Help » Faq

Welcome to SideVibe

Trouble getting started? Watch our quick video tutorial and get vibing

The Basics

What is a SideVibe? How does SideVibe help me as a teacher?
How do I create a SideVibe account for myself?
How do my students create SideVibe accounts?
Is SideVibe secure?
How many SideVibes can I create?
How much does SideVibe cost?

Create and Capture

What is the SideVibe Companion?
How do I create a SideVibe?
How do my students access my SideVibes?
Can I create different groups of students?

Gather and Respond

How do I view my student's responses?
Can I print out student responses?

What is SideVibe?

SideVibe is a breakthrough Web technology that allows anyone, for example a teacher, to create Web based online activities, pose questions or even host threaded discussions that can literally float over any Web page. All the user activity and interactions are collected at the SideVibe Website where teachers can use our Feedback tools to read, assess and respond back to a student or ad hoc gourp of students.

How does SideVibe help me as a teacher?

The Web is the richest source of content for educators and SideVibe enables teachers to create learning activities on the screen in direct proximity to Web content without the problems of paper handouts or 3rd party Web systems like BLOGs and Wikis. Student thinking in context is captured providing for more focussed attentive and productive responses. As well, teachers can easily gather, view, assess and respond to all student responses through their secure SideVibe Website, providing teachers with faster, more effective methods for online feedback.

How do I create a SideVibe account for myself?

It's easy! Just click through the Sign Up link at the upper right of this Website, follow the directions and you're in. Once registered you can launch the Wizard and immediately begin creating Vibes and setting up your Courses.

How do my students create SideVibe accounts?

Simple. Just send students to www.SideVibe.com and click on the Students button. There they fill out the registration form, include your Teacher Code and will be automatically linked to your Courses in seconds. You can also publish your SideVibe Topic Permalink on your Blog, Wiki or other online space so that your students can simply click the permalink and they are delivered directly to the Sign Up page. Once there they create a new account and go directly to that Topic home page.

Is SideVibe secure?

Yes. SideVibe uses Thawte SSL and is as secure as other commercial site on the Internet. Additionally you control who has or doesn't have access to your Vibes. You control the entry code so you control who is allowed into your Courses.

How many Vibes can I create?

There is no limit to how many Vibes you can create on your SideVibe account. Your account includes free upgrades, unlimited Courses, Topics and Vibes an internal message system, and unliimited Student accounts.

How much does SideVibe cost?

SideVibe is 100% free for teachers and provides for unlimited student acounts. Student accounts are also free. Also included with your Teacher account is an internal message system as well as free upgrades.

Here is a list of all the account features:

What is the Companion?

The Student Companion is a 'Web Gadget' that works within the browser and floats over Web pages. Inside the Student Companion is where Vibes are displyed and presented to your students.

The Teacher Companion includes the browser toolbar extension and is what teachers use will build and edit their Topics and Web activity Vibes. The SideVibe Companion hovers over top your current browser widow. Students follow the Vibe instructions and input responses in their Companion as they navigate to the related Web pages.

Here is a quick tour of the SideVibe Companion:

How do I create a SideVibe?

Just launch your Teacher Companion from either the browser tool bar or from your SideVibe Home page and follow the Wizard's automated 4 easy steps:

Browse the Web for great content

Create Vibes

Store the Vibes in a Topic

Save

Here is a quick tutorial on how to create a SideVibe.

How will my students get access my Vibes?

Students need only enter your Teacher Code either at intial sign up, or if they already have an account on their Home page. They will be instantly linked to your Vibes. SideVibe remembers them after that.

Can I create different Courses for different student groups?

You can create as many Courses and Topics as you like on the Course area of your SideVibe homepage.

How do I view my students' responses and give them feedback?

All student reponses are collected for you back at the SideVibe Website in your Feedback area. Just filter down through the your Topics and Vibes to see all your student responses.

Giving fast, effective feedback is easy. Just click on the student response in Feedback and follow the options . Notification of all feedback is confidentially displayed at your student's SideVibe homepage and directly in their Vibes on the Topic Home page. Giving feedback couldn't be easier or more direct.

Here is a quick tutorial on giving feedback to student responses:

Can I print out student responses?

Yes. You can printout nice PDF reports or choose to download your filtered data for formatting, sorting and printing from your own software tools.