Student Portal A guide for students Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 1
Table of Contents What is the Portal?...3 What will I need to access the portal?...3 Safety and responsibility when going online...4 Logging into the Portal...5 Navigating the Portal...7 Password Management...8 Changing your Password...8 Setting a User Validation Question...10 Webmail...14 Help and further Information...16 Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 2
What is the Portal? The Department of Education and Training portal is a gateway to some tools and services you will need for your learning programs and for communicating with your teachers and other students. Your portal will have some or all of these services, depending on the school you are attending and the projects you are doing: Webmail OTLS (Online Teaching and Learning System) Collaborative Projects What will I need to access the portal? 1. Username and password You will need to log in to the portal using a special username and a password that is just for you. Each time you log in to the portal, the system checks to make sure that you have used the right username and password. Your school will give you your username and password the first time you log in. Check with your teacher if you haven t been given these- or if you have forgotten them. 2. Access to a computer and the internet To get into the portal you will need a computer and a connection to the internet. This means you can get to the portal from school or from places outside of school. If you are going to be using the OTLS outside of the school, you will need to check that you have installed these programs before you begin. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 3
Safety and responsibility when going online Safety 1. Keep your personal information private and secure Make sure you keep your login and personal details safe. This means logging out of the portal properly when you have finished and not letting other people use your login information. 2. Always be alert when online If a person sends you something that disturbs you- tell your teacher or your parent/ guardian straight away. If someone is trying to get personal information from you such as a phone number, address or names of people, leave the site and let your teacher or parent/ guardian know. 3. Make smart decisions online There are loads of interesting things on the internet, but not everything you find is fun or provides real information. Some downloads have unsafe information or viruses attached and some links can go to strange places. Check that the information is reliable and if you are unsure, check with your teacher or parent/ guardian. Responsibility 1. Understanding Acceptable Use Do you understand your school s rules and regulations about online use? Your school will have an Acceptable Use Agreement that you will need to sign and return before getting access to the computers and internet at school. (This means you may also need a parent or guardian to sign as well.) Make sure you read and understand what s in this agreement. If you are unsure ask you teacher. 2. Using technology for learning The technology you have been given access to at school is there for educational purposes. Understand what you are meant to be using it for, what internet sites you can visit and what you are able to download. 3. Using webmail and other services for communicating and learning Your online profile can be viewed by staff at your school for the safety and security of all students. Are you comfortable with what they will see if they check your account? If you want to send emails to your friends for social reasons, consider setting up a personal email account for use outside of school. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 4
Logging into the Portal Type the portal address into your web browser http://portal.det.wa.edu.au The Portal Services Login page will open. Click the Log in button. The Sign In window will open. Enter your User Name. (Check with your teacher if you are unsure) Enter your password. Click the checkbox: Click Login. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 5
A Security Alert window will pop up. Click Yes. The Portal will open. Note: Your portal may look slightly different to this one. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 6
Navigating the Portal Information on system maintenance The personalise link will allow you to choose a category of pictures for your portal Click here to hide or show portlets Click to access the OTLS Click here to change your password User guides Click here to view your webmail Your teacher may have registered you for a collaborative project Add links to your favourite websites Technical Help for the OTLS Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 7
Password Management Password management helps you look after your password. From time to time you will need to change your password. Password policy requires that passwords: must contain at least 6 characters; contain at least 1 digit; contain at least one upper case character; contain at least one lower case character; and cannot use any of your previous 20 passwords. Changing your Password To change your password: Click the Change Password link in the Password Management portlet in the left column of the portal. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 8
The Change Password window will open. Enter your user name. Enter your Current Password. Click Next. Enter a New Password. Confirm by entering the New Password again. Click Change Password. You will receive a message saying that your password has been successfully changed. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 9
Setting a User Validation Question You can set up a User Validation question and answer. This helps you identify yourself to the system and reset your password, should you forget it. To set a User Validation Question: Click the Change User Validation Question link in the Password Management portlet in the left column of the portal. The Change User Validation Question window opens. Enter your User name. Enter your current password. Click Next. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 10
Select a User Validation Question from the drop down menu. Enter your New User Validation Answer. Click the Change User Validation Question button. You will receive confirmation that your User Validation Question has been successfully changed. Click Close. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 11
Forgot My Password Once you have set up a user validation question and answer, you will be able to reset your own password without needing to contact your teacher. If you have forgotten your password: From the Sign In page, click the Forgot your Password? link. The Forgot Your Password window will open. Enter your username or email address and click Next. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 12
Enter your User Validation Answer. Click Next. Enter a New Password. Confirm by entering the New Password again. Click Change Password. You will receive a message saying that your password has been successfully changed. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 13
Webmail To access Webmail login to the portal and click the Mail link. This will open a new Email window. Click Go and use the drop down menu to change between your mailbox and contacts page. Click New to create a new mail message. All messages will be displayed in this frame. Double-click on a message to open it. These are your mail folders. Click on the links to view their contents in the main frame. This tells you how many messages are in this folder and how many are currently on display. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 14
Portal Logout It is very important to log out after using the portal. Click the Logout link at the top right of the portal. The Security information window pops up. Click Yes. The Single Sign-Off window is displayed. To return to the portal login page, click Return. Click Close to close your browser. (Top right of your screen.) Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 15
Help and further Information If you are having trouble with: Username or Password (not sure what your login details are, forgotten them or locked out) OTLS Contact your teacher who will be able to get some help for you. If you can t see all of the features of the student portal: You may not have the entire portal features switched on. Different tools are linked to different projects. Some schools have different portal tools and services. If you think you are missing a portal service that you should have- contact your teacher. Department of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2009 16