Student Quick Start Guide: GeorgiaView D2L (Desire2Learn)
GeorgiaView D2L is the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Online course
content management system (sometimes called a CMS). Many of your Online and Face to
Face courses will have components residing in Georgia View D2L. You will need both a
userid (aka a username) and a password (see below) to log in.
Your Georgia View D2L account information is the same as your MyEGSC account. You can
get this information with the following directions:
1. Retrieve MyEGSC userid (Use this link by copying and pasting it into your browser—
Internet Explorer is recommended):
(https://bweb.ega.edu:7443/pls/BANWEB/wwbkreid.P_GetId)
2. Using Your Initial Password:
Your initial password for your MyEGSC username/userid is the last four digits of your
social security number followed by the two digit year you were born.
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Example: SSN # = 1234-56-7890
Year born = 03/08/1993
Your myEGSC password = 789093
**Please consider changing your MyEGSC password to something you will remember after
you first login to your MyEGSC account. The password number should be six digits long. It
should not be your birthday or anniversary—it should be a series of numbers only you will
know.
So, if Mickey Mouse were logging in with the above password example, his
userid/username might be mmouse2 and then his password would be 789093. Mickey
would need to change that password after logging in for the first time.
3. Logging in at the My EGSC Portal:
Go to the college main webpage, http://www.ega.edu
On the right side of the page, just below the changing photograph, find the symbol that
says: MyEGSC. Click on that symbol. This takes you to a login page where you enter your
username/userid (i.e. mmouse2) and your password (789093).
You will then be taken to a new page. You will see some icons/pictures on the left side of
the page. Click the icon that says Georgia View D2L.
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4. Your main Homepage for Desire2Learn appears. It looks something like this:
Notice you have a navigation bar at the top of the page—you can always get back to this
Homepage by clicking on the My Home icon on the upper left. Check email by clicking the
envelope on the far right, or if you have no email but would like to send email, click on the
Email icon beside My Home. You will also see the Calendar icon and the Logout icon, among
others.
To get into one of your courses, click on the appropriate course link under My Courses on
the right. If you don’t see your course, try searching for it.
IMPORTANT: If you have just added a class within the last 24 hours, it may take 24-48
hours for the course to show up. BE PATIENT. If you are a new student, it takes that long
for your account to be created and for Banner Web (where you registered) to ‘upload’ your
name into D2L. If you have concerns AFTER 24 hours, contact your professor by Paws
email (aka Catmail or ega.edu email) and let him/her know of your concern.
5. Once you click on your course, be aware that every professor’s course may look a bit
different. However, common features may include the name of the course at the top of the
page, Discussions, Quizzes, Grades, Content, and/or Dropbox. Again, you can use the Email
icon from the top navigation bar to contact your professor. You may have Content to view
to do your work. Your professor may also have News items posted and/or upcoming
Events on the page. Spend some time looking around and get familiar with what your
professor has planned. Read the syllabus carefully so that you don’t miss any details or
instructions from your professor.
The following is just one SAMPLE of what a course page might look like—again, every
professor may do things somewhat differently.
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GA View D2L FAQ and Links to Useful Information:
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Online help: http://d2lhelp.view.usg.edu/
Toll free phone support: 1-855-772-0423
Browser checker to test your PC and see if it’s ready for D2L:
https://usg.desire2learn.com/d2l/tools/system_check/systemcheck.asp?o
u=6606
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Java Software - Recommend Version: 1.6.0.20: http://www.java.com
Common issues that cause problems when using GAView D2L:
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Check your computer's date, time and time zone settings to make sure they are
accurate / correct. If your computer's clock is more than 5 minutes off from the
Georgia View Vista server, you will have timeout issues and problems submitting
work.
Java - It is recommended that you uninstall all version of Java except 1.6.0.20 when
possible. Having multiple version of Java installed can cause problems when using
GA View D2L.
Turn off all toolbars/plugins in your browser that you do not need. 90% of all
Georgia View D2L issues are issues due to toolbars installed in your browser.
Add https://ega.view.usg.edu into your browsers "Trusted Sites" (IE Only).
You may need to turn off your popup blocker while using GAView D2L.
IF Firefox or Google Chrome do not work, try using Internet Explorer for D2L.
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Wise Practices for D2L and Your Courses
1. If you are taking a fully online course, log in at least 3-4 times a week (more is better).
Check your email for every course each time you log in. (Remember to check both your
D2L emails AND your ega.edu or Paws/Catmail account emails regularly). Respond as
required by your professor.
2. Either print out the professor’s calendar (if he/she uses one in D2L) or make one of your
own using your syllabus to keep track of due dates and assignments. Your syllabus is the
ultimate guide to the course, so you should study it thoroughly.
3. Be an active participant in class by taking advantage of materials your professor may
provide, like study guides, practice quizzes, discussion boards to ask questions, any extra
credit opportunities, and meeting your online classmates.
4. IF you don’t understand something, ask! Ask the professor and other students; many of
them are experienced online learners.
5. Do not ever wait until the last minute to submit an assignment. ALWAYS build in extra
time—you cannot always predict when power will go out or something might delay you.
6. While cell phones can be handy for a quick check in, you will ABSOLUTELY need
unlimited access to a computer to engage fully in the online course and complete the
necessary assignments. This is especially true for written assignments, where text
messaging ‘language’ is not appropriate. Writing is one of the main ways you’ll
communicate in an online course. Please understand that unless you can regularly access a
computer, a fully online course will not work for you.
7. Practice staying well organized, self-motivated, and working ahead—it’s extremely
difficult to catch up even if you miss one online assignment.
8. Remember that you might have a ‘steep learning curve’ at first, but once you get in a
work routine, you may find that online classes are a great option for you. If not, don’t
worry—there are always face to face classes you can take if online classes aren’t a good fit
for you and your learning style.
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