Table of Contents
- Note
- Introduction
- Message from the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
- What are Online Classes?
- Preparation for taking online classes
- Specific preparations required from new students
- Troubleshooting, not connecting
Note
- The following emergency system maintenance of ITC-LMS has been completed. Thank you for your cooperation.
- To prepare for the online classes in 2020, ITC-LMS emergency system maintenance will be held today from 9:00 to 11:00 (planned). During this time, the ITC-LMS service will be suspended. We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for your understanding.
Introduction
To prevent the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19, the University of Tokyo has decided to introduce online classes in the summer semester of 2020.
Students were forced to start a new semester unable to spend time at school and deprived of much of the fun of studying on campus and talking with friends.
The implementation of online classes is a battle of the university to make sure that even when deprived of the opportunity to come to campus, we are not deprived of our opportunity to study. This can be done only through the cooperation of all those involved.
Teachers, staff, students … everyone is working hard to protect the university where they study.
At this point, we have no idea what the world will be like in April, May, or June. What the teachers and staff think is, “What if we cancel classes without preparations or alternative teaching courses while the virus continues to spread? What will happen to the summer semester and what will happen to the university? “
The preparation by the university is not yet complete. This is the first attempt for teachers and staff, and we are proceeding with trial and error. We would like students to do what they can and participate in this initiative.
- A message from all the members editing this Portal
Message from the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
- A message from Prof. Kunihiro Ota, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to all the new students enrolling at the University of Tokyo in April and their parents.
- Request for all new students to make preparations in advance for the large-scale introduction of online classes at the College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the University of Tokyo Newspaper.
What are Online Classes?
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There are various forms of online classes, but the basic form is the one in which teachers and students interact in real time with voice and video connected via the Internet(synchronous type). Class participation is usually done using a software (app) called a TV conference system. You may connect with multiple friends through apps like LINE and have a conversation with multiple people. Think of it as a larger version of that (i.e., one class consisting dozens to hundreds of people). The details are mentioned below, and the whole portal is made to explain how this works.
- Other forms of online classes include:
- Recorded (on-demand) type : Watching the recorded video of the lecture and asking questions/ having discussions through other platforms (email, bulletin board, etc.)
- Document delivery type : Watching narrated lecture materials (slides, etc.) and asking questions/ having discussions through other platforms (email, bulletin board, etc.)
- Self-study centered type : Studying by yourself and solving exercises using textbooks and asking questions/ having discussions through other platforms (email, bulletin board, etc.).
- Additionally, even if online lessons are introduced, it is possible that for the first one or two classes, there will be some lessons where a limited number of students are allowed to be present physically onsite and receive minimal guidance. Some students may then be in the same room as the teacher, or in a separate computer room of the university. There are a variety of styles. Please check to see what style is being offered by the department to which you belong or the lectures you are planning to register for.
The rest of this page explains what students should do to attend online classes. Many of the explanations are the same for both current and new students. Information that should be noted especially for those who will be students of the University of Tokyo from this spring is described separately.
Preparation for taking online classes
We need you to do these two things before the new semester starts.
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First thing to do is to make sure that you can use the educational information (ICT) system without any problems. When taking classes offline, you may get important information from your friends in the classroom, from your club’s seniors, and from other people. However in this situation, you must check the information by yourself, and for that it is very important that your contact information (email address, etc) is correctly registered at the University so that we can deliver the important information to you.
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The second is to prepare equipment to connect to a video conference systemand confirm that you can operate it by yourself. “Equipment” does not mean anything special. If you often watch videos on your laptop or smartphone, you wouldn’t have any problems with using the video conference system. We recommend using a laptop to take online classes, but you can use your smartphone as well to take classes and to do preparations explained below.
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The following process can be done even before you obtain the PC you will be using for classes.
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Smartphones, tablets that you already have or your PC at home can be used.
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Please make sure you do not forget your passwords etc. Please note it down and keep it in a safe place.
ICT system for education of the University of Tokyo
The overall image is shown above. The description below has only the elements which need to be worked on. Please contactutelecon-inquiries@googlegroups.com if you have any problems or things do not go as described below. When doing so, please state: a) which step you were at, b) what you did, and c) what was the result (we will not be able to provide much help if all the information we are given is “I couldn’t do it” or “it doesn’t work”).
- UTokyo Account: This is the most essential system for an online learning system at U-Tokyo. The UTokyo account indicates that you are a member of the University of Tokyo and is the basis for all other services. If you are a current student, you must have used it before.
- For students who will be enrolling at UTokyo for the first time in April 2020, your account number (10-digit number listed as “Common ID”) and initial password was provided in the information registration website for successful candidates that became available on 19 March 2020.
- For people who are enrolling as graduate students or transferring in to UTokyo other than as freshmen in April 2020, how their accounts will be issued depends on which faculty or graduate school they will enter. Whatever the case, please proceed as below as soon as you can access your UTokyo Account.
- Task: Update your initial password video
- UTAS (UTokyo Academic affairs System): This system is to register classes and to check your grades. You will get information necessary to take online classes via this system. Your UTokyo Account needs to be set up correctly to use UTAS.
- Task: Log into UTAS and register an e-mail address that you are definitely able to receive in “E-MAIL 1” of “Enter current address, etc.” (demonstration video - under construction). Current students who have never done this should take this opportunity to do so. Timings when you become able to log into UTAS will depend on your affiliation. New first year students will already be able to use the system, as well as students who are already enrolled at UTokyo. Please contact us or wait for information from your graduate school if you are currently not at UTokyo and are planning to enroll as a graduate student.
- ITC-LMS (Information Technology Center – Learning Management System) Coursework will be issued or you will be able to submit coursework for the courses you have registered for using this system. Additionally, the ITC-LMS can be used to upload lecture materials or take attendances. It is similar to UTAS and may be confusing, but consider UTAS is for before (registering for courses) and after (checking grades) the lessons, while ITC-LMS is used during the lessons. Your UTokyo Account must be properly configured to be able to use ITC-LMS. Once your courses start, a lot of course-related announcements will be made through ITC-LMS.
- Task: Follow the instructions on the page for studentson ITC-LMS and set the destination for notifications. video
- ECCS Online New User Training Course: Learn how to use the computer room on campus through a 15-minute video. This can be left until later or if you decide to take it now, please follow the method for taking the New Online User Courseand pass it.
- Office 365 (Microsoft) と G Suite for Education (Google): These can be used for a variety of purposes, including writing your reports or preparing presentations. Your UTokyo Account must be properly configured to be able to use them as well as each system will need to be activated one by one when you start using them.
- Task: Agree to the “Office 365 ProPlus License” from the UTokyo User Menu and activate Office 365 (video). ] If possible see if you can create a spreadsheet in Excel. (video)
- Notes for new first year students: There was an instruction “Make sure you have completed 1-5 before the start of class. Also, for 6 (Note: Office 365) due to licensing reasons, please set up after 1 April.” in the “Procedures for Setting up the Information Services for Use” section of the documents sent to you in advance, but this can be ignored and the procedures can be started on immediately (recommended).
- Task: Activate G Suite for Education by setting the account name in the “ECCS Cloud Mail” in the UTokyo Account User Menu and the password in the ECCS Cloud Mail (Change Password)”. (video - under construction).
- Task: Please wait about an hour once you have completed the above step for the G Suite for Education to become accessible (you can log into Google). After the wait, please log in and see what applications you can use. Please see if you can create a Google Spreadsheet (similar to an Excel). (video)
Please be aware that even though that most people will already be using both Microsoft and Google, you will still need to be able to use it with your university account. It is anticipated that there will be more opportunities or need for university members to share important information amongst themselves through the online classes. It may not be possible to view these information if you are logged in to their everyday personal Google or Microsoft accounts.
Even though the procedures for activating both systems are given in the videos above, the procedures, as well as what each system can do, are described in more detail in the “UTokyo ICT Users Handbook” AY2019 editionavailable on the (UTokyo First-Year Seminars (FYS) page). Please make sure to at least read the instructions which is the minimum amount required. Please make sure to also read the AY2020 edition which will soon be available.
- Step 1.3 Activating your Microsoft Account
- Step 1.4 Setting up your ECCS ECCS Cloud Mail
Obs.:”ECCS Cloud Mail” is the other name for the “UTokyo G Suite for Education”.
Video conference systems
The following is the video conferencing system being discussed. Information concerning this will be uploaded on this page in the future. Please make sure to view this page regularly. For the moment please access the following
Once the above have been completed, please proceed to check if you are ready to take the online classes by following the section below.
Specific preparations required from new students
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Internet environment: In order to take classes from home, you must have an internet environment where you are able to view large amount of videos. If you are able to connect your smartphone to the Wi-Fi there will be no problem but please be careful if you only have a mobile connection (LTE etc.). Please make sure you have sufficient access limit or an unlimited access with your internet environment, since if you end up “lacking Giga”, you may not be able to view the videos or will have to purchase additional access in order to view the videos.
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Computers: Since it is possible to view videos on your smartphones, it is also possible for you to take the online classes with your smartphones. However, as you will be required to make reports as part of your university studies, it is preferable for you to have access to a personal computer (Windows, Mac, Linux etc.). Furthermore, there will be cases where you will be required to do certain tasks during your online classes. Therefore, please prepare a computer environment with a sufficiently large screen so you will be able open several windows in addition to the video feed.
Note: March is a season when the number of internet applications increase causing a need for extra time before access is granted. As several weeks are said to be normal, please apply as soon as possible.
Checking to see if you are ready to take online classes
- Click on the link to check whether or not you are able to see the Microsoft Excel sheet. 22 Mar Update: If a UTokyo “Sign In” window pops up requesting “email, phone number, Skype” , enter:
「UTokyo Account ID@utac.u-tokyo.ac.jp」
and continue. The UTokyo Account ID is a 10-digit number. We are not certain of the cause, but occasionally this window does not appear. When a new window opens requesting your UTokyo Account name and password, please type in the account name and password that you set yourself. If you can see the spreadsheet your UTokyo Account has been successfully set up. (video).
- Click on the link to check whether or not you are able to see the Google spreadsheet. Then,
- Pattern 1: If you are already logged in to Google with the university account you recently made (xxxx@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp) then you should be able to access it immediately.
- Pattern 2: If you are logged in to Google using a different account (your usual personal account – yyyy@gmail.com) a window will pop up stating “authorization required”.
- If using PC: Select “Switch Account” available to the right and log in using your university account. Please note not to click on the “Request for access privileges”. We have already received “request for access privileges” from several people. Please do not worry if you have, simply return to the above step and select “Switch Account” (video).
- (3/27 update) If using Android: Select Gmail Inbox → Icon in the top right → “Add another account” → Select Google, and log in using the university account you created (xxxx@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp) (video).
- Pattern 3: If you were not logged into Google and the message “User Authorization Failed” is displayed, you will see a screen prompting you to log into Google. Please log in using the university account you created (video).
- (3/27 update) If using Android: Select Gmail Inbox → Icon in the top right → “Add another account” → Select Google, and log in using the university account you created (xxxx@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp) (video).
- If you can see the spreadsheet, you have successfully activate your G Suite for Education (ECCS Cloud Mail). However, those who are in China will not be able to connect to this sheet. Please confirm with the Microsoft Excel only.
- Connect to Zoom: If possible, using either of the sheets from above (it does not matter which) connect to Zoom using the link on the right of the cell with “Zoom” under the title “Connect to TV Conferencing”. When you click on the link you may start through your browser on your PC or smartphone, or you may be requested to install an app. Please install the app if requested. If you are uncertain how to install the app, you can still view it from the browser or see the instructions on how to install from this site.
- Once you connect, there will be a slideshow with narration running on how to use the TV conferencing software.
- In particular, please make sure that you can hear the sounds.
- As this is a TV conference, there may be other people connected at the same time.
- The system has been preset so that your camera or microphone does not automatically come on when you connect, but make sure that there is nothing in the background that you do not want seen or heard when you connect.
- Once you are connected, please practice turning your camera and mike on and off. When you have the camera and mike on, whatever you have on in the background will be seen or heard. Please make sure you do not have anything you do not want seen near the camera.
- Once you have confirmed that you are receiving sound and mike are connected, you can disconnect whenever you wish. If you have the time please look at the slide and learn and try out how to use the system.
- The system will be shut-down one a day for inspection, maintenance etc. If you are not able to connect, please do not think it is your problem but try again after a little while. Please contact us using the email to the right if you are still unable to connect after several attempts and think there is something wrong.
- (Still under construction from this point) Please try the same with WebEx and Google Hangouts Meet. However, please note that those in China will not be able to connect to Google Hangouts Meet.
Troubleshooting, not connecting
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Please contact us by mail utelecon-inquiries@googlegroups.com ) if you think there is a problem with this page or if you cannot solve a problem no matter what you do. Please state whether you are a new student, current student (in which case please also state your year, major, department, etc.) as well as a) which step you have reached, b) what you did, and c) what was the result. (We will not be able to be of much help if we only receive “I couldn’t do it”.)
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We are also preparing means to offer support through “chats”. Please wait for a while.
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