5. Tools, Functions, and Definitions

Online Course Tools, Functions, and Definitions 



Tool/Function Definition
ActionLinks icon

The ActionLinks icon appears next to content items. Clicking this icon opens a menu of options. Options include editing, hiding and showing, previewing, deleting content items.

Action Menu

The Action Menu is in the Learning Module tool and contains navigation links, content links, and access to the following tools: Bookmarks, Create Printable View, and Notes.

Announcements tool

The Announcements tool allows Section Instructors to create and post important messages in a course. Announcements appear in users' My page or on the Announcements screen.

Assessments tool

The Assessments tool allows designers to create and edit assessments, such as quizzes, self tests, and surveys. Section Instructors use assessments to evaluate Students' progress.

Assignments tool

The Assignments tool allows designers to create assignments and assign them to Students or groups of Students. Students can submit assignments in two formats: text with attachments or a web site consisting of linked HTML pages.

Bookmarks tool

The Bookmarks tool allows designers to create links to pages in the Learning Module tool.

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs list the path of screens that a user has visited. A user can click a breadcrumb to return to a screen. Breadcrumbs appear in the top frame of a screen.

Calendar tool

The Calendar tool allows users to view and create entries for campus and personal events. Users can view entries by day, week, or month.

Channel

The MyWebCampus page contains the following channels: Calendar Day, To Do List, My Grades, Course List, External Courses, Calendar Week, Campus Announcements, Personal Bookmarks, and Campus Bookmarks.

Chat tool

The Chat tool allows users who are in the same course to chat with one another in real time while they are in the course. There is also a Whiteboard feature, which allows users to draw objects, enter text, import images, and create slide shows that can be viewed in real time.

Content

Content is the general term for items and activities that are included in a course.

Course Content tool

The Course Content tool allows designers to create files, content folders, and add content links. The Course Content tool is always the first item under Course Tools in the course menu. The first screen of the Course Content tool is called Course Content Home.

Course Content Home

The Course Content Home is the first screen in the Course Content tool. Designers can add files, content folders, and content links on this screen.

Course Content Map

The Course Content Map contains navigation links to items in the Course Content tool. Depending on how the Course Content Map is set, users access it either as a drop-down list or by clicking the icon next to the Course Content tool.

Course Menu

The course menu contains the navigation links for a course. In the student interface, the menu contains Course Tools and My Tools.

Course Start Page

The course start page is the first screen that Section Instructors, Students, and teaching assistants see when they access a course.

Course Tools

The Course Tools heading appears on the course menu. Tools that were added to the course menu are listed here. In the student interface, only tools that are visible are listed here.

Discussions tool

The Discussions tool allows users to post discussion messages that other users in the same course can view and reply to.

HTML Creator tool

The HTML Creator is an HTML editing tool that allows designers to create content in HTML without entering HTML tags. The HTML Creator automatically generates the HTML source code.

Learning Modules tool

The Learning Modules tool allows designers to organize and deliver content, such as assessments, assignments, quizzes, and content files to Students. A learning module includes a table of contents with links to the content.

Local Content tool

The Local Content tool allows Students to view content from their local computer, usually through a CD-ROM, instead of over the Internet.

Mail

The Mail tool allows users to send messages to other users in the same course. The messages can be in text or HTML format, and can include file attachments.

Media Library

The Media Library tool allows designers to build a database of text, video, and audio items, which can be organized into collections. Users can view and search for entries.

My Grades tool

The My Grades tool allows Students to view their grades in a course.

My Progress tool

The My Progress tool allows Students to track their progress in a course.

My Tools

The My Tools heading appears on the course menu. Tools that are available to Students are listed here. Tools can include My Files, My Grades, My Progress, and Notes.

My WebCampus

The My page is the screen that appears after a user logs in. The My WebCampus provides a centralized access point to organizational levels, such as institutions, courses, and sections. It also provides links to Calendar Day, My Grades, Campus Announcements, and Personal Bookmarks.

Notes tool

The Notes tool allows users to create notes about general content in a course or specific content in learning modules.

References tool

The References tool allows designers to create links to course resources, such as books, articles, and web sites. Students access this list of resources from the Action Menu of a learning module.

Search tool

The Search tool allows users to look for keywords and other data in course content and Online Help.

Syllabus tool

The Syllabus tool allows designers and Section Instructors to create a syllabus for their course. The syllabus can contain information, such as goals, grading policies, and required text books.

Web Links tool

The Web Links tool allows designers to create a list of Internet addresses or Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). Students can use these URLs to find resource material on the Internet.

Who's Online tool The Who's Online tool allows users who are logged in to the course system and enrolled in the same course to participate in chat sessions with one another. The Who's Online tool is similar to the Chat tool except it allows users who are enrolled in the same course to chat with each other outside of the course, from the My page.