1. ENC 3254: Professional communication for Engineers
Course orientation
ENC 3254: Professional communication for Engineers
Welcome to the ENC 3254 online course orientation.

2. Contents Access Navigation Technical Help
Expectations & Responsibilities
This presentation covers accessing and navigating the course website, getting technical help, and explaining the expectations and responsibilities of the students and instructor in online learning.

3. Accessing the course website
Use your Gatorlink ID and password to login to UF’s E-learning in Sakai portal. Once you log in, you will see your current and past Sakai courses at the top of your “workspace”. Choose “ENC 3254 – Section XXXX” to view the course website.
To begin, go to the web address lss.at.ufl.edu. This is the e-learning in Sakai portal at UF. Note these features of the page: the “announcements” table keeps all Sakai users informed of problems, maintenance, and changes of the system. The “help” tab lists the variety of ways to get technical help with Sakai and the “message us” tab is an easy way to communicate a problem or question to the computing help desk. Finally, on the left is the “Student FAQ” link. This is a good place to start if you are unfamiliar with Sakai.
Use your Gatorlink ID and password to login.
Once you log in, you will see your current and past Sakai courses at the top of your “workspace”. Click on your listed course and section to view the class website.

4. Accessing the course website
As you can see, there is a lot of information available on the course website and, in some cases, more than one way to access the information.
The column on the left is the course menu. The main frame includes a graphic, the course title, the instructor name and contact information, and a brief explanation of the course.

5. Navigating the course website – preliminary information
The link to the syllabus is on the menu. When you click it, the syllabus will appear in the main frame. To return to the original screen, click home at the top of the menu.
The next link on the menu takes you to the textbook publisher’s website for purchasing and accessing the e-book version. You may buy or rent the physical book or purchase the 6-month e-book version. Either will work for this class.

6. Navigating the course website – learning
Each thematic unit is called a Lesson. This is the first place you go for an outline of what you are expected to do.
Assignments and Quizzes are listed both in their respective modules (according to theme/chapter) and here (according to type). You must access assignments and quizzes from the menu link.
Your instructor may use other tools available in Sakai such as the wiki, discussion boards, or blogs. They are not pictured here, but they would be listed in the menu at the left if they were.
The remaining menu items require less explanation. The gradebook is obviously where you can keep track of your grade. “Resources” are files. “Mail” is an intra-system mail tool. You can have any mails sent through Sakai forwarded an address, but you have to log in to Sakai to write replies. Finally, “Help” links to Sakai’s help documentation within the system. It explains all the tools.

7. Getting technical help
If you are having technical problems with the course website, you have a number of resources available to help you:
Instructor – If you think the problem may be how the course was set up or regarding instructor content, please your instructor a thorough description of the problem (screenshots may help!).
UF Sakai help/FAQ – Read the help section for students at to see if you can solve the problem yourself.
UF Computing Help Desk – visit them in the HUB ( call them at HELP (4357), or send a message through the “Help” button at
If you are having technical problems with the course website, you have a number of resources available to help you:
Instructor – If you think the problem may be how the course was set up or regarding instructor content, please your instructor a thorough description of the problem (screen shots may help!).
UF Sakai help/FAQ – Read the help section for students at to see if you can solve the problem yourself.
UF Computing Help Desk – visit them in the HUB ( call them at HELP (4357), or send a message through the “Help” button at

8. Expectations and responsibilities
Asks questions
Have basic computer skills
Open-minded
Responsible
Able to manage time
Have academic integrity
Participates
Facilitate learning, assess work, respond
Manage the course
Create an encouraging and open atmosphere
Have the technical skills to make the most of the tools available
Prepared, but flexible
For an online course, we have expectations of the other and we both have responsibilities – to ourselves, to the whole class, and to each other (as student and teacher).
Successful online learners are willing to ask for help. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have a question, comment, or problem with the course.
You should have basic skills in finding information online and producing communication with word processing and presentation software.
You should be open-minded about this non-traditional learning environment. Do not treat the course as a blow-off class or an easy A. You are just as responsible for the work and participation as if you were in a traditional classroom setting.
You should take responsibility for your own learning and participation. You shouldn’t be hindered by the absence of face-to-face instruction or the expectation of lots of communication via reading and writing.
You should be able to manage your time well. This is a three-credit class, so you should schedule in three hours a week devoted to this course. Like any other class, expect to spend plenty of time working outside those three hours as well.
You should have a strong conviction for academic integrity. Cheating, plagiarism, and dishonesty will not be tolerated. You risk failing the class and official notification to the university if you produce dishonest work or act dishonestly.
Finally, this is not a lecture course. You should be willing and eager to communicate often and participate in discussions with your classmates and instructor. You will also need to think critically about the content and respond thoughtfully.
You should check your daily and read through new discussion posts or wiki entries at least three times a week. Any responses you give should be done in a timely manner, preferably within 24 hours.
In return, your instructor will do the same. You should expect certain things from your instructor. The roles are pedagogical, managerial, social, and technical. You should expect the instructor to fulfill the traditional role of a teacher, i.e., to facilitate learning, assess your work and progress and provide feedback. It is also his or her responsibility to manage the course – to organize it, make sure it runs smoothly, interject when necessary to keep things moving, and solve problems. Your instructor is responsible for creating a social atmosphere that is open and encouraging both in ideas and communication. You should also expect that the instructor is technically adept to handle an online course including having a prepared course available to you, but flexible enough to change areas of the course that are not working well.
Student
Instructor