Welcome to the Quick Start Guide!
In this guide we've included some basic information and navigation tips to get you acquainted with the Infiniscope website. There's so much more than what we've included here, but this is a great starting point especially if you're new to the network. This guide includes information on educator mode, creating an account, exploring lessons, using the search function and accessing the Infiniscope community and creative tools.
What is Educator Mode?
Enabling educator mode allows you to access features and resources that we’ve hand-selected specifically for educators. This includes lesson content, advanced search filters, and additional resources to help you find relevant content and use it with your students. Educator mode is set to “off” by default but all you need to do is click on the toggle to the left of the search bar to turn it on. You will always know educator mode is enabled when the background on the search bar shifts from black to teal.
Why Create an Account?
Creating an account allows you to access additional features and tools to facilitate the use of Infiniscope learning experiences with your learners and allows you to create your own digital content. Specifically, it allows you to enroll your students in lessons to track progress, modify existing lessons, create your own lessons from scratch, create virtual tours to share with your learners, as well as access visualizations and contributed content.
How Do I Search for Content?
Type a keyword into the search bar and press enter to search for a specific topic. To browse the full catalog, place your cursor in the empty search bar and press enter or navigate to the top menu bar and from the “Content Library”, choose “Full Catalog”. Scrolling down on the homepage will show you lessons that are featured and more recent releases. 
Where Can I Find Lesson Resources?
With educator mode on, you can flip a lesson or collection card to access the educator resources. The resources will vary among lessons but generally include instructional objectives, learning outcomes, NGSS alignments and implementation guides. The reverse side of the card also includes additional information about lesson duration and available languages. 
How Do I Launch a Lesson?
Launching a lesson just takes a few clicks. After clicking the launch button on the bottom of an expanded card, check the captcha box and either “Enroll as Guest” or “Sign In”.
Do I Need to Sign In?
You do not need to sign in to launch or preview a digital lesson. Enrolling as a guest will allow you to play through the lesson from start to end. If you choose to sign in, please note that accessing the lesson as a learner will require you to create a new account. This is separate from your Infiniscope log in. If you plan on using a lesson with your students that will take more than one class period, we do have an option that allows you to enroll your entire class in a lesson in order to save their progress and track completion. The enrollment feature can be accessed at the bottom of the lesson resource page when you are logged in.
How Do the Search Filters Work?
When you first arrive at the search page, all content is visible because all search options are enabled. Simply de-select options to the left and narrow your search.
What are the Different Content Types?
Lessons are digital learning experiences created by the Infiniscope team with the goal of teaching a particular Earth or space science concept. While some prerequisite knowledge may be required, the adaptive pathways and real-time feedback help to guide students through the lesson and address misconceptions. These are publicly available and can be launched directly from the homepage.
Visualizations are the simulations and digital interactives that Infiniscope lessons are built around. We’ve removed the lesson content so that you can use them in new and different ways to meet the needs of your learners. Develop your own lesson using a visualization in our lesson-building platform or simply use it to demonstrate a concept. Visualizations can only be accessed by logged-in members in Educator Mode.
Contributed content is content that has been created by one of our Infiniscope community members. Educators just like you who have created lessons for their classrooms and shared them with the wider community. All contributed content is reviewed prior to publishing. These lessons can only be accessed by logged-in members with Educator Mode enabled.
Collections are groups of lessons or other content types that share a central theme.
What are Creative Tools?
Creative tools are platforms that allow Infiniscope members to create their own digital content. With Tour It, you can create virtual tours that immerse your learners in place-based education. With Argos, you can access our DIY Lesson Creator. It allows you to create multi-media rich lessons and assessments with adaptive pathways and real-time feedback.
What is the Hivespace?
The Hivespace is how we affectionately refer to any and all of our Infiniscope community spaces. It’s where educators like you come together to share, collaborate, and co-create within the realm of digital education.
Where Can I Learn About Upcoming Events?
When educator mode is on and you are logged in, click on the "Upcoming Events" tab behind the "Community" tab. You can also access the events page from "For Educators" in the menu bar.
For more information, you can explore the site or check out our YouTube channel. Better yet, head on over to one of our community spaces and get to know other members. If you have a specific question, feel free to drop us a line by filling out the contact form.