bulk Mail”.
Select who is to receive the email

Send to everyone in the community
or send to the following roles:

Members

Administrators

Members (Students)
In addition, send to the following (presumes that you have not selected “Send to everyone in the community” above). Tick who is to receive the email. In the Copy field you can enter several email addresses (use a comma between addresses). The email address of the sender will automatically appear in the Copy field. If you do not wish to receive a copy, remove your email address from the Copy field.

To send emails to everyone or to individual members in several classes or communities simultaneously (NEW):
From the “Classes and communities" applet or from the “Staff” applet (in any class whatsoever):
Click on the link “Send bulk email to one or more communities”
Alternatively: From the Admin page for a class or community under “Bulk mail” select “Send bulk mail to one or more communities”
Choose who is to receive the email
Choose the classes/communities and/or subgroups who are to receive the bulk email
Select “Compose bulk message” to write the message
Select the date and time the message is to be sent.
It is possible to edit a message later if it has not been sent. This is done via Admin under the “Bulk mail” menu by selecting “Bulk Mail History”.

Tip: “Bulk Mail History” shows previously sent bulk mail and mail that has not yet been sent.

Note:

Do not use the email service more than necessary.

Enable students in a class/community to send e-mail from My Space:

It may be necessary for a lecturer to enable students to send e-mail to each other via My Space. For example, if a group of students are working together on an assignment and have their own subgroup in a class.

On the Admin page, under Group Administration, it is possible to change the Bulk Mail Policy. By selecting “All members” the students can also send e-mail from My Space via the Members applet and the Staff list applet to one or all the members of the class/ subgroup.

Note: The default setting is “Only admins can send bulk mail to this community”.

Calendar

Timetables are imported from the university’s electronic time planning system (Syllabus). Contact the management of your department or faculty if you wish to make changes to the timetable.

The cancellation function is used in the event of cancellation of tuition less than 24 hours in advance, and it should be used as a supplement to news services on My Space. On cancellation of tuition at very short notice, you should also consider sending an email to students in the class.
The relationship between the student portal, My Space and the time planning system is described at: Timeplanlegging og rombestilling

Library Resources

A portlet is automatically created in all classes at the start of the semester. It is called Library Resources. This portlet shows the resources at the University Library – which are linked to classes—and the contact persons at the University Library for each resource. The administrator can choose not to use this portlet for a class by removing it.

If the portlet has not been created for the class, add it via the Admin page for the class under Manage Applets. Select Add Library Resources.

Change the appearance of pages

As the administrator of a page, you can decide the appearance of the page. You can remove portlets that are not in use, create your own pages and move the portlets between pages. All this is done from the page called “Customize Portal Layout” which you will find in the Control Panel. The page is structured in table form so that you can scroll downwards to see all the portal pages, use the arrow icons to move portlets to another location on the page they are on or use the red X icon to remove the portlet altogether. Portlets that have been removed can be added again later if this is desirable. At the bottom of the page, there is a blank portal page which enables you to create new pages, and you can also create new names for existing pages.

Grant administrator rights

As administrator for a class or a community, you can grant employees editing rights. This is done by clicking the Manage Membership link in the Admin-page. Then enter the person’s surname in the field Add A Member and click Search. In the next window you select the person who is to be given administrator rights by clicking on his or her name. Finally, you must state the role the person is to have in the class/community.

Add a guest user

A guest user is a person who does not have a user account at UiB, but who can have access to a class or community through an external account. This can be used , for example, to give guest lecturers from external institutions access to a given class or community on My Space.

  • Via Admin for the class or community, select ”Create a new Limited Access User”.
  • Enter the guest user’s email address, name and password. Click OK
  • In the next window that is displayed (may take some time), the user is assigned a role. Select one of the alternatives and click ”Add”
  • The next window is an email message with log-on information for the guest user. Here, you can enter supplementary text, but do not remove the existing text.
  • Select ”Send email” (You will receive a copy of the email which is sent to the guest user.)
  • The guest user is now displayed in the list of members

Create subgroup

Subgroups in a class are used, among other things, to divide students into smaller groups, e.g. tutorial groups, seminar groups, laboratory groups and similar. Subgroups have the same functions as the home page for the class or community.

Creation of subgroups via Felles Studentsystem (FS):
Contact the student advisor or the faculty for more information.

Creation of subgroups directly in a class or community:

  • Via the Admin-page, select New Subgroup
  • Give the subgroup a name and, if applicable, a description
  • Select ”Join Policy”
    • Open: The students can join the subgroup themselves (NOTE: It is possible to limit the number of people who can become members of an open group via ”Edit Group Properties”
    • Closed: The administrator enters members via Manage Membership
    • Needs Approval: Users can request membership. Requests are approved by the administrator via Manage Membership.

How to remove (archive) a subgroup

Subgroups can be removed so that they are no longer displayed in My Space. The subgroup will not be completely deleted, but it will only be visible to administrators.

Click the Admin tab and then click the “Archive” option after the subgroup you wish to remove.

Survey Administration

Create a new survey in the class. Can be used, among other things, for the assessment of tuition.

  • Via Admin, select Manage Applets
  • Under ”Applets To Add”, select Survey [ add ]
  • Return to Admin, and Survey Administration
  • Select ”New Survey”
  • Choose whether the survey is to be general or anonymised
  • Enter the name and describe the survey Click OK (+ confirm)
  • Enter a question number 1
  • Select presentation type (choose between checkboxes, radio buttons, free text etc.)
  • Decide whether the question is required. Required: Yes/No
  • Depending on the presentation type, enter ”Valid Responses”
  • Select Presentation Alignment.
  • Click OK

You can enter an unlimited number of questions.
NOTE: To make the survey available to users, you must select ”enable”/”disable”.
The administration of surveys (edit, see results, copying of surveys etc.) is done via the Admin-page in Survey Administration.

Homework (new functionality)

The homework applet will be created automatically in all classes at the start of the semester. The administrator can choose to remove the portlet/applet from the class page. Homework is a simple system for administering the electronic submission of student assignments, work etc.

The homework applet consists of three different types of folders: The Learning Folder, the Assessment Folder and the Master’s Thesis Folder. These three types of folder are visually different and they are the only type of homework folders it is possible to create in the homework applet. It is not possible to change the names of the three folder types. It is possible to name any sub-folders that you may create in the ”Learning Folder” and ”Assessment Folder”.

The three types of folder are created by the administrator for a class/community. Each student is given his/her own Learning Folder, Assessment Folder and/or folder for his/her Master’s Thesis, in which they can upload all types of files.

The students can only see their own submitted files in the folders.
The administrator for the class/community can see all the students’ submissions in the three folder types.

The administrator can place a time limit on how long the folders are to be open (deadline for submission), and students who have not submitted their assignments can be alerted by email.

The teaching staff can comment on submitted assignments/work, either directly in the document or in a separate comments field in the Learning and Assessment Folders.

The administrator can upload individual files of up to 100 MB. For students (others), the limit is 20 MB.

About the Learning Folder
The Learning Folder is a folder intended for the submission of work on which the students are to receive comments and feedback. This folder is not intended for assignments that have a bearing on the grade for the class. In the Learning Folder, the provisions of the regulations for exams do not, therefore, apply.

About the Assessment Folder
Assignments which are submitted in the Assessment Folder should be assignments that have a bearing on the grade for the class. In the Assessment Folder, the provisions of the regulations for exams therefore apply, see Regulations for studies and degrees at the University of Bergen, Chapter 4 Examinations, and any supplementary rules adopted by the faculty.

About the Master’s Thesis Folder

As of august 1 all Master thesis should be submitted electronically (Jfr. UU møte 3.oktober 2006, Sak 45/06 Elektronisk innlevering, arkivering og tilgjengeliggjøring av masteroppgaver ved UiB).

The Master’s Thesis Folder is a type of Assessment Folder that is only intended for the submission of Master’s theses. Assignments submitted in this folder should be assignments that have a bearing on the grade for a class. In this folder, the provisions of the regulations for exams therefore apply, see Regulations for studies and degrees at the University of Bergen, Chapter 4 Examinations, and any supplementary rules adopted by the faculty.

Students may, when submitting a thesis in the Master’s Folder, choose to make their Master's thesis available and searchable on the web in BORA. See the agreement concerning the publication of a Master’s thesis here.

All electronically submitted Master’s thesis must be in PDF format.

Sub-folders can be created under the Master’s Thesis Folder but only individual folders with the student’s name. This function is offered to the departments at which students themselves choose the submission date. For those that have a common submission date at the department (the Master’s class), it is not necessary to create individual folders per student.

Create the folder types (Learning Folder, Assessment Folder and Master’s Thesis Folder) in a class or a subgroup

If the Homework applet has not already been created in a class (will be created automatically in all classes at the start of the semester), add the Homework applet in the class/community.
Use ”Manage Applets (portlets)” on the Admin page for the class to add the Homework applet (portlet) to the class.
Under ”Applets (portlets) to Add”, select Innlevering [ add ].
Go to the Admin page for the class/subgroup and find the menu ”Homework Administration”.

'Homework Administration: '

Homework Folder (enable | disable)
This is used to activate/deactivate the Homework Folder (standard/default = disabled).
When the Homework Folder is enabled, the Homework Folder and the Assessment Folder will be visible to all members of the Homework applet for the class/community.

In order to create an Assessment Folder and/or a Master’s Thesis Folder:
First, access the Homework Folder by clicking ”Homework Folder” in the Homework applet that has been created, or via the Admin page by clicking on ”Homework Folder” under the menu ”Homework Administration”.

In order to create either an Assessment Folder or a Master’s Thesis Folder, click on the button ”Create New Folder” when in the ”Homework Folder” window. Choose whether you wish to create an Assessment Folder or a Master’s Thesis Folder.
In order to create all three types of folder, repeat the process by accessing "Homework Folder" and clicking "Create New Folder" again.

Enable/ disable Homework applet:

  • Homework Folder (enable | disabled)

This is used to activate/ deactivate the Homework Folder (standard/default = disabled). The contents of the applet are only visible when it is enabled.

Opening dates for the folders:

  • Set opening dates on all Homework Folders (also subgroups)

Here, you can stipulate common opening dates which will apply to all the Homework Folders (also subgroups), but not those that have separate opening dates or which have chosen not to use common opening dates at all.

Create Homework for all subgroups:

  • Add Homework to all subgroups (this may take a while - please be patient)

The configuration for the Homework Folder for the class is copied to the subgroups.
The configuration of the subgroups can then be changed.

'NOTE: It is also possible to create a Homework Folder directly in a subgroup. Follow the same procedure as described above.

Edit folder properties

Select ”Homework Folder” under ”Homework Administration” in the Admin window and the folder whose properties you wish to edit. Select the button ”Folder properties” in order to edit the folder’s properties.

Choose whether the administrator is to be notified when a student assignment has been submitted, and whether common opening dates are to apply to the whole class, including subgroups or whether separate opening dates are to be defined (applies to this folder alone).

'
Submit an assignment for a student is used by the administrator when the student is unable to submit it him/herself or when the folder is closed. (The administrator submits the assignment for the student.)


Access to/ commenting on assignments


Submitted assignments are shown in the folder and can be commented on in two ways: i) write a brief comment directly in the window, or ii) comment directly in the student’s assignment.

i) Select ”New Comments” and write the text directly in the field on the page (only simple text). You can also mark as passed/ not passed. This will be entered in a small file linked to the student’s assignment.

ii) First, download the student’s assignment to your own computer. Write your comments directly in the text and save the file on your own computer. Return to the folder and upload the new version of the assignment containing your comments. The student will then be able to view both his/her own assignment and the new version containing your comments.

Administrators and professors can upload different versions of comments and they can use the text box for version comments to distinguish between the commented files. The student receives an automatic email message when comments have been added.

Passed/ not passed
In addition to comments, it is possible to tick the appropriate box for whether the assignment has been passed/ not passed.

NOTE:
This is not the formal grade ‘passed/failed’.

Notify students who have not submitted work


”Missing submissions” lists all students who have not submitted the assignment. Tick the box on the left of the assignment name in order to send an email to the candidate(s).
When you are in the window showing which students have failed to submit an assignment, you can select ”Show submissions”. Tick the box on the left in order to send an email to the candidate(s).

Anonymization of folders

It is now possible to take delivery of anonymous electronic submissions in the Homework applet in My Space (i.e. submission using the student’s candidate number only). In order to safeguard students’ anonymity, it is a requirement that submissions must be in PDF format or in Plain Text. It is important, therefore, to inform students about the format requirements in the case of planned anonymous submissions well in advance of the submission date.

Information about format requirements is available on the student portal:
List of format requirements for submissions made in My Space.
How students can convert a document to PDF format at UiB.

How to create an anonymous submissions folder:

Note: The folder must be empty (not contain any files) for it to be possible to anonymize it after it has been created. If the folder is empty, the anonymization process can be reversed so that an anonymous folder can become non-anonymous.

If you wish to anonymize a newly-created folder:
Create a folder with the name you wish
Highlight “Yes” for the option: “Anonymize contents in this folder" (the final option on creating the folder).

If you wish to anonymize an existing folder:
Click the folder you wish to anonymize
Choose “Folder properties”
Highlight “Yes” for the option: “Anonymize contents in this folder".

Group submissions:

When several students write an assignment together that is to be submitted in My Space, the submission can be organised so that only one copy of the assignment has to be submitted. This assignment will be visible to all the students in the group (the authors).

Group submissions can be organised in subgroups:
All the students who are members of the subgroup can see each others’ submitted assignments.

To organise the submission of group assignments for a subgroup:
Create a subgroup under the class for each group of students who are going to write an assignment together.
The administrator can limit students’ right to join a subgroup on their own initiative. In such case, the registration policy must be set to “Closed”. Go to Admin – Group administration – Change registration policy – Open | Closed | Waiting for approval (select “Closed”)
Distribute the students as members of the correct subgroup. Alternatively: The students can themselves register as members of the correct subgroup if the registration policy is not set to “Closed”.

In order to use Homework for a class, it must first be added in the same way as other applets.

Create the Homework applet and the folder type(s) to which the subgroup’s members are to submit work.
Click “Enable” in “Allow group submission in all folders” from the Admin page under “Homework Administration”. This allows all the members of the subgroup to see the submissions made by another member of the subgroup.
Enable the Homework applet from the Admin page by clicking “Enable”. (This makes the contents of the Homework applet visible to the members of the subgroup.)

Note: Once a group submission has been made, i.e. a file has been uploaded by a student, the group submission functionality cannot be disabled. This can only be done as long as the Homework applet is empty (contains no files).

Note: It is only the administrator for the class who can comment on the submitted assignments. All the students who have made a group submission can see the comments on the assignment.

Format requirements for submissions in My Space:

Format requirements apply to the submission of assignments in My Space when:
Students are to submit their Master’s thesis.
Students are to submit an anonymous assignment in an anonymized folder.

Which format is required in the different folder-types in My Space: (See this information on International Students as well)..

  • Learning folder and subfolders of the learning folder:
    Requirements: No special format required.
    • Anonymized learning folder and /or anonymized subfolders of the learning folder:
      Requirements: PDF or text (txt, sgml, html, xml).
  • Assessment folder and subfolders of the assessment folder:
    Requirements: No special format required.
    • Anonymized assessment folder and/or anonymized subfolders of the assessment folder:
      Requrements: PDF or text (txt, sgml, html, xml)
  • Master`s thesis folder and subfolders of the Master`s thesis folder (master thesis folders with the student`s names):
    Requirements: PDF.

Delete, move and copy files in the Homework applet

In the Homework applet, limitations apply with respect to the folder types between which files can be moved or copied. Students cannot delete submitted files from any of the folder types in the Homework applet. Students who wish to delete a file from the Homework applet must contact the administrator/ person responsible for the class, who can do this for the student.

It is not possible to move files from the Learning Folder to the Assessment Folder or to the Master’s Thesis Folder. It is possible to copy files from the Learning Folder to both the Assessment Folder and the Master’s Thesis Folder. It is also possible to move files within the Learning Folder – for example from one sub-folder to another.

It is not possible to move files from the Assessment Folder to the Learning Folder or to the Master’s Thesis Folder. It is possible to move files within the Assessment Folder – for example from one sub-folder to another.

It is not possible to move files from the Master’s Thesis Folder to the Learning Folder or the Assessment Folder. Students can move a file from the Master’s Thesis Folder to their own sub-folder in the Master’s Thesis Folder (with the student’s name). It is not possible to copy files from the Master’s Thesis Folder to the Learning Folder or the Assessment Folder.

Granting extra time for submissions for individual students

Is used if one or more, or, if applicable, all students have been allotted extra time for homework. It is possible to administer who is to be given extra time and how much extra time each individual is to be given. It is also possible to give one or more students extra time in an individual folder, or for the whole class (i.e. in all homework folders created in the class).

  • Click on the correct folder
  • Click on the button "Admin who should have extra time"
  • Click on the button "Give someone extra time"
  • Fill in the extra time you want to grant the student/s
  • Click on the button "OK" when you are finished.

Note: When extra time is granted before or after the original deadline has expired, the extra time is added with effect from the expiry of the original deadline for submission. E.g.: If the deadline is set to expire on Monday March 1, 2007 at 12:00 and a whole day extra is added at 14:00 on the same day, The new deadline for submission will be Tuesday March 2, 2007 at 12:00 (not 14:00).

Click in the checkbox to the left of the column "Last name" if all the students are to be granted extra time for submissions in this folder.

Note: When extra time is granted an e-mail notification is automatically sent to the student/s who recieved extra time and to the person who granted the extra time.

Granting extra time for submissions for all students

Note: You will find [Procedures in the event of unplanned downtime in My Space and Kark the procedures for granting extra time for submissions in the event of unplanned downtime here.]

Follow this description to grant extra time for submissions for all students in a folder:

  • Click on the correct folder.
  • Click on the button "Folder properties".
  • Set new time in the fields "Closed after" - the new submission time.
  • Click "OK" when you are done.
  • Remember to notify the students in case of a new deadline. Use the following standard message in case of unplanned downtime in My Space:

"My Space was unavailable on [dd.mm.yy] from [hh.mm] until [hh.mm]. The fault has now been rectified and the system is up and running again. 'The department/faculty has set a new submission deadline, cf." Guidelines for the extension of deadlines for submission".

New deadline: [hh.mm] on [dd.mm.yy]."

Note: Fill inn the date and time where it is missing.


Send assignments to the Exams Archive and BORA

The Exams Archive is a central archive for electronic exam papers submitted in My Space at UiB. All electronically submitted assignments in Assessment Folders and Master's Thesis Folders in My Space must be transferred to the Exams Archive once the exam results are availablr (including failed assignments).

As from July 3rd 2013 assignments are transferred automatically on a nightly basis. Assignments transferred to the Exams Archive and/or BORA will display a text in the status field stating: “Sent to Exams Archive” or: “Sent to Exams archive and BORA” (the latter applying only to the Master’s Thesis Folder).

Note: It is not possible to transfer content from a Learning Folder to the Exams Archive. Hence, carefully choose a correct folder type (either the Assessment Folder or Master’s Thesis Folder) when accepting exam submissions.

Note: Assignments are not moved from My Space when transferred to the Exams Archive and/or BORA. (It is a copy of the assignment that is sent to the Exams Archive and BORA).

Note: Master’s theses which students have chosen to make available in BORA display a text in the status field stating “Waiting to be transferred to BORA”. Once the thesis has been sent to the Exams Archive, it will automatically be forwarded to BORA if the thesis has been approved. Only Master’s theses that have been graded as “passed” will be made available in BORA. A thesis that is graded as “failed” will not be transferred to BORA even if it is transferred to the Exams Archive.

The status information related to the transfer to the Exams Archive and BORA is visible to both students and administrators.

How to transfer assignments to the Exams Archive: If the automated transfer procedure fails, an adminstrator can transfer assignments manually.

  1. Go to the folder which contains the assignments.
  2. Select all the files that are to be transferred to the Exams archive.
  3. Near the bottom of the page under all the assignments, you will find the button “Request sending the check items to the Exams archive” Click the button.
  4. Check that the status field for the assignments changes to: “Pending sending to Exams archive” or: “Pending sending to Exams archive and BORA” (only applies to the Master’s Thesis Folder). In addition, the date and time when the button was clicked will be shown as well as the name of the person who clicked it.
  5. The actual transfer takes place during the night.
  6. Check the day after that the transfer was successful (check the status field). (It might take longer than one day in periods with a lot of activity in My Space.)
  7. If you experience problems when transferring many assignments simultaneously try transferring fewer at a time.

Notification of any error messages/ problems with the transfer can be given via the link at the bottom of the page “Do you have any technical questions regarding this page?”

Note: Master’s theses which students have chosen to make available in BORA on submission will have text in the status field stating “Waiting to be transferred to BORA”. Once the thesis has been sent to the Exams archive, it will automatically be forwarded to BORA if the thesis has been approved. Only Master’s theses that have been graded as “passed” in FS will be made available in BORA. A thesis that is graded as “failed” in FS will not be transferred to BORA even if it is transferred to the Exams archive.

The status information related to the transfer to BORA and the Exams Archive is visible to both students and Administrators.

Link to Ephorus (text recognition program)

Only one person per class can have a user account in and have reports sent from Ephorus. In order to use Ephorus services in My Space, see the information on the intranet. There, you will also find More information about the text recognition program Ephorus (requires that you are logged on to UiB’s intranet).

NOTE: The students shall be informed that Ephorus is linked to the Homework applet and/or Kark.

Connection to other systems

My Space has some integrated systems which students can access directly via My Space. These systems are Kark-innlevering, Kark-seminar and Moodle multiple-choice testing (Moodle multiple-choice testing is not available yet).

To add a link to one or more of the systems, the applet ”Connection to Other Systems” must first be added to the class/community.
Go to the Admin page for the class/community, select ”Manage Applets”, select ”Add” in the ”Connection to other systems” applet.
Go back to the Admin page for the class/community to which the applet was added. Select which system you wish to create a link to from the menu ”Administration of connection to other systems”.

Kark

The Kark learning support system is integrated into My Space and can be used for all classes at UiB.
The connection from My Space to Kark takes place automatically and Kark receives user data, tuition activity and community affiliation from FS/Student Web/My Space. Kark opens in a new browser window so that the user can remain in contact with My Space.

Assignment seminar
Kark allows students to submit, read and comment on assignments directly on the internet. Its powerful assignment management system means that Kark can be used in most tuition systems. The Kark administrator for the class (class administrator) decides who at any given time will have access to the assignment topic and submitted assignments and who can comment on assignments.
The seminar is also highly suitable when students are to submit several versions of the same assignment and when the class is portfolio assessed.
Since the tuition set-up varies from class to class, it is the class administrator who decides which functions are to be used, including folder functions, the generation of commentator lists and blogs.

Blogs (discussion forums)

In some tuition systems, it is natural to have an electronic discussion forum in connection with the assignment seminar. Kark has three variants to choose from: teacher, student and discussion blogs. In the two former variants, it is the blog owner who writes new contributions. In the latter, everyone is free to start discussions. In all three, others can contribute input and questions.

Submission of assignments

Kark is also available in a submissions-only variant which is suitable when the seminar functions are not needed or when file formats have to be used that cannot be shown in web browsers.
Kark-innlevering can deal with all or selected file formats. It has been designed to enable teaching staff to comment on assignments, both directly in the assignment and in a separate comments field in Kark.
Kark-innlevering is run by the same program as the seminar, and the class administrator has the same possibilities to adapt Kark to the working methods used in the class.

Introducing Kark
Kark is activated by creating a link to seminar or to homework on My Space. Many people add links to a manual along with the Kark link The Kark office will provide assistance when you use Kark for the first time.
Questions about Kark can be sent to kark@uib.no .

Moodle multiple-choice testing

Moodle multiple-choice testing via My Space is not yet available. (probably available from Januray 1 2008)..
The connection from My Space to Moodle takes place automatically and Moodle receives user data, tuition activity and community affiliation from FS/Student Web/My Space. Moodle opens in a new browser window so that the user can remain in contact with My Space.
The ”Connection to other systems” applet must first be added to the class/subgroup.
You then add ”Show Moodle-test log on” from the Admin menu for the applet.


User support

Superusers in the faculties and departments can answer simple questions and grant administrative access (write access).
Questions about My Space can be sent by email to studentportal@uib.no, or use the error reporting function at the bottom of the page in My Space. “Do you have any technical questions regarding this page?

Courses

Regular courses are held in the use of My Space. Introductory courses are held in connection with upgrades and new functionality.

For a list of courses, see Kursoversikt

We can also organise and hold courses as required. Contact Kathrine Slettevold who is in charge of courses: kathrine.slettevold@ua.uib.no

Procedures in the event of unplanned downtime in My Space and Kark

Jfr. UU Sak 25/07 Elektroniske eksamensbesvarelser – rutiner ved nedetid.
The department/faculty are responsible to notify the students about extra time for submission of assignments.

In the case of unplanned downtime in My Space the following guidelines for granting extensions applies. The guidelines also applies to Kark.

  • If My Space was unavailable for electronic submissions during the course of the stipulated submission date and this was not the result of planned downtime, the submission deadline will be extended by at least one day for all students in the class.
  • If My Space was unavailable for electronic submissions for more than one day and this is not a result of planned downtime, the submission deadline will be extended by at least two days for all students in the class.
  • The department/faculty responsible for the class in question will stipulate a new submission deadline in accordance with these guidelines.

The department/faculty will send information about any changes in submission deadlines via e-mail and notification on My Space as soon as possible. Students are responsible for checking My Space and their student e-mail at regular intervals.

Standard notification to be used by department administrations in #Email (new functionality) and the #News_messages in My Space when #Granting extra time for submissions of the deadline for submission:

" My Space was unavailable on [dd.mm.yy] from [hh.mm] until [hh.mm]. The fault has now been rectified and the system is up and running again. 'The department/faculty has set a new submission deadline, cf." Guidelines for the extension of deadlines for submission.

New deadline: [hh.mm] on [dd.mm.yy]. "

Note: Fill inn the date and time where it is missing.
See also:#Granting extra time for submissions

Note: All the procedures in such an event are also posted on the Intranet under Utdanning and Rutinebeskrivelser.


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