Learning with MySCU and Collaborate

Hi, I’m Karlyn from Southern Cross University, and today I’m going to be taking you through MySCU and Blackboard.

MySCU is an online portal where you will access all of the information for each unit of study.

From course related information, updates from your lecturers and access to support services.

At Southern Cross University you’ll sometimes hear ‘Blackboard’ and ‘MySCU’. They both mean the same thing.

You’ll need your username and password to log into MySCU.

You can access the login screen from the Southern Cross University home page, here at the top right, but save time in the future by adding it to your favourites.

The login screen often shows updates about what’s new in MySCU, so make sure you keep an eye out.

So now it’s your turn: go to the Southern Cross University homepage at www.scu.edu.au. Hover over the ‘Current students’ tab, then click the MySCU link and log in using you username and password.

Once you’ve logged in to MySCU, you’ll land on the main page. This, and the Learning Sites tab, is where you’ll spend time delving into the information for each of your Learning Sites.

Get used to checking the left hand column of the Home page for announcements and to keep an eye on your library loans, which is a little further down.

From this page you can also access study support and prepare for your future beyond Southern Cross University.

And the biggest reason to get used to using MySCU? Learning Sites. Coming right up.

Each unit that you study will have its own Learning Site on the MySCU homepage, listed under the Learning & Information Sites heading.

Learning Sites are microsites crammed full of really important information for you and your studies. They open two weeks before classes start.

Click on any of your units and you’ll arrive at the Learning Site for that unit where you’ll get to read announcements and discover who’s delivering your classes and tutes. Because Learning Sites are created and looked after by lots of different teaching staff, every site will have its own unique twist. There are, however, a few common elements across all Learning Sites, so let’s explore.

Let’s look first at the most important, guiding document within your learning site: The Unit Information Guide, which you’ll find within the Unit Overview menu item.

The Unit Information Guide, also known as the UIG, is a really valuable document as it outlines your assignments, reading list and outline for how the course will be delivered, all in one place. Pause this video and spend a little time looking through the UIG.

The Resources section is where you’ll find things like downloads, links and other supporting documents specific to the unit that you’re studying.

In Assessment, you’ll find more on your upcoming assignments as well as links to really useful help, including referencing guides and how to use Turnitin to ensure that your assignments are above board when it comes to academic integrity and plagiarism.

The last important bit within your Learning Site is where you connect with your lecturers and classmates. Collaborate is a conference program where you view lectures, participate in online seminars and communicate with your tutors and other online learners.

Another place to communicate with staff and other students in your unit is the Discussion Board. Check and contribute regularly to get the most out of your studies.

So let’s look at a few other places in MySCU before we end this video.

Let’s start with Services, which is as it sounds: a place to find links to all of the Southern Cross University services and resources to help you succeed, including fees and admin services, accessing learning support and finding out about the how to keep yourself healthy and happy throughout your time at uni.

Pause this video and have a little explore.

Have you already thought about what you’ll do beyond your time at Southern Cross University? Under the MyCareer tab you’ll find a wealth of resources to get you thinking about and prepared for a suitable, meaningful career.

The library isn’t just about books, in fact it’s about so much more than just books. As a student of Southern Cross University you have access to thousands of academic journals and reports, so make good use of that opportunity.

If it’s books you’re after, you can find them all online as well. And as an online student they’ll post them to you for free.

Through the Library tab, you can also view contact numbers and links to library related resources.

When you’ve finished a unit of study, the uni likes to see how it went via an online survey. When the surveys are ready, they’ll appear in the Unit Feedback section, so be sure to check once you’ve finished a unit.

One of the best ways to succeed in your studies is to understand what’s expected of you when submitting assignments. Among other things under the Academic Skills tab you can access workshop recordings and referencing guides, or arrange an appointment with someone from the Academic Skills team who can help you out face-to-face, by phone or online.

If you find yourself stuck while using Blackboard click on the little question mark icon at the bottom right side of your screen for access to videos and text help. You will also find an email button to contact the Service Desk if you don’t find what you need to know.

So that’s pretty much MySCU uncovered, except from this handy search tool which will help you with anything you can’t find.

So have a search around, and explore of MySCU and get familiar with your online base for studying at Southern Cross University. And make sure you check out our other videos too.