How to use the learn.gold audio tour
What is it?
Intended for new users of learn.gold (Goldsmiths’ Virtual Learning Environment), it’s an audio guide to the basics. The staff guide covers logging in, getting, configuring and finding a course area, setting up Forums, uploading files, linking to Web sites, understanding what the different resource and activity types are for, and more. The student guide covers logging in, finding a course area, uploading and downloading, using Forums, among other things.
Look at an overview and download from:
Why an audio tour?
The idea is that you get to keep your eyes on your screen and your hands on your mouse or keyboard while at the same time listening to descriptions of the different parts of learn.gold.
This has advantages over a visual (illustrated text) description where you have to read and then look, read and then look.
A transcript is available from the audio tour download page for people who prefer to read.
How do I listen to it?
To note:
It helps if you can listen on a player which displays timings – this will help you navigate to the sections you need.
Throughout the tour you’ll need to pause and play when instructed.
If you were to simply click on the MP3 linked above, it would open in your browser's default player. This might make it inconvenient to play and pause or switch between learn.gold and the player, so it’s probably more convenient to save and open in a separate player as follows:
- Right-click (PCs) or Apple+click (macs) on the link to the MP3 file
- From the pop-up menu choose Save (Link) As, or similar
- Browse to where you want to save the MP3 and then save as follows:
- If you’re listening on a separate MP3 player (separate bit of equipment e.g. iPod), then connect it to your computer and save directly onto it in the usual way (all MP3 players are different - see the instructions for your particular model). Find and play it (again, consult the instructions if necessary).
- If you’re listening on your computer, then Save As where you can find it again. Then browse to it and click to Open. It will open in your default MP3 player software. You can then resize your windows so that you can easily click between the player and learn.gold. If you don’t have a player installed, some common ones are iTunes, Quicktime, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, Songbird.
Then sit down in front of your computer, connect to the Internet and start listening. The audio tour will tell you exactly what to do to get started.
Questions?
Contact m.vogel@gold.ac.uk, 020 7919 (x)7298