A Tutorial on accessing Xronos and how grades work.

There are a few very important points about accessing Xronos. Chances are good, if you are here, you have passed the first hurtle, the “500 error” that says you don’t have access to Xronos. Nonetheless in case you find yourself having this problem in the future, we will cover this error first.

If you are having a 500 error, it is almost certainly because you are on either the ‘ufguest’ or the ‘getonline’ networks. Ideally you want to use the ’eduroam’ wifi (or any wifi off campus). The ‘ufguest’ as well as the ’getonline’ network absolute do not work. If you are on the ‘eduroam’ network and getting a 500 error, you should contact the Xronos Team (either directly or by contacting your lecturer or TA).

The network problems only apply to the UF wifi networks mentioned above. If you are living somewhere off-campus and wish to access Xronos, it should work on any off-campus wifi that has normal internet access.

Which of the following wifi networks can you use to ensure that you definitely will have access to Xronos? (Select all that apply)
ufguest uf eduroam any off-campus network with regular internet access
What error would you get if you use the ‘ufguest’, or ’getonline’ wifi?
Gremlins will pop out of your screen and burn the world! You will see a “500 error” You will see a “404 error” Your homework will magically do itself and you never need to worry about doing it.

Currently there is a known issue with using the Safari browser to access Xronos, as Safari handles various internet protocols significantly differently than other browsers. Everything on Xronos is tested using the Chrome browser, so if you are having an troubles with Xronos (such as accessing the site, or getting grades to save to canvas correctly) please download and use the Chrome browser to see if this resolves the problem.

Which of the following browsers is mot likely to work with Xronos?
Internet Explorer Chrome Safari Firefox Opera

The other important part about accessing Xronos is how grades are determined. In order to get a grade in Xronos you MUST LOG INTO XRONOS THROUGH THE CANVAS ASSIGNMENTS LINK. This is absolutely necessary because the process of clicking the button that loads Xronos from within Canvas forms an “LTI” link to the Canvas gradebook which allows Xronos to update your grade as you do work. This means that if you access Xronos through any other means, such as a bookmark or typing in the URL, that LTI link may not (and probably won’t) be able to form. This means any work you do in Xronos WILL NOT REGISTER IN CANVAS. Thus despite getting work done inside Xronos, you won’t receive any credit for it, which is probably not what you are hoping for. Also keep in mind that gradesync is typically quite quick, but it can lag behind at times depending on the level of activity the Xronos server (and Canvas itself) is experiencing, so you may need to wait 15-20 minutes to see if the grades in the Canvas gradebook have updated.

When accessing Xronos you need to do so by... (Select all that apply)
Getting the url from a friend. Typing in the url from Canvas. Clicking on the provided link in Canvas in the Assignments Tab. Bookmarking the url from Canvas, and use the bookmark for future access.
When accessing Xronos throughout the semester you can... (Select all that apply)
Only use the button in Canvas in the Assignments Tab. Use browser history to get the url. Use a bookmark to go back to assignments. Get the url from someone else in the course. Access Xronos via the Gradebook or some other tab in Canvas, other than the Assignments Tab.
If you are doing work in Xronos and answering things correctly, but the grade isn’t updating in Canvas then which of the following are likely the problem? (Select all that apply)
The LTI link has not been formed, probably due to not accessing Xronos by clicking the assignment in Canvas. Xronos has caught fire and is busy consuming the souls of IT. Xronos is down for maintenance, so grade sync is broken. There may be a slight delay to update the grades, so you can wait 15-20 minutes and see if the grade has updated.