Objectives
Introduce yourself to your classmates and instructor. Learn how to use Moodle's basic features. Complete the pre-course assignments.
Readings and Lecture Support
No readings are required for the "Introduction." Simply peruse the chapters to familiarize yourself with the topics we will cover in Business Analytics.
Lecture PowerPoints
For the "Course Introduction" video.
PowerPoints, 3 per page (PDF)
PowerPoints, 6 per page (PDF)
PowerPoints, 1 per page (PDF)
For the "Who is Rick Jerz?" video.
PowerPoints, 3 per page (PDF)
PowerPoints, 6 per page (PDF)
PowerPoints, 1 per page (PDF)
Here are the PowerPoints for the "Moodle Introduction" video.
PowerPoints, 3 per page (PDF)
PowerPoints, 6 per page (PDF)
PowerPoints, 1 per page (PDF)
Pre-Course Assignment
I have created this pre-course assignment with the intention of making sure that you are fully equipped to succeed in the course. To ensure that all the necessary resources are functional and work for you, I recommend that you complete the following tasks before the first week of class. You may consider printing this webpage and "checking off" the assignments that you have completed.
1) Review the syllabus. If you have any questions, post in the forum "Intro: Any Questions, Comments, or Observations."
2) Verify that you can log in to Moodle. Once you are logged in, click on the appropriate "Business Analytics" course link for this course. If this is your first time accessing Moodle, please follow the seven (7) steps to create an account. Once you receive an email from Moodle, click on the link provided and enter the "enrollment" key that I emailed to you in my "Welcome" email. If you encounter any problems during the process, please let me know. Here is a short video that will guide you through the process of setting up your Moodle account.
Accessing Moodle (MP4, 1 minute)
This video provides information about how to access Moodle.
3) View this Course Introduction video (MP4, 24 minutes)
This video provides an overview of what we will be doing this semester.
4) View the following support videos:
Who is Dr. Jerz (MP4, 12 minutes)
This video provides information about your instructor.
Videos, Videos, and More Videos (MP4, 7 minutes)
This video provides information about a variety of ways to play videos.
Moodle Overview (MP4, 29 minutes)
This video provides an overview of the Moodle LMS system.
5) In Moodle, click on the "Introduce Yourself" forum and provide your classmates with some interesting information about yourself. You can revisit this discussion to see if anyone has provided comments to you and others. Also, you will notice that I make comments on some posts. This introductory post is an excellent place to do it if you want to share pictures, such as your pet, travels, professional activity photos, or other items of interest. Have fun!
6) In Moodle, click on the "Upload Photo" assignment link. Upload a photo (or other file). This activity allows you to make sure you know how to upload files into Moodle.
7) In Moodle, click on the Student Information Survey, complete it, making sure to "submit" it. The information that you provide helps me get to know you.
8) If you have a smartphone or other multimedia player, you might want to see if you can download some videos and move them to your mobile device. Usually, I prefer playing videos from behind my computer.
9) Browse the textbook to get a sense of what we will be covering.
About a week before the course starts, I will let you know (via email) that the first week's materials are now available. You will be able to begin this first week's assignments before the course officially starts.
10) Let me know if you have any questions or encounter any problems.
