What are the technical requirements to use these products?
You must have internet access and digital devices, desktop or laptop computers, tablets, or cell phones. There are no additional software or hardware costs. The sites are housed on an IMS server. Your school/facility must add the email address support@instructionalmediaservices.com to their “whitelist” to ensure that the account confirmation process finishes correctly.
If you are using Google Drive, please contact your IT Department and ask that they evaluate the security settings to allow email communication from your site.
Can I still use the curriculum if I don’t have enough computers for all my students?
Yes. If you have a computer with a projector, you may access the site and continue to work through the material with your students.
Also, the lesson content has print options for the PDFs and PowerPoints and the Assignment Sheets, Job Sheets, and Unit Tests have Word versions that may be printed.
If I use printed tests can I still use the online gradebook?
Yes, there is functionality that allows for the manual entry of grades into the online gradebook.
What Learning Management System is used?
Moodle
Can multiple instructors use the same site?
Yes
Can you assign students to specific instructor?
Yes, there is functionality called Groups that allows students to be assigned to a specific instructor.
I teach several different classes. Can I track them separately?
Yes, there is functionality called Groups that allows students to be assigned to a specific class.
I am using Groups but the option to select a group isn’t displaying?
From the activity, choose Edit settings>Common module settings>Group mode.
Make sure that either Visible groups or Separate groups has been selected. If it has not been selected, select one of the options and click the Save and return to course button. The option to choose a group should display for the activity.
How many students can be enrolled in the site?
Enrollment is unlimited from one school per subscription period.
When can a subscription begin?
A subscription may begin at any time during the year.
What are the subscription time limits?
IMS offers one (1) year, three (3) year, and five (5) year subscriptions for Automotive Technology Online Curriculum.
IMS offers three (3) and five (5) year subscriptions for the Auto Collision Online Competency Profile.
IMS offers a one (1) year subscription to the Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (Nurse Assistant) Online Curriculum.
How do my students enroll if they do not have an email address?
The email address is a required field. However, as long as the field is completed with the correct format, i.e., someone@internet.com, the account will be created and the instructor will need to manually confirm the student’s account to complete the process.
How do I manually confirm a student’s account?
The path is: Site administration > Users > Accounts > Browse list of users
A list of names will display. Review those students who have the word Confirm in the last column on the right side of the screen. Click the Confirm option.
How do I manually reset a student’s password?
The path is: Site Administration > Users > Accounts > Browse list of users
A list of names will display. Find the student’s name and click on it.
Select Edit profile. Enter a new password and click the Update profile button. Share the new password with the student.
Why are some activities grayed out?
An activity that is gray indicates that in the student’s view these items are not visible.
How can I keep the students from accessing the Lesson content while they are taking a test?
The easiest way to handle this situation is to hide the lesson during the time the students are taking the test. To do this:
Turn editing on > Choose the lesson > Click the Edit option on the right > Click on the Hide option
The title of the lesson will become gray and will no longer be visible to the student.
What does customization of the site mean?
Auto Course Admins have the ability to add pages of new content to the site. They can add a list of additional resources including URLs for websites, they can add photos or videos or links to them. Existing tests may be revised. New tests may be created. Take a look at all the possible choices when you click on Add an activity or resource.
How does customization of the site work with multiple instructors?
Generally, changes to the site affect all instructors. It is important that all the instructors agree on changes. However, there is functionality that allows for instructor specific changes. This functionality is called Grouping. If an instructor who is teaching Advanced Auto Tech and would like to create a Module Test they have the ability to do that. Only the students in the Advanced Auto Tech group would see that module test or be able to access it.
Can I try out the online curriculum?
Yes, there is a demo site available for instructors to access.
Our school uses trimesters. Can the online grade book reflect that structure?
Yes, the grades for the activities within each module can be arranged to meet your teaching schedule.
Can the gradebook calculate an average grade for each student for a specific set of activities?
Yes, Moodle has the functionality to allow for the creation of an average grade for a student for a specific set of activities within a module.
Can I download grade information?
Yes, you have the option to download grade information for each activity, for the module, and for individual students.
What does it mean when the overview mentioned that each module is like a separate Moodle course?
This structure makes for some redundant work for the instructor. What an instructor does in one module sometimes has to be done in all the modules, like creating groups. The site may look like a whole but the modules are separate entities and do not always share information. There is some functionality, called Cohort Sync, which helps to alleviate some of the redundant processes.
What are the student tracking options?
For each student, the online site will report what activities the student has accessed that day, Today’s logs, or for the entire time they have been enrolled in the site, choose All logs. If you choose Outline Report or Complete Report a list of all the activities in the site will display with dates of when or if the activity has been accessed. The format is slightly different in each report.
Can I change the number of times a student can take a test?
Yes, there is an option in the Quiz Settings that may be changed. It is called Attempts allowed. If you want your students to have multiple chances to take the test you may adjust this option. To do this:
Open the quiz (Unit Test, Assignment Sheet, or Job Sheet)
Click on Edit settings > Grade > Attempts allowed (update the number) > Save the change
Can I allow a student to retake a test?
Yes. Select the test and the Quiz administration menu opens. Select Results and the list of students who have attempted the test will display. Select the student by placing a check mark in the box on the left and scroll to bottom of the list and select the Delete selected attempts button. The student will be able to retake the test.
Can you change the order of the questions in the Unit Test so each student has a different version of the test?
Yes, in the Quiz administration dropdown, in the Edit settings options, you may choose Layout. One of the fields is Question order. You may select Shuffled randomly. The software will randomly shuffle the questions for each student.
Can you change the order of the answers in the Unit Test so each student has the answers displayed in a different order?
Yes, in the Quiz administration dropdown, in the Edit settings options, you may choose Question behavior. One of the fields is Shuffle within questions. The options are Yes or No. If Yes is selected the software will randomly shuffle the answers for each question for each student.
