Start of Summer

The official start date of BSU’s first summer session is June 1! Good luck with your summer classes. We hope you enjoy your online experience.

For more information about Summer Session 2009 at Bemidji State University, contact:

The Center for Extended Learning
Deputy 3rd Floor
Bemidji State University
1500 Birchmont Drive NE
Bemidji, MN 56601
1-218-755-2068
1-800-852-7422

Center for Extended Learning Staff Members

Robert Griggs: Associate Vice President for Extended Learning & Library

Peggy Boyer: Customer Service Specialist

Lynn Johnson: Associate Director, Center for Extended Learning

Angie Casper: Customer Service Specialist

 

I can’t see my D2L Class!

If you are not able to see a class in D2L, there are a couple of things to check.

1. Make sure you are registered for the course. The D2L Classlist for each course is integrated with BSU’s student record system. This is an overnight process. So, if you register for a course one day, it should appear in your list of classes the next day.

2. Make sure your instructor is using D2L for the course. The only courses that are automatically given a D2L site are courses that are delivered totally online. However, any instructor who is teaching a web-enhanced or on-campus course can request a D2L site for his or her classes. Check with your instructor if you have any questions.

3. Make sure the course is active. All courses have a start and end date. You typically cannot access a D2L course site until the official first day of class. (i.e. Summer Session 1 starts on June 1, 2009). However, some instructors may open the course early to allow you to view your syllabus. Likewise, courses typically end the last day of finals. However, an instructor may extend the end date of a course to allow for assignment submissions, feedback on turned in assignments, etc.

If you have checked all of the above factors and still cannot see your D2L class, please contact your instructor.

 

D2L down for upgrade

On May 29 (Friday), D2L will be down (inaccessible) for 24 hours starting at 10 PM and continuing through May 30 (Saturday) at approximately 10 PM.

The purpose of the downtime is to upgrade D2L to version 8.4. According to Karen Wenz (Chancellor’s Office): “The upgrade to version 8.4 has a minimal impact on the user interface, so we do not anticipate training needs other than some brief documentation on the changes.” 

 

Safari not supported

from Julie Adams in eLearning Support…

To all D2L Users:
We have had several calls recently from Mac users about the Compose button not functioning in Discussions.  I checked the MnSCU D2L Helpdesk site and found the following notice (last updated 2/19/2009):

Safari is no longer a compatible browser. All Mac users are recommended to use Mozilla Firefox 2.

Firefox is a free program that you can download to your computer.  If you need assistance, you can contact Computer Support Services:

Location: Memorial Hall 11
Office Hours: 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Phone: 218-755-3777
email: helpdesk@bemidjistate.edu

 

Trouble Viewing Content?

If you have a PC and use Internet Explorer, you may have problems accessing a Word document in a D2L course.  This is caused by the pop-up blocker.  Please follow these steps to access the document:

 

1.        Click on the Content link in the navigation bar at the top.

2.        On the Table of Contents page, click on the name of the file you wish to view.

3.        If the pop-up blocker is activated, a yellow band will appear at the top of the D2L page that says, “To help protect your security, Internet Explorer blocked this site from downloading files to your computer. Click here for options…”  There may also be a brief audio sound.

4.        Click the yellow bar and then click on the “Download File” option.

5.        You will be returned to the Course Home.

6.        Click on the Content link once again from the navigation bar.

7.        Click on the name of the file you wish to view.

8.        A popup will appear asking you to Open or Save this file. If you select Open, the document will open in the D2L course.  If you select Save, you can download the file to your computer.

NOTE: If you use the Firefox browser, you will not have this problem. 

 

End of Semester

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of the semester! By now, you are an expert at navigating through your D2L class!

I am sure you are busy with final exams, final assignments, and papers. As you get everything wrapped up, keep in mind that once the end date of your D2L class arrives, you will no longer have access to your course. If you need a copy of your syllabus or other materials for future reference, you’ll need to make copies before the end of the class.

If you are not sure what your course end date is, contact your instructor.

Have a wonderful semester break!

 

Have a Question?

If you have a D2L question and can’t find it on this blog, post a comment on any page. We will get you an answer as soon as possible.

Here’s how…

1. Scroll to the bottom of the page.
2. Under the heading ”Leave a Response,” type in your name and email address.
3. Type in your question (or comment) in the text box provided.
4. Click “Submit Comment.”

Thanks!

 

Resizing Images

If you want to attach a large image to a discussion post, it is recommended that you re-size the image first. (Large images mean long download times which causes problems with dial-up users). Check out the following link to a free image sizing site.

http://www.shrinkpictures.com/

You may also want to check out http://flickr.com for uploading/editing/resizing pictures to share on blogs, wikis or facebook.

 

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Who can see Dropbox files?

If you have uploaded files to a Dropbox folder, the only people who can view the files are the instructor (or instructors) and you. Your Dropbox submissions are NOT viewable to other class members.

If you want to share files with your classmates, you can use the Locker tool or add the file as an attachment to a discussion post.

 

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Add a file to a discussion post

If you want to add a file, such as a Word document or picture to a discussion post, use the following instructions.

Note: If you are attaching a picture larger than 300 KB, it is recommended that you re-size the image before uploading it. (Instructions to follow in another post.) Large images require long download times. Your dial-up friends will thank you!

Click here for a broadband speed test and download calculator. 

To begin, go into your D2L class and click on the appropriate discussion topic. Then…

1. Click on Compose to start a new message.
2. Type in a subject, such as “My intro.”
3. Type your message in the text area (or copy and paste from another document).
4. Scroll down the page and click on the button to “Add a File.”
5. Click Browse.
6. Find the file or picture you want to attach to your message.
7. Click Open.
8. Click Upload. You should now see your file listed under “Attachments.”
9. Click on Post.

 

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