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FAQs – Contents
Click the headings below to access the relevant section of the document
NEW USER CHECKLIST
2
What are the distance learning minimum technical specifications? 2 What links and software will I need to download? 3
WHO SHOULD I CONTACT?
4
Who should I contact with a query about assessment? 4 Who should I contact with a technical issues or issues regarding the teaching and learning materials
on the module? 4
Who should I contact with a question about enrolling in my next module or workshop? 4 Who should I contact for guidance and support regarding a disability, medical condition or specific
learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia? 4
Who should I contact for a copy of my academic transcript? 5 How can I find out more about the staff involved in my module? 5
ASSESSMENT QUERIES
6
When are my assignments due? 6
What happens if I submit an assessment late? 6
When and where will I receive feedback from my assignments? 6 Why has the grading column for a submitted assessment disappeared in 'My Grades'? 6
What is the pass mark for the module? 6
Where can I find more information on how to reference my work properly? 6 Where can I find further information around academic misconduct (plagiarism)? 7
ACCESSING YOUR FEEDBACK
8
How do I access my feedback in Turnitin? 8
How do I access my feedback for Short Answer Questions/Assessed Discussions? 9
JOURNAL CLUB/DISCUSSION BOARDS
11
How do I know when someone has commented on a discussion board thread? 11 How do I arrange a practice session for Journal Club? 11 Do I have to attend all the journal club sessions? 11 Can I attend a different group's journal club? 11
ACCESSING THE LIBRARY AND WEBMAIL
12
How do I gain access to journal articles when I don’t have a library nearby? 12
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New User Checklist
What are the distance learning minimum technical specifications?
The following guidelines cover computer equipment required to take part in the innovative distance learning modules that the University of Liverpool offer.
You will be required to have access to a computer with the following minimum technical specification and accessories:
Windows
1.4GHz Intel® Pentium® 4 or faster processor (or equivalent) for Microsoft® Windows® XP, Windows 7 or Windows 8; 2GHz Pentium 4 or faster processor (or equivalent) for Windows Vista®
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
512MB of RAM (1GB recommended) for Windows XP, Windows 7; 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended) for Windows Vista
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, 8, 9, 10; Mozilla Firefox; Google Chrome
Adobe® Flash® Player 10.3
Mac OS
1.83GHz Intel Core™ Duo or faster processor
512MB of RAM (1GB recommended)
Mac OS X, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7.4, 10.8
No Adobe Connect Add-in support for Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard). Users on Leopard can attend meetings in the browser.*
Mozilla Firefox; Apple Safari; Google Chrome
Adobe Flash Player 10.3
Graphics and Sound: Capable of viewing video/audio over the internet (try YouTube with your
machine to see if you can play and hear a video).
Software: Internet Explorer 7 or greater, Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010, up-to-date Adobe Acrobat
Reader* and Adobe Flash Player (both Adobe products are available via a free download).
Webcam with Microphone: Either built-in webcam and microphone or a standard webcam with
built-in microphone (minimum pixel picture quality of 640x480) which retail at around £15+ depending on specifications.
Broadband Internet connection: 1MBps minimum internet connection speed. Wired internet
connection recommended for online tutorials.
If you do not have the minimum specification outlined above or would like to ask a question about the technical requirements of joining our courses, please contact Computing Services Department on 0151 794 4567 or email [email protected] and let them know what equipment you have, as there may be free* updates that can be applied to your computer to help make it compatible with our learning systems.
(All quoted prices found on Argos.co.uk, Jul 2012)
*Free at time of printing, updates are available from Microsoft and or Adobe and are applicable to
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What links and software will I need to download?
The following links should ideally be referenced and software installed before embarking on your distance learning module:
Adobe Flash: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
Required to access site based multimedia resources, including Adobe Connect video conferencing software (this will be used for journal clubs)
Adobe PDF Viewer: http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/?promoid=BUIGO Required to access PDF resources.
Adobe Connect: Click here for an overview of the Adobe Connect meeting room and familiarise yourself with how the site is laid out and the software that will be used for Journal Clubs.
Documentation: Microsoft Office; Word, PowerPoint, Excel, are required to access resources. You
will be asked to access the following file formats . pdf, . doc and ispring (flash based) PowerPoint's with some . ppt files used as back up Flash audio and video files, along with . jpg images will also be used.
Email system: Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, are required to access the web based email
system.
Links: If resources are hosted outside of the University of Liverpool we must remind you that we are
not responsible for content hosted on external servers and ask that if content or links are no longer active or if the content has changed, that you inform us as soon as possible so that we can work on a fix.
*Free at time of collation, updates are available from Microsoft and or Adobe and are applicable to PC based systems. E&OE.
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Who Should I Contact?
Who should I contact with a query about assessment?
For any questions regarding assessments please contact Liz O’Sullivan ([email protected]). These questions can be anything from uploading files, late submissions, journal clubs, discussion boards, etc. Liz O’Sullivan is your Examinations Officer for this module, so if you are unsure about where to get information or do not know who to contact, Liz is your first point of reference.
The Vet Education Vocal site also contains lots of information about educational support,
assessments, mitigating circumstances and much more. The site also contains more frequently asked questions relating to these specific areas so please take a look if you have a particular question or query. Click here to access the Vet Education Vocal site.
You also have access to iLearn, the University of Liverpool’s online academic skills development resource. This site has been designed to help you develop the appropriate skills that you need to study successfully at university level. All of the resources within iLearn have been created specifically for University of Liverpool students – or have been carefully selected from those available
elsewhere. Click here to access the iLearn site.
Who should I contact with a technical issues or issues regarding the teaching and learning materials on the module?
If you need help with the teaching materials or have any technical queries, please contact Charlie Whelan on 0151 795 6299 or email [email protected]
Who should I contact with a question about enrolling in my next module or workshop?
For any module enrolment questions or queries or workshop details please contact the admin office on 0151 794 6016 or email [email protected]
Who should I contact for guidance and support regarding a disability, medical condition or specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia?
The Disability Support Team is responsible for the co-ordination of support for disabled students and provides a specialist guidance and support service for all prospective and current students.
They provide support and advice to students with a wide range of impairments. This can include, but is not limited to:
Visual impairment
Hearing impairment
Mobility impairment
Medical conditions which may be long term or progressive (e.g. epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome)
Mental Health difficulties
Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) e.g. Asperger's Syndrome.
Specific Learning Difficulties (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia)
Please click here to access the Disability Support Team's website for further information and guidance.
To speak with a member of the Team please telephone the Disability Support Team on (0151) 794 4714, 794 5117, 795 0323 or contact them by email: [email protected]
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Please Note: Any disclosure made must also be reported to Liz O'Sullivan (Examinations Officer) at
the start of your module so that any individual support you may require be put into place for you as soon as possible.
Who should I contact for a copy of my academic transcript?
Official academic transcripts can be prepared for you at any time but they must be ordered through central University. There is a charge of twenty pounds sterling (£20.00) for the first copy and five pounds (£5.00) for every additional copy requested at the same time.
See the following link for further information.
It is also possible to print an unofficial copy of your transcript at any point during your registration. This facility is available at any time from Liverpool Life. Although please note that it is unlikely that an employer, educational institution or immigration agency will accept a transcript in this format as supporting documentation.
NOTE: From July 2016 The University of Liverpool will introduce an electronic version of the Higher
Education Achievement Report (HEAR) for all postgraduate taught students. The HEAR is designed to encourage a more sophisticated approach to recording student achievement and will be available for all graduates of our postgraduate programmes. HEAR is a formal, electronic, University-verified document that will contain detailed information about your learning and achievements and, along with your degree certificate, will support your applications for employment and further study. Further information about the HEAR can be found at: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/student-administration-and-support-division/hear/ and on the national HEAR website.
How can I find out more about the staff involved in my module?
There are short bios available on all the staff involved in your particular module in the “Introduction to staff” section within the left hand side menu.
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Assessment Queries
When are my assignments due?
If you click on the 'Assessment Summary' tab from the left hand menu, you will find a table
containing all the assessments required and dates due. You can also find this information by reading through the delegate guidelines on the “Module Introduction” section of your module. There are also further instructions on due dates within the assessment instruction pages.
What happens if I submit an assessment late?
If you think you may need more time with an assessment the first person you need to notify is the Examinations Officer, Liz O’Sullivan ([email protected]). If you have a valid reason for late
submission, there will be no penalty for assessment submitted late but still within the module period provided there has been prior notification by email to the Examinations Officer.
Any assessment submitted late outside of the module period will be subject to a penalty of 5% per working day unless a valid reason is provided in writing (capped at 50% i.e. a student who would have otherwise passed, cannot fail solely on late submission as per University of Liverpool
guidelines). Assessment which requires, in part, group interaction within a certain time frame may have marks deducted if the late submission falls outside of the interaction period.
See the assessment regulations on the 'Assessment Summary' section of the module for further information.
When and where will I receive feedback from my assignments?
If you submit an assignment on time you can expect feedback within 2 weeks. However, if you submit later than the due date you may not received feedback for up to a month afterwards. Feedback can be found in the “My Grades” section of the module.
Why has the grading column for a submitted assessment disappeared in 'My Grades'?
Sometimes assessors will hide the grade column whilst they are marking all the submissions. If your grade column does disappear then please check back at a later date as it will reappear again once the marks have been released.
What is the pass mark for the module?
The minimum pass mark for the module is 50%. Please note all assessment grades are provisional pending ratification at the Module Review Board. Any candidate who achieves a final borderline mark of 45-55% will be moderated by the module co-ordinator or designated module moderator (as per the assessment regulations which can be found on the ‘Assessment Summary’ section of the module). An announcement will be posted on the module once all grades have been reviewed and accepted by the Module Review Board and approved by the UoL External Examiners.
Where can I find more information on how to reference my work properly?
Click here for a copy of the Harvard (Cite them Right) referencing guide. Further information around referencing as well as guides on using Harvard (Cite them Right) in referencing platforms can be found on the library website.
You also have access to iLearn, the University of Liverpool’s online academic skills development resource. This site has been designed to help you develop the appropriate skills that you need to
7 | P a g e study successfully at university level. All of the resources within iLearn have been created specifically for University of Liverpool students – or have been carefully selected from those available
elsewhere. Click here to access the iLearn site.
Where can I find further information around academic misconduct (plagiarism)?
By submitting your work you are agreeing to the University's Academic Integrity Policy that you have not plagiarised nor copied material, nor have you embellished, fabricated nor falsified any of the data nor have you colluded in producing the work nor submitted commissioned or procured work.
Case reports and essays are required to be submitted via Turnitin and are checked for academic integrity. It is critical that, in order to avoid the potential for inadvertent plagiarism, that all works are appropriately referenced. Please ensure that you check the "originality" score in Turnitin once you submit your work. It is your responsibility to highlight any potential issues arising from this score, particularly if you believe that there is a specific reason for the high score. In general scores above 30-35% will be critically examined.
If you are unsure of what the University considers plagiarism or how to reference material correctly, please visit out iLearn resource. Under the section on Information skills is a section on plagiarism and under the section on academic writing skills there is a section on quotes and paraphrasing and referencing.
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Accessing Your Feedback
How do I access my feedback in Turnitin?
To view your feedback and scores in Turnitin, follow the steps below: 1. Click 'My Grades' from the left hand menu
2. Click onto your score which should be highlighted in blue 3. Click on your paper
4. Once your paper has opened in Turnitin, you can select to view the originality report by clicking 'originality' from the top left of the page. Here you can view your originality score along with the match overview down the right hand side of the page - SEE BELOW. It is your
responsibility to highlight any potential issues arising from this score, particularly if you believe that there is a specific reason for the high score. In general scores above 30-35% will be critically examined.
5. To view your comments, click 'GradeMark' from the top left hand corner of the page and you will see little speech bubbles throughout your report - if you hover over these bubbles the comments will appear. Any general comments will appear in the column down the right hand side of the page - SEE IMAGE BELOW
9 | P a g e 6. To view your grade table/rubric score, click the rubric button from the bottom right of the
page - SEE IMAGE BELOW
How do I access my feedback for Short Answer Questions/Assessed Discussions?
To view your feedback and scores for short answer questions, follow the steps below: 1. Click 'My Grades' from the left hand menu
10 | P a g e 3. On the next screen, click the 'Calculated Grade'
4. You will then be taken to your test submission where you can review your answers along with the feedback provided – just make sure you click to ‘View Rubrics’ as the assessors will often include feedback in here.
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Journal Club/Discussion Boards
How do I know when someone has commented on a discussion board thread?
You can subscribe to a specific discussion board forum by following the instructions below. You will then be sent an email notification to your UoL email, so you will need to check these messages frequently.
1. Click on “Discussion Board” from the left hand menu
2. This page may open in a new tab. On this page you will see all the “forums” listed. 3. Click on the forum you would like to subscribe to as if you are going into the threads. 4. Under the title of the forum you will see four blue buttons: “ create thread”, “subscribe”,
“search” and “display”
5. Click on the “subscribe” blue button (as per image below)
This will then send you email notifications when someone adds a new post. Please note the button now shows “unsubscribe” after you have done this. When you have finished with this forum you can then unsubscribe by clicking on this button.
How do I arrange a practice session for Journal Club?
You can organise a practice session for journal club by emailing Liz O’Sullivan ([email protected]), Charlie Whelan ([email protected]) or Lucy Atkins ([email protected]). Charlie/Lucy are available to do these sessions during working hours (8.30 - 4.30) and Liz will be available for evenings and weekends.
A video guide on how to use the journal club system can be found in the 'Journal Club' tab from the left hand menu (just scroll to the bottom of the page)
Do I have to attend all the journal club sessions?
No. You are only compelled to attend the journal club at which you present. But, whilst attendance at other journal clubs is not compulsory, you are welcome to attend and join in the discussion on as many other sessions as you wish. We consider this part of the module to be a valuable learning experience and so attendance at other sessions is recommended.
Can I attend a different group's journal club?
Yes. Although it's preferable to attend your own group’s journal clubs where possible, it's no problem to attend another group's session as an attendee if this fits in better with your schedule.
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Accessing the Library and Webmail
How do I gain access to journal articles when I don’t have a library nearby?
As part of your learning you now have access to the University of Liverpool's e-library and various other issues including Vet Record, In Practice etc. To access all these journals please follow these instructions:
1. Click 'Library Resources' from the left-hand menu
2. This will open all the resources available to you. Scroll down the page to find the quick link picture icons for the most popular journals as well as quick links to PubMed, Science Direct, IVIS and Wiley at the bottom of the page.
3. When you click on an image icon, you will be asked to enter your UoL username and password
4. Click the “LOGIN” button and this will open a new page for that specific journal. 5. You will now have access to most back issues and current ones.
How do I access my UoL emails?
You can easily access your UoL emails by clicking on the webmail icon on the ‘Module Introduction’ page of your module (see image below)
