What do you want to work on?
What component of the course do you need to work on?
To start setting up your course, when in your course, find the syllabus.
The following steps will show you how to add the ALEK's information under the required resources to the syllabus.
Click the HTML Editor.
and place the following code in the appropriate place in the syllabus.
The following code can be added to the Syllabus.
External Resource:
<h3>External Resource: ALEK's</h3>
<p>This course uses ALEK's which acts as an artificially intelligent learning and assessment system. ALEK's is used for Math, Chemistry, Statistics, and Accounting. ALEK's always knows what each student is ready to learn.</p>
<h4>Setup</h4>
<p>Please follow this <a class="inline_disabled" href="https://byui-ilearn-instructor.screenstepslive.com/a/1650387-alek-s-instructor-guide?token=LB06D_R_Iv2zDxyYk_60QqLq-UcM2rhh" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">help guide</a> to get started with your ALEK's setup.</p>
<h4>Help</h4>
<p>ALEK's provides <a class="inline_disabled external fOyUs_bGBk fbyHH_bGBk fbyHH_vIby" href="https://mhedu.force.com/CXG/s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instructor Resources </a>that you may find helpful as you begin to use this tool. If you need help troubleshooting an issue, reach out to them under the "<a class="inline_disabled" href="https://www.mheducation.com/highered/contact.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Get Support</a>" menu. If you need support from BYU-Idaho, contact them through the <a class="inline_disabled" href="https://content.byui.edu/items/8b617068-fa8c-4b56-ab64-2f1311d7258e/0/?.vi=file&attachment.uuid=55042e21-2a49-4c0b-acad-67562830e734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Support Center</a>.</p>The code above is HTML. Make sure to change from the RCE to the HTML editor in Canvas when making this edit.
Click the HTML editor again to check if the information and the spacing are correct, in each section that ALEK's is mentioned.
Click "Update Syllabus".
Now, we will set up the General teaching notes.
Within the course, go to "Pages" in the left side Navigator
Navigating to Pages
Click "View All Pages"
Find the "General Teaching Notes"
Edit the page and add the following codes to the following sections, adding in the ALEK's information to the general teaching notes.
Click the "Edit" button in the top right corner.
Click the HTML Editor.
This is the code you will add to the "External Resources and Required Registrations," section in the General Teaching Notes.
External Resources and Required Registrations
<h2>External Resources and Required Registrations</h2>
<h3>ALEKS</h3>
<p>This course uses an auto-access textbook and accompanying software through ALEKS. It is integrated into I-Learn and syncs grades to the course. However, students will access the assignments through a general link in the Textbook module of the course. It requires a separate account/registration. If you are a new instructor, read the information on the <a title="Setup for Course Instructor" href="https://byui.instructure.com/courses/223270/pages/setup-for-course-instructor" data-api-endpoint="https://byui.instructure.com/api/v1/courses/223270/pages/setup-for-course-instructor" data-api-returntype="Page">Setup For Course Instructor</a> page. If you are a returning instructor, your ALEKS account is recognized when you log into Canvas and is automatically passed to ALEKS. </p>
<h4>Setup</h4>
<p>As indicated in the Setup for Instructor page, verify that ALEKS has been connected successfully to your course. Do this three days before the semester begins. If the setup has not occurred, submit a ticket under "Suggest a Change for the Course," and the proper team will be notified to fix it.</p>
<h4>Help</h4>
<p>If you need information or help regarding the product, make a post to the Online Instructor Community. Other instructors have a course with ALEKS, and you are likely to be able to find help there. Be aware that web searches for ALEKS help may not be fruitful because the information on the web generally does not apply to an auto-access course.</p>
<p>If you need to request a fix, submit a ticket through "Suggest a Change for the Course" in Instructor Resources within the modules tool. If students report technical difficulties with ALEKS, take the following action:</p>
<ul>
<li>Students should follow instructions on the <a title="ALEKS Help" href="https://byui.instructure.com/courses/223270/pages/aleks-help" data-api-endpoint="https://byui.instructure.com/api/v1/courses/223270/pages/aleks-help" data-api-returntype="Page">ALEKS Help</a> page (found in the Student Resources module). Notice that students are directed to report the problem to the ALEKS Technical Support Team, then inform you of the problem and the status. If you receive a report of a problem, message the class and check if others are having the same difficulty. You will not be able to solve the technical problems, but sometimes, you may need to extend a due date to allow students to finish an assignment. (See the Change ALEKS Due Dates section below.)</li>
</ul>
<h4>Access</h4>
<p>You may access ALEKS under the Textbook Information module. Once logged in, you should see a dashboard with different information about your course. This can include class information, progress reports, student activity, assignments, etc. You can explore the menus and familiarize yourself with the platform.</p>
<p>Students access ALEKS the same way you do. Assignments are not directly linked to ALEKS. Unfortunately, this was not possible when we integrated it into your course. However, instructions are provided to each student on how to get there using the link found in the modules. </p>
<h4>Gradebook Integration</h4>
<p>The integration with ALEKS passes the scores from ALEKS to the Gradebook. All ALEKS activities selected for this course are entirely auto-graded, and the scores are transferred to the Gradebook after the due date. It is not necessary to use the sync option available when you navigate to the ALEKS link. </p>
<p>Because there is only one homework due date, the grades will sync after the due date at the end of the semester. Each instructor can transfer the grades over as often as they would like before that time. Be sure to communicate with your students about if and how you will do this. At the end of the semester, all grades will be updated with their final grade. </p>
<h2>ALEKS Student Outreach</h2>
<p>Visit the <a class="inline_disabled" href="https://www.mheducation.com/highered/support/aleks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ALEKS Instructor Support Tools and Best Practices</a> to access videos on using ALEKS. Please watch the <strong>ALEKS Reports Basics </strong>and<strong> Course Evaluation Checklist </strong>videos, as they will guide you on using ALEKS reports to monitor student progress and assist with student outreach. In addition, you may view <a class="inline_disabled" href="https://www.loom.com/share/b740664a5a3240bf81f18b679be0ec80" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ALEKS Introduction and Reports</a>. </p>
<ul>
<li>In your class, go to reports and then progress, and you can look at the performance column after the students have taken the initial Knowledge Check. This will tell you where the students are at in preparation for the course. If the student has above 50% of topics already learned, have a conversation about what class they should be taking at this time. Based on our experience, students with this percentage could be ready to take Calculus. If the student has less than 4% of topics already learned, meet with them and discuss taking an alternative class or what it will take to be successful in this class. </li>
<li>In your class, go to reports and then progress, and you can look at the total time the student spends in the course. This will let you know if they are spending the appropriate amount of time required for this course. Reach out to those who are spending too much or too little time and give them feedback. </li>
<li>After a scheduled Knowledge Check, reach out to students with low scores. Discuss with students the time spent in ALEKS, the use of resources from the Prepare pages, and their collaboration with their group members. It is also good to reach out to those who do well and encourage them to keep working hard. </li>
</ul>The code above is HTML. Make sure to change from the RCE to the HTML editor in Canvas when making this edit.
Click the HTML Editor again and check if the whole page looks correct.
If there are some corrections needed to be done, you can always click "Cancel and restart the editing process or fix it by clicking the HTML editor and make the necessary corrections.
This is what the page should look like:
Save your work.
Click "Save" if you just want to save it but NOT publish, and click "Save & Publish" If you want to do both.
Now, we will set up the Textbook Access.
Click "Modules" located at the left-side navigation.
Click the link under "Textbook Information"
Add the code provided later in this article.
Click "Edit".
Click the HTML Editor.
Here is what you will need for the Textbook Access resource:
Copy and Paste this code to the Textbook Access resource.
<div class="byui ost">
<p>We will be using the ALEKS program to complete homework and assessments. Here is some information about the program:</p>
<ul>
<li>The cost of the ALEKS program will be charged to your student account after the add/drop date.</li>
<li>To access the program, click on the ALEKS: Precalculus and create an ALEKS account. You will then have access to our course.</li>
<li>You will complete an Initial Knowledge Check once you enter the program. This assessment covers all of the topics we will learn in this course, so if you do not know some of the topics, do not worry. I encourage you to do your best because this will help you build your ALEKS pie more quickly.</li>
<li>Homework assignments in the ALEKS program will be given in groupings called "topics" each week. <span>Work consistently throughout the week. Complete half of the week's topics by Thursday (mountain time) and finish the topics by Saturday (mountain time). </span>"Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder." Mason Cooley</li>
<li>A good textbook and videos are built into the ALEKS program, but you should strive to do the homework problems with minimal assistance to ensure you are learning the content. </li>
<li>There will be two individualized "Post Objective Knowledge Checks." These will be about 20 questions, not graded, low stakes, and will help you see where you are at with learning the topics. Each of these should take approximately 45 minutes.</li>
<li>After every two or three objectives, there will be a "Unit Knowledge Check" (these will be the exams for the course). These will be about 30 questions and will be graded. This will show you where you are at in mastering all of the topics for the course. The first one will be 34%—this means you should have mastered 34% of the content at this time in the course. So if you get a 34% on this Knowledge Check, then you actually receive 100% because you are right on track. You are not allowed any additional resources on a Unit Knowledge Check.</li>
</ul>
<p>Please watch this six-minute video introducing the features of ALEKS. </p>
<p><a class="inline_disabled" href="https://youtu.be/gAZsiZIEeLA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Introduction to ALEKS</a></p>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gAZsiZIEeLA" width="560" height="315" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe><br />
<p>(06:45 mins, <a class="inline_disabled" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTJK6Ddoh0wazH31dHvA1HMS9fhQ9GyP2HUST6cLL7wxtcPjQ9kPidz4mgyXyghalvAM68WTvLnLtB6/pub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"For Students: An Introduction to ALEKS" Transcript</a>)</p>
</div>You will also need the third party ALEKs connected to this module, you can complete this step by using the "Integration Setup" in this workflow.
Once you paste the code, click the HTML Editor again and check if the information and spacing are correct.
Save your work...
Click the "Save" button.
Congratulations! You have successfully set up the Textbook Access.
Go to Modules located under the navigation.
Scroll down to Student Resources.
Do you have a ALEKS Resources in your Student Resources?
The following steps will help you create your ALEKS Resource.
Click the "+" button.
Click the drop-down menu "Add" and select "Text Header" (1). Next, name your module "ALEKS Resources" (2). Then, click the drop-down menu for indentation and select "Indent 1 Level" (3). Finally, click "Add Item" (4).
You should see the new section on the Module at the bottom part of the Student Resources.
Now, we will deep link the videos related to ALEKS into the new module.
Click the "+".
Click the drop-down menu and select "External URL" (1). Copy the link provided below and paste it in URL (2). Then, name the page "How to Access Assignments" (3). Click the drop-down for indentation and select "Indent 1 Level" (4). Finally, click "Add Item" (5).
How to Access Assignments URL: https://mhedu.force.com/aleks/s/article/How-to-Register-for-an-ALEKS-Class?dc=Getting_Started
Repeat the last few steps for the following two pages and add to the modules.
How to Register for an ALEKS Class: https://mhedu.force.com/aleks/s/article/How-to-Register-for-an-ALEKS-Class?dc=Getting_Started
How do I access ALEKS? https://mhedu.force.com/aleks/s/article/How-do-I-access-ALEKS?dc=Getting_Started
The module should look like the following:
Does your Student Resources look like this?
If your Student Resources look like this, then congratulations! You are done.
If your Student Resources does NOT look like the picture above, go back and click "No, I don't," and follow those steps.
Follow these instructions to connect Canvas with ALEKS used in your course. This is important to be able to deeply integrate the assignments and pass grades back and forth between Canvas and ALEKS.
Log-in to I-Learn Canvas.
Go to byui.instructure.com to login. Once there select desired course with ALEKS.
Click on the "Modules" button from the navigation's tab
Select ALEKS textbook for this specific course from the Textbook Information module of the course.
Click on the "Load ALEKS: textbook in a new window" button
Authorize the integration for Canvas.
You will need to authorize Canvas to access ALEKS. Don't worry if this doesn't appear for you, since it may have already been authorized on your behalf as part of the integration setup process.
You will notice that the blurred brand logo looks like the Cisco Webex brand logo. When you are in this stage of the process, the logo will have the McGraw-Hill brand logo.
Select "Continue" to pair your ALEKS account with Canvas.
If you already have an ALEKS account click the "Yes, I want to use my existing ALEKS account" button. If you do not have an ALEKS account click on the "No, I am new to ALEKS" button. If you have an account but have forgotten your account details proceed to the next step for information.
Please select which answer best applies to you:
Please enter your email address [1] and password [2] and click "Sign In" [3].
Please select "Register for a Connect account" to begin the registration process for an account.
Go to aleks.com
Visit aleks.com and click on the "Log In" button
Click the "Forgot your login info?" button
Enter information on the given spaces
Enter the information on the given spaces[1]. Once information has been entered, click the "SUBMIT" button[2]. it will then redirect you to another page saying that a confirmation has been sent to your email. Once done, you should be able to complete the rest of the process.
Make sure to enter your school email.
You have completed the steps to pair your Canvas account with ALEKS.
Once you are logged in, you've finished the process to connect the two accounts. The Systems and Innovation Technology team will continue the process to integrate your ALEKS course with Canvas. Thanks for your patience in this process.
If you have further questions regarding this article or ALEKS, please contact the Systems Integration Team.