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Providing Information

Information can be provided to a class by using one or more of he following tools:

Calendar
Announcements
Group email
Web content

Note: With more communications avenues than have previously existed at CSU, consideration should be given to which option is best for a given purpose.

Calendar tool:

The Calendar tool allows you to post information in a calendar format. The Calendar can be printed as a pdf. The Calendar in the My Workspace tab brings together items from Calendars in all your worksites.

Ideas: Keep yourself and your students up to date by entering all class activities, assignments and assessments into the Calendar tool. However, if you choose to insert assessment task times and dates, be very careful not to make any mistakes. Lecturers could be well advised to suggest that students do this for themselves within their own My Workspace . (back to top)

Announcements tool:  

Use the Announcements tool to post class announcements. Recent announcements also appear on the site Home page. An added benefit of the Announcements tool is that lecturers can choose to email announcements to all class participants. The Announcements tool in the My Workspace tab brings together Announcements from all your worksites

Ideas: You may think of the Announcements tool as a purely administrative tool, appropriate for keeping your students up-to-date on new assignments and class-related events, but it can be much more. Here are some ideas:

Previewing:
Use the Announcements tool to get students to start thinking about upcoming class topics and activities.

Tips

Expectations & Encouragement:
Use the Announcements tool to inform students at certain points in the semester where you expect them to be in the course, with regards to assignments, activities, and research. This is also an opportunity to motivate by offering words of encouragement on work they have done and participation in the site (or words of warning if expectations are not being met!). (back to top)

Group email tool:

The Group email tool allows email to be sent to the entire class using a single email address. Email sent using the Group email tool is archived and searchable on the course worksite.

Ideas: The Group email tool can be used as an alternative to the Forum tool to facilitate class-wide discussion and collaboration. By changing the tool permissions, lecturers can allow students to send messages to the class list. If this tool is to be used effectively, students will need to have their email address correct (and may need to redirect CSU email address to another account if it is used more frequently) and check their messages as often as is required. (back to top)

Web Content tool :

The Web Content tool allows you to display other websites inside either the CSU Interact frame or in a new window. Web Content links will appear as buttons on the toolbar on the left side of the screen.

Ideas: In order to avoid cluttering the site toolbar, use Web Content links for the most important or most commonly used online resources for your course. These may include a link to the course library reserves, a language pronunciation guide, or essential online research tools. Online resources which are not needed as frequently can be placed in Resources instead of in the toolbar as Web Content items. (back to top)