Published on GEOG 497C: Transportation GIS (https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog497c)

Home > Orientation

Welcome

I am very happy that you have decided to join me this semester. Before we begin our semester of study together, it is important that you review all of the material in the Orientation and on our course syllabus. These two resources will prepare you to be successful in this course and will make the journey over the next 10 weeks significantly easier for you.  

What will we learn about in the Orientation?

  • Canvas, Penn State's course management system
  • The course website
  • Technical requirements for this course
  • How to succeed in this course
  • Where to get course assistance if you need it

What is due for the Orientation?

Optimally, you should complete the Orientation before the first week of class so you are prepared.

The following is an overview of the activities that must be completed for the Orientation. Detailed directions are located on the page containing the assignment within this orientation.

Orientation Activities Overview
Tasks Page of Orientation
Personalize your Canvas space. Canvas Activities [1]
Forward your Canvas e-mail. Canvas Activities [1]

Have you looked at the syllabus yet?

This Orientation complements and expands on the information provided in the syllabus. If you haven't read it, be sure to review that document carefully! It is linked from this website.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please send them to Teachers through the Canvas Inbox. I will check daily to respond. If your question is one that is relevant to the entire class, I may respond to the entire class rather than individually.

You may also post questions to our General Questions Discussion Forum in the General Information Module in Canvas. I will also check that discussion forum daily to respond. While you are there, feel free to post your own responses if you, too, are able to help out a classmate.

What is next? 

Once you are ready, click the next link in the Orientation menu and work all the way to the end of the list.

Instructor Information

Instructor

John Kronicz

John A. Dutton e-Education Institute
2217 Earth and Engineering Sciences Building
University Park, PA 16802-6813
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University

E-mail: Students are welcome to contact me via e-mail at any time. I will usually respond within 24 hours (Saturdays and Sundays may vary). Please use the course e-mail system (see the Inbox in Canvas).

Phone / Skype: While e-mail correspondence should cover the majority of questions and comments that arise, you are welcome to schedule a time to chat with me by phone or Skype as well.

Welcome to GEOG 497C!

I have worked as a consultant for over 25 years serving clients in the transportation, scientific, environmental, and manufacturing industries. For the past 15 years, my efforts have been primarily focused on developing GIS software applications for transportation. I led a development team tasked with maintaining over 40 spatially enabled applications for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). I am currently working closely with PennDOT’s Bureau of Public Transportation and the 60 or so public transit agencies in Pennsylvania to advance statewide technology initiatives in public transportation. I hold a bachelor of science in chemistry from Saint John Fisher College, a master of science in physical chemistry from the University of Rochester, and a master's degree in GIS from Penn State.

The Learning Environment

This course will be conducted entirely online. There are no set class meeting times, but you will be required to complete weekly assignments. Registered students in this course will need to navigate between several environments. These include:

This site

The instructional materials in this site include lessons, plus the Orientation. Each lesson contains an introduction, reading assignments, links, assessments, etc.

Canvas [2]

Canvas is the learning management system currently being used by Penn State University. In Canvas, registered students may consult course calendars; communicate with instructors, teaching assistants, and fellow students; submit assignments; receive feedback from the instructor and teaching assistant; take online quizzes and surveys; and check assignment scores and course grades. A link to Canvas appears on every page.

About Canvas

This page provides information about Canvas, Penn State's new online learning management system.

Quick Guide for Students

If you are new to Canvas, it is strongly recommended that you complete the PSU: Canvas Student Orientation [3]. 

You may also want to review the Canvas Student Getting Started Guide [4] to acclimate yourself further, and watch the following (6:47) video:

200 - Canvas Overview for Students [5] from Canvas LMS [6] on Vimeo [7].

Click for Transcript of Canvas Overview

In this video, you will get a brief overview of the Canvas user interface. The Canvas user interface has three main components: the Dashboard, Global Navigation, and Sidebar. The Dashboard is the first thing you see when you log into Canvas. It provides a high-­level overview across all your courses. The Dashboard has two different viewing options, ­ the course view or the recent activity stream. The Dashboard course view includes a course card for each of your favorite courses. Each card can include up to four tabs, which represent the four main Canvas features for student course activity: Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, and Files. These tabs mimic visibility and order in Course Navigation, so, for instance, if an instructor hides the Announcements link, the Announcements tab will not be displayed. The total number of activities are indicated on the appropriate tab with a number icon. You can directly access these recent activities by clicking the tab.

You can change a couple settings for your course cards by clicking the card Settings icon. First, you can create nicknames for your courses to help you organize your dashboard. In the Nickname text field, enter the nickname for your course. Click the Apply button. The new nickname will appear. Course nicknames appear in the Dashboard, Course Navigation Menu, course breadcrumbs, and notification e-mails and only changes the name of the course for the individual user who created the nickname. If users need to know the original name of the course, they can hover over the nickname and the original name will appear. To remove a nickname, open the card settings and remove the nickname. The Nickname field will display the original name of the course. Click the Apply button to save changes. You can also change the color for your course cards. In the card settings, select the color you would like to assign to the card. You can also enter a HEX code for any color. Then click Apply.

To view the recent activity stream, click the toggle to the right. The recent activity stream view contains a stream of recent notifications from all your courses, including announcements, discussions, assignments, and conversations. New or unread activities are shown by the blue indicator dot. You can view the details of each activity by hovering in the notification area and clicking the Show More link. To collapse recent activity, click the Show Less link. You can directly access your recent activities by clicking the link. To remove a notification, click the remove icon.

Another interface component is the Global Navigation, which is a static menu on the left side of the page that gives you direct access to your courses and other information in Canvas. This menu is accessible from any page within Canvas. To modify your user settings or profile, click the Account link. You can also specify your notification preferences, upload personal files, or manage ePortfolios here. Click the Logout link to Logout of Canvas. To hide the slide­out menu, just click the menu link again or click the close icon. Click the Dashboard link to return to the Canvas Dashboard at anytime.

By clicking Courses, you can access your individual courses or view a list of all courses in which you are enrolled. Here, you can customize the courses that display on your Dashboard and in your Courses list by clicking the stars next to the course names. Click Groups to access any groups in which you are enrolled or to view a list of all your groups. Click the Calendar link to view the global calendar, which shows an aggregated view of all assignments and events from each of your courses. The Inbox link will take you to your Conversations. You can compose and send new messages to other students and teachers here, or view any existing conversations. And click the Help link to access help resources, including the Canvas Guides, the Canvas Community, or Canvas Support. If you ever have a problem with Canvas, be sure to click the “Report a Problem” link to get help from a support agent. This link may not be available to all Canvas users.

The last interface component is the Sidebar. On your dashboard, the sidebar includes a To Do list, Coming Up feed, Recent Feedback, and a View Grades button. The To Do list helps you keep track of assignments that you need to complete. Click any assignment link and Canvas will direct you to the appropriate page. You can also click the close icon next to any item to ignore the assignment. The Coming Up feed lists upcoming assignments and events within your courses. Under Recent Feedback, you will see the latest comments from instructors or peers on previously submitted assignments. Click the View Grades button to quickly access the grades for any of your courses. Note that when viewing Canvas with a small screen resolution, any sidebar content aligns with the bottom of the page.

Now, let’s visit a course and take a look at the course interface. The course interface consists of 4 main components: the Course Navigation, the Content Area, the Breadcrumb Navigation, and the Sidebar. The course navigation menu provides links to the different areas of your course. Your instructors have the ability to customize this menu, so it may vary slightly from course to course. This menu can be collapsed by clicking the menu icon. The content of the course will be displayed in this Content Area. The Breadcrumb Navigation shows your current location within a course and allows you to easily move to a previous screen. The Course Sidebar is similar to the Canvas Sidebar. It includes a View Course Stream link to see recent course activity, as well as your To Do list, Coming Up feed, and Recent Feedback comments.

You've now completed this Canvas Overview for Students. For additional information on this or any other topic about Canvas, just visit guides.canvaslms.com. You can also ask questions and engage with other Canvas users by visiting community.canvaslms.com.

 

Supported Browsers and Computer Configuration

The Canvas Help Center provides extensive, up-to-date documentation [8] on making sure your computer is configured properly for Canvas. Failure to follow these recommendations may result in significant issues while viewing materials, taking assessments, and using dropboxes. Use of unsupported browsers is at your own risk.

Getting Help

Sometimes questions arise as to whom to contact about a certain issue. Generally, the following are the best options.

Discussion Forums (in Canvas)

  • For discussing, collaborating, and asking questions about lessons and general course issues.
  • You may find teaching assistants popping into discussion forums from time to time, but you should expect first and foremost your fellow students, and also the instructor, to respond there.

Conversations (in Canvas)

  • First, please make sure you use Canvas to e-mail your instructor (go to the Inbox in Canvas).
  • Check the relevant discussion forum first to see if your question might have already been asked and answered!
  • E-mail instructor with questions regarding a graded quiz, course content questions, or a specific issue unique to a student's situation.

Reporting Technical Problems

If you experience technology problems in Drupal (course content) please contact your Instructor.  If you are a World Campus student and experience technology problems in Canvas please contact the World Campus Help Desk [9]. If you are a University Park or Commonwealth Campus student, please contact the IT Service Desk [10].

It is in your own best interest to be as specific as you possibly can. Vague descriptions of a problem only delay assistance, try to include information such as:

  • The specific course page, quiz question, etc. you were on, what you attempted to do when that failed, and the exact language of any error message displayed on your screen.
  • The date and time when your problem occurred.
  • Any other pertinent information (does the problem happen consistently and always in the same way, etc.).

A member of the Help Desk will be in contact with you to offer assistance.

Note:

All official administrative communications from the Penn State World Campus are sent to students' Penn State e-mail accounts. Be sure to check your Penn State account regularly or forward your Penn State e-mail [11] to your preferred e-mail account, so you don't miss any important information.

Canvas Activities

Profile and User Settings let you control your personal information in Canvas. Take a few minutes to personalize your Canvas profile by following the instructions below.

Setting Up Communications
Task Instructions
Personalize your Canvas Profile
  • Go to Canvas.
  • Click on the 'Account' link.
  • Click on the 'Profile' link.
  • Follow the instructions on the Canvas Profile and User Settings page [12] to customize important aspects of your profile including, but not limited to your preferred e-mail address(es) and text (SMS) contact method for course notifications, your time zone, and your profile picture.
Set your notification preferences

You have the option to select how, when, and for what information you would like to receive notifications. This can be very helpful when keeping track of items such as discussion posts, assignment due dates, and exams. Visit the Canvas Notification Preference Support page (link is external) [13] and follow the instructions for setting up your notification preferences. The video below this table provides additional information.

To ensure that your Canvas e-mail messages forward to your regular e-mail account immediately, check the "Notify me right away" option (the checkmark) for each item under "Conversations" in Notification Preferences.

Set your timezone
  • Go to Canvas.
  • Click on Settings in the Course navigation menu.
  • The Course Details page will open.
  • In the Time Zone drop-down menu, select a time zone for your course.
  • Scroll down and click Update Course Details.

Download the Canvas App For information on using the app by device, please see the following:
  • Android Device [14]
  • iOs Device [15]

The following video (4:28) provides information about Canvas Notification Preferences.

112 - Notification Preferences [16] from Canvas LMS [6] on Vimeo [7].

Click for Transcript of Notification Preferences in Canvas

In this video, you will learn about Notification Preferences, which help you manage the frequency and mode in which you receive notifications from Canvas. Canvas supports notification through e-mail, SMS text message, and other external services. Canvas users can choose to receive notifications immediately, daily, weekly, or never.

To get started, click the Account link in Global Navigation. Then click Settings. In the User Settings and Profile Picture video, we discussed Ways to Contact in the right sidebar. To see how to add e-mail addresses and phone numbers to your settings, please refer to that video. Ways to Contact will play a role in where Notification Preferences are sent.

Web Services will also play a role in Notification Preferences. If you scroll down to the Other Services section, you will see a list of services that you can link to your Canvas account. When you register with other web services, you allow other users to connect with you via web services. You should already have accounts with any of the web services you wish to use before registering them in Canvas. By default, Canvas does not disclose your information to other users within the system unless you give consent. One of the services you can connect to is Twitter. By connecting to Twitter, you will receive notifications via Tweets according to your notification preferences. To connect to Twitter, click the Twitter button. A window will pop ­up asking for permission to connect your Twitter and Canvas accounts. To allow this, click the Authorize Twitter Access button. If you are not already logged in to your Twitter account, you will need to enter your login information. You will then be redirected back to Canvas. This process will be similar for each web service provided. You will see your Twitter information in Ways to Contact under the Other Contacts heading in the sidebar. You will also notice that the Twitter button appears in the Registered Services column. Remove a Registered Service by clicking the remove icon next to the service. A pop­up will appear to confirm that you want to unregister the service. Click OK to unregister. The web service will then appear in the Other Services column. After unregistering an external service, you can re­register it at any time. You can follow these steps to connect to or disconnect from any of the external services. Or, for detailed instructions on how to connect to specific external services, please refer to the Canvas Guides.

After you have added Web Services, you will want to set your Notification Preferences, which you can do by clicking the Notifications link in the user navigation on the left side. On this page, you can select how and when you want to be notified when various events occur within your course. Notification preferences are divided into activity categories: Course Activities, Discussions, Conversations, Scheduling, Groups, Alerts, and Conferences. Along the top of the page, you will see your different contact methods; your e-mail addresses, phone number, and other registered services, like Twitter, in this case. You will need to go through each category and set how and where you want to be notified. When you hover over a cell to change your preference, four icons will appear.

1.       By selecting the Checkmark icon, you will be immediately notified of any change for the activity.

2.       By selecting the Clock icon, you will be notified daily of any change for the activity.

3.       By selecting the Calendar icon, you will be notified weekly of any change for the activity

4.       By selecting the X icon, you will not be sent notifications for the activity.

The notification preferences you set here will apply to all of your courses. You should also notice, on the bottom of the page, a note indicating the day and time when your weekly notifications will be sent. This time varies between users.

You've now completed this video tutorial on Notification Preferences. For additional information on this or any other topic about Canvas, just visit guides.canvaslms.com. You can also ask questions and engage with other Canvas users by visiting community.canvaslms.com.

About the Course Website

This site includes the majority of the instructional materials for this class. There are a few things you should know about this website.

How the Website is Organized

This site uses a "tab" interface to organize content. The tabs are used as follows:

  • Syllabus - The Syllabus is a complete outline of the course. Read it carefully, as it will serve as our course "contract."
  • Orientation - You are currently in the Orientation. It provides an introduction to the instructor, the learning environments, the technical requirements, and information on how to succeed in an online class.
  • Lessons - The Lessons tab is where the bulk of the course learning material can be found. Each lesson contains an introduction, reading assignments, links, assessments, etc.
  • Canvas - The Canvas tab takes you directly to your Canvas home page.
  • Resources - The Resources tab includes a list of a variety of resources which may be of use to you while taking this course, including whom to contact for assistance.

How to Print a Lesson or Page

  • To print an entire lesson, you must be on the top level page for that lesson and then select the "Print" link.
  • To print a single page, go to the page you want to print and select the printer-friendly version link.
  • WARNING: many pages contain required videos, animations, and links that will not work in print mode, so please do not rely on the printed lessons for all of your learning.

Technical Requirements

Course Technologies

ArcGIS

Updated Aug. 2015

Downloading and Installing ArcGIS for Desktop 10.3 Student 1-year Trial

Activate the Authorization Number we have given you here:
http://www.esri.com/landing-pages/software/arcgis/arcgis-desktop-student-trial [17]

If you do not have an Esri Global Account, you will be prompted to create one.

Once you activate your Authorization Number, instructions will be e-mailed to you. See below for what the e-mail looks like.

After you activate your Authorization Number, the website will take you to a page where you will be prompted to enter the Authorization Number we have given you. Then you will be prompted to select a Version of the ArcGIS for Desktop software. Select ArcGIS 10.3 for Desktop unless your instructor tells you otherwise.

Continue to follow the instructions in the e-mail sent to you. If you want to see an expanded list of steps, follow the online resources [18] link at the bottom of the Esri e-mail – disregard references made to a 60-day trial version.

The following is a list of tips and caveats regarding the installation process.

  • It may take up to an hour to download the software installation file. It will take several minutes to install the software. Plan accordingly.
  • When you install, you will need Administrator level privileges.
  • To check to see if you have Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 installed, do this: Click Start | Control Panel | Programs and Features | Turn Windows Features on or off. If you need to install it, follow this link [19] (or go to http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=22 [19]).
  • Even though the installation process may include an uninstall of the older version that is already on your machine, it is probably best if you make a point of uninstalling the old version first, before installing the new version.
  • Install the Complete package, when prompted.

If you have any problems please contact Beth King (bethking@psu.edu [20]). Beth is on our faculty and is also our program point of contact with the Esri support center.

………………………………………………………….

Here is the e-mail that Esri will send to you:

Dear xxxxxx,

Please follow the steps below to download and install ArcGIS 10.3 for Desktop.

  1. If you do not currently have an earlier version of ArcGIS installed on your machine, proceed to step 2. 

    If you have ArcGIS version 10.1 or later installed, you do not need to uninstall it before installing version 10.3; the ArcGIS setup package will detect and upgrade your ArcGIS for Desktop software. If you have ArcGIS version 10.0 or earlier installed, please uninstall it using the Uninstall Utility (download below) before installing ArcGIS 10.3.
  2. Download ArcGIS for Desktop, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, and the other files you would like to install. Please note that ArcGIS Data Interoperability, ArcGIS Data Reviewer, and ArcGIS Workflow Manager require ArcGIS for Desktop.
    • When downloading with the Esri Download Manager, you can select and download multiple products. However, only one product should be launched at a time when the downloads are complete.
    • Make sure you have write access to your download directory location as well as your ArcGIS installation directory location, and that no one is accessing it.
  3. Install the Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 below.
  4. Install and authorize ArcGIS for Desktop
    • Select a destination folder to extract the install files to. If you choose, you can automatically launch the setup after the files have been extracted
    • When prompted, select ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced Single Use.
    • When prompted, accept the default, I do not wish to authorize any extensions at this time. The extensions will be authorized automatically.
    • Enter your authorization number: EVAxxxxxxxxx.

Please save this e-mail for future reference.

Thank you,
The ArcGIS Team

Google Apps

Google has developed a host of applications that they make available via the web. There are two main benefits to using these applications. First, they are web-based, so there is nothing to install, and second, your work is saved in an Internet location rather than your local computer, so you can access it through any computer with a browser and an Internet connection. Your files, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc., are all stored in your Google account online. Nothing needs to be stored on your local computer.

To get started, you need to create a Google account. If you do not have a Google account, go to Google's sign up webpage [21] to open one.   

Note: You do not need a Gmail account, just a Google account with your regular e-mail address. Just be sure to use your regular e-mail address when you create your Google account.

Which Google Apps are used in our online courses?

Just about any of the Google apps can be helpful in the courses that you take. Some of the popular apps include:

Google docs [22]
Google calendar [23]
Google alerts [24]
Google maps [25]

Adobe Connect

Skype

Using the Penn State Library

To be sure you are able to access reserve readings and other library resources in this course, visit the library’s Online Students Use of the Library [26] site. This guide outlines all that Penn State libraries offer you as an online student. It is strongly recommended that you watch the Library Orientation Videos [27] and visit the Services for Students [28] page.

If you have questions, just ASK! [29] a librarian! The ASK! page will connect you to librarians in a manner that meets your needs; e-mail, phone, or chat for a quick response.

How to Succeed in an Online Course

Netiquette

Summary and Final Tasks

Reminder: Complete all of the Course Orientation tasks!

You have reached the end of the Orientation! Double-check the to-do list on the Orientation Welcome page [30] to make sure that you have completed all of the activities listed there before beginning the course.

 


Source URL: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog497c/orientation/orientation

Links
[1] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog497c/orientation/canvasactivities
[2] https://psu.instructure.com
[3] https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1780857
[4] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4121
[5] https://vimeo.com/74677642
[6] https://vimeo.com/canvaslms
[7] https://vimeo.com
[8] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1284
[9] http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/technical-support
[10] http://www.sas.psu.edu/training-and-support/help-desk-and-technology-support-services/its-service-desk/
[11] http://kb.its.psu.edu/node/2303
[12] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1285
[13] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1286
[14] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1559
[15] https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1666
[16] https://vimeo.com/75514816
[17] http://www.esri.com/landing-pages/software/arcgis/arcgis-desktop-student-trial
[18] http://www.esri.com/landing-pages/software/arcgis/arcgis102-eval-help
[19] http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=22
[20] mailto:bethking@psu.edu
[21] https://accounts.google.com/SignUp?continue=https%3A%2F%2Faccounts.google.com%2FManageAccount
[22] https://www.google.com/docs
[23] https://calendar.google.com
[24] https://www.google.com/alerts
[25] https://maps.google.com
[26] http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide
[27] http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/c.php?g=516093&p=3540088
[28] http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/c.php?g=516093&p=3540332
[29] http://ask.libraries.psu.edu/?stream=8
[30] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog497c/orientation/orientation