The semester is about to begin. Learn more about VU Collaborate!

We are one week away before your study commences. Use this time to learn more about VU Collaborate by reading up on some common questions that may arise about different topics relating to VU Collaborate. 

I can’t see a Space for a unit I’m enrolled in this semester.

If you can’t find a space for a unit you’re enrolled in this semester please check your enrolment and ensure that you’re enrolled under the correct unit code, semester and campus. If you notice an error, please consult Student Services on (03) 9919 6100 or visit your local student service centre. If your enrolment looks correct and you still can’t see your Space, please contact your lecturer or unit coordinator. Note: if you’ve recently made a change to your enrolment it can take up to 12 hours for it to be reflected in VU Collaborate. 

Why can I see more things in some Spaces and less in other Spaces? 

Each lecturer and unit coordinator operates the Space differently. Sometimes you will notice big differences, and other times very little. Speak with the teacher or read your unit guide for information on how VU Collaborate will be used in your units. 

What are the basic things I need to know before classes start? 

View our Getting Started guide for students that contains instructions on the key elements you’ll need to know how to do before classes start. This comprehensive guide includes viewing content, submitting assessments and contacting your lecturers. 

How do I view documents in a Space? 

There’s no need to download word documents, PDF’s and PowerPoints to your computer, simply click on the content file topics in your VU Collaborate space and let the document viewer handle the rest. View this how-to guide if you want to download content to save to your computer. 

How can I communicate with my peers and teachers? 

You can access Discussions or Email to communicate with your peers and teachers. Alternatively, use instant messaging to speak with other students and teachers in real time.  

How can I watch online lecture recordings? 

You can access your online lecture recordings on Echo360 ALP located in your unit 2 hours after a lecture has begun.  

For more information on VU Collaborate, please visit the VU Collaborate Student Help site. If you encounter any issues, please contact the ITS Service Desk by phone on (03) 9919 2777, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or self-service. 

Please note the teachers may have elected not to utilise some of these tools.

The Grades tool in VU Collaborate enables you to check your grades for submitted assessments and quizzes. You can see your individual grades and feedback, and sometimes the class averages. You can also access your final grade and the grade formula used once your grades are released.  

How do I access my Grades? 

In the relevant unit space on VU Collaborate, click on ‘Assessments’ from the navbar and select ‘Grades’. 

About Grades 

When your grades are published, they appear on your Grades page in VU Collaborate. If the assessment was submitted to a dropbox folder, go to the dropbox for your results and feedback; if it was a quiz, go to Quizzes. For more information on grades, view this guide about grades.  

Accessing your Grades through User Progress 

You may also access your grades through the User Progress tool found under the ‘Toolbox’ tab in the navbar. This allows you to track your progress in the course through your grades, objective, content, discussions, assessment dropbox submissions, quizzes, checklist, surveys and login history. You will only be able to access your grades in User Progress once the teacher has published them. 

For more information on accessing your grades in VU Collaborate, please visit the VU Collaborate Student Help site. If you encounter any issues, please contact the ITS Service Desk by phone on (03) 9919 2777, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or self-service.

Submitting assessments is a key part of any course. Turnitin Feedback Studio allows you to check your submissions for improper citation or potential plagiarism against scholarly databases and other sources worldwide. The teacher can enable Turnitin Feedback Studio within the Assessment Dropbox tool, giving you the ability to analyse and revise your work. 

How do I view my feedback? 

A powerful feature of Turnitin Feedback Studio is to view feedback on your assignment, eliminating the need to download it to your computer or read a hardcopy. If you are unsure whether the teacher is providing feedback through Turnitin Feedback Studio, check with the teacher.  

How do I view Originality Reports? 

Please view this guide to access the student guide on viewing Originality Reports. Please note it is at the discretion of the teacher whether or not they make these reports available to students. If you have any concerns about this, please speak to the teacher. 

How do I view feedback given through Turnitin Feedback Studio? 

After clicking on your Originality report, click on the ‘blue Feedback Studio button’ in the top right-hand corner of the page. Please click here for an overview of Turnitin Feedback Studio and interpreting the feedback received.  

I can’t see any feedback when I open my Turnitin Originality report 

Please verify with the teacher that feedback has been left for your submission in Turnitin and that it has been released if you cannot see any feedback. Note that the teacher may not have used Turnitin when marking and instead may have provided feedback through VU Collaborate only.  

For more information on feedback on using Turnitin Feedback Studio through VU Collaborate, please visit the VU Collaborate Student Help site. If you encounter any issues, please contact the ITS Service Desk by phone on (03) 9919 2777, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or self-service. 

Please note that the teachers may not have chosen to utilise this tool.

Tracking your progress throughout the semester is important. In VU Collaborate, you are able to keep track of all of your course-specific assessments and feedback using the User Progress tool. User Progress helps you track your progress in a unit by measuring your completion of different progress indicators.  There are nine different progress indicators you can view including grades, objectives, content, Dropbox folders, quizzes and login history.  

How do I access User Progress? 

You are able to view your progress summary by clicking on ‘Toolbox’ and then ‘User Progress’. 

What does User Progress show? 

For information on User Progress indicators, please view this guide on the VU Collaborate Student Help site. 

How do I record my progress? 

You can record your progress in My ePortfolio, a tool for storing, organising, reflecting on and sharing items to represent your learning. Learn more about this tool by viewing these guides. 

Create reflections in ePortfolio 

You can use Reflections in ePortfolio to record your thoughts, interests, goals or even a critical analysis of your learning. Learn more about creating reflections on ePortfolio by viewing this guide. 

For more information on tracking your progress in VU Collaborate, please visit the VU Collaborate Student Help site. If you encounter any issues, please contact the ITS Service Desk by phone on (03) 9919 2777, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or self-service. 

Please note that teachers may not have chosen to utilise this tool.

Viewing teacher feedback in VU Collaborate

Submitting assessments and receiving your grades and any feedback is integral to all courses. Depending on how the teacher has decided to utilise the tools available within VU Collaborate, you may be able to view your grades and feedback in two different ways, either through the Grades tool or via the Assessment Dropbox tool. View the common questions on accessing your feedback for assessment tasks below. 

How do I view my grades? 

When your grades are published by the teacher, they will appear on your personal Grades page; when inside the Space for your unit, select ‘Results’ and then ‘Grades’. Depending on how your grades are set up, you might also be able to view comments and overall class performance statistics. For more information, view this guide. You will only be able to view your grades and feedback once the teacher has published them. 

How do I view feedback given in VU Collaborate? 

If the teacher has left comments on your work in VU Collaborate, click on Assessments from the top menu within the Space for your unit and select Assessment Dropbox. If feedback has been left for you, under the feedback column, you will have the ability to click on ‘View’. For further information on viewing feedback in your Assessment dropbox view this guide. Please note that if you do not see this, please speak with the teacher for further support as they may not have released it. 

How do I view my Turnitin Originality Reports? 

Please view this guide on viewing Originality Reports. Please note it is at the discretion of the teacher whether or not they make these reports available to students. If you have any concerns about this, please speak to the teacher. 

How do I view feedback given through Feedback Studio (Turnitin)? 

If the teachers are using Turnitin Feedback Studio, they may have left you personal feedback on Feedback Studio. Please view this guide for an overview of viewing feedback received via Turnitin.  

Next week’s post will have more information on Turnitin Feedback Studio. 

For more information on originality reports and GradeMark for assessment feedback in VU Collaborate, please visit the VU Collaborate Student Help site. If you encounter any issues, please contact the ITS Service Desk by phone on (03) 9919 2777, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or self-service. 

Please note that the teachers may not have chosen to utilise these tools.