VAVS Module 1-Getting Started

Slide 2:Welcome to VA Voluntary Services Academy, herein known as the �Academy.� As more and more businesses and organizations turn to online learning to further an employee�s professional development, government organizations are no exception. The Academy will now be offering all training courses online. Access will be available 24/7 making this a more convenient and effective process for everyone. There are three self-paced modules you will be taking for this project. The first module, which is this one, is going to help you navigate the LMS we�re using for this training, and to give you an idea of how you can use emails and discussion boards to communicate with other learners. The second module is a review of the Volunteer Services organization, its history and goes over some points regarding donations, terms and definitions and different types of General Post Fund accounts you may have already learned about in your previous 101 training. The third module focuses on the donation process itself. It is a journey of how donations are received, documented and tracked, as well as providing information on which forms to use. Short quizzes will be given at the end of each module, and if needed, training topics can be accessed again for review.

Slide 3:Before we begin, though, please take the time to take this short pre-quiz. This quiz is just for us to determine who you are, what position you hold in the VA organization, and to see if you�ve had any prior training through the Academy. Please click the link you see on your screen.

Slide 4:After reviewing this module, the learner will be able to:

Slide 5:Take a moment to look at some of the contents for this module�

Slide 6:Some of you may have already had some experience with e-Learning. Perhaps, you�ve taken a college course or know of someone who has and are curious how it works. Courses at the Academy have, for the most part, been instructor-led but that involved hosting many learners at an off-site location�and the training usually lasted anywhere from 2-3 days � not very economical or efficient. You can learn most anything on the web: real estate, music, language, and courses from the Academy. Online, or e-learning, can be either asynchronous (not at the same time) or synchronous (at the same time). Most colleges and universities have a little bit of both types of learning: in-house and online, called hybrid instruction. Online learning is offered through software application systems called LMS which stands for Learning Management Systems�and they�re asynchronous. What does that mean for you? Well, it means you can learn 24/7 -- whenever and wherever it�s convenient for you! Simply log on with your user ID and password, and you�re in! Besides being convenient, online learning allows you to take your time to go over material again, making it easier to think through what you�re learning. You can also communicate and collaborate with others utilizing emails, discussions boards, blogs or chat functions � all, hopefully, making your experience an enjoyable and productive one. With that in mind, the VAVS Academy will be offering three training modules for your professional development with the click of a mouse! Enjoy your course�and let us know what you think when you�re done!

Slide 7:There are some things we would like to go over regarding Internet use here at the VA. Computer online etiquette, known as Netiquette or Net Etiquette, has one Golden Rule: �Remember the human� (NetDictionary) What this means is that when you are on the Internet, treat others with respect just as you would want others to respect you. Unfortunately, the anonymity of the Internet seems to spawn violations of this rule and many cases of impropriety have been publicized. We, at VA Academy, have a strict policy of no tolerance for abuse in any form. We believe in openness and a respectful community of learning. If any reported violations occur within the Learning Management System (LMS), it will be dealt with by the administrators and access will be denied. You will not be allowed to participate in any further classes nor have access to the training portal. The focus for this training is to foster a collaborative learning environment and to make the most of your online experience, which is why we have provided this short, helpful presentation for you.

Slide 8:In taking this course, you will be utilizing technology tools known as Web 2.0 tools, such as emails, discussions boards, blogs, and chats. These tools will allow your learning experience to be more productive and effective. For instance, in this course you are going to be able to communicate with each other by sending emails or collaborate on ideas with one another through a discussion board.

Slide 9:Definition: A discussion board is an asynchronous (remember? meaning not at the same time) communication tool that allows one individual to post a comment or question online. Other individuals who are members of the same discussion board may read that comment/question, and respond with their own remarks over time.

Slide 10:Definition: A Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer; also: the contents of such a site. Origin: Short for Weblog First used: 1999

Slide 11:Definition: A Web site that allows visitors to make changes, contributions, or corrections. Origin: WikiWikiWeb, a Web site with such programming introduced in 1995 First Known Use: 1995

Slide 12:Most of you are already familiar with emails, and so, we�ll just go over a few things to remember when using emails. Subject headerTie your subject title to what your message is about so that it shows relevance to the contents. Use standard EnglishDo write using standard English when in a classroom environment. This means no slang and use emoticons (emotional graphics) sparingly. Use <joke> or <smile> to convey meaning. Edit, edit, editDo a spell check and re-read what you�ve written to make sure there are no grammar or other errors. Review your messageBefore you click on the Send button, review what you just wrote to make sure you mean what you say, and check recipient's name to make sure your email is being sent to the correct person. Check attachment file sizeAvoid inconveniencing others trying to download your large files. Zip it with 7-Zip, a free file compression software or try YouSendIt which provides a free file sharing service.

Slide 13:Make presence knownUnless you contribute, no one is going to know you are there. Let others hear your ideas! Create brief topic headersUse brief, relevant topic headers to attract your audience and to focus on the subject at hand Review your writingsKeep it brief and to the point, much like conversation. Too much and it will seem long winded. Be respectful of othersEveryone has a right to be heard without being criticized. Respect the exchange of ideas. Maintain a balanceWhen responding to someone�s discussion post, maintain a balance of fairness. In the same discussion post, offer positive feedback while challenging viewpoints. Cite your sourcesWhether you paraphrase or copy actual quotes, always cite your sources. For help in this,check out the APA style guide.

Slide 14:That�s it! You have just finished Module 1 ! Take this short Netiquette Quiz from Northern Kentucky University. After each question, the correct answer will be displayed, and at the end, your total score will be revealed. Don�t worry�this self-scoring quiz is just to see how much you know about Internet etiquette! To start the quiz, click on the link above. After finishing, you are now ready for Module 2!