Accessing class information via My Gateway
To find your My Gateway ID and password:
- 1. Go to the web page http://mygateway.umsl.edu
- 2. Click on the "My Gateway ID Search" button
- 3. Type in your federal ID number (Social Security Number) and leave the student number field blank. Click on "Search"
- 4. The next page will show your My Gateway login ID. It also informs you that your password is a string of eight characters comprised of yyddssss where yy are the last two digits of the year you were born, dd is the day (01-31) of the month on which you were born, and ssss is the last block of four digits from your federal ID number (SSN)
If you have used this page to change your password, use the new password (the changes here effect your MS Outlook-Exchange Email, campus dial-up Internet access, and My Gateway.
- To login to My Gateway:
- 1. Go back to the web page http://mygateway.umsl.edu
- 2. Click on the "Login" button
- 3. Type in your login ID and password
- 4. You should now see your "My Gateway" page with your current courses listed in a window on the far right side of the page
- 5. Click on one of your courses
Features on My Gateway
From your My Gateway page, click on one of the courses listed for you. [Students see the list of courses in which they've enrolled].
Left Hand Frame on the Course Pages
The entry point to the features or sections of My Gateway that you can "fill with content" are located on the far left frame of each course site. The sections include (the names of these buttons can be changed via the Control Panel, and areas you do not wish to use can be eliminated:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
COURSE INFORMATION (for syllabus, grading and course requirements, due dates)
STAFF INFORMATION (template for your contact information and that of TA's),
COURSE DOCUMENTS (e.g., course notes, readings, links to PPT slides)
ASSIGNMENTS
BOOKS
COMMUNICATION (e.g., discussion board, email lists, virtual chat)
VIRTUAL CLASSROOM
DISCUSSION BOARD
GROUPS
EXTERNAL LINKS
TOOLS (for students)
RESOURCES. Both you and your students have a link to the worldwide resources set up through the corporate Blackboard site. [NOTE: you must categorize your course according to its subject matter and/or specific content. This is done within the Control Panel.
COURSE MAP. The course site outline or "cascaded section" can be utilized to search for specific documents within each section. Simply click on the book icon to expose what's inside.
CONTROL PANEL. This is the instructor's work area. Content is added here. You will want to begin by planning folder names for the various course materials you want to upload or point to by adding web links.
- Control Panel Areas (You can access this information, and more, online at: http://www.umsl.edu/computing/mgwhelp/)
- The Content Areas contain tools to use to make learning materials available to students anytime and anywhere. The Content Areas allows instructors to: Post course documents, staff information, assignments and more. Here you can incorporate text, spreadsheets, slide shows, graphics files, audio and video clips, and interactive simulations. Upload documents by three methods:
1). Copy and paste from documents created in Microsoft Word or another word processor. NOTE: There is a difference in how My Gateway pages appear depending on whether you use Netscape or Internet Explorer browser.
2). Create links using the following html code within the text box <a href="URL">NAME OF DOCUMENT</a> OR place the URL in "External Links" [template with html code added automatically -- you don't have to use that string of symbols and letters in External Links].
3). Upload documents by clicking on BROWSE button below text box, locating file and clicking on it. Not all documents load equally well, depending on your computer and the program used to create them.
- The Course Tools contains communication and collaboration tools that enhance interaction between students and instructors with asynchronous discussion boards and synchronous chat tools. The tools allow users to: interact and learn from each other with threaded discussion boards, manage online discussions (set up a discussion forum and start new threads. Options exist for editing, allowing anonymous posts, blocking specific users, shutting down threads through "Lock" function [still readable] and "Archiving" [taking threads out of view, but saved]. NOTE: the default is for anonymous posts; you may want to change that.), share documents as discussion board attachments or through the Digital Dropbox, and hold virtual office hours or field trips through the updated Virtual Classroom™ environment with real time chat, whiteboard, and slide creation.
- The instructor can manage the appearance and structure of the course from Course Options. Options include the ability to customize navigational buttons, set the title, description and category for your course (for using the external Resources link), enable guest access, and list your course within the My Gateway Course Catalog.
- User Management allows the instructor to manage the users of the course Web site. For example instructors may: Add and drop individuals or groups of students to and from courses, create groups of student who can work together within the course site (once set up, these groups have a private discussion board, virtual chat, file exchange and email capabilities. You can access each group's unique area as the instructor), and assign students to special roles within the class site (TA, Course Builder, Grader).
- Communications: Instructors can set up a discussion forum and start new threads. Options exist for editing, allowing
anonymous posts, blocking specific users, shutting down threads through "Lock"
function [still readable] and "Archiving" [taking threads out of view, but saved].
NOTE: the default is for anonymous posts; you may want to change that.
Or, the instructor can set up small groups of students to do projects and assignments together. Once set
up, these groups have their private discussion board, virtual chat, file exchange and
email capabilities. You can access each group's unique area as instructor.
- Instructors use the Assessment area to increase student preparedness, measure student progress and customize lessons by creating and administering quizzes and surveys.
Within the "Assessment Manager" area you can:
- follow a simple, step-by-step process to create quizzes and anonymous surveys
- mix and match multiple question types
- include multimedia or other attachments with assessment questions
- provide question randomization and re-use from assessment pools
- provide password-protected tests, timed tests and instant feedback to students
- "Pool Manager" is the location to develop data banks of quiz questions according to chapters or content categories. NOTE: putting questions into pools allows you to choose specific questions, as well as to create a unique quiz for each student as they access the Quiz. Pools can be exported from one course site and imported into other courses.
- The "Online Gradebook" [very popular with students] automatically enters each online quiz score for students (whose names are automatically placed in the gradebook). You can also create entries for exams and papers graded outside of My Gateway. You can use letter or number grades.
- "Course Statistics" keeps track of each student's access, pages entered, time of day, and day of week. This tool is helpful in assessing individual participation or spotting students having problems accessing My Gateway.
- Assistance allows the instructor to research the online support site, browse the online Instructor Manual, and contact support.
Please keep experimenting, and call your friendly My Gateway support team for help. We are Robert Keel, rok@umsl.edu, PH: x6052 or x6538, and Cheryl Bielema, bielema@umsl.edu, PH: x7134. Use blackboard@msx.umsl.edu to contact our technical support staff.
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