Timeline

Action

Resources

Four weeks before semester starts

Review OWL Quick Prep resource site and decide whether to offer Quick Prep for General Chemistry or Quick Prep for Organic Chemistry to your students.

OWL Quick Prep resource site

Two weeks before semester starts

Review Best Practices

Set up your OWL course.

Be sure to assign the introductory assignments to teach students the basics of using OWL.

Best Practices

HOW-TO VIDEO: set up your course Part I
HOW-TO VIDEO: set up your course Part II
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Instructor Quick Start Guide

What should I assign?

At start of semester

Send e-mail to all students with information on obtaining an OWL access code and registering.

Give students access to Student Quick Start and Access Code Guide and the Technical Support Flyer (both Adobe Acrobat PDFs)

SAMPLE E-MAIL

Student Quick Start and Access Code Guide

Technical Support Flyer

First week of semester

Spend a few minutes in class setting a tone for the semester so students know OWL is there to help them succeed in the course. This will help students focus on the learning aspects of OWL rather than the occasional frustration with the system.

Lecture Notes for OWL

Second week of semester

Run a grade report to make sure all of your students have registered for OWL. Send reminders to those who have not registered.

HOW-TO VIDEO: run a grade report
Video plays best in Internet Explorer 8, FireFox, or Chrome (but not on Internet Explorer 9)

SAMPLE E-MAIL

One month into semester

Run a report to find out if any of your students are at risk.

HOW-TO VIDEO: identify students at risk
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Fifth week of semester

Use the reports feature to find out how much time your students are spending on their homework. Adjust the amount of OWL homework you are assigning accordingly.

HOW-TO VIDEO: find out how long students are spending on homework
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Mid-semester

Run a grade report and post the OWL grades to the gradebook in OWL.

HOW-TO VIDEO: run a grade report
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HOW-TO VIDEO: post grades to the gradebook
Video plays best in Internet Explorer 8, FireFox, or Chrome (but not on Internet Explorer 9)

End of semester

Assign the final survey in OWL.
Download the final grade report.

HOW-TO VIDEO: use the surveys
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HOW-TO VIDEO: run a grade report
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Post-semester

Archive your course.
Review the survey results.

HOW-TO VIDEO: archive a course
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HOW-TO VIDEO: review survey results
Video plays best in Internet Explorer 8, FireFox, or Chrome (but not on Internet Explorer 9)

Second semester

Send second-semester e-mail to students.
Copy your course.

SAMPLE E-MAIL

HOW-TO VIDEO: copy a course
Video plays best in Internet Explorer 8, FireFox, or Chrome (but not on Internet Explorer 9)