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Sakai Tutorials

Sakai Frequently Asked Questions

 

How do I log into Sakai?

Go to https://sakai.unc.edu

Onyen users: Click on the Onyen Log In button and enter your Onyen and Password. Onyen users may be added to course sites automatically or manually.

Non-Onyen users: Click on the Non-Onyen Log In button and enter your non-Onyen username (the email address used to create the account) and password. Non-Onyen users may be added to course sites manually only. No automatic enrollment is available for these type of users. Note that these accounts are not Guest ID accounts.

Guest ID users: The UNC-CH Sakai environment does not currently support Guest ID accounts. The course instructor may wish to create Non-Onyen accounts for these type of students until the integration for Guest IDs is developed in the near future.

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What is “My Workspace”?

My Workspace is an individual online worksite that functions as a private workspace for each user. When you log in, you will automatically open your My Workspace, for more information please see the "My Workspace" tutorial and “My Workspace: Overview” under Sakai "Help".

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How can I access my Sakai sites?

After you log in, you will automatically enter your private site named “My Workspace.” To the right of the My Workspace tab, you will see other tabs for your course or project sites. Click on the tab with the name or number of the course or project site you wish to enter. If you only see the My Workspace tab, this means that you are currently not enrolled in any other sites. To request a site, please submit an online help request for a Sakai site creation or call 919 962-HELP (919 962-4357 or 866-962-4457).

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How do I edit which Sakai site tabs are displayed at the top of my screen?

After you log in, you will automatically enter your private site named “My Workspace.” In your left menu, click on Preferences. Click and drag your sites to position them in the location you want them displayed.

  • Favorite Sites: Displayed at the top of your screen
  • Active Sites: Displayed in the "More Sites" tab at the top of your screen
  • Archived Sites: Hidden but available through My Workspace > Worksite Setup

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How can I get Sakai sites for my courses or projects?

Instructors can now create their courses.  You can download the instructions or view the online guide to creating course sites in Sakai.  Please submit an online help request or call 919 962-HELP (919 962-4357 or 866-962-4457) if you need any assistance. 

At the moment, project sites are created only by request. Please submit a project site request request or call 919 962-HELP (919 962-4357 or 866-962-4457).

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Will Sakai course sites automatically be created for my courses each semester?

Instructors can now create their courses.  You can download the instructions or view the online guide to creating course sites in Sakai.  Please visit help.unc.edu or call 919 962-HELP (919 962-4357 or 866-962-4457) if you need any assistance. 

As part of the course site creation process, faculty will be able to add one or more rosters (for multiple sections, recitations class, etc.) to a single course site, eliminating the need to copy enrollments from site to site or to maintain several sites for the same course.

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How are students enrolled in course sites?

For courses listed with the main Registrar, course instructors will have the ability to add rosters to course sites during the site creation process. If student enrollments are not available form the Registrar at the moment a site is created, student roster(s) can be added at a later point when this information becomes available.

When appropriate, users with Instructor, TA, or Tech Support role may add users manually to course sites.

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What is the recommended browser to use with Sakai?

Mozilla Firefox is the recommended browser to use with Sakai for all operating systems.

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What tools are available in a Sakai course site?

Below is a list of the tools currently available in a course site. Note that the tools highlighted in yellow are available by default when a site is created. However, you may add or remove tools according to your needs. For instructions on how to use any of the these tools, use the Sakai "Help" link located in any course menu.

Home page: For viewing recent announcements, calendar, discussion, and chat items

Announcements: For posting current, time-critical information

Assignments: For posting, submitting and grading assignment(s) online

Blogs: For Blog entries for site participants.

Calendar: For posting and viewing deadlines, events, etc.

Chat Room: For real-time conversations in written form

Drop Box: For private file sharing between instructor and student

Email Archive/Listserv: For viewing email sent to the sites email address

External Tool: Launch external tools using IMS Learning Tools Interoperability

Forums: For asynchronous discussions among site members

Gradebook: For storing and computing grades manually or automatically entered

i>clicker: Sakai plugin for integrating i>clicker products

Lessons: For creating content modules and sequences; can be organized by week or unit

Library Guide: UNC Libraries Guide

Library Reserves: UNC LIbraries E-Reserves

Messages/Email: For contacting course members through email or internal messages

News/RSSFeeds: For viewing content from online sources.

Podcasts: For managing individual podcast and podcast feed information

PostEm/Feedback: For providing feedback to students on course progress.

Resources: For uploading files, publishing documents, sharing external links, creating HTML documents and citation lists, creating folders for group work, etc.

Roster: For viewing the site participants list

Search: For searching content by key words

Section Info: For managing sections within a site

Sign-up: Enables signup for meetings, office hours, and other events

Site Info: For managing sites tools, site members

Statistics: For showing site statistics by user, event, resource, etc.

Syllabus: For posting a summary outline and/or requirements for a course

Tests & Quizzes: For creating and taking online tests and quizzes

UNC Learning Center: For connecting students to academic support resources at the UNC Learning Center

UNC Writing Center: For connecting students to Writing Center services and resources

VoiceThread: For sharing slides, images, and videos and having group converstions around media

Web Content: For creating links to the web or course content

Wiki: For collaborative editing of pages and content

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