Intermediate Sakai Resources

Sakai Intermediate Online Workshop Materials

This page contains links to the Intermediate Sakai Online Workshop videos, activity handouts (Step-by-Step instructions), and best practices for each Sakai Tool covered in the workshop.

Gradebook

With Sakai's Gradebook tool, instructors can add items to the Gradebook, categorize and organize Gradebook items, enter students' grades, distribute students' grades, provide students with feedback on assignments, drop the lowest grade in a grading category, and automatically calculate course grades.

Basics

• How to Set Up Gradebook: Video | Handout
• How to Add Gradebook Items and Enter Grades: Video | Handout
• How to View Grades: Video | Handout
• How to Calculate Final Grades: Video | Handout

Tips for Using Sakai's Gradebook

• Tips for using the Sakai Gradebook

More Info

• Visit our Gradebook resource page for even more information on using the Gradebook tool.

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Discussions (formerly Forums)

The Discussions tool in Sakai allows you to have online class discussions. Discussions are asynchronous, which means participants do not have to be online at the same time.

Discussion forums are a popular activity in online and hybrid courses and can be used in traditional courses as well. Discussion forums can provide opportunities for in-depth student reflection , application of concepts, and peer learning. Discussion forums also add a critical element of student-to-student interaction to online instruction.

Basics

• Using Forums as a Student: Using the Discussions Forum (video)
• How to Set Up Forum Topics: Video | Handout
• How to Grade Students' Forum Posts: Video | Handout

Best Practices for Discussions

• Best Practices for Forums - Our best advice, all on one page
• Discussion Topic Questions Used by Durham Tech Instructors
• Discussion Guidelines and Grading

More Info

• Visit our Discussions resource page for even more information on using the Discussions tool.

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Tests & Quizzes

With the Tests & Quizzes tool, you can create online tests, practice exercises, surveys, and other forms of assessment. Question types can include multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, essay, and more.
Below are detailed instructions for creating online assessments, publishing them so students can take them, grading them, and best practices.

Basics

• Submitting Tests as a Student: Taking a Test in Sakai (video)
• How to Create Online Tests: Video | Handout
• How to Publish a Test or Quiz: Video | Handout
• How to Grade Online Tests and Quizzes: Video | Handout

Best Practices for Testing in Online and Hybrid Courses

• Best Practices for Tests and Quizzes (pdf)
• Tips to Reduce Technical Problems and Deter Cheating (pdf)

More Info/Advanced Topics

• Please review the Sakai Instructor Resources Tests & Quizzes area for more Test & Quizzes information and advanced topics.

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Assignments

The Assignments tool provides the following for instructors and students:

• Instructors can easily collect student papers or files (such as documents and pdf's)
• Instructors can use the Turnitin feature to check student submissions for plagiarism
• Instructors can grade submitted student papers and files online
• Students can see their Assignment grade and instructor feedback online, at anytime

Basics

• How to Submit an Assignment as a Student: How to Submit a File Using Assignments (video)
• How to Create an Assignment in Sakai: Video | Handout
  • Both the video and Handout contain information on how to set up the Turnitin feature, the plagiarism checker
• How to Grade an Assignment in Sakai: Video | Handout

Best Practices for Assignments

• Best Practices for Assignments handout

Feedback & Turnitin

• Please review the Instructor Resources Assignments area for information about giving Feedback and using the Turnitin (plagiarism checker) feature in Assignments.

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Lessons

The Lessons tool provides one location where your students can go each week to find their weekly documents, activities, and assignments.

Basics

• How to Build a Well-Designed Subpage: Video | Handout
  • Find out how to add headings, due dates, and textbook information to your subpage
  • Add links to documents and websites
  • Add links to Assignments, Tests & Quizzes, and Forums/Discussions
• Embedding (Displaying) YouTube videos in Sakai: Video | Handout
• Linking and Embedding Films on Demand videos in Sakai: Handout
• Organizing Your Lessons Subpages and Course Menu: Video | Handout

Best Practices for Using Sakai's Lessons and Course Design

• Lessons Tips and Best Practices for Effective Course Design

More Info/Images/Student Pages

• Visit our Lessons resource page for even more information on using the Lessons tool, adding images, and working with Student Projects/Student Pages.