Student FAQ

We do NOT recommend the use of Safari or Internet Explorer. They may work but you may experience compatibility issues with some web sites. If a site isn't behaving as it should try a different browser first.

Firefox and Chrome are safer alternatives.

You may also want to consider using a privacy focused browser such as Brave or Tor

Some basic actions can help prevent random problems down the road.

1. restart your computer often. If you haven't rebooted in a while and something isn't working properly restarting should be the first step in troubleshooting.
2. Don't ignore updates, install them as they become available including: OS updates, MS Office updates, malware/spyware protection updates etc. Many applications will auto update but it is a good idea to check manually every now and then. Especially for Office and your Operating System (Windows or MacOS)

If you are asked to use a specific program for a class and need help or have questions you can  talk to someone at the Information Service Desk or the Student Technology Assistants. Some programs are only available in a lab, or on a virtual lab image, but some you can install yourself. Some companies offer student pricing so you can buy yourself a version you can install on your own computer at a discounted rate if using the labs or virtual versions aren't meeting your needs. Some software or applications you may need to use include:

• Zotero - this is a great citation management app everyone should know about
• Kaltura - for video streaming and recording
• Storymap, timelines
• Specialized lab software such as MatLab, STATA, SPSS, EViews, ArcGIS
• Adobe applications: Photoshop, Premier etc

There are a few tips you should know to get the most out of Zoom.

1. When someone shares their screen Zoom defaults to full screen view. This can be great but it can also make getting to other windows more difficult - consider exiting full screen mode when this happens or set your Zoom client to not do this.
2. Alt-Tab (Win) or Command-Tab (Mac) is one of the few keyboard shortcuts everyone should know. One frustrating aspect of using Zoom is you may need to jump between windows quickly and easily. During a class session you may need to look at Moodle, then jump into a shared Google or OneDrive document then to the Zoom chat.
3. Muting and un muting: It's a good idea to keep yourself muted in Zoom when you are not talking. You can just press the spacebar when you want to talk so you don't forget to mute yourself when you are done.
4. Be careful when you share your screen. Do you want to share just a window or your whole screen/ Sharing a window will prevent people from seeing your desktop, email, messages etc but may also make it trickier for you if you have to share more than one window or document in a session.
5. Consider using Breakout rooms for group work, clubs, or other meetings where it would be useful to have smaller group conversations.
6. Try to keep your camera stable. If at all possible try to keep your camera stable if it is on. Don't prop your laptop on your lap if you can avoid it - a shaky camera can be very distracting.
7. Everyone at Trinity has a Pro level Zoom license - feel free to make use of it. You can have up to 300 people in a meeting, record meetings, use Polls and more. Feel free to use these features for study sessions, clubs, sports and anything else you can think of.

It is more difficult to have a conversation in Zoom than in person. It's a good idea to establish norms on talking in class or in group meetings. Should people raise their hands or just unmute and jump in when they can? How will you use the chat? IS the chat an extension of the audio or is it distracting like someone having a side conversation in an in person class?

Consider equity issues when using Zoom. It is not as easy to see the screen and use the chat if someone is on the phone compared to a computer.

Don't panic! It happens, your internet goes down just as you are finishing a timed quiz or submitting an assignment or trying to access a program on a virtual lab image. Honestly is the best policy, contact your instructor and tell them what happened. They can give you extra time or another attempt on a Moodle quiz or assignment. But whatever you do be honest. Remember, pretty much everything is logged, if you say you did something there will be a log of it so don't say you did something if you didn't.

Sometimes peopel run late so be patient. Sometimes someone will get links confused, maybe someone starte dteh wrnog meeting by mistake. Wait around for a while, maybe check to see if you have an email or post in Moodle about it.

If the Zoom meeting ends abruptly or the instructor disappears in the middle of class maybe their internet went down or they somehow accidentally closed the meeting. Again be patient, maybe they will be back in a few minutes, check your email to see if there is another link or more information. Don't just assume class is cancelled!

Think Google drive and Google Docs except its Microsoft.

Office 365 is the latest version of MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) that can be installed on a computer, mobile device or accessed in a web browser just like Google Docs. Use Office 365 apps to share and collaborate on documents and presentations. Files can be saved on MS OneDrive

OneDrive is basically just like Google Drive - it is online storage where you can store just about anything. Every student gets a full 1 terabyte! That's a lot of space so use it! How you ask? First it is a great place to store all your files. You can easily sync it with your computer so your files are always accessible and always backed up. But there is so much space you can store your personal files there as well, including movies, music, photos, and anything else you have. It is a great way to keep everything in one place and always backed up. Did we mention it is a great way to make sure your files are backed up?

There are a few variations that are used when logging into various services. Some use just your username while others used what is called your scoped username. That is in the format "username@trincoll.edu" How do you know which one to use? More and more services are using the scoped username so try that one first. Anytime you see the Microsoft login page (used for many things not just Microsoft applications) you will use the scoped version.

Some of the few services that still use just your username include anything where you login via TAS (Trinity Authentication System) such as the portal at http://my.trincoll.edu and http://tconline.trincoll.edu.

When in doubt use "username@trincoll.edu" and if that doesn't work try just your username.