Chabot College Astronomy

A Short Guide to our Mastering Astronomy Online Website

Dr.  Billy A. Smith

Adapted from Eric W. Harpell, Las Positas College

Our online and on-campus classes will take advantage of some fantastic online tutorials produced to supplement the Cosmic Perspective textbook.  I've incorporated the tutorials for more than 5 years now, and students in previous classes have shared that they felt the tutorials were some of the most useful tools in their successful mastery of our course material. 

Using the Mastering Astronomy site will require:

- A one-time use access PIN code, included with the textbook or available separately online at http://session.masteringastronomy.com/myct?productID=bennett_e4.

- A personal userid and password, created at the Mastering Astronomy site the first time you login.

- A computer and web browser suitably configured to run Flash 8, not block pop-up's from the site, support cookies and java, and support 1024x768 resolution.  Specific technical requirements and links to required browser plug-in's are noted below.

If at any time you have problems logging into Mastering Astronomy, or you need help with an access code that doesn't seem to work, you can contact their technical support department directly.  See more information below for help.  Email me or copy me on any email you send so that I can stay aware of your situation.  Remember that you can always use our default student logins to the system to view and try the tutorials (not for credit, but at least to see them).

Step 1: Your first time logging into Mastering Astronomy

Register at Mastering Astronomy using the access PIN code provided with your text. If you don't have one, or bought a used text with an invalid code you can buy it on-line when you click on the link above.  You'll only need the PIN code once. (We are using the 4th edition of "The Essential Cosmic Perspective", and even if you buy a used book of a different edition, you'll still want to click on this book.)  You'll be able to create your own userid and password; I recommend using the same as your BLACKBOARD account, or your own personal email.

Specific instructions for each class are provided here as hyperlinks:

- Online Astronomy 10, SPRING 2008  CRN 31508

(Class ID: ONLINEASTRO10SPRING2008)

- Evening Astronomy 10, SPRING2008  CRN 32874

(Class ID: EVENINGASTRO10SPRING2008)

You should enter a student ID number as well (your Chabot W number will be fine.)
 

Step 2. Accessing the tutorials and extra credit assignments

Once you have registered and join the class using the correct class ID, you will see several tabs at the left side of the page.  At the top is the assignment list tab; this is where for credit assignments, including tutorials are located.
 

2a.  Click on the Assignment in the assignment list and see what is listed there.  For example, you might see the following (from tutorial assignment #1)

• [incomplete] Scales of the Universe Tutorial is for 10 point(s)

2b. When you are ready to begin the Tutorial in the Assignment list, click on the underlined blue hyperlink. You will next see two frames, a left frame with an image and a right frame with instructions on the available options.  Among those instructions are "Launch Tutorial", "Submit", and "Submit Part".  Note that only the "Launch Tutorial" button will be active (blue) the first time you see this screen.

2c. Click on the LAUNCH TUTORIAL button to begin the tutorial.  Be sure your screen resolution is set to 1024x768 so that you can see the controls in the lower right hand corner of the tutorial screen.
 

Step 3: Working on a tutorial

As you work through the various parts of the tutorial, you'll be able to skip around or review topics in any order.  The tutorials have a navigation menu at the top:

Note that SOME of the tutorials have mathematical questions (looking for simple ratios or numeric answers.)  If these stump you, don't worry - do your best.  Remember that in our class, there will never be mathematical questions on the exams, and the math concepts within the tutorial are meant to help.  Don't skip the numerical steps, but don't be afraid if you answer them incorrectly. 

At the conclusion of each tutorial will be a brief set of review questions.  Your overall score for a tutorial will be based in part on your FIRST answers to the final review questions, as well as whether you completed all parts of the tutorial.  You do NOT have to complete the entire tutorial in one sitting - you can stop and resume it later if you prefer - but you MUST quit and save your work if you do not want to start over.

Step 4: Completing a Tutorial and Submitting it for Credit, or Stopping to Continue Later

Once you have finished a tutorial, you will see the congratulations menu, telling you what you have learned. Now you are finished, look for a little letter "Q" at lower right on the page. (On some computer screens the Q is far to the right and you have to scroll down to the right and down to see it.)  

3a) Click the "Q" button to Quit.  You can also use the "Q" button to stop the tutorial temporarily, and resume it later.

Note the Q button at bottom right.  You will have to click this to quit!

3b. You'll see a menu with your progress marked through the tutorial (in green vs. red dots), as well as the option to submit your results and quit (or continue working.)  Click on the Submit my results and Quit button if you are satisfied with your work, or even if you need to stop, save your work, and return later.  (Don't worry - submitting your results here won't record the actual grade yet.) You'll be returned to the original screen that showed the LAUNCH Tutorial button.
 

3c. You are almost done!

The tutorial will quit and you will be back in the original screen with the "Launch Tutorial" window. But now,  in the answer box, you will be able to see how much of the tutorial you have completed and your current score:

Beneath the box you will see a second "submit" button in the right frame.  Click this button only IF YOU ARE DONE. (Don't click it if you want to continue the tutorial later!)


YOU MUST CLICK THIS Submit BUTTON to get credit for your work.  This will place the result in the online mastering astronomy gradebook. If you don't submit your work here, you will not receive credit for your work.

Step 4 (Optional) Submit Feedback to Me, & Ask Questions!

There is a also a submit problem button on the right hand frame. It allows you to provide feedback on the assignment, or report a problem. Click on it if you wish to complete a brief survey about your experiences with the activity.  When you do this, I'll automatically get an email message informing me of your question, and I can reply to help you out.  (Note that this will be sent outside of Blackboard.)

Step 5: Check your results are recorded.

Click on the My scores link in the far navigation bar and see if your grade shows up. If not, go back to the assignment list, click on the tutorial assignment, and see if a percentage score is listed.  You should be able to click on the tutorial link, and try the SUBMIT button again.  If no completion percentage appears, then you will need to redo all or some of the tutorial, and follow the above steps more carefully to ensure that you quit, then submitted, the tutorial for grading, and then submitted a second time for recording. 

Further Advice

If you have followed the directions carefully above, already tried enter your score a few times, to no avail, please send an email to both the instructor and mastering astronomy support.

If you want to PRACTICE a tutorial first, before trying it for a grade, click on the "tutorial" link in the Study Area at the lower left of the navigation bar.  You can try the same tutorials (and terminology quiz questions) without penalty first, and then redo the tutorial for credit by following the process above (using the assignment list.)
 

Default Userids for Our Courses

If you ever have problems accessing the tutorials from your account, you can use the default userid and password I have set up for our courses.  Please note that you CANNOT get credit for work done under these IDs, and their names, passwords, and associated email IDs must not be changed.

Fall 2007 Astro 10 Classes

userid: chabotastro10

password: astro10student

Mastering Astronomy Site Requirements (as of January 2007)

Mastering Astronomy Help Information