Desire2Learn Guide - Logging in and Getting Around

Logging in to Desire2Learn (D2L) for the first time

To access the VLN's online courses, you will need to type in the address:

http://vln.ucourses.com -- note: no www!

To log in the first time, you will use your ID and password as follows:

• ID (or user name): your 10-digit student number
• Password: your birth date (mm/dd/yy)

Note: The password is case sensitive.

You'll change your password right away - we'll help you do that in a training session, or you can use the instructions on the next section Changing your Password.

Logging in takes you to "My Home", which shows all of the courses in which you are enrolled.

These course offer online discussions, a pager and email; downloadable assignments, online lectures, readings and activities in a variety of media

Changing your Password

Log into D2L using the instructions above. Don't forget your new password!

On your home page (My home), click on My Password underneath My Settings.

Now type in your current password and make up a new one.

The password should be something that another person cannot guess easily. It can include numbers and letters, in upper and lowercase if you wish.

Now click Change Password (button at lower right). You're done.

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D2L Navigation Bars

Desire2Learn web site has navigation bars to help you find your way around the site.

• The top toolbar has a link to My Home, to your email, your personal locker, a course calendar, an online dictionary, VLN and to a help section.

  

• The lower toolbar has a link to Course Home, Course Content, the Discussion Room, a Dropbox, your grades, a synchronous chat, a classlist and a course glossary.

  

• There is a navigation bar which you can use bookmark, print and to go back and forth within the whole course once you are logged in to the course.

  

• You can also use the back and forward button of your browser to move about the site.

  

Using your Email

Look underneath Updates on the left side of My Home:

Chances are, your teacher or counsellor will have emailed you to say hello already. You will also see the little envelope appear at top right:

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What does it all do?

• Course Home

  News, updates, featured sites, deadlines... don't skip this page! It carries important information for your course or homeroom. Check in regularly!

  

• Content:

  This is where you find your work, or the main contents of the area you are in, eg. Homeroom.

  

• Discussions:

  Brainstorming, sharing work, sharing ideas, posting questions, whatever your teacher or counsellor decides.

  

• Chat:

  Just what it says - not as efficient as the instant message programs you already use... This tool may not be available in your course.

• Grades:

  You can check all of your grades here.

  

• Dropbox:

  This is where you will upload assignments, if asked to do so.

  

• Classlist:

  Who else is here? Use this section as your address book to send pager messages and emails... and to read your fellow students' profiles.

  

  Click on the question mark next to your name to edit your profile. Click on someone else's question mark to read their profile!

• Journal:

  This hasn't been used intensively at VLN yet. You can record reflections, plans, comments, thoughts...the other students cannot see what you write here.

• Pager:

  It's that little black and green object at the top right -- most of you have figured this out already. Just head to Classlist and click on someone's name - now send them a pager message!

  

  Alternatively, if no messages are showing up (ie. the screen on the pager is blank) you can click on the pager and send messages from the screen which appears.

  Just click on New Page and simply type in the person's username, ie. Firstname.Lastname

• Links:

  Need to say more? This part is work-in-progress

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Write your Profile

1. Go to Classlist in any one of your course (your profile is the same across all courses).
2. Click on the question mark next to your name...
3. Enter some text, post a picture, tell us something strange and wonderful about yourself.

Finished example:

Note: This profile is public! Take care over spelling and punctuation and about the kind of information you give out.

Explore Audio Alerts on your Pager

Are you missing your pager messages? Here's how you can be sure to catch them the minute they arrive. First, turn up the volume on your computer...

Now, click My Home at the top left. See the Settings box? Click on My Preferences:

Choose the Pager tab and you can select an audio alert for your pager. Hours of fun (until the dingdong drives you nuts!).

Your D2L Routine

When you log into D2L, you'll need to stop by some important places. Until you are used to this routine, you might keep this list close at hand so that you don't miss anything!

Step 1: My Home

Log in. Arrive at “My Home”

Step 2: Here is the News

Read the News page. This is where you'll find important announcements about dates and deadlines, reminders about school adn course events, feedback on coursework and even comic relief! It is essential that you read this section carefully - don't miss out!

Step 3: Who's Here?

Drop by the Classlist. Who else is here with you? Say hello... but take note! Other students may not be working on the same subject you are, so if you contact them about work, make sure you are specific!

Step 4: Email? Pager? Discussions?

Check these tools in that order! Email from your instructor or counsellor may take some time to read. You may need to reflect on the corresondence for a while before responding. That's why you can attend to pager messages second, before returning to the discussions in your course (if they have been set up). Discussions can just grow.. and grow... and grow... If you are working on a course project with other students, this may take up a lot of time and concentration.

Step 5: And now... to work!

Check the course calendar (schedule)to make sure you know about any deadlines you'll need to plan for... and you're ready to go to work! Head for the course Content and get started!

Tip: If you are returning to work you have already started, why not bookmark your spot for easy retrieval next time around?

Look for this symbol in the lower right-hand navigation bar. Bookmarks in D2L appear as links on the Course Home page.

You can choose “delete bookmark” to get rid of it:

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