Welcome to UAL Short Courses

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Short Courses Handbook

Dear students, we are delighted to welcome you to your online short course.

This handbook will introduce you to our virtual learning environment (VLE) the Short Courses Hub, and will provide useful information to help you make the most of your online course.

You can easily browse through different sections and chapters of this handbook using the interactive table of contents on the right-hand side of the page by clicking 'Open Block Drawer'.

Then just click on any section or chapter to jump straight to the information you need.

1.1. About UAL Short Courses

Welcome to the vibrant world of UAL Short Courses! At the University of the Arts London (UAL), we take pride in offering a diverse range of short courses designed to ignite your creativity, expand your horizons, and help you unlock your full potential.

Our short courses are crafted to cater to a wide spectrum of interests, skill levels, and backgrounds. Whether you're a budding artist, an aspiring designer, a business professional looking to enhance your creative thinking, or simply someone who wants to explore a new passion, you'll find a course that suits your needs within our website.

Join our global community of learners and tap into the expertise of our renowned faculty members and industry professionals. Here, you'll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in hands-on learning experiences, gain valuable insights, and build connections that can last a lifetime.

Whether you're here to refine your skills, discover a new passion, or embark on a creative journey, UAL Short Courses are your gateway to a world of inspiration and growth. We invite you to explore our course offerings, embark on your learning adventure, and let your creativity flourish in the heart of London's vibrant arts scene.

Welcome to UAL Short Courses – where creativity knows no bounds!

1.2. Online Course Requirements

• Internet Connection: You must have access to a stable and reliable internet connection. High-speed broadband is preferable to ensure smooth streaming and interactions.
• Device: You'll need a computer, laptop, or tablet to access the Course Page. Ensure your device meets the necessary hardware and software requirements for meeting online.
• Operating System: Make sure your device's operating system is compatible with the online learning platform: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, or Linux.
• Web Browser: We recommend the latest version of Google Chrome for the live sessions
• Headphones or Speakers: To hear audio content, lectures, or discussions clearly, you'll need headphones or speakers. Headphones with a built-in microphone can be useful for participating in discussions.
• Microphone and Webcam: UAL Short Courses invite you to participate in live discussions and so to get the most from your course, you'll need a microphone and webcam for audio and video communication.
• Course Materials: Please visit the course booking page on the website for any specific materials you’ll need for the course.
• Accessibility: Ensure that UAL Short Courses are accessible to you, taking into account any special needs or accommodations you may require. Upon booking you will be asked for details on any additional support we can provide. You can also contact our customer service team at ualshortcourses@arts.ac.uk for further information. The Short Courses Hub also has several accessibility features including: ReciteMe audio descriptions, adjusting colour and font size to suit your needs.
• Backup Plan: Have a backup plan in case of technical issues, such as access to another device or an alternative internet connection.

To succeed in this course, you should participate in the live sessions or watch the recordings, and share your responses during the course.

Engage with your peers by providing constructive feedback on their work-in-progress.

This is the minimum expectation for successful completion of the course.

2. Your Course Page

Your course page is divided into the following headings:

• Course Introduction
• Live Session
• Course Content 
• What's Next

You will have access to this course page for the duration of the course, and for 2 weeks after the course has ended.

2.1. Course Introduction

Your Tutor

In this section you'll see the tutor for your course, and a brief introductory biography about them

Welcome to UAL Online Short Courses

This is where the Short Courses Handbook can be accessed

Group Forum

The group forum allows you to engage in discussion with your peers and tutors between lessons. You will be able to post topics if you have questions about the course, and you will be able to respond to other learners on the course to offer your input.

Your tutor will explain how they would like you to use the forums for your course.

If your course has assignments, then you will share them on the forum.

2.2. Live Sessions

Under 'Live Sessions' you will be able to access your classroom for your course.

Click ‘Join the Live Classroom’

From there you will be able to ‘Join Session’ to enter the live classroom

Any recordings made of your live sessions will be available here for you to review after the live session ends (approx. 1 hour after).

Please ensure you are using Chrome as your browser.

2.3. Course Content

In the Course Content Section you'll see all the content your tutor has made available to you.

Course Content: This outlines the lesson plan and what you should expect from each class. Details of any assignments will be here, you can navigate through the lessons by clicking the 'next' or 'Previous' buttons

Lesson Slides: Here you can view any class slides the tutor has made available for you

Lesson Downloads: Here you will be able to download any files or handouts the tutor has made available for you for each lesson.

2.4. What's Next

This feedback questionnaire focuses on your learning experience within our Virtual Learning Environment: The Short Courses Hub.

You will also be sent a feedback questionnaire to your email address, on the final day of your course inviting you to give further feedback about the course content, if you enjoyed your course and if your learning goals were achieved. 

This is valuable for us when developing and improving our course content, and if you complete your feedback for this you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 amazon voucher!

Further learning:

Explore what’s next, now that you have completed your course. 

If you have any questions about further learning or if you want advice about future short courses, please feel free to contact the short courses team: ualshortcourses@arts.ac.uk

3. The Group Forum

Your group forum will allow you to:

• Upload assignments: if your course has assignments to complete your tutor will give details on this.
• Add a Discussion Topic: invite your peers and tutors to respond to any questions you may have. If you want to discuss course content, ideas or pose questions this is a great way to converse with your group between live lessons.
• Respond to any topics and questions posted by your tutor or fellow students

You can subscribe or unsubscribe to any forum topic by switching the toggle beside each topic. If you subscribe to a forum topic then you will receive a notification via your Short Courses Hub profile when someone posts or replies. 

3.1. Upload Assignments

Your course may require you to complete and upload assignments for each lesson or a specific lesson. Your tutor will guide you on what is required for your course.

To upload your assignment for a specific lesson, click on the forum topic that corresponds to that lesson.

• Click ‘reply’ to the forum topic.
• Click on ‘Advanced’ to then allow you to upload a file to the forum.

Add any text you would like to appear beside your assignment in the forums. 

• Drag and drop any files you would like to attach to your forum post.
• then ‘Post to Forum’

You should receive a banner notification at the top of the page that “Your post was successfully added”

You will have 30 mins if you wish to ‘Edit’ or change the post before it becomes available for your group and tutor to view.

3.2. Add a Discussion Topic

Within the forum you can ‘Add a Discussion Topic’ by clicking on this option

You can then add a subject line and any relevant text, questions, images or resources you’d like to share with the group.

Then ‘Post to Forum’ to add your topic to the group forum. 

You will have 30 minutes to make any changes or edits to your post before it becomes visible.

The forum is a great way for you to converse and engage between live sessions. Your tutor will be able to give you more guidance on how they would like you to use the forums.

The forums should always be an open and safe space to share ideas, ask questions and share your insight with the other group members.

4. The Live Classroom

UAL Short Courses hosts our online classrooms on BB collaborate.

We recommend:

• Using the latest version of Google Chrome to access the classroom.
• You should also have a microphone and headphones (a headset with a microphone function is recommended. The built-in microphone in your device would also be fine)
• Webcam
• A Strong Internet connection - we recommend a minimum of 2 Mbps download, and 1 Mbps upload, faster if possible. You can test your network speed here - https://www.speedtest.net

Try logging into the classroom at least once before the start of the class to ensure you have no technical issues.

The first time you log on, there will be a series of pop-up messages that will guide you through the various functions and buttons that are available in the virtual classroom.

For your first class, please log on 15 minutes before the scheduled start time to ensure you can access the virtual classroom without problems.

You can also contact our team for support at UAL Online Short Course Support onlinecoursesupport@arts.ac.uk

The live classroom will be supported by your tutor and a Short Course Moderator, who can also provide technical support as needed.

4.1. The Basics

My Status and Settings: This feature allows you to react to the lesson by changing your status or give a reaction. You can change your status to ‘Available’ or ‘Away’. You can quickly ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’,  or let your tutor know you’re ‘happy’ or ‘confused’. 

This is a useful way to briefly show your tutor how you’re feeling.

Your tutor will give more guidance on how best to use these features in the classroom.

Microphone Toggle On/Off: Press the microphone button to unmute or mute yourself. When you first login you may want to test this is working, and then we recommend keeping your microphone on mute until needed, to avoid any feedback or background noise.

Camera Toggle On/Off: Press the camera button to switch your computer’s camera on or off. Your tutor will guide you on when might be a good time to have your camera on such as during introductions. You may find it helps a slower internet connection to turn cameras off at certain points.

Raise Hand: Your tutor will let you know how best to interact with these tools during lessons. The raise hand button will allow you to notify your tutor if you have a question that requires answering.

Open Collaborate Panel: This will open the collaborate panel allowing you to access the chat box and classroom settings.

4.2. Collaborate Panel

Chat: Chat to your fellow students and tutor in the classroom. Your tutor may also share links or resources for you via the chat box. 

You can also ask for help if you are having technical issues and our moderator can assist you.

Attendees: In this panel you can see how many people are in the classroom and you can also view the student’s name list and see your tutor and moderator listed.

Share Content: This function is not generally available to students in the first instance. 

It’s possible you may need to share your screen or share a file with the rest of the class, in which case your permissions will be changed, and your tutor will guide you on how to use this tool.

My Settings: The My Settings cog wheel will allow you to adjust the classroom to your preferences. In this menu you can adjust the volume of the classroom and turn on/off sound notifications.

If your camera or microphone stop working during a session, then going to settings and clicking ‘Set up your camera and microphone’ will oftentimes refresh the classroom settings and allow your camera and microphone to work again.

4.3. Live Classroom Troubleshooting

We have moderators in all our live sessions to provide direct support to help troubleshoot any issues.

If you are experiencing any issues in the classroom let your tutor know in the chat box and then a moderator can be directed to help you via the chat box.

Most of our online classes are recorded so you can rest assured you won't miss out on anything.

You can always contact us at UAL Online Short Course Support onlinecoursesupport@arts.ac.uk for any technical assistance with your course.

Below is a list of common issues and their usual solutions that may be helpful

If you’re unable to login to the classroom:

•  Ensure you are using an up-to-date version of Google Chrome.
• Try clearing your browser cache: Google Chrome > History > show full History > Clear browsing data > change the time    range to ‘all time’ and tick all three boxes.
• Ensure any adblockers or VPN’s in your browser are turned off.
• If you are using Google Chrome and still unable to login then try using a different browser such as Firefox or Safari.
• Try restarting your computer and then try to re-access the classroom.
• Ensure your internet connection is strong enough. Ask household members to stay off the wi-fi during your class time if possible. Also try plugging your device directly into the router to improve the connection. Hot spotting a phone can be a last option.
• More information can be found on the Blackboard Collaborate Helpdesk.

If your sound or camera stops working during a live session

• Ensure you are using an up-to-date version of Google Chrome.
• Try re-freshing the page and log back into the classroom.
• Check if your sound is working on other applications (YouTube etc.) to see if its an issue with your computer or the classroom.
• Within the classroom Go to My Settings > Audio and Video Settings > Set up your camera and microphone > check that you have right input sources selected (most users will only have on audio and camera option)
• Ensure Chrome isn't blocking your microphone/camera. Go to Chrome’s Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Permissions > Camera > Verify that under Default behavior ‘Sites can ask to use your microphone’ is selected and that eu.bbcollab.com is allowed to access your camera. Then go back to Permissions > Microphone > Verify that eu.bbcollab.com is allowed to access your microphone.
• Try re-starting your computer or internet connection.

5. Contact Us

We’re always happy to help assist you get the most out of your course. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if we can help with anything.

 UAL Online Short Course Support onlinecoursesupport@arts.ac.uk: for any issues that arise during your course, and technical issues with the classroom or Short Courses Hub