UCF Keep Learning

Establish Your Learning Space

Because UCF has moved to remote instruction, it’s important to make sure you determine how you will access your face-to-face courses in Webcourses@UCF. Do you have access to a computer, laptop, or mobile device? Can you connect to a secure, stable internet connection? Review the tips below for developing a solid learning space for your online courses. 

Best Practices

• Find a quiet, distraction-free area to access your online courses. 
• Take any assessments, exams, or quizzes from a desktop computer or laptop. Avoid using the Canvas Student app or a mobile browser for these types of assignments. 
• Use a secure internet connection when participating in live course streams through Webcourses@UCF Conferences, Zoom, or Panopto. 

Computer Specifications

• Verify you are using one of the supported browsers for Webcourses@UCF. If your browser is not on that list, update your browser accordingly for the best experience.
• If your instructor is using ProctorHub for quizzes, test your webcam prior to starting a quiz.
• Download any Microsoft Office 365 programs you need onto your computer. Microsoft Office 365 is free to download for all UCF students.
• Locate any additional software necessary for your courses through UCF Apps. 

Mobile Apps

During this period of remote learning, you may not have access to a desktop computer or laptop and will use a smartphone or tablet to complete coursework. Please consider the following suggestions if you have limited access:

• Download UCF Mobile, Canvas Student, Zoom or other student-specific apps from Mobile Apps @UCF on your mobile device. 
• Older devices might not support the Canvas Student app, but mobile web access to Webcourses@UCF is still available.
• Use UCF-supported cloud services such as Office 365 or User Files section of Webcourses@UCF to sync course material across devices.
• Contact your instructor and ask if there are alternative ways to submit long assignments such as scanned handwritten papers or video/audio submissions.

First Day Adoption for Spring 2021

Your course materials may be eligible for the First Day program through Barnes and Noble. If your instructor has made them available, you will need to click on the on the “course materials” button located on the left-hand side of your Webcourse page in the navigation menu to opt in. For more information about the program, including tutorial videos, please visit Digital Learning’s First Day page. 

This opt-in program allows students to immediately access their digital course materials through Webcourses at a discounted rate prior to the add/drop deadline and defer payment through their student account. For assistance with the First Day program within your course, please contact the Customer Care team.

Enable Webcourses@UCF Notifications

With all of your classes online in Webcourses@UCF, it’s important to make sure your notification settings are properly configured. You can receive notifications by email, text message, or Canvas Student app push notifications, or a combination of all three. Be sure to add any additional contact methods to guarantee your preferred contact method is linked to your Webcourses@UCF account.

Proctored Exams

UCF faculty have several remote proctoring solutions from which to choose to ensure academic integrity in electronically-delivered courses. In order to meet course assessment needs during the period of remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, UCF provides the following platforms:

• ProctorHub
• Respondus Lockdown Browser
• Honorlock
• Examity (College of Nursing)

Honorlock Privacy and Security

Be assured that all solutions that UCF implements, including Honorlock, must pass through a privacy and security evaluation by the UCF IT Information Security Office. Honorlock has signed UCF’s rigorous “Secure Handling of UCF Data” agreement. This agreement goes beyond the provider’s general terms of service.

Regarding some specific concerns that have been raised:

• Honorlock does not sell student information to third parties (section 4 of the Secure Handling of UCF Data Agreement).
• Honorlock does not scan home networks or monitor data from any device on the network other than network activities within the chrome browser that the plugin is installed within.
• Honorlock has no access to other devices in the network; it simply interacts with the student’s browser.
• Since the browser extension is contained within the Chrome browser itself, it only has access to the limited operations that are provided by the browser – nothing else. Students may deactivate the extension when the exam concludes.
  

For detailed information regarding Honorlock’s privacy and security, please refer to their Student Privacy Statement and their latest blog post: A Message to Students New to Online Education and Remote Proctoring.

Common Questions