Topic outline

  • Course ID IAD13025

    Demo Course Logo

    Great, you are reading this, so you have made it through registration, login and enrolling to this demo! Congratulations and welcome to the crashprogram: Introduction to Using the Academy (IAD13025). (the alphanumeric tag is the a unique identifier of the course in the system).

    This course is a quick introduction to using the Academy. It is in CrashCourse format, which is one of the key course formats adopted in the Academy (another key format is the longer lasting DeepDive course). If you want to learn more about the different formats why don't you check out the general FAQ available in the front page)

    The area you are now reading is the Course Dashboard. Its the "header" element in all courses and contains resources that help you make the most out of your course.

    One of the most important resources in the Dashboard is the Course Factsheet which is linked below. Why don't you go ahead and check out the facts about this course and then come back here?

    Good. You may have found out there are many ways to "go back". Clicking the browser back button, or by following links for the menu's to the right.

    Another typical Dashboard element is the Course Forum. This is where news about the course are announced so its a good idea to check when you log in. Why don't check to see what posts are currently available of the Demo Course?

    • Other possible elements of the Dashboard are course specific FAQ's and - for more complex courses - suggested daily plans on how to tackle them. You are now ready to tackle the first block: why don't you click on Step 1?

    • Open Risk Glossary
      Definition of risk terms

  • Step 1: Navigation

    Information and resources to help you master the different areas around the Academy

    In the first (or orientation step) your learning target is typically to prepare yourself for tackling successfully the core course material. There is usually a suggested workplan, the course factsheet, a course FAQ and the Academy Manual. If you feel uncertain about any important aspect surrounding the course it is best to contact the instructor before starting the course. This demo this step takes you through the main navigation elements of the Academy.

    Main Navigational Elements

    • The Front Page view; This is the page you see just after you login
    • Your own Home page; This is your own customizable space
    • The Course Page view; This main page of each of the Academy courses (you are currently viewing this)
    • The different types of Content (readings, interactivities, quizzes etc) that are embedded within a Course

    Further Points

    The "Step 1" block you are now reading is an example of a content block within a Course page. As mentioned above, in a regular course, this first step will typically introduce you to the key topics you need to master in the course, (your todo list if you wish).

    We next discuss the first two elements in our list: The front page and the home page. But before we get started, one more nagivation tip: Just to the right of the text you notice there is a checkbox. This is for you to keep track of which sections and activities you have covered.

    • The Front Page

      Most areas of the Academy are laid out in a simple two column format:

      • On the left is the content;
      • On the right are the menus with tools, links and other auxiliary info.

      An example you have seen already: immediately after you login, you face the Front page (Entry page). It looks something like this in a large monitor:

      FrontPage Snapshot

      The front page serves multiple purposes:

      • It gives you access to all the courses via a category classification system
      • It highlights the latest news, announcements or other important pieces of information
      • It gives you access to some key menus which take you to your home page, you course status pages, calendars, FAQ's etc.
      • In the header and the footer of all pages you find links to other OpenRisk areas like the Commons

    • You very own home page

      The “My home” is your “personal” space within the Academy. Below we go over its main elements:

      The Central Column:

      In the home page view the central column includes:

      • a welcome message with an indication if you have any unread messages
      • Per each course you are enrolled in, you see here whether any lessons or quizzes are due (obviously this only applies for Scheduled Courses)

      The Right Side Column:

      • The right hand side column is filled with widgets
      • As an example of a widget, in you homepage you get the Online Users widget, which - as name implies - tells you who is online.

      Further Points

      Once you go to your home page you can click the customization button at the upper left and customize the type and order of widgets you would like to have available. Don't worry about messing things up, you can always revert to the default configuration.

      Why don't you go and check out your home page and come back here when finished.

    • Downloading Resources

    • Academy Manual (V1.1) File 264.1KB PDF document
      This is as short "Academy Manual" that explains the Academy layout in some more detail. This is also an example of a resource available for download in PDF format. Feel free to download and use the Manual as complementary to this CrashCourse (always subject to the terms and conditions and respecting our copyright).

    • We are done with the Step 1!

  • Step 2: What exactly is a Course?

    Going over the Course structure

    The good news: We are already within a "Course View" as part of this CrashCourse and getting familiar with it. A Course is exactly this collection of views, activities and links that underping the learning of a particular subject. But we still need to learn some key facilities available within a Course.

    Course Characteristics

    "Courses" within the Academy are flexible "units of learning" (modules) that can deliver a rich and interactive online experience.

    There are many possible configurations. We have been going though a CrashProgram format, which is designed to be a quick and dense learning experience that can be concluded in one "seating".

    Another major course format is the "DeepDive". As the name suggests, this is a course format that helps you cover a significant amount of material. It will thus typically be completed over multiple sessions (e.g., over the period of a week).

    • The nuts and bolts of a Course

      The Central Column elements (Course Dashboard and the Content blocks - like the one you are now reading) should be familiar by now.

      The Course view has a more elaborate menu collection on the right column which you should explore here further. For example:

      • The Navigation Menu now includes a link to the current course. This link can be further expanded into a menu linking to the different sections of the course.
      • You can also see the list of other course participants, a list of badges you can earn and more...
      • The Search Forums: This block allows you to search the Academy forums by keyword
      • Recent Activity and Upcoming Events widgets: These help you keep track of developments and what you need to do

    • Interactive Content

      At this point its time to get a first taste of more "interactive content". Click on the Lesson link below.

    •  This is a demo Lesson link. A Lesson is a self contained interactive unit of learning that requires you to react to the content by making choices or answering questions.

      You notice that the checkbox next to the Lesson is dashed instead of solid. This means that you MUST complete this activity to complete the course.

    • We are done with Step 2 as well!

  • Step 3: Content, Content, Content

    Review of main types of content

    In the third and final step we explore some of the core content types available in the academy. There is long list but for brevity in this demo we focus on some important and representative elements

    Key content types

    • Readings;
    • Interactivities;
    • Quizzes

    • Reading Material

      Learning involves a lot of reading. While you may think you know everything about reading, it may still be worthwhile to review how reading material is provided in the Academy:

      • Reading segments embedded within Lessons. There will be typically page-sized segments that you need to absorb before moving on to the next page (possibly answering questions to do so)
      • Documents available within the Course as Assignments. This is your classic reading assignment.
      • Resources from the OpenRisk Commons (e.g., Risk Manual entries or segments from the Reg Database). This type of reading will typically be heavily hypertext oriented, with embedded links, search facilities, possibly interactive elements and other web enabled technologies
      • External resources, such as links to Wikipedia articles
    • Demo Reading Link URL
      This is a demo Reading Link. In this instance the link is to a Random Open Risk Manual entry. The link will open in a new tab / window depending on how you have configured your browser.

    • Interactive Experiments

      The Academy brings knowledge to life by making use of interactivities, specially constructed web apps that aim to help you to learn a topic in an intuitive and fun manner.

      To use an interactivity:

      • You click on its link and bring it up (typically in a new window)
      • You follow basic instructions embedded in the interactivity
      • You complete a set of tasks

      Why don't you try out a demo interactivity by clicking on the link below!

    •  This is a demo interactivity. It illustrates interactive learning in a more quantitative context. The link will open in a new tab / window depending on how you have configured your browser.

    • Quizzes & Tests

      One of the main assessment methods used in the Academy are online quizzes. Depending on the course structure, the questions can be of a large variety of types (from multiple choice to essay questions).

      Taking a quiz is straightforward:

      • You click on the quiz link
      • You navigate through questions in sequence

      You can finish this Demo Course by taking the Demo Quiz below!

    • Demo Quiz
      This is a demo quiz. The subject matter is the material we just covered, the key facts about navigating and using the Academy.

    • Done with Step 3!

  • Step 4: Tell us what you think!

    Evaluation Survey at the end of Course

    Now that you have completed the Academy Demo we would appreciate feedback on what you liked a lot and what you might have liked less!