Hi I'm Karlyn from Southern Cross University and today I'm going to be
taking you through MySCU and Blackboard. MySCU is an online portal where you'll
access all of your information for each unit of study, from course related
information updates from your lecturers and access to support services. At
Southern Cross Universit, you'll sometimes hear Blackboard and MySCU.
They both mean the same thing. You'll need your username and password to log
into MySCU. You can access the login screen from the Southern Cross
University home page here at the top right but save some time in future by
adding it to your favorites. The login screen often shows updates on what's new
in MySCU so make sure you keep an eye out. So now it's your turn. Go to the
Southern Cross University homepage at www.scu.edu.au. You hover over the
current students tab then click the MySCU link and log in using your username
and password. Once you've logged into MySCU you'll land on the main page. This
and the learning sites tab is where you'll spend time delving into the
information for each of your learning sites. Get used to checking the left-hand
column of the home page for announcements and to keep an eye on your
library loans which is a little further down from this page. You can also access
study support and prepare for your future beyond Southern Cross University,
and the biggest reason to get used to MySCU learning sites coming right up.
Each unit that you study will have its own learning site on the MySCU home
page listed under the learning and information sites heading. Learning sites
and micro sites are crammed full of really important information for you and your
studies. They open two weeks before classes start. Click on any of your units
and you'll arrive at the learning site for that unit where you'll get to read
announcements and discover who's delivering your classes and tutes.
Because learning sites are created and looked after by lots of different
teaching staff every site will have its own unique twist there are however a few
common elements across all learning sites so let's
explore and let's look first at the most important guiding document within your
learning site - the unit information guide which you'll find within the unit
overview menu item. The unit information guide also known as the UIG is a really
valuable document as it outlines your assignments, reading lists and outline
for how the course will be delivered all in one place.
Pause this video and spend a little time looking through the UIG. The resources
section is where you'll find things like downloads, links and other supporting
documents specific to the unit that you're studying. In assessment you'll
find more on your upcoming assignments as well as links to really useful help
including referencing guides and how to use Turnitin, to ensure that your
assignments are above board when it comes to academic integrity and
plagiarism. The last important bit within your learning site is where you connect
with your lecturers and classmates. Collaborate is a conference program
where you view lectures, participate in online seminars and communicate with
your tutors and other online learners. Another place to communicate with staff
and other students in your unit is the discussion board. Check and contribute to
the discussion board regularly to get the most out of your studies. So let's
look at a few other places in MySCU before we end this video. Let's start
with services which is as it sounds a place to find links to all of the
Southern Cross University services and resources to help you succeed, including
fees and admin service,s accessing learning support and finding out about
how to keep yourself healthy and happy throughout your time at uni. Pause this
video and have a little explore.
Have you already thought about what you'll do beyond your time at Southern
Cross University? Under the My Career tab you'll find a wealth of resources to get
you thinking about and prepared for a suitable meaningful career. The library
isn't just about books, in fact it's about so much more than just books. As a
student at Southern Cross University you've got access to thousands of
academic journals and reports so make good use of that opportunity. If it's
books you're after you can find them all online as well and as an online student
they'll post them to you for free. Through the library tab you can also
view contact numbers and links to library related resources. When you've
finished a unit of study the Uni likes to see how it went via an online survey.
When the surveys are ready they'll appear in the unit feedback section so
be sure to check once you've finished a unit. One of the best ways to succeed in
your studies is to understand what is expected of you when submitting
assignments. Among other things, under the academic skills tab you can access
workshop recordings and referencing guides or arrange an appointment with
someone from the academic skills team who can help you out face-to-face by
phone or online. If you find yourself stuck while using Blackboard, click on
the little question mark icon on the bottom right hand side of your screen
for access to videos and text help. You'll also find an email button to
contact the Service Desk if you don't find what you need to know. So that's
pretty much MySCU uncovered except for this handy little search tool which will
help you with anything you can't find. So have a search around and explore MySCU
and get familiar with your online base for studying at Southern Cross
University and make sure you check out our other videos too.