Getting Started
Getting to Sakai
From a web browser there are three ways to get to Sakai…
Login the MyUB Portal at
http://myub.ubalt.edu. In
the Tools section, click the
Sakai link.
Login using your MyUB
netID and password.
Finding Help
Technical
Requirements
On the webpage
http://www.ubalt.edu, select
Sakai in the Quick Links
section.
Login using your MyUB netID
and password.
You could also go to
https://ubonline.ubalt.edu
Click UB Login in the
upper right.
Login using your MyUB
netID and password.
When you’re logged in Sakai, you can click the Help link in the left menu. You can also get
support by e-mail, chat (at http://www.ubonline.edu/help/resources.html), or phone at
1.855.501.0856 (toll-free).
To enroll (and succeed) in UBOnline courses, students must possess basic computer skills:
finding, opening, saving, printing, and managing files. Additionally, students must know how to
navigate, perform simple searches, and save (or download) online files using a current web
browser.
UBOnline students need a computer that meets (or exceeds) the following specifications:
Hardware
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Microsoft PC or Mac computer (a model no more than a few years old)
Cable or DSL modem with high speed internet connection
Sound card and speakers
Software
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Microsoft Windows Vista or higher for PC or Mac OS X v10.5 or higher.
Note: you can still use Microsoft XP SP2 with Sakai; however Microsoft ended
mainstream support for the product on 04/12/2009. Similarly, Apple is only updating
Mac OS v10.5 and higher. You can use Mac OS X v10.4, but you may experience
problems that cannot be fixed by Sakai technical support.
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Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Internet Explorer browsers (7.0 or higher) for
Windows only. If you are using a Mac, we recommend using Mozilla Firefox.
Other web browsers such as Safari, Opera, and Konqueror may work but are known to
have some incompatibilities. Older web browsers such as Netscape 4.8 or Internet
Explorer 6 or earlier (for Windows or Mac) will not work. Sakai is incompatible with
Internet Explorer for the Mac.
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Getting Started
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Microsoft Office XP suite (or higher)
Please note: Microsoft discontinued extended support of Office XP on 07/12/2011.
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Up-to-date anti-virus software (e.g., Norton, McAfee, etc.)
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UB email account
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Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash Player
Other ISP & Browser Considerations
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Important note for AOL users! Do not use AOL’s browser. It will not work with Sakai.
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Satellite ISPs are not recommended! Students who are using satellite ISPs might
encounter technology problems and intermittent issues with Sakai that are beyond the
developer’s control.
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Do not use multiple browser windows! Do not open more than one Sakai browser
window while logged into the system. It is easy to log out of one and accidentally get
logged out of the others as well, losing your work (e.g., assignments, tests, etc.).
Note: Do not rely on UB computer labs as your primary computer source for online classes.
They may not be available when you need to work on or submit an assignment. You should have
access to your own computer.
Navigating
The sites to which you belong are displayed as tabs across the top of the screen. In addition to
the My Workspace tab, you will have up to five course site tabs by default.
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To enter a specific site, click the site tab.
To return to the home page, click My Workspace.
To access additional sites, click My Active Sites (Figure 1).
Note: Each worksite may have different navigation options on the left side. The options will vary
based on your role in that worksite and the modules used by the instructor.
Figure 1
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Getting Started
Customizing
Your Tabs
To change the order the tabs are displayed:
1. Click the My Workspace tab.
2. In the left menu, click Preferences.
The window will default to Customize Tabs.
3. In the My Active Sites box, use the up and down arrows to set the order of your tabs.
4. When finished, click the Update Preferences button below the My Active Sites box.
Reviewing
My Workspace
When you login, several boxes on My Workspace help you to stay on top of assignments and
other class events.
Calendar
Dates in red indicate a deadline. It may be a deadline for a test or an assignment entered by
your instructor. When you click the date, the deadline(s) will display below the calendar and you
can click on the link to go to that assignment.
Dates in blue indicate another event, such as a group chat session.
Recent Announcements and Message Center Notifications
Your course site communications are available from these two boxes. The most recent
announcements posted by your instructor are shown in Recent Announcements.
Message Center Notifications display new messages and new forum postings by course site.
Assignments:
Viewing and
Submitting
1. When in your course site, click Assignments in the left menu.
2. Click the name of the assignment to open it, and follow the instructions from your
instructor. Your instructor may ask you to type within the text box, add an attachment, or
both.
3. If you'd like to see how your assignment will look to your instructor, click Preview.
4. When finished, click Submit at the bottom of the screen. Submit your assignment only if you
are certain you are finished.
Note: You can save your assignment to complete later by clicking Save Draft at the
bottom of the screen. It will be listed in the assignment list with a status of In progress.
Using the
Text Editor
Some assignments may require you to use the text editor. If you prefer to type your response in
another application, like Microsoft Word, you can use the text editor toolbar to paste your
assignment into the text box.
The text editor toolbars offer many formatting options including bold, italics, bulleting, font size,
and more. You can also use the toolbar in the text editor to insert images, tables, and Web
addresses.
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Getting Started
Adding Files to
My Workspace
You can add files to My Workspace without associating them to a course site or a specific
assignment. This may be useful if you need to reuse some files, like a résumé, for multiple
classes.
There are options for organizing and adding files to the My Workspace files directory, including
Citation Lists and Web addresses. These options are useful for maintaining a central location of
sources regardless of which computer you are using.
To add a file to My Workspace:
1. Click the My Workspace tab.
2. In the left menu, click Files Directory.
3. In the main window, hover over the Add menu to view your options and click the option
you want.
4. To add a file, click Upload Files.
5. Click the Browse button.
6. Navigate to the file on your computer, then click Open.
7. Confirm the name you want to give this file in the Display Name box.
Changing the default is optional.
8. If you want to add a description, click the Add details for this item link.
This is optional.
9. When finished, click Upload Files Now.
That file is now available for you to add as an attachment to assignments. To use that file as an
attachment:
1. In the Attachments section of an assignment, click the or select files from workspace or
site link. (Figure 2)
Figure 2
2. Under the Select a Resource heading, locate your file and then click Attach a copy.
3. Click the Continue button and continue your assignment.
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