STUDENT “GETTING STARTED” GUIDE - Cyber High Getting Started Guide.pdfAug 01, 2019 · STUDENT “GETTING STARTED” GUIDE . C. Request for your Teacher to Review your Coursework

STUDENT “GETTING STARTED” GUIDE

Last Modified Aug 1, 2019

I. Course Prerequisites 1

II. Log in to Cyber High 1

III. Homepage Layout 2

IV. Menu Toolbar 3

VI. Course Format 4

VII. Using Cyber High 6

VIII. Tips for Student Success 9

IX. Cyber High Support 10

V. Opening a Course 3

I. COURSE PREREQUISITES Because Cyber High is web-based, students should be able to understand basic Internet navigation such as entering web addresses, clicking links, making drop-down box selections, dragging objects, etc. II. LOG IN TO CYBER HIGH

1. A Cyber High teacher at your school will create your username and password. Go to Cyber High at cyberhigh.org using the latest version of Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, or Safari (other versions may also work but they are not supported). Next, click the Login button in the top right corner.

2. You will be taken to the Cyber High Login Screen. Log in with your provided username and password.

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3. The first time you log in, you will be asked to create a Password Recovery Question (with its corresponding answer). In the event you forget your password, you will be able to click the Forgot Password? link on the login screen. If you can provide your username, date of birth, and correctly answer the security question, then you will be permitted to create a new password on your own.

III. HOMEPAGE LAYOUT The Home Page consists of three main parts: the Menu Toolbar, Quick Access Modules, and a Calendar. Periodically, an Important News Message will display at the top of the screen to announce something significant such as downtime due to maintenance or a new course release. A teacher can also send a message to either all students or to a specific student.

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IV. MENU TOOLBAR

V. OPENING A COURSE Please have a Cyber High teacher at your school approve you to take a course. Once the course has been approved, there are two places you can access the course. 1. Menu > Courses > course category > course name, > unit number (If no course has been approved for you, then no Courses Menu will exist.) 2. From the “My Courses” module on your Cyber High Homepage as shown below. click a unit number

(If no course has been approved for you, this module will be empty. )


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Home - Click to return to the main Cyber High Home Page.

Messages - View the status of exams, projects, and essays.

Chat Window - A teacher and a student may communicate with one another using chat text while in Cyber High. Students cannot chat with other stu-dents. The chat window is closed during an exam to prevent interruption or abuse.

Notifications - When clicked, a panel will display listing notifications for Calen-dar events, Messages, Chats, Ungraded Coursework, and potentially inappro-priate project content or student collaborative comments.

Tutorial Video - Provides a video tutorial about the current screen.

Problem Report - Report technical or curricular issues.

Help - When first clicked on a page, it will provide page-specific help. One can then click the Show link at the top of the Help window to either find by Index topics or search by term.

Logout - Logs user out of their Cyber High session and returns the user back to the Login screen.

Menu - Click to access five sub-menus referred to as Panels: Main, Re-sources, Courses, Reports, Management.

VI. COURSE FORMAT

Each course has five unit sections. The first page of each unit is called the Landing Page. This page includes a Progress Bar, the Table of Contents and a Unit Links section :

1. The Progress Bar at the top shows the % of the unit completed.

2. The left side of the Table of Contents includes links that the system marks as complete once a content page is visited or an activity, project, or quiz is completed. Essay, project, and lab assignments will be checked off once they are graded as Proficient by a teacher. The right side includes general informational Unit Links that exist in most courses. Note: the Supplemental Materials link will only display in courses that require a supplemental book. Please ask your teacher how to acquire the book.

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3. Course Toolbar

Once a course unit is opened, the following toolbar displays at the top of the screen:

Once a unit page is opened, six new icons appear in the Course Toolbar. The new icons are:


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Exit Course - Click to return to the main Cyber High Menu.

Chat Window - A teacher and a student may communicate with one another using chat text while in Cyber High. Students cannot chat with other stu-dents. The chat window is closed during an exam to avoid a distraction.

Tutorial Video - Provides a video tutorial about the current screen.

Problem Report - Report technical or curricular issues.

Help - Access Cyber High’s text tutorial.

Logout - Logs user out of their Cyber High session and returns the user back to the Login screen. If clicked during an exam, the answers will be saved, and the student can resume their exam within two weeks from its start date.

Course Home - Click to return to a Course Unit’s Table of Contents.

Knowledge Base - Allows one to quickly access in a list format all course pag-es and videos. May also search by concept.

Dictionary - Search for word definitions and alternative words using Merriam-Webster’s online Dictionary and Thesaurus.

Calculator - Access Cyber High’s online calculator.

Text Editor - Type essays and short answers for various activities.

One Page Notes - Allows a student to create a note for each page in a unit. The student can then view all notes together from the Menu > Main > Course Notes screen. These notes may not be printed.

4. Unit Sections

Each unit section includes the following number of activities, quizzes, and exams:

a. 15-30 chapter activity pages.

b. 1-3 writing assignments in most courses. (Language Arts course may average 3-10 per unit.)

c. 1-2 optional projects (slide presentation, sketch, blog, website, wiki, etc.)

d. 5-10 short quizzes which include 5-8 questions.

e. One final review quiz which includes 20 questions.

VII. USING CYBER HIGH A. Starting a Course

1. Most students take each unit in order. For some courses, this is especially important such as Math and English where new concepts are often based on understanding of previously learned concepts. A teacher may also require that a course’s units be taken in order.

2. If your course requires extra or supplemental materials, the link shown below will display in the Landing Page’s Unit Links section. Click the link to see what material is required. Then ask you teacher how to acquire it.

3. Open the first unit and click on the Unit Links > Scope and Sequence link to view what will be

taught in each course unit.

5. A typical course unit has 5-7 chapters. Each chapter includes a reading section, followed by an activity page, possible project or lab, then a quiz. Sometimes a quiz appears every two chapters. At the end of each chapter, clicking Next will return you to the Unit‘s Table of Contents page.

6. Click the first Chapter Link and begin reading. Click the Back and Next links to navigate between pages.

7. Activity pages - Help you to apply knowledge and practice concepts learned. These may include multiple choice, short answer questions, essays, and reading journal activities.

8. Projects - Your teacher may optionally allow you to do web-based projects. These may include creating a web site, wiki, blog, presentation, flip book, sketches, video, or podcast.

9. Quizzes - There are 5-8 short quizzes and 1 final review quiz which is 20 questions long. Please note that although your course grade is based primarily on your final exam results, the quizzes help you to determine what score you can expect to achieve. It is in your best interest to earn the highest possible quiz scores in order to earn the highest unit exam score. Quiz results can be viewed on the Quiz Detail report (Menu > Student Reports > Quiz Detail).

10. Extra Credit - One essay per unit may be taken to earn 4% extra credit that will added to a student’s exam score to achieve a higher unit grade. It is typically but not always the last essay in each unit and will be identified for students with the red text as shown below. It must be graded as “Proficient or above” before you are approved to take your corresponding unit exam.

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C. Request for your Teacher to Review your Coursework and then Approve you to Take your Exam

1. Ask your teacher to review your course progress and to ensure you are on track to meet your academic goals.

2. Prior to taking your final exam, please review your unit’s content and notes. Consider retaking your quizzes again.

3. Once your teacher determines that you are prepared for your final exam, your teacher will approve you to take the 50 question final unit exam. It is important that you review the Cyber High Exam Policy with your teacher to learn, for example, how many times you can take each exam. It is also important to ask your teacher what is the minimum passing score percentage needed is to pass your exam. For example, Cyber High’s default passing score is 60%. However, your school may require you to earn a different passing score percentage.

4. If you are already logged in to Cyber High, you may access the approved exam by going to Menu > Main > Exams. Here you will see an exam graphic similar to the one below. If you are not logged in, then log in and you will be taken automatically to the Exams screen.

5. Click anywhere within the rectangular box to start your exam. Note: If you do not start the

exam within ten minutes from the time it was approved, then the exam graphic will disappear and your teacher will need to approve you for your exam again.

Help! My Course Has Disappeared from My Courses Menu! If you have not opened your course within 60 days, then it will be removed from your

Courses Menu. Should this occur, ask your Cyber High teacher to re-approve the course for you and you can continue where you left off.

Why Can’t I Proceed to the Next Chapter? When a teacher approves a student’s course, the teacher has the option to enforce

Pacing. Pacing controls a student’s progress by requiring that the student complete all activities, essays, and/or projects in a chapter before he or she can continue to the

unit’s next chapter, or to the unit’s final exam. It may also require that the student pass his or her quizzes with a certain passing score percentage. Please see your teacher to

find out if Pacing is being enforced.


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6. A pop-up window will display asking you to confirm that you are starting the correct Course Unit Exam. If the exam is correct, then click “OK” and your exam will open. If it is not correct, then click the “Cancel” button and inform you teacher to cancel the exam approval and approve you for the correct exam.

7. Please note: It is your responsibility to verify that your teacher approved you to take the correct exam. If you accidentally start the wrong exam, it will count as an attempt. To quit the exam, you will then need to close Cyber High and log in again. You will then see the screen shown below. Click the Quit Exam button and ask your teacher to approve you for the correct exam. Then repeat steps 4-6.

D. Start your Final Exam.

1. Each unit exam is 50 questions long with each correct answer worth 2% points. It is recommended that you read each question carefully along with each possible answer before you select your answer.

2. Your teacher will determine how much time you have to complete your exam. Most students complete their exam in one session.

3. If your exam session is interrupted because your computer froze or your Internet connection was disrupted, please note that Cyber High saves each answer after clicking Back or Next to go to another question. Once the issue has been resolved, log in to Cyber High again and click the Resume button. If you had been logged out of Cyber High for over fifteen minutes since the interruption, then your Cyber High teacher will also need to enter their username and password to ensure a teacher is present during your exam session.

4. Once you finish your exam, your exam score will display immediately on the screen. Your exam scores can also be viewed on either the Student Grade Report or the Student Progress report (Menu > Reports). You can also view them on Menu > Main > Student Progress. A message of your results is sent to your Messages folder at Menu > Main > Messages.

5. Please Note: A 60% is considered the minimum passing score in Cyber High for activities and quizzes. However, each school may change the passing score percentage. Therefore, please verify with you teacher what the passing score % is for your course. To best prepare for you exams, it is recommended that you attempt to earn the highest passible activity and quiz scores. This will put you in a the best possible position to do well on your final unit exam.

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E. Completing a Course

A course grade is calculated based on the results of the five unit exams and any extra credit essays that were completed. Chapter activities and quizzes do not count toward one’s grade. However, they are extremely important as they help you to prepare for your final unit exam.

Exam and course grades are based on your school’s grading scale. Please confirm with your teacher what grading scale is used for your school.

VIII. TIPS FOR SUCCESS

1. Complete all of the activities and quizzes in each unit.

2. Most online unit quizzes are only 5-8 questions long. Therefore, it is recommended that you earn 100% on these quizzes since the answers can be readily found in preceding one or two chapters. Final unit quizzes are twenty questions long and it may not be feasible for you to score 100%. However, it is better to aim high in order to achieve the highest possible exam score. For example, if you desire to earn at least a “70%” or higher, then you should strive to earn an “80%” or “90%” on your quizzes. “It is better to aim for the moon and hit the stars, then aim for an eagle and hit a rock”.

3. After taking a quiz, you will be tempted to immediately change your incorrect quiz answers (without review) until you get a desired score. Instead, it is recommended that you review the previous chapter for the correct answer in context as it will help you to retain knowledge better for your final unit exam.

4. More weight should be given to a unit’s twenty-question final quiz because it tests comprehensive knowledge of the unit. However, do not neglect the shorter quizzes as many of their questions may also appear on the final quiz.

5. It is highly recommended that you consider your first attempt of each unit exam as if it is your only attempt. This will help you to avoid earning a lower than desired score. Please remember that a lower than desired passing score cannot be retaken.

6. Request that your teacher review the Cyber High Exam Policy with you. It covers how often you can retake an exam, the effects of quitting an exam, when exams expire, course completion criteria, etc. Being familiar with this policy can help you to pass a course and avoid possible disappointments.

Course Completion Criteria

A course is passed when all five unit exams are completed, at least four of the five unit exams are passed with a passing score or higher, and the average of the highest score for all five units is pass-ing or higher. For example, assuming the passing score is 60%, let's say a student receives the fol-lowing scores: Unit 1: 50%, Unit 1 Retake: 70%, Unit 2: 70%, Unit 3: 70%, Unit 4: 70%, Unit 5: 50%. The course grade is calculated as follows: (70 + 70 + 70 + 70 + 50) ÷ 5 = 66. The course is passed with an average score of 66% because one failed unit is permitted. Therefore, the course is closed,

and no other coursework can be taken. As a result, the unit 5 exam cannot be retaken.


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How Does the School Get My Grades? After passing a course, an official grade report will be automatically mailed to your school the following business day after completion. However, during the summer months, they are held

from mid-June to the end of July and then mailed at the end of July. Partial grade reports may be mailed upon a teacher’s request.

IX. CYBER HIGH SUPPORT Available Hours: Monday—Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (Excluding Holidays and the last two weeks of December) Email Address: [email protected]

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STUDENT “GETTING STARTED” GUIDE - Cyber High Getting Started Guide.pdfAug 01, 2019 · STUDENT “GETTING STARTED” GUIDE . C. Request for your Teacher to Review your Coursework