The Communication section contains tools that facilitate interaction with your instructor and with your peers. Depending on the course, some of the options listed may not be available; others may have access through buttons in the site's navigation bar. Follow the links below for more detailed information on each feature.
The
Announcements page is generally the first page you see when you open a course site. Usually, it is also the top link in the site's navigation bar.
Collaboration or Virtual Classroom is a chat tool similar to the many popular instant messenging services available on the Internet. In order to use it, you must be online at the same time as your fellow students and/or instructor.
The
Discussion Board feature is one that may be used extensively in your online courses. Posting a message to a threaded discussion board is much like sending an email, except that your message stays on the course site for all your classmates to read.
Many of your classes will require you to work on group projects. The
Group Pages section of your course site contains tools to make it easier to work in online groups.
The
Roster link provides a list of your classmates, including links to their Knowledge homepages (if available), and any Personal Information they've decided to make public.
The
Send E-mail link provides a tool for sending e-mail to your instructor, teaching assistants, and your classmates, either individually or all at once.
