Organization

The Modules tool also called the Melete tool is a Lesson Builder for creating and organizing learning sequences. With module tool you can create a focused set of instructional†units that cater different learning objectives creating a sequential learning experience. These instructional units or blocks of units can be created using the in-built HTML editor, by uploading files or simply by pointing to URLs. Each unit could consist of content designed to meet course goals and objectives.

The Web Content tool allows site owners to choose and access external websites within the course site. The tool allows you to set up a link on your Menu bar with the specific URL of any website with a brief descriptive title. Personally created and customized course websites can be set up as a prominent URL for users to access but when you want to provide†too many links, it is considered a good practice to avoid cluttering the Menu bar and post it in the Resources section.

The Syllabus tool helps you in the presentation of the official outline or summary for a course†and/or requirements for a course site. If an online syllabus has already been prepared this tool can be used to direct the Syllabus tool to link to it. If you already prepared the syllabus for a course in the document format it can be uploaded or attached using the Syllabus tool. Additional files can be attached as required from the Resources folders. Web resources from outside can also be linked using the Syllabus tool.

Schedule allows instructors or site organizers to post items in a calendar format. The calendar has day, week, month, year, and flat list views. Any Schedule item can have multiple attachments therefore the Schedule tool can be used to post readings for each class on the day they are due to be read or to post group deadlines. You can import calendar files in Microsoft Outlook, Meeting Maker, iCalendar, or generic comma-delimited (.CSV) formats. All calendars on sites you have access to are merged in your My Workspace Schedule. Alternately you can choose to selectively merge calendars.

Resources tool can be used to share many kinds of material securely with members of your site, or make them available to the public. You also have your own private Resources area in My Workspace. You can upload files (e.g., word processing documents, spreadsheets, slide presentations, and videos), as well as create and post HTML (web) pages and simple text documents, and share links to useful web sites. You can organize your Resources items into folders, and you can control which groups or types of users can access and add to different folders. You can also share items with pre-defined groups and each item is available via a URL, which you can share with site participants. Also, you can show or hide an item at any time, and set a start and/or end time for its availability. By setting folder Permissions, a large collaboration site can use one folder in Resources as a space to archive important documents, and allow only certain site participants to modify those documents. You can view, add and organize items in a Resource folder. Using WEBDAV you can drag and drop files to and from your desktop.

The Presentation tool allows you to present a set of slides to many viewers. As the presenter, you can move forward and backward through the slides, and viewers can follow each move within a few seconds (Join mode) or move through the presentation individually independent of the presenter (View mode). Any user who has write access to the folder in Resources that contains the presentation can act as presenter. While watching a presentation, it may take up to 10 seconds for viewers to see the new slide after the presenter advances the slide. Alternately, Viewers can refresh manually to see the latest slide if the automatic advance seems to be taking too long. The Presentation tool can handle any web-displayable image file, including .gif, .png, and .jpg.

The Podcasts tool allows site leaders to store and distribute multimedia content to site participants. Site participants may download materials manually individually or subscribe to an RSS feed, which allows podcasts to be downloaded automatically to a podcatcher. Content can take many different forms, including audio lectures, video presentations, and slideshow presentations. Several different file types are supported within a podcast, including .mp3, .mp4, and .ppt. An easy to follow step-by-step video and a PDF tutorial below shows the functions of the Podcasts tool and how to use it.