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Quicklinks: Navigate the Course | Use Common Course Tools such as Discussion Boards, Dropbox, and Quizzes | Use Smartphone to Scan Work | View Grades, Feedback and Progress

Navigating Your Course using IVS and Apex Learning

This course uses Apex Learning (Apex) to provide the interactive lessons and some quizzes within the IVS course system of Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L).

To help make more sense of this, think of the the IVS course system as your classroom. You walk into your classroom, take a seat, and then open your textbook when directed by the teacher. The textbook for our purposes is Apex Learning. The chapters and pages you read in your textbook can be compared to the Interactive Lessons designated in the course content.

You will always start in D2L, as well as submit assignments to your instructor, post to the discussion board, and check your grades and progress in the course system. Even though you may be asked to download worksheets from within the Apex interactive lessons, you will always complete them and turn them in to your instructor through the IVS D2L course dropbox in the course, just like you would turn in your homework to your teacher.
Note: It is important to note that only Apex computer scored quizzes, tests and exams may be completed directly on the Apex website.

Be sure to always look at the whole unit to see what assignments are in Apex (your teacher may omit or make bonus assignments) and what assignments are in the IVS course system of D2L. Never skip directly to Apex, as this may cause you to miss assignments.

Please view all the tutorials below to understand how to successfully use both Apex and the IVS course system D2L.

Navigating the Course System

When you click the "Launch Course" button in the Dashboard in the information system, the course and the course homepage should open in a new tab or window. You must allow pop-ups in your browser for the course to open.

Please watch the following videos to learn how to navigate within the course system, as well as access your course content to access the Apex interactive lessons and activities.

Introduction to Course Elements	Accessing Course Content

Using Apex Learning for Interactive Lessons	Setting up Course Notifications
Note: When you click the Interactive Lessons link from within the course Content, you will be automatically logged into the Apex Learning Dashboard. If you are prompted for credentials, you may not be in Apex yet. Please give it 12-24 hours and try again. If you still have issues, please submit a help ticket.	Note: If you set up notifications, you will need to remove those notifications once you complete a course. Use our Exclude Course Notifications help guide for step-by-step directions.

Using Apex Learning for Interactive Lessons

Setting up Course Notifications

Note: When you click the Interactive Lessons link from within the course Content, you will be automatically logged into the Apex Learning Dashboard. If you are prompted for credentials, you may not be in Apex yet. Please give it 12-24 hours and try again. If you still have issues, please submit a help ticket.

Note: If you set up notifications, you will need to remove those notifications once you complete a course.
Use our Exclude Course Notifications help guide
for step-by-step directions.

For better viewing, we recommend that you click the Fullscreen option in the lower right corner of each video.

Using Common Course Tools

Please watch the following videos to learn how to participate in discussion boards, submit electronic/digital files to the dropbox, complete and submit quizzes, and use the Pager tool to contact your instructor.

Participating in Discussions	Taking Quizzes, Tests, and Surveys
Discussion boards can be a collaborative area where students share thoughts, ask and answer questions, and talk with peers. Be sure to follow the discussion board expectations set by your instructor.	You may be asked to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the content through a quiz, test, or survey. Note: In IVS courses, the Quiz tool is called Quiz Tool Assessments.

Participating in Discussions

Taking Quizzes, Tests, and Surveys

Discussion boards can be a collaborative area where students share thoughts, ask and answer questions, and talk with peers.

Be sure to follow the discussion board expectations set by your instructor.

You may be asked to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the content through a quiz, test, or survey.

Note: In IVS courses, the Quiz tool is called
Quiz Tool Assessments.

Submitting Files to the Dropbox	Using the Pager
The Dropbox allows you to submit assignments to your instructor and also see feedback and comments once your assignment has been reviewed. Best practice for online course participation is to always save all digital files (documents, presentations, worksheets, etc) to a computer or more permanent storage location before submitting through the dropbox or message center. Once submitted, it is highly recommended that you keep all files until the course is successfully completed. Do not remove or delete coursework from your own storage location until you complete the course.	The pager tool enables you to contact and pose questions to your instructor on a one-to-one basis. Be sure to read the "Communicating with Your Instructor" page to know if this is a preferred method of communication.. Note: In IVS courses, the Instant Messager tool is called the Pager tool.

Submitting Files to the Dropbox

Using the Pager

The Dropbox allows you to submit assignments to your instructor and also see feedback and comments once your assignment has been reviewed.

Best practice for online course participation is to always save all digital files (documents, presentations, worksheets, etc) to a computer or more permanent storage location before submitting through the dropbox or message center.

Once submitted, it is highly recommended that you keep all files until the course is successfully completed. Do not remove or delete coursework from your own storage location until you complete the course.

The pager tool enables you to contact and pose questions to your instructor on a one-to-one basis. Be sure to read the "Communicating with Your Instructor" page to know if this is a preferred method of communication..

Note: In IVS courses, the Instant Messager tool
is called the Pager tool.

For better viewing, we recommend that you click the Fullscreen option in the lower right corner of each video.

Using Your Smartphone to Scan Written Work and Save as PDF

If you do not have access to a scanner to scan and save your hand written assignments, you can use an app to scan the pages of the assignment via your Smartphone.

iPhone Users

You can use the Notes App to scan all the pages of a single assignment.

You can find instructions here:? How to use iPhone Notes to scan documents

?Once scanned, you can email a .pdf file to yourself, then open your email on your computer and download the .pdf file to your computer. Alternatively, you may be able to save it to a cloud location and download it that way.?

Android Users

You can use the Google Drive App to scan the pages of a single assignment.

You can find instructions here:? How to use Android Google Drive to scan documents

Once scanned, you can email a .pdf file to yourself, then open your email on your computer and download the .pdf file to your computer. Alternatively, you may be able to save it to a cloud location and download it that way.

Remember, you will upload your file(s) to the Apex Message Center using the next video "Sending Messages and Submitting Written Work."

Viewing Grades, Feedback, and Progress

It is very important for you to meet due dates according to the Pacing Chart shared in your course. It is also important that you view grades and feedback from your instructor to understand how you are progressing in the course. Please watch the following videos to learn how to view your grades and instructor feedback.

Viewing Details and Feedback on Assignments and Quizzes	Reviewing Grades

Understanding the Course Widget
The progress shown in the course widget is 12-24 hours behind the grades provided within Class Progress/User Progress or Grades in the course. Note: The pacing in this widget only includes graded assignments and does not reflect progress through content or lessons. It may not match that of your Pacing Chart. Be sure to follow your Pacing Chart to ensure you meet course deadlines.

Understanding the Course Widget

The progress shown in the course widget is 12-24 hours behind the grades provided within Class Progress/User Progress or Grades in the course.

Note: The pacing in this widget only includes graded assignments and does not reflect progress through content or lessons. It may not match that of your Pacing Chart. Be sure to follow your Pacing Chart to ensure you meet course deadlines.

For better viewing, we recommend that you click the Fullscreen option in the lower right corner of each video.