Adding a Profile Picture

You may have noticed that you can upload a picture of yourself in D2L. This picture will be displayed in the classlist and also in the discussions area.

To add a picture to your D2L profile:

1. Log in to Desire2Learn.
2. On the “My Home” page, locate the “Welcome Box” widget in the left column.
3. Click the “Profile” link.
4. On the “Edit My User Profile” page that loads, click the “Change Picture” button.
5. Click the “Browse…” button and select an appropriate photograph of yourself from your computer.
6. Click the “Upload” button.
7. Click the “Save” button.

 

BSU Student Orientation

How to self-register in the “BSU Student Orientation to D2L” site

1. Login to D2L (see Access to D2L).
2. At the top of the My Home page, click on the link to Self-Registration.
3. Click on the link to BSU STUDENT ORIENTATION D2L.
4. Click on the Register button, then the Submit button, and finally the Finish button.
5. Click on the Done button to return to the D2L My Home page.

 

 

Access to D2L

If you are taking an online or web-enhanced course at BSU, you can login to Desire2Learn(D2L) using the following process…

1. Go to https://bemidjistate.ims.mnscu.edu.
2. Enter your username and password.
NOTE: See below for information on your username and password
3. Click the Login button.

* Username = 8-digit BSU student ID number. If you don’t know your ID number, contact BSU Records.
* Password = birthdate (YYMMDD), or = the last 6 digits of your SSN. If neither of these works or you do not know your password, you can call 218-755-4207 for assistance.

NOTE: If you are registered for a summer class, but have never taken an online or web-enhanced course at BSU, your D2L account will be created when we set up summer online courses (in about a month).  Once summer classes are created, you will be able to login to D2L and go through the D2L Student Orientation. The Orientation will give you an overview of the online learning environment.

You will be able to access your summer classes on the first day of the session (most start on May 31, 2011).

You can find additional D2L help at the following website: https://bemidjistate.ims.mnscu.edu/shared/student-support/index.html

 

D2L downtime this weekend

Students: Please note the following downtime for D2L over the weekend. If you have assignments or tests due, please plan accordingly.

D2L Will Be Unavailable
From 10 PM Friday, Feb 4 until 10 AM on Saturday, Feb 5 2011

D2L Upgrade to Version 9.1.0 scheduled: The upgrade to D2L v.9.1.0 has been rescheduled for Friday, February 4. We will use the reserved 12-hour downtime window from 10 PM on Friday, February 4, until 10 AM on Saturday, February 5 to take the upgrade. If the upgrade takes longer than anticipated, we may need to extend the downtime beyond 10 AM on Saturday, February 5. During the upgrade, D2L status information will be available at http://status.mnscu.edu/desire2learn/

 

Welcome to Spring 2011

Welcome back students! Time to get back into the swing of things with your Spring classes!

Be sure to login to D2L as soon as possible to check out your online and/or web-enhanced courses. Most instructors will post the syllabus in the Content area of the course. Read through your entire syllabus and contact your instructor if you have any questions.

If you log in to D2L and do not see your classes, 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. Spring Semester started January 10). However, some instructors may open the course early or late. 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 Downtime

From Karen Wenz, IMS System Admin.

D2L will be unavailable to users from 5 AM to 9 AM on Sunday, January 16, 2011.

The Sunday morning reserved maintenance window will be used to update the indexes and statistics on the database that is part of MnSCU’s D2L configuration.  This will help to improve performance and ensure that users get optimal response while doing work in D2L.  This is a routine, pro-active measure to keep the system running smoothly for all users.

 

End of Semester Tips

It’s the last week of class and time to think about finals! Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Finish your coursework. Look back through your syllabus and other course documents to be sure  you haven’t forgotten anything. If you have, contact your instructor to see if you can still get credit for late assignments.

2. Save course documents. Once the course end date passes, you will no longer be able to access course materials. Courses typically end the last day of finals. We recommend that you save any files, discussion posts, or resource links that you wish to keep to your computer before the end of the course. If you need to access course materials after the end date, contact your instructor.

Save course documents in a folder labeled with the course number and name. This will help you keep things organized and easy to find. It may also come in handy later if you need to do a comprehensive exam or review for your program.

3. Create a contact list. Once your D2L site is closed you won’t have access to student email addresses. Make a list of names, email address and/or phone numbers of those you may want to contact after the class ends. You may also want to include a note about why you kept their information (i.e. “employed with DNR,” “may help with research,” etc.).

4. Stay healthy. You may be overwhelmed with finishing final papers and studying for exams but it is important to eat right and get enough rest.

Good luck! Enjoy your holiday break!

 

D2L Unavailable Dec. 12, 5-9AM

From Karen Wenz, IMS System Administrator:
D2L will be unavailable to users from 5 AM to 9 AM on Sunday, December 12, 2010.  Maintenance will be performed again on the D2L system to ensure that users will experience optimum performance when taking quizzes during peak usage times expected at the end of the semester during final exam weeks. This is a proactive measure to ensure that the D2L system can run as smoothly as possible for all users.

 

D2L Unavailable Dec 5, 5 to 9 am

From Karen Wenz, IMS System Administrator:
D2L UNAVAILABLE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, FROM 5 AM TO 9 AM

D2L will be unavailable to users from 5 AM to 9 AM on Sunday, December 5, 2010.  Maintenance will be performed on the D2L system to ensure that users will experience optimum performance when taking quizzes during peak usage times expected at the end of the semester. This is a proactive measure to ensure that the D2L system can run as smoothly as possible for all users.

 

Tip: Time Management

Online Learning Tip: Time Management

Time management may be the biggest factor in succeeding at your online course. Successful online students have to be very proactive in their studies and take responsibility for their own learning.

To master time management, first determine what time of day you think you will be most focused on your studies. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you concentrate best after a cup of coffee or after lunch? Once you narrow in on a time of day reserve a designated allotment of time to dedicate to your course. Stay committed to that reserved time and treat it like an appointment that can’t be budged.

Quote From: Stephen Gatlin
http://distancelearn.about.com/od/distancelearning101/a/studentsuccess.htm