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USER GUIDE

Document Title: FSB Connect USER GUIDE

Owner: VLE Manager

Approved body: Executive Committee Date of Approval: July 2020

Version: 2 .0 Next review date: September 2021

Supersedes: 1 .0 Previous review dates: September 2019

Public : Yes Staff use: Yes Student use: Yes

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 4

2. Induction Structure ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

3. Pedagogic Issues ........................................................................................................................................................... 4

4. Seminar/Tutorial Issues................................................................................................................................................ 6

5. Homework Issues ........................................................................................................................................................ 6

6. Assessment Issues........................................................................................................................................................ 6

7. Interface Issues............................................................................................................................................................. 6

8. Policy Issues ................................................................................................................................................................. 7

9. Fairfield Connect – Navigation .................................................................................................................................... 7

10. Fairfield Connect – Content ...................................................................................................................................... 7

11. Fairfield Connect – Forum......................................................................................................................................... 8

12. Fairfield Connect – Self Assessment.......................................................................................................................... 8

13. Fairfield Connect – Streamline Learning.................................................................................................................... 8

14. Fairfield Connect – Guided Activity .......................................................................................................................... 9

15. How to Login for Fairfield Connect ........................................................................................................................ 19

16. How to Submit your Assignment using Fairfield Connect ...................................................................................... 22

Appendix 1 – Assignment example................................................................................................................................ 27

Appendix 2 – Scheme of Work ..................................................................................................................................... 30

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WELCOME TO FAIRFIELD CONNECT

Dear Students,

Welcome all to Fairfield Connect, this is Fairfield’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Fairfield Connect is an intuitive educational platform for sharing and imparting knowledge that has been

produced to enhance overall teaching and learning experience for lecturers and students. It is a platform

designed to be highly accessible so that learners can achieve greater results and lecturers can monitor

progress via a well-built learning environment.

Fairfield School of Business has heavily invested into the learning infrastructure to produce key learning

tools such as Fairfield Connect. I hope you will thoroughly enjoy utilising learning resources and features

within Fairfield Connect and wish you all the very best on your academic journey.

Mohammed Zaidi

Deputy CEO

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1. Introduction Fairfield School of Business (FSB) investment in resources include pioneering a project aimed at introducing

e-learning technologies and blended learning practices, in order to improve overall learning experience of

its students whilst also offering efficiency to lecturers in monitoring student performance. The Fairfield

Connect project is focused on:

Producing reading materials for each module taught as part of a specific learning program.

Deploying Fairfield Connect e-learning platform to be utilised as a teaching aid for each module and

especially in seminar and lab sessions.

Integrating the e-learning functionalities offered by Fairfield Connect with existing support functions

available within Fairfield portal.

Providing alternative modes of study as Fairfield Connect supports (i) in-class teaching, (ii) self- paced learning and (iii) distance learning.

Offering an infrastructure that may be used for distance education students and online content

delivery.

2. Induction Structure

Fairfield Connect induction includes a series of activities delivered in a single session and support material

is provided within this handbook. Induction is focused on:

Becoming aware of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) based on the Moodle platform.

Gaining an understanding of how Fairfield Connect will support both, campus based and distance

education students.

Familiarising with a range of tools used to support learning, in accordance with traditional in-class teaching methods.

Introducing a blended learning approach inclusive of face-to-face tuition and support via e-learning.

Aligning learning experience with module learning outcomes and assignment briefs through Streamline Learning.

3. Pedagogic Issues

The production of learning materials is based on the use of a pedagogic model that supports the theory

discussed in the structured body of content with opportunities for interaction and self-assessment. These

are focused on:

Content – Each course comprises of a number of units, with each unit being broken up into logical sections. The content is structured according to the learning outcomes and the thematic topics as

specified in the learning program.

Interactions – A range of interactions are used to emphasise messages, direct students to the

exploration of topics and also provide a variety of challenges to engage students in knowledge

application within new contexts.

Quiz – Purpose is to help learners recall learning and is to be used within the ‘Self-Assessment’

section. Quiz questions contain pre-set feedback for students.

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INTERACTION TYPE DESCRIPTION

Key Points Emphasis of key learning points.

Reflect Collection o f useful point(s) on a subject matter to think about which may involve self-reflection and possibly critical reflection.

Discover Research a subject area or explore the application of some aspect of learning into reality by undertaking some independent work.

Apply Activities to help learners apply their learning to practical problems. These can range from simple tasks to ones that require application of knowledge and

analysis in real-world situations.

Case Study Case studies allow learners to practice their skills and knowledge whilst also enabling students to become active, independent learners and problem solvers. The

objective is to present the learner with real life situations

that they may encounter in employment .

Case Studies should highlight current scenarios that take

place Globally, in order to provide breadth to the subject.

Students are encouraged to use skills such as planning,

organising, problem solving and communication.

Interact Interaction requires collaborative work with peers within a learning group. Often this centers on an activity that involves planning, analysis and transference of learning to

new contexts. Here joint working or integration of multiple

perspectives is desirable through interacting and collaborating

with peers.

Journal Ability to review or contribute to learning journal (a working document used as a constructive approach towards the assignment). Reflective postings can be included here, as

can observations, thoughts, new interpretations/perspectives

and mind maps, in short anything that helps learners

capture their learning and application.

Feedback Provision of feedback on any of the above interactions that can be used wherever appropriate to consolidate learning.

Quiz Purpose is to help learners recall learning and is to be used in the self-assessment section. The Quiz question contains pre-set feedback for the students. The Quiz

can take the form of:

Multiple choice questions

Multiple response questions

Fill in the blanks activities

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4. Seminar/Tutorial Issues

Some aspects of tuition will remain unchanged while others will require some alignment to fit the

purpose of Fairfield Connect. The mode by which the learning experience will be enhanced is by focusing on:

Retaining the same structure, format and delivery mode of lectures. Aligning the assignment of each module with HND programme learning outcomes.

Utilising the interaction opportunities of the provided content for each assignment.

Adapting any seminar and lab sessions to include the use of Fairfield Connect.

Applying the proposed Streamline Teaching approach during seminar and lab sessions.

5. Homework Issues

Typically students would be given guidance for the necessary homework needed to cover specific topics covered in class. The Fairfield Connect approach ensures that homework guidance focuses on:

Identifying the importance of each topic covered for the assignment brief.

Organising the work carried out towards the assignment with the use of a learning journal.

Providing a structured approach for covering topics through the available content.

Supporting understanding and reflection through interactions.

Helping students to assess their own progress with self-assessment quizzes.

6. Assessment Issues

It is expected that students would focus on the assignment brief and the achievement of the module

learning outcomes from early on. Fairfield Connect supports student work towards the assignment brief

and focuses on:

Ensuring that students are aware of what is required for each assignment.

Aligning topics covered in class with assignment brief requirements.

Providing a structured approach for constructing the assignment through interactions.

Reflecting student progress in regular interviews through self-assessment.

Engaging students in peer support and group discussions.

7. Interface Issues

Fairfield Connect provides an interface to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) based on the Moodle e-

learning platform. The induction provided will assist in familiarising interface features that are necessary for

covering hosted content. Interface features to be used focus on are as follows:

Using navigation options to visit different parts of Fairfield Connect.

Using the notifications pane to receive news, access calendar and other features.

Using the reading pane to access the main content of learning materials.

Using the interaction opportunities to provide own responses and read those of others.

Using the self-assessment quiz tools to reflect on own learning and progress.

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8. Policy Issues

Fairfield Connect requires introduction of two key policy documents, (i) VLE Policy and (ii) Copyright

Policy. It is expected that the vast majority of staff and students will be able to use Fairfield Connect

features effectively and demonstrate acceptable behaviour. However, these two policies will ensure that

Fairfield has in place well-structured, clear and transparent procedures focusing on:

Increasing awareness of copyright breach in the use of learning materials.

Clarifying actions that must be taken for copyright clearance.

Introducing a code of conduct for the use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Specifying what constitutes acceptable behaviour for Fairfield Connect users.

Explaining procedures to be followed for cases of misconduct.

9. Fairfield Connect – Navigation

Fairfield Connect environment supports users to navigate between courses and course sections by

clicking the available links associated with course and section titles. The navigation options focus on:

Left navigation (including Main menu / Navigation / Settings)

Top navigation (including Directory – showing current course and section)

Right navigation (including Calendar / Search / News / Events / Recent activity)

Reading pane (including the main content associated with each link)

Topic Outline Description

Module General Issues Module introduction and generic discussion forums

1. {Topic title} Topic sections, associated forums, quiz and specific Forum

2. {Topic title} Topic sections, associated forums, quiz and specific Forum

3. {Topic title} Topic sections, associated forums, quiz and specific Forum

4. {Topic title} Topic sections, associated forums, quiz and specific Forum

Weekly Resources Directory for lecture materials and page for assignment brief

10. Fairfield Connect – Content

The learning materials provided follow the exact structure of content suggested and included within the

course specification. The content themes are grouped according to identified learning outcomes and each

section corresponds to topics specifically proposed. The content focus is on:

Numbering each section according to topics suggested within the learning program.

Providing detailed text covering each topic included within the curriculum.

Including Key Points emphasising important aspects of the provided content.

Including illustrations where more detailed explanation is needed.

Including links to interactions that are offered as discussion forum topics.

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Section Outline Description

11. Fairfield Connect – Forum

The interactions included in the learning materials provide an excellent opportunity for students to focus

on: Answering specific questions and attempting activities relevant to the topics covered.

Engaging in communication with peers and students from different groups.

Collating work pending into a learning journal in preparation for addressing topics within assignment brief.

Discussion with tutors on specific topics and individual responses to forum activities.

Reflecting on personal progress and identifying areas for improvement.

12. Fairfield Connect – Self Assessment

The self-assessment quizzes provided at the end of each group of topics offer an excellent opportunity for

students to focus on:

Reflecting on individual progress and performance on specific topics.

Identifying any gaps in knowledge.

Recording progress and improvements between different attempts.

Testing their understanding of specific topics.

Maintaining a detailed record of performance during the term.

13. Fairfield Connect – Streamline Learning

Before the introduction of Fairfield Connect, a number of pilot studies and test cases have provided some

very useful findings. The nature of learning programs and the collective needs of students meant that in

order to ensure effective use of learning materials they would need to be aligned to the assignment

requirements of each module. As a result, a Streamline Learning approach is used in order to enhance

and stimulate the learning process based on the theory of constructivism. According to this method, the

students should be willing to embrace different teaching practices. Students are supported in using active

techniques to (i) create knowledge (ii) reflect on individual experiences and

X.0 Introduction Introducing the section mapped to a specific learning outcome

X.1 {Section title} Providing content covering a specific topic (X.1)

X.1 {Section title} [forum] Providing links to interactions associated with content (X.1)

X.2 {Section title} Providing content covering a specific topic (X.2)

X.2 {Section title} [forum] Providing links to interactions associated with content (X.2)

X.3 {Section title} Providing content covering a specific topic (X.3)

X.3 {Section title} [forum] Providing links to interactions associated with content (X.3)

X.4 {Summary} Providing a summary of the section and the topics covered

X.5 Self-Assessment Providing a link to the self-assessment quiz for the section

Unit General Issues Offering a discussion forum for issues relating to the section

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understanding on a variety of relevant topics (iii) assess individual progress (iv) gain understanding.

Therefore, the focus of Streamline Learning is on:

Identifying key topics within the assignment brief.

Explaining theoretical underpinnings of the selected topics to be covered in the session.

Encouraging students to use interactional opportunities to express their views.

Supporting students to reflect on their prior knowledge and pre-existing understanding.

Clarifying how the learning activities are aligned to assignment briefs.

14. Fairfield Connect – Guided Activity

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Step 4 – Course Screen Condensed

1. The generic discussion forums available for the specific course.

2. The area used by tutors for uploading lecture materials and assignment briefs.

3. The right navigation area used for accessing news, events and recent activity logs.

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Step 5 – Content Screen

1. The title for the specific topic covered in section 1.1.

2. The text covering the corresponding theory to the specific topic included in the curriculum. 3. The link to a specific discussion within the forum, access via ‘Discover’.

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Step 6 – Discussion Forum Screen

1. The title of the section to which this discussion forum relates to.

2. The list of interactions available to the students registered to this course.

3. The statistics of any responses and ongoing discussions for each interaction topic.

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Step 7 – Interaction Screen

1. The option available for displaying the existing discussion thread.

2. The interaction topic and activity as set by the Fairfield tutor available for discussion.

3. The ability to ‘reply’ available only to students registered on a course.

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Step 8 – Reply Screen 1. The area used for typing a response to the interaction activity.

2. The option available for including any attachments such as graphs. 3. Submit button for posting the reply to the discussion forum.

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Step 9 – Self-Assessment Screen

1. The top navigation menu to self-assessment quiz.

2. The section number relating to this self-assessment quiz.

3. Submit button used to enter the quiz. +

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Step 10 – Quiz Questions Screen

1. The navigation used for accessing quiz questions rather than scrolling down.

2. The text description and available answers for a multiple-choice question. 3. The details relating to the question attempts and grading.

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Step 11 – Quiz Submission Screen

1. Summary table for al self-assessment quiz questions.

2. List of quiz questions and their status.

3. Submit button to confirm submission of quiz responses. Step 12 – Quiz Feedback Screen

1. Details relating to quiz attempts, completion and submission.

2. Feedback provided for correct answers. 3. Feedback provided for wrong answers.

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15. How to Login for Fairfield Connect

Step 1. Open any web browser (Fig 1- E.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome etc.) and within

the address bar type: https://portal.fairfield.ac/ to access Fairfield Connect homepage.

MOZILLA FIREFOX

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Fig 1

GOOGLE CHROME

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Step 2. Once the Fairfield Connect portal is opened you will see the following screen, click any one of

the indicated links (in Fig. 2) to login into the portal.

Fig 2 Step 3. Enter your username and Password (this is the same as you use to access college computer).

Note: your username is not your email address, in most cases it will be your Student ID number.

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FAQ 1. My "username" and "password" is not working?

Following are some reasons why you may experience trouble logging in:

Please ensure your caps lock is not ‘on’ as passwords are case sensitive.

If you have forgotten the password, you can use the forget password utility under the login button

and it will send your password to your registered email address, or you alternatively request IT

support to reset the password.

Administration may block user accounts due to a number of concerns such as student eligibility

to fund course, non-return of school resources like books and learning equipment etc. Please contact

IT support to identify the exact cause if you are using the correct username and password.

2. I cannot see modules under "My Course" after registration?

If you have recently registered then please allow a week or two before you attempt to see the

module contents. If you cannot see your module contents by the next 10 working days then please contact

IT Support.

16. How to Submit your Assignment using Fairfield Connect

Note: If you are not registered to Fairfield Connect you must complete the registration process presented

in ‘How to Enroll for Module(s) within Fairfield Connect document, before continuing with this guide

handbook.

Step 1. After you login successfully into your Fairfield Connect account, click on the "Submissions"

link under "My Courses" within the Navigation pane on the left, as shown in the figure below. If you still

cannot see submission link please refer to FAQ at the end of this handbook.

Fig 1

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Step 2. After expanding the submission menu you will be able to see all your modules listed under it. If you

cannot see all your modules please contact IT Support as soon as possible and ideally before submission.

You can now click on any module under ‘Submissions’ and you will have two blocks displayed in the

middle screen as indicated with blue ovals. ‘My Assignments to Do’ contains your assignment provided

to you by your lecturer(s). To submit assignment(s) navigate to ‘Upload my Assignment’, section and

within this area you will be able to upload work.

Step 3. When you click your assignment in ‘Upload my Assignment‛ block as indicated in Fig.2, you will

see the following screen. In this screen you will have ‘My Submission’ tab (illustrated in Fig 3), which displays

basic information about your assignment such as due date and time, while below that table you will see an

area to click ‘Add Submission’ to upload your assignment.

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Fig 3

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Fig 3.1

File to submit: In this section you have to drag/drop the file which you want to upload.

You can also use the add file button (top left) to locate your assignment file. (Note: you can only

submit one file per submission which have to be not more than 20MB in size and the file format can

be either PDF or a Word Document). Then click Save Changes.

(If shown) Declaration: You have to read and accept the declaration by clicking the check box. If you

don’t click this box your submission will not go through.

As shown below in Fig 3.5 after the submission a blue bar indicates your similarity percentage. By

pressing the blue marker you will be able to open the document to show your submission.

Fig 3.2

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There is some compulsory information which you need to provide on the form shown in Fig 3.2, page to successfully upload your work.

1. Submission Title: It should always start with your Student ID#-Course Name- month/year

(E.g. F1501236-BDM-Jul20)

2. File to Submit: In Fig 3.1 you have to drag/drop the file which you want to upload.

You can use the add file button (top left) to locate your assignment file. (Note: You can only

submit one file per submission which should not be more than 20MB in size and the file

format can be either PDF or Word document).

3. Declaration: You have to read and accept the declaration by clicking the check box. If you

do not click this box your submission will not be accepted.

Fig 3.3

Step 4. Once you click on ‘Upload this file’ Fig 3.2, you will have the screen as shown in Fig 3.3, where

once you click ‘Save changes’, the submission of assignment is complete and a summary in Fig 3.5 is displayed.

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Fig 3.5

Step 5. Replacing or Resubmitting your upload If the assignment submission deadline has not passed, then you can resubmit/replace your current work. Repeat

Steps 1 to 6 and follow the process as follows:

Under My Submission you will see your previous uploaded work. On the same table you will have an option

(Submit Paper Icon) to upload your work again which will replace your previous uploaded work. You will

need to fill the compulsory details again as in Step 4, in order to proceed uploading and replacing your

previous work, click the ‘ Add Submission’ button.

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FAQ 1. I cannot login into Fairfield Connect?

If you cannot login to Fairfield Connect then report this immediately to IT Support. It can be due to a

technical problem and or Administration may have blocked your account due to any outstanding concern,

such as course tuition fees etc.

Note: Please be advised that if you do not resolve the hold / blockage on your account before submission

deadline, you will not be permitted to submit your work.

2. I cannot see "Submissions" option under "My Course" menu?

If you have recently registered with Fairfield Connect then you must allow at least a week before you can

observe this option. But if your submission deadline is earlier than a week, in such cases you are advised to

urgently arrange an appointment with either IT Support and or Examination Office, so that they can add you

into the relevant course group.

3. Can I upload a different version of my work?

Yes, you are allowed to upload and replace your work as many times as you want as long as it is before

the submission deadline. 4. Can I upload more than one file?

No, you are only allowed to upload one file per submission. You must put everything in one file related to a specific assignment and upload as a single file. Please seek further guidance from your lecturer on submission

requirements.

5. What if my file has a different extension or format other than required?

If you have a file which is neither a word document (.Doc) nor PDF then you must convert your file into either of these formats, as any other format is not accepted. There are number of resources available online and within college computers to help you convert your file into the required format.

6. How do I submit my Re-sit or Extension Assignments?

You are only allowed to re-sit an assignment if the respective module is offered and you have paid the re-

sit fee. You will have a separate option under your submission as "Re-sit XXXX". Similarly if your

extension is approved then you will see "Ext XXX" option under your submissions. If by any chance you do

not see them please contact the Exam’s Office before the submission deadline.

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City Link, 2 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, Surrey, CRO 5TT

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8681 8305 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8711 5700 Email: info@fairfield.ac Visit: www.fsb.ac