CONTENTS WELCOME TO OWLV2................................ 1 Using the Heading Controls.......................................2 WORKING WITH ASSIGNMENTS........................... 5 Guidelines for Taking Assignments.................................6 Basic Options on the Assignments Page.............................8 Understanding the Assignment Due Date....................9 Assignment Type Overview......................................10 Taking a Mastery Assignment.............................10 Taking a Non Mastery Assignment.........................11 Taking a Test Assignment.................................13 OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 1
Contents Taking an Adaptive Study Plan Assignment..................14 Taking a Quick Prep Assignment...........................15 Taking a Reading Assignment.............................16 Taking an External Assignment............................18 TRACKING YOUR GRADES.............................. 19 ACCESSING YOUR STUDY TOOLS......................... 20 Using the OWLv2 ebook........................................23 CONTACTING CENGAGE TECHNICAL SUPPORT................ 24 August 18, 2016 pg. 2 OWLv2
WELCOME TO OWLV2 OWL stands for Online Web based Learning, an online course management system for teaching and learning chemistry disciplines. OWLv2 provides you with the tools you need for studying your online class materials, taking assignments, analyzing your progress, and tracking your grades from wherever you have Internet access. OWLv2 Assignments Page Audience This document provides basic information for OWLv2 students when taking assignments, tracking grades, accessing self study materials, and using an online ebook. For detailed instructions, please refer to the online help system available in OWLv2 or the student user guide, which you can download from the Cengage Learning Technical Support site. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 1
Welcome to OWLv2 Using the Heading Controls On the left side of each heading are links to main pages in OWLv2 that give you access to information on your Courses, Assignments, Grades, and Study Tools pages. (You may not have a Courses page, if your Learning Management System does not support multiple courses.) OWLv2 Heading Controls On the right side of the heading are buttons and links that provide you with help or other useful resources. Some options may not be available if you are accessing OWLv2 through a Learning Management System such as Blackboard. Click the Global Actions Menu to open a list of links to access the system Tools or Help options. Click the Cengage Technical Support button to open the Cengage Learning tech support site in a new browser window. See Contacting Cengage Technical Support on page 24 for more details. Click the list icon that appears in the heading when your browser window is minimized to access the page links. Expanding this drop down menu reveals the links and allows you to go to the desired page. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 2
Welcome to OWLv2 Global Actions Menu Options The Basic Calculator link gives you quick access to a simple calculator that opens in a new browser window. For advanced calculations, you can use the scientific Calculator located in the Math/Graphing Tools. The Math/Graphing Tool link opens a window containing several helpful utilities you can use, including a scientific calculator, a math glossary, a shapes library, and graphing tools. When available, the Student ID link opens a page where you can create or edit a unique ID to help identify your account in your instructor s OWLv2 Gradebook and grade reports. Use the Help link to open the OWLv2 online Help in a new browser window, with the table of contents, index, and search functions enabled. The Run System Check link opens a utility you can use to verify that your system and browser settings conform to the OWLv2 system requirements. Sign Out closes your current OWLv2 session and informs the system that you are done. If you simply close the browser window, there is a chance that you may lose unsaved work, or that your session will not terminate successfully OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 3
Welcome to OWLv2 Click the page links in the header to navigate to the following pages: Courses When available, the Courses page displays the names of your instructor(s) and your overall grade for your OWLv2 courses. The Go To column supplies buttons to open pages for viewing your assignments, grades, and the syllabus specific to each course (when a syllabus is available). Grades By providing multiple views, the Grades page helps you monitor your progress in your self study materials or find specific grades for your graded assignments. You can easily track your grades with the available grade details information and sorting options for organizing the display of your assignments, courses, and self study. Assignments The Assignments page provides an overview of your assignment details. It shows you your assignment s Date Due, Grading Category, Actions you can perform, # of Submissions, # of Submissions Allowed, Time Allowed, Notes, and your Score for graded assignments that are complete. The Assignments page also allows you to Take a graded assignment for the first time, start an ungraded Practice assignment, or Retake or Resume an assignment (if your instructor permits it). Study Tools The Study Tools page provides access to your registered materials in OWLv2 such as ebooks, Quick Prep, and Adaptive Study Plans on a self study basis. Work that you access and complete on the Study Tools page is for ungraded self study only. Your progress is tracked on both your Grades page and your instructor s Gradebook. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 4
WORKING WITH ASSIGNMENTS Once you are enrolled in your course, you can access the activities your instructor creates and assigns from your Assignments page. As you complete assignments, OWLv2 is able to grade most electronically; it then tracks your progress and reports your scores to your instructor. OWLv2 Assignments Overview Page Generally, your instructor provides one or more introductory assignments that are designed to orient you to the system, verify your computer can run the content, and equip you to do your best on your homework. Do them first thing! Your instructor may make it mandatory for you to complete these introductory assignments before you can start on your other coursework. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 5
Guidelines for Taking Assignments These instructions detail how you can achieve the best results when taking an assignment. You can make sure you get full credit for your work by considering the following guidelines. Do not use your browser's forward, back, close, refresh, or history options. Doing so may cause you to lose changes or unintentionally submit an assignment. Only use the navigation options provided in OWLv2, and wait for each page to completely load before proceeding. If you must leave your computer, do not leave the assignment open and inactive for more than 2 hours. Don t open another browser tab or window and forget about your homework assignment. If you do, the 2 hour session limit might expire, which will cause your assignment to be submitted for grading. If the browser crashes or becomes unresponsive and you must manually close your browser, you can resume your take if you sign back into OWLv2 within a few minutes. If you see an Inactive Session Warning, you can choose to either return to your OWLv2 session or sign out to save your work. If your Assignments page has a long list, you can see only those assignments that are available to do next by clicking the link for Assignments I Can Take Now. In assignments that provide it, use the pop out Contact Technical Support button in the upper right corner to open the Cengage Learning support site in a new browser window. In questions with multiple steps, submit a response in all sections. Depending on the assignment s settings, you may not be able to go back to edit your answers in previous steps. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 6
When using a constant required for a homework question, check that the constant on your calculator matches the value found on the Tables page in your assignment. Note: You can access the Tables page by expanding the References menu in your assignment and clicking the Tables link. Links for a periodic table and scientific notation are also located in the References menu. Complete and submit your assignments before the Due Date and Time Allowed (not all assignments are timed). An assignment may no longer be available to take or resume, if you have taken it the maximum number of times or if it is past its Due Date. There may be times when you can take an assignment past its Due Date (generally with a penalty), if your assignment has an Unavailable Date and you have not yet scored 100%. However, instructors generally penalize for each day that passes after the Due Date has passed. When available, use the Email Instructor button to send an email message that directs your instructor to a view of your response and the specific assignment content on which you are working. Assignments that permit you to save your progress and finish at a later time have a Save and Exit button. Otherwise, you are required to complete your assignment in one sitting. When you begin an assignment, the Assignment Ready page will provide you with the necessary Take information. Clicking the Submit Answer button saves and scores your current answer. This action may also open additional content in your question. Submit Action does not submit the entire assignment for a grade, however, submitting your assignment includes responses you didn t manually submit. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 7
Basic Options on the Assignments Page Select the Assignments link to open the Assignments page, where you can begin an assignment take or view their status. The Assignments page has several options for changing how courses and assignments are displayed. Above the assignment table are links you can use to determine which assignments are displayed. Course or Section When available, use this drop down menu to select assignments to view by course or section. You can choose between All My Courses (Merged), All My Courses (Separated), or view only the assignments for a specific course or section (multiple courses may not be available in some Learning Management Systems). Show me: All Assignments Assignments I Can Take Now Assignments I Can Practice Now Click All Assignments to change your view of the Assignments page to one showing all of your assignments, including those you are unable to take or any off line (external) assignments. Click Assignments I Can Take Now to display only those assignments that are currently available for you to take. Click Assignments I Can Practice Now to see only your ungraded assignments or assignments you are allowed to retake for self study after submitting them for a grade. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 8
Understanding the Assignment Due Date The Due Date is the last day you can submit an assignment for full credit. Your instructor can set up assignments to allow late submissions, but there may be a penalty. Below are key points to remember about Due Dates: The assignment Due Date is the date and time the assignment typically disappears from the Assignments I Can Take Now view of your Assignments page. If on the Due Date, the assignment remains available on the Assignments I Can Take Now view, your instructor has allowed extra days for you to complete it. If your instructor sets an Unavailable Date and you have not yet scored 100% (when you are allowed multiple Takes) you will get extra time to complete the assignment. In this case, your instructor will most likely set up a penalty. Thus, the Due Date is the most important date to remember. Complete and submit your assignments by the date to receive full credit for your work. Note: Check with your instructor or syllabus if you require information about course grading policies. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 9
Assignment Type Overview The following sections contain a brief descriptions of the common assignment types you may see in OWLv2. Your course materials and your instructor s choices determine what kind of assignments are available in your course. Note: During an assignment, never close your browser, go to another site, or use your browser's forward and back buttons you may lose your current work, and the assignment is counted as a Take. Use only the navigation buttons and links within OWLv2 and be sure each page loads completely before proceeding. Taking a Mastery Assignment Mastery assignments consist of groups of questions, with each group covering a specific concept or topic. This assignment type provides a unique scoring system that grades your mastery of a concept based on the number of correct responses for each group of questions. The minimum number of required correct responses and the point value are displayed next to the group name; a circled M next to the group name indicates you have achieved mastery. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 10
When working with Mastery assignments, you can move freely between groups and questions. Clicking a group heading on the left expands the group to reveal its questions. When available, clicking Retry Entire Group gives you an attempt for a better score. Some question groups may have a Preparation that provides helpful information for you to review before formulating your answers. For extra help on your assignment, there are links to Review Topics and Resources such as a periodic table, instructions for scientific notation, and tables of related reference materials. Depending on your instructor s settings, you may also have links to your ebook or other resource links within your questions. Click the Submit Answer button to save your work on the current question before proceeding. When you are completely done, click Finish Assignment. Keep in mind that you are allowed to complete a Mastery assignment and submit it for a grade one time only, however, you can choose to save and resume your assignment at a later time. Taking a Non Mastery Assignment Non Mastery assignments do not arrange questions into groups. However, they can provide a sophisticated array of question types. These questions are especially designed to present chemistry concepts using interactive and media rich content. You may find that some content is simply reading, while other questions contain tutorials and animations that lead you through step by step examples of the current topic. When taking a Non Mastery assignment, you can move freely between questions. At the top of the assignment window a References menu supplies helpful information such as a periodic table, instructions for scientific notation, and tables of related reference materials. Clicking Try Another Version allows you to attempt the question again for a better score. Click the Submit Answer button to save and score your responses on the current question before proceeding. When you are completely done, click Finish Assignment. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 11
Non Mastery assignments al so include chemical and molecular editors, which are useful tools for constructing your answers in the correct format. Be sure to refer to the Introductory assignments for information on using the ChemDoodle editor, entering symbols and formulas, and rules for significant figures and rounding. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 12
Taking a Test Assignment Test assignments differ mainly in that they present questions in a stricter environment and in a traditional assessment style. By default you are allowed only one take and your instructor can choose to make your Tests timed. You do not have access to tutorials, simulations, ebook materials, or other content resources during a Test. The References menu continues to be available and you can use its links to open a periodic table, scientific notation instructions, and other tables of reference materials. Click the Submit Answer button to save your work on the current question before proceeding. When you are completely done, click Finish Assignment. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 13
Taking an Adaptive Study Plan Assignment Adaptive Study Plan (ASP) assignments provide a way for you to build a knowledge base in fundamental math and science concepts in preparation for a test or as augmentation to your chemistry course. ASP assignments are graded on your performance on the Objectives and Activities. You can work though the content in any order, however, starting with a preliminary quiz to identifies any knowledge gaps, which then leads you through the recommended study materials until mastery is achieved on the required topics. By default, Adaptive Study Plans can be taken as many times as desired with no overwriting, however, your instructor has the option to limit the number of quiz takes. You can save your work and resume an assignment take at a later time; your assignment is automatically submitted once the due or unavailable date has passed. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 14
Taking a Quick Prep Assignment The content in Quick Prep assignments consists of review material covering key concepts to help you get up to speed with your chemistry course. These assignments are adaptive, as they can evaluate your knowledge and then help you gauge which topics you need to review. The information generated from your Pre Test or main Quiz results determines which Study Plan topics are suggested for you to focus on the most. When taking a Quick Prep v1 assignment you generally work your way through three stages: a Pre Test, a Study Plan, and a Post Test. Quick Prep v2 assignments, however, supply one evaluative main Quiz which will generate your recommended Study Plan. Generally your takes are unlimited, however, your instructor can limit the number of test/quiz takes in either type of Quick Prep assignment. Check your Assignment Ready page, before starting your assignment, for any restrictions. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 15
The Pre Test or main Quiz is generally your first step, which when complete, supplies you with a list of recommended topics for you to review, based on your results. The Study Plan content is available at any time, however, after you complete the Pre Test in v1 assignments, the sections in the Study Plan you need to review are marked as Required. The Post Test is started after you complete the Pre Test and reviewed the required topic in your Study Plan. Taking the Post Test allows you to assess your progress. In Quick Prep v2 assignments you can retake the main Quiz to get a new evaluation and create a new Study Plan. Taking a Reading Assignment Your course s ebook is a multi featured learning tool that allows you review and study concepts presented in your course. Reading assignments are ungraded and do not affect your course score. You start a Reading assignment by clicking Take or Resume on your Assignments page. Next click Start Assignment Now and then on the landing page that appears, click Click Here to Begin. Once you start a Reading assignment, your time spent is displayed on both your Grades page and your instructor s Gradebook in OWLv2. Your Reading assignment s timer starts when you click the Start Assignment Now (or Resume Assignment Now) button and the timer stops when you click Exit. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 16
When you are done, click the Logout link and close the tab or browser window that loaded your assignment. Click the Exit button on your previous page in OWLv2 to open the Assignment Finished page. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 17
Taking an External Assignment Your instructor can set up an External assignment to provide resources or track your work on a variety of activities outside of OWLv2. You start an External assignment by clicking Take or Resume on your Assignments page. Depending on your instructor s settings, your assignment will open in a new browser window or it may also download a file. External assignments are graded automatically, and your instructor s Gradebook and your Grades page immediately show details such as the number of times you accessed the assignment and time spent. When you are done, close the browser tab or window containing the assignment and click Submit Assignment for Grading on your previous page in OWLv2. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 18
Tracking Your Grades TRACKING YOUR GRADES From the Grades page, you can keep track of your work with sorting options that allow you to change the view of the page. In systems that provide it, clicking the Assignments in Course/Section link displays information on your assignments. This view also allows you organize how courses are organized and view your assignment results (when your instructor allows it). The Grades Page: Assignments in Course/Section Clicking the Study Tools link opens a Grades page displaying details and progress on self study content you have done on the Study Tools page. This information includes the type of study tool, dates, number of visits, time spent, and score (if any). OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 19
Accessing Your Study Tools The Grades Page: Study Tools View ACCESSING YOUR STUDY TOOLS The Study Tools page displays the self study products you can access through OWLv2, such as ebooks, Quick Prep, Adaptive Study Plans, or Tutorials. The appearance and type of content available on your Study Tools page depends on the products available to your course. You do not need to be enrolled in a course to use your Study Tools materials for your own practice or self study. Some tests with Study Tools may not be available to you, if your instructor is using that content as part of a graded course assignment. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 20
Accessing Your Study Tools The Study Tools Page You may see some of the same questions that appear in your Study Tools in your graded course assignments, however, there are a few key differences: Assignments taken from the Assignments page are always graded OWLv2 coursework. Course material accessed from and completed in the Study Tools area is ungraded practice or self study. On the Grades page you can see which material you accessed and how long you spent on your self study materials. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 21
Accessing Your Study Tools An Adaptive Study Plan Table of Contents Step Action: To access self study materials in OWLv2 1 Sign in to OWLv2, which opens to the Assignments page. 2 Click the Study Tools link in the header to open the Study Tools page. 3 If necessary, select the appropriate book from the Textbook menu. 4 Click the link for the content you would like to study, and the page refreshes, displaying the Study Tools content you selected. Note: In Quick Prep and Adaptive Study Plans, content assigned for a grade is unavailable for self study. Clicking an Assignment only link redirects you to the Assignments page. If the content is available for self study, you can click the Start Assignment button to begin. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 22
Accessing Your Study Tools Using the OWLv2 ebook OWLv2 links to the electronic version of your textbook from multiple locations. In addition to the Study Tools page, another important location is within your assignment questions, where the Review ebook button opens the ebook to pages relating to your current assignment. Regardless of your location in OWLv2 when you open the ebook, it consistently contains features to increase your engagement and help you learn. Depending on the title, some ebooks allow you to highlight text, create bookmarks, use flashcards, make notes, search for topics, or use a built in dictionary. Click the Help icon (?) in the upper right corner to see an overlay with a brief orientation. The ebook Orientation Note: The OWLv2 ebook should be used with either the Firefox or Google Chrome browsers. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 23
Contacting Cengage Technical Support CONTACTING CENGAGE TECHNICAL SUPPORT If you're having trouble using OWLv2 and cannot resolve your issue using this guide or the online Help system, you can click the Cengage Technical Support button in the heading of most pages to open the Customer Technical Support page. From this page you can find user guides, FAQs, and sign in to create a case. When you create a tech support case, you ll receive a case ID. This enables you to email a support case to tech support, track any open support cases, and obtain product specific phone numbers. You can use the following link to receive support when you re not logged in to OWLv2: www.cengage.com/support. Depending on your selections on this site, you will either be routed to Customer Support (Customer Service) or Technical Support. Note: Students who enter OWLv2 through a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Angel or Blackboard may be able to submit a Support Case via a Cengage Technical Support Link in your LMS. If you don t see a tech support link in your course, notify your instructor and ask them to add the LMS Technical Support link. You can also receive assistance outside of your campus LMS by visiting www.cengage.com/support. OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 24
Document Revision History Date Version Description Author/Editor 03/03/15 1 New version, with information taken partially from the original authored by Gayle Huntress & Tom Hilt and partially from the Brief User Guide for Students. 06/05/15 2 Content and images updated for improvements in assignment take procedures. 01/20/16 3 Revisions to Tech Support features. Additional details for ASP assignments when the quiz takes are limited by the instructor. Removed references to Gradebook Analytics. Improvements to tips on taking assignments. 08/18/16 4 Added information defining the differences between QPv1 and QPv2 assignments. Additional details on starting takes from the Study Tools page. Updated content for the new ASP UX. Added information about 'Practice' mode after the final submission of the assignment. - Updated images to be ADA compliant. Pamela Newsom Pamela Newsom Pamela Newsom Pamela Newsom OWLv2 Student Getting Started Guide August 18, 2016 pg. 25