assignment university of southampton

eAssignments Student FAQ’s

This just covers some of the easy FAQ’s you might have about eAssignments.

If you are unable to find you answers here check out the support guide found here: https://sotonac.sharepoint.com/teams/eAssignmentssupportguide

I can't log in

Is there a help guide, i can't see my assignment, i can't select the file i want to upload, are there file size limits, i have submitted to the wrong assignment.

• Help and FAQs
• eFolio for staff
• eFolio for students
• Interactive Examples

The University of Southampton

• Help for students
• Help for Staff
• eFolio Research – Help Pages

Assignments

Students have a ‘My Assignments’ link in their eFolio menu.

This page lists all assignments for that student in the central eAssignment system: https://www.assignments.soton.ac.uk/

The information shows the assignment name, due date, module and grade (if given).

As a tutor you also have access to this information by going to your tutees page, locating a student and clicking on their assignment tab.

This page does NOT allow students to submit assignments, nor does it contain any written feedback / feedback documents. To view this students (and staff) need to login to  https://www.assignments.soton.ac.uk/  for further information.

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University of Southampton

Myengagement – getting started guide for academics and administrative staff, more like this.

Staff resources

How to find the contacts of a University staff

As a member of staff, how do I install Matlab?

Room Service: granting access for a staff member

Guidance for students leaving the university or becoming staff

This article provides guidance for academics so that they can get started with the brand-new system " MyEngagement ". By following the instructions below, you will be able to create or cancel lectures, manage students’ attendance, and add / remove students from a session.

The MyEngagement site is available for academic and certain administrative staff only from the website https://southampton.seats.cloud/

Students can find useful information and links in the section " Information for students ".

Please note that the MyEngagement / SEAtS application includes confidential student information. Please avoid displaying this information in a public environment (for example: lecture theatre) by disabling screen sharing/mirroring until you have the QR code ready to display.

Table of Contents

How it works, know more about myengagement, notes for postgraduate research students (pgrs), downloading seats app, further information for students, lecturer’s video guide to navigating the seats dashboard, lecturer’s video guide to setting up qr codes and managing attendance, how to log in, search for a session, search for medicine sessions, create a new lecture or a teaching session, add a student to a session, remove a student from a session, cancel a lecture or a teaching session, how to change a teaching session from mandatory to non-mandatory or vice versa, view a student’s attendance, view a class’ attendance, registering an absence on behalf of a student, manually record or edit a student’s attendance, create a qr or numerical code for a lecture, what to do if you forget to create a qr code, important recommendation, create and download a report, exporting student attendance data for a teaching session, how to change the default home screen when you log into seats, filtering columns on lecture attendance or lectures page, what to do if you need further help, related content, overview of myengagement.

MyEngagement is an attendance monitoring app that provides students and staff information about student engagement with their programme.

My Engagement will be implemented from September 2023 and will monitor all timetabled teaching events (including online and on-campus events).

Once a student has arrived at their session, they can register their attendance on the app by submitting a numerical code or scanning a QR code. Teaching staff can also update attendance when students may have had issues doing so themselves.

The MyEngagement team have published full guidance about MyEngagement system, including a series of FAQs, in the SharePoint site " MyEngagement ".  

PGR students can act as either students or staff. As such, whether a PGR student uses the MyEngagement system depends on what role they are currently undertaking:

• When acting as students – There is no need for PGR students to use the MyEngagement system, and instead they should engage with PGR manager as usual.
• When acting as staff (for example when demonstrating or assisting with a lab) – PGR students should be able to log into the SEAtS website using their staff account in order to generate a 6-digit or QR code. If you are unable to log in using your staff account, please contact Serviceline and ask another member of staff (such as the module lead) to generate the code for students.

Information for students

Students only can download the SEAtS app from Google Play or Apple Store.

The system will be cloud-hosted and students will need to use the SEAtS app to access their account. Once the app has been installed, you will be able to access it through the MySouthampton app.

Students can download SEAtS Mobile app from:

Students can find more information from:

• southampton.seats.cloud
• MyEngagement - How to use SEAtS to monitor your attendance
• MyEngagement academic monitoring tool - frequently asked questions
• How to install and use the SEAtS mobile app

Back to the top

Getting started – User guide

Video tutorials.

To log in, please:

1.     Open the Southampton SEAtS web page

2.    Enter your university username (for example: ab1c23) and password

3.    You will be asked to confirm your identity through Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication

4.    You can now access SEAts interface.

Please note: shared computers in learning spaces will also have a direct shortcut to the SEAtS website on the desktop, simply double-click it to access the webpage.

Managing lectures or teaching sessions

To search for a session (for example a lecture, tutorial, seminar, etc) in SEAtS:

1. Look at the toolbar and select the " Lectures " tab

2. Set your Start end End date parameters, and enter in the Search field one of the following information:

• The module code
• The module name

3. Select " Enter "

4. You will see the results in a list. Select the required lecture for further details.

2. In the search bar enter:

• The programme name (for example BM5), or
• The programme code (for 5250, 5251, 5252)

Timetabled Lectures should automatically be uploaded to SEAtS and any new lecture should be created by the timetabling team.

Please only use this feature for small groups (for example 5 and below) and make sure to add any relevant students to the session using the instructions below.

How to add additional lectures:

1. Select the button " Lectures " from the toolbar

2. Select the " Add class " icon

3. Fill in the details using the drop-down boxes:

• Lesson type
• Class tutor (the lecturer)
• Class description

4. Press " Save ".

2. Select your chosen lecture

3. Select the "Student" icon

4. From the drop-down menu, select the option " Add student "

5. From the new window, search for the student you wish to add

6. Select the button " Save "

The system will automatically record your changes. 

3. Select the student you wish to remove. This can also be done by searching for them.

4. Select the "Student" icon

5. From the drop-down menu, select the option " Remove student from class "

6. Make sure the correct class is selected, then select the button " Save "

The system will automatically record your changes.

Where possible, lectures should be cancelled with our timetabling team, which will automatically feed into the SEAtS application. If however, you need to cancel a teaching session on short notice, please follow the instructions below and contact our timetabling team to let them know.

2. Select the lecture you want to cancel from the list

3. Select the " Edit class " icon. It will appear a drop-down menu with the following options:

• Merge class
• Cancel class

4. Select the option " Cancel class "

5. A new window will appear. Select the button " Confirm " to confirm your choice and submit the changes.

6. After cancelling your class, you will need to update your students about the cancellation. Please remember to:

• Publish an announcement on Blackboard, or
• Send an email to your students

2. Tick the box to select the required session

3. Select the icon " Edit Class "

4. Untick / tick the " Is Mandatory " box and select the button " Save "

Managing attendances

When you open MyEngagement app, you should automatically be on the home tab.

How to check their attendance:

1. Log in to SEAtS and navigate to the home tab

2. Look at the toolbar and check whether the " Focus " button is set on " Students "

3. Move to the " Search " field and search for the student’s name or student ID

4. Select the chosen student

5. Select the tab " Analytics ". From there you can see graphs and bar charts showing their attendance.

How to check the attendance of a class:

1. From the toolbar, use the drop-down boxes to fill your class:

2. You will see a table with the data filtered.

3. Now select the "Layouts" icon to change the layout from "Table" to "Dashboard". MyEngagement will show you a pie chart and a line graph.

Staff are able to register an absence on behalf of a student in SEAtS. To do this:

1. Select the Home page icon

2. Search for the student you need, and then click into their profile

3. Select the " Add Absence/Activity" icon within the students’ profile:

4. Select " Absence " from the Add drop down

5. Select " Agreed Absence " from the Type drop down

6. Complete remaining fields, and " Save "

7. The absence is then recorded on the students’ Student Profile page.

2. Select the lecture you are looking for

4. Select your chosen student

5. By using the icons above the student’s box, you can mark them as:

Managing 6-digit or QR codes for lectures

2. Select the upcoming lecture by clicking on the relevant row (e.g. on the time of the lecture)

3. Select the "Check in" icon (a small QR code)

4. The QR and numerical codes for the lecture will appear on your screen - it can copied and pasted to your slides. Under that QR code you can preview a six-digit code which should be displayed for students to enter

You can get a QR or numerical code up to 2 weeks before your teaching session.

Acceptable use :

• Obtaining the 6-digit code before the class and
• Sharing it with the students. Writing it on a whiteboard or circulating a piece of paper is proving to be a popular and acceptable way of providing the code to students.

You can check in students and smaller classes manually. If necessary, you can mark your lecture as "No code displayed".

Step-by-step instructions:

2. Select the lecture you forgot to create a QR code

3. Check the option " Select all "

4. Select the "Students" icon

5. From the drop-down menu, select the option " Other "

6. A new window will appear. Open the field " Other activity type " and select the option " No code displayed ". You can also add a comment if you need to.

7. Select the button " Save ".

Please note that the MyEngagement / SEAtS application includes confidential student information.

Please avoid displaying this information in a public environment (for example: lecture theatre) by disabling screen sharing/mirroring until you have the QR code ready to display .

Making reports

1. Look at the toolbar and select the " Reports " tab

2. Fill in and set the necessary information you want to collect

3. Select the button " Save "

4. Select the button " Create report ". Your report will appear on the screen.

5. Select the " Export " icon to start the process

6. Choose your type file (PDF or CSV)

7. Select the button " Save "

8. Go to the toolbar and select the " Notifications " icon (a bell). Your report will appear under the notifications list

9. From there, you can both:

• Select the "Export" icon (a cloud with an arrow pointing right), or
• Select CTRL+J to view it in your downloads

1. Navigate to the session in the SEAtS dashboard

2. Select the students that you wish to export (using the checkbox in the top left if exporting all data)

3. Select the "Cloud export " icon (shown in yellow in the screenshot below)

The data will be exported as a .csv file, which can be imported into Microsoft Excel.

Changing settings 

We would recommend changing your home screen setting in SEAtS to one that does not show any personal / confidential information. This means that if you load up the SEAtS website in public, there is no danger of displaying that information to others.

How to change your settings:

1. Select your profile icon

2. From the drop-down menu select " Settings "

3. From there, we suggest changing your setting as follow:

• Default landing page : " Lectures "
• High contrast : " Yes "

The changes will be immediately active. 

Please note that changing this settings sets a cookie in your browser. This means that the filter may need to be set up again if that cookie expires or is not available on the computer you are using.

Changing this filtering might be useful if you need to bring lecture attendance information up in a teaching session to ensure that only student names are shown .

3. Select the column headings icon

4. Ensure that only the following boxes are ticked :

• Status Indicator (optional)
• Student Name
• School 

5. Select " Save "

If you have a technical question that is not answered in the user guide above, please contact ServiceLine .

If you have any further project questions, please contact [email protected]

MyEngagement - Home

How to set up and manage Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Attached files:

• ME-filtering-2.png
• ME-filtering-2new.png

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Managing your time: Home

• Learning from lectures
• Managing your time
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• Evaluating Information
• Critical thinking
• Presentation skills
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• Digital skills home

Learning online requires good management of your time, this guide gives you some helpful tips to take control of your time.

Principles of managing your time

• organisation
• prioritisation
• focus  
• and  self-discipline to avoid procrastination .

These principles still apply if you are working away from campus. 

Check out our  Time management weekly planner !

This video from Oxford University offers some good general time management advice

Time Management Top Tips from the video [PDF]

Organisation

Time can be wasted and deadlines missed if you are not at least reasonably well organised. Here are two ways to improve your organisation

How to improve your organisation...

You cannot organise your time effectively without using a diary or a calendar. This can be paper or online but you must use it constantly and consistently . 

The first step to organisation is entering all your fixed tasks and commitments:

• Enter all your  deadlines  as soon as you have them - Deadlines often bunch up together  and recognising this can mean you can plan more effectively, perhaps by making earlier artificial deadlines to spread them out more manageably.
• Enter everything that is  unmoveable — for example live online lectures. This will help to give your time more structure. Include your tutorials, any part-time work, volunteering, regular child-care, family commitments... everything .

These are the  framework events that everything else needs to fit around. Once these are in you can be more realistic about the time that you have to complete all the other tasks. 

Weekly planner

You may then find it helpful to then use a weekly planner to map out your week and help you to allocate time to all the activities that you need to complete. You need to include all activities (the list below is a good starting point) as it will give you a realistic picture of how much time you actually have.

• cooking and eating
• travel time
• University time watching lecture webinars/recorded lectures, seminars, meetings etc
• Relaxing (watching TV or films, reading for pleasure, hobbies)
• Socialising (chatting to friends on the phone, keeping connected via social media)

 Here is a basic time management weekly planner  [PDF] that you can download.

Our assignment planner is a step-by-step guide to help you plan, organise and find the resources you need to complete your assignment. It will help you to breakdown the different assignment stages for an individual assignment across the time you have available.

Our dissertation planner is a step-by-step guide to help you write a dissertation from starting to think about your question through to final submission. At each stage you will find useful tips and support.

• Create a system for organising all your notes.
• Every time you read something, keep a note of the information you would need to reference it. 

Spending just a few minutes each week organising your stuff can save you hours in the long run. Consider doing it on a Sunday afternoon and think of it as rebooting to start each week with a fresh and organised system.

Prioritisation

Some things are more important than others. They don't necessarily need doing first - but they need time allocating to them first. Assessed work is the obvious example but quite honestly it depends on your circumstances. You may have caring responsibilities and need to juggle looking after family members alongside study. Or perhaps you have the opposite problem, you have very little to occupy yourself with other than your studies and are finding it difficult to focus. Whatever your goals, at any given moment you will have to give priority to one task or another.

Prioritising your university work...

If we just look at university work, your priorities will depend on: 

• Is the work assessed?
• What percentage of the module grade is the assessment worth? (Give more time to those with more weighting.)
• Will doing this task make my assessed work easier/better?
• Will doing this task make a tutorial or lecture more useful?
• How much time will it take?
• How urgent is it?

Sometimes just answering these questions can be enough to help decide what to put where in the free spaces in your calendar/diary - if you are still struggling, think of using a tool like a to-do list or a  matrix (see links to good examples of these in the related resources box on this page).

Focus is something that many people struggle with when working at home. There can be a number of distractions that you are not used to contending with when you are trying to focus on study. Once you have decided what you are working on and for how long, you need to ensure you can focus on the task at hand:

Keeping your focus...

Avoiding social media

For most students, focusing means removing distractions such as social media and text notifications. Try to limit social media use and consider using used apps to block social media sites on your devices specified periods of time - try searching online for "social media blocker" and look at some reviews to find the ones that are best for your devices.

If you don't want to use a specific blocker, then at least turn off notifications (or even your whole phone!) whilst you are working on task - it will make the work quicker and allow you to enjoy social media guilt-free later on.

Environment

The other way to help you focus is to choose or create an environment that is free of distractions.

Your own home can be full of interesting things that can easily catch your attention, so consider where in your home might provide the least distraction. You may be lucky enough to have a study, or you may be able to set up a space at your dining table.

Alternatively, if your room is the only option, then think about how you can organise your space into a  work zone  and a  relaxation zone . If you have to use the same computer or monitor, is there something you can do to signify  work time  and  relaxation time . Clearing the desk, putting something different on the desk, changing the lighting or music - anything that is different can trick your mind into focusing.

Time of day

Different people focus better at different times of the day. Some like to get up early and get straight on before other people are about to distract them; others like late-night working, with the room dark and a desk light illuminating their work and blocking out everything else. 

In reality, most people are actually  morning people - no really! Unless you wake up regularly (and naturally) at lunchtime, the likelihood is that you are not using your most productive time of the day effectively. For most of us, the most productive time is the first two hours after we are fully awake (we appreciate the waking up process takes longer for different people). So if you can, use those two hours for getting the most important thing for the day done - reading a difficult journal article, writing an essay, revising an important topic etc. Use hours later on in the day for catching up on social media, sorting your notes, housework, laundry etc. Don't waste the time when your brain is at its most receptive on tasks that don't require concentration.

Break a large task down in to smaller parts

You may find it helps your focus if you break down larger tasks in to smaller sections. 

Our assignment planner  is a step-by-step guide to help you plan, organise and find the resources that you need to complete your assignment. It will help you to breakdown the different assignment stages for an individual assignment across the time you have available.

​Self-discipline to avoid procrastination

In the end, good time management comes down to self-discipline . Without this you can become prone to procrastination . Let's face it, there is nearly always something you want to do more than your university work. If you are working on a particularly difficult or uninspiring piece of work then even jobs you hate suddenly look appealing.

Using self-discipline to beat procrastination ...

Self-discipline is all about  balance . You need to build some relaxation into your routine so that you do not feel like your life is all work and no play. This can be checking your social media at specific times a day; a daily work-out routine; spending time with family or a couple of hours watching TV or gaming at the end of the day. When this is planned, it is easier to convince yourself to spend other times on your university work. 

Be wary of procrastination  - busying yourself with jobs that need doing (like organising your files; tidying up; or even working on other more appealing or easier assignments) rather than getting on with the task you know you should be working on. This is when having a well organised diary can help - if you have already assigned later times for the other jobs then you have no excuse for doing them now!

For further help with beating procrastination see the links in the related resources section of this page

Acknowledgement (click to read more...)

Related resources:

Reducing procrastination

How to manage your time more effectively (according to machines)

How I Planned my PhD | 4 Year GANTT Chart

Make a good study plan - University of Groningen

Time management weekly planner  by University of Southampton [Word doc]

A  sample Gantt chart by University of Southampton [Excel]

How to create and use a Gantt chart  by Northumbria University

Managing your time by University of Southampton.

Time management   - a slide presentation produced by Enabling Services for students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) such as Dyslexia. A PDF version is also available to download. 

Assignment plann er by University of Southampton

Dissertation planner  by University of Southampton

Time management courses by Linkedin Learning

Study Together by Study Together

Prioritisation tools: To do lists by University of Hull

Prioritisation tools: Matrix by University of Hull

Beating procrastination by University of Hull

Time-saving tips by University of Hull

Create a revision timetable by Get Revising, The Student Room Group

Time Blocking by Laura Scroggs at Todoist

• Last Updated: Mar 13, 2024 3:14 PM
• URL: https://library.soton.ac.uk/sash/time-management

Special Considerations

What to do when things do not go to plan.

If you are unable to attend an exam, complete or meet an assessment deadline due to any illness or other exceptional circumstances outside of your control, completing a Special Considerations request form is your way to let us know.

Watch this video before you do so you can consider whether your circumstances are likely to be accepted:

When to make a request

You should usually make a Special Considerations request within five working days of the impacted assessment or exam. Your case will need to be considered by the Special Considerations Board. If you submit your request too late, the Board will not be able to consider your case.

Before you apply

Be familiar with the guidance before starting the process.

The guidance includes examples of circumstances that are likely and unlikely to be accepted, and what you can use as supporting information.

Special Considerations online request form

Have your supporting documents ready before completing the form and note it should be submitted as soon as you can – usually no longer than five working days after any assessment or deadline may have been affected by exceptional circumstances.

Deadline extension request for assessments

Your request should be submitted as soon as possible, before the submission deadline(s). Extensions cannot be accepted after the deadline has passed. You should only use the Special Considerations process in relation to late submissions where you were unable to submit an extension request on time.

Postgraduate research students

University of Southampton Educational Psychology research blog

‘Schools aren’t talking about it even though they should be’ – Using Personal Construct Psychology to explore what girls feel would make schools safe.

Assignment type: Small Scale Research Project Author: Lauren Craik, Sukhjagat Brar, Imogen Crockett, Hannah Kemp, Martha Mayfield, Cora Sargeant, Dawn Slattery and Sarah Wright. Submitted: September 2022 

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a widespread issue, and it has long been recognized that action is needed to address this. Recent reports (e.g., Ofsted, 2021) have highlighted the significance of VAWG and ensuring girls’ safety within schools. While current research has examined the extent of VAWG in schools, there has been limited exploration of girls’ perspectives on the measures that would enhance their sense of safety in school. This study explored female-identifying pupils’ perspectives of what a safe and unsafe school looks like and what can be done to make schools safe. Eight Year 10 female-identifying pupils from two UK secondary schools took part in a Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) interview based on Moran’s (2001) Ideal School. Four themes were created using reflexive thematic analysis: (1) ‘Schools aren’t talking about it (violence) even though they should be’, (2) They’re ‘watching me’, (3) Relationships are key and, (4) Schools have a responsibility to intervene. The study highlights the normalisation of violence against women and girls in schools and emphasises the importance of positive relationships with peers and staff, improved relationship education, and staff training in fostering a safer environment. This underscores the role everyone plays in addressing VAWG.

Download (PDF)

To cite this work, please use the following:

Craik, L ., Brar, S., Crockett, I., Kemp, H., Mayfield, M., Sargeant, C., Slattery, D. & Wright, S.  (2024, 16 April) . ‘Schools aren’t talking about it even though they should be’ – Using Personal Construct Psychology to explore what girls feel would make schools safe.. University of Southampton Educational Psychology research blog. https://blog.soton.ac.uk/edpsych/2024/04/16/schools-arent-talking-about-it-even-though-they-should-be-using-personal-construct-psychology-to-explore-what-girls-feel-would-make-schools-safe/

• Student guides
• Turnitin student guides

Submitting your assignment to Turnitin via Blackboard

IMPORTANT – If your document includes tables, charts, graphs, comments or images, it is highly recommended to convert it to PDF before submitting to Turnitin. In Microsoft Office, you can achieve this by selecting the ‘save as…’ option and choosing the .pdf format. If you used Google Docs or other free office-style suites such as Google Docs, Open Office, Libre Office, WPS, Apache Office or similar non-Microsoft formats, please ensure to convert your file to PDF. Submitting non-Microsoft files directly to Turnitin may result in the removal of images/graphs and comments from your submission.

Locate the link to the Turnitin assignment

•  Login to Blackboard and browse to the relevant course.  Once you are in your course, locate the content area where the submission link is (1), and click on it (for example, Assignments).
• Locate the assignment link (2), yours will have a more relevant title than the example above. Selecting it will take you to the assignment dashboard where you can submit. After you have submitted using the link again will show you the status of your submission.

The assignment dashboard

• The assignment dashboard contains some important information about your assignment. When you first open the dashboard the assignment information panel is collapsed, to reveal the additional information click the chevron found to the left of the assignment title to expand it (1).
• You can now access the Start Date, Due Date, Feedback Release Date, and Maximum Points details (2).
• In the Additional Settings list (3) you will see some criteria that have been set by your tutor.
• Any instructions that your tutor wants you to know will be found in the Instructions area (4) this is optional so there may be no instructions here.
• Finally, you will find the Upload Submissions button (5).

The Submit file window

Important: Once you have submitted you are able to download a copy of your Digital Receipt . It is recommended you do this as soon as your submission is complete.

• After selecting the Upload Submission button you will be presented with the Submit File window. There are three ways to submit your work.
• Upload Submission : This is by far the most commonly used method. Here you can drag and drop a file onto the window or you can use the Browse… button to locate and select the file from your computer.
• Text Input : This allows you to enter or paste the text of your submission into a box.
• Cloud Submission : This allows you to select a file from a cloud service such as OneDrive.

How to Upload a Submission

• Once the file is submitted you are taken back to the Assignment Dashboard where will see your successful submission with the timestamp of when it was received.

Important: Now you have submitted you are able to download a copy of your Digital Receipt . It is recommended you do this as soon as your submission is complete.

Digital Receipt

• When your submission is successful you are taken back to the Assignment Dashboard and a message is shown that says “Submission uploaded successfully Download digital receipt” you can select the link (2) to download your receipt
• If you come back to the dashboard in the future the message will not be shown instead you can use the icon (1) found to the far right of the submission item to download a copy of your digital receipt.

Was this article helpful?

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