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What’s New Overview
With SUNY Learning Environments supporting CourseSpace as of Fall 2004, many positive changes have occurred, including the following NEW tools and links. They are described in detail below:
CourseSpace Types
Beginning Fall 2004, CourseSpace templates are identified as either a CourseSpace, CourseSpace Light, or Meeting Space course. The full CourseSpace version contains all of the interactive tools, including discussions, assignments, tests/quizzes, the Bulletin Board, and private folders. Campuses are charged a fee for users and the SLN Help Desk supports them.
CourseSpace Light does not contain interactive components, but allows faculty to post documents and create modules. The Light version is FREE.
Meeting Space is a fully functioning version of the CourseSpace software that instructors can use for a variety of non-credit based activities and purposes, such as institutional discussion groups, student clubs, campus workgroups, faculty discipline-specific discussion groups, writing lab areas, orientation to campus processes, etc. MeetingSpace cannot be used for courses.
SLN HelpDesk
Beginning August 16, 2004 the SLN HelpDesk will support CourseSpace students and faculty. The SLN HelpDesk can be contacted via phone or e-mail:
CourseSpace faculty can access the SLN Course Development Handbook online, which contains links to Lotus Notes and Professor Navigator documentation.
SUNY CourseSpace Website
The new SUNY CourseSpace Website contains information about SUNY CourseSpace and links relevant to students, faculty, Campus MIDs and Academic Coordinators. This site is replacing the old SUNY CourseSpace site at http://coursespace.suny.edu. If CourseSpace users access the old site, they will be redirected to the new site.
SUNY CourseSpace Faculty Center
The new SUNY CourseSpace Faculty Center enables instructors to access their courses online, use the Professor Navigator, and access documentation and resources relative to web-enhanced, hybrid and blended courses.
SUNY CourseSpace Student Center
The new SUNY CourseSpace Student Center enables students to take an online tutorial, create a password, add courses to their user profile, access their courses online, update their user profile, and contact SLN directly. Instructors should direct students to this site for all CourseSpace-related issues.
Guest Access to Courses
Granting Guest Access: The Guest Creator Tool
The Guest Creator tool enables faculty to create, add and remove guest accounts/access. Guest access can be granted for individuals with or without an SLN/CourseSpace account. Guests can also be removed from a course at any given time. Requests are processed within 1 hour and guests will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access the course.
Guest Access to Courses: The Guest Commons
The Guest Commons allows others, such as colleagues, to access CourseSpace courses online. After granting access using the Guest Creator tool, guests will access courses through the Guest Commons. Existing faculty use their username and password to login. Guests use the username and password provided within the Guest Creator tool.
Download Manager
As of the Fall 2004 semester, CourseSpace faculty will be using the Download Manager to download their course databases. The Download Manager is located within Lotus Notes and makes downloading course templates quick and easy.
Professor Navigator
CourseSpace faculty no longer need to rely on the Lotus Notes client for course development and maintenance. Faculty now have the option of using the Professor Navigator to create modules, edit documents, and modify the Course Map Adjuster. The Professor Navigator is located online within each CourseSpace course and is used for full CourseSpace, CourseSpace Light, and Meeting Space courses.
Course Creator Wizard
The Course Creator Wizard creates the course module structure, including communication and interactive components. This wizard is to be used for designing full and Meeting Space CourseSpace courses and is located in the Lotus Notes client and within the Professor Navigator. The Course Creator Wizard is also available within Light courses in order for instructors to experiment with all of CourseSpace's features. However, the interactive components are disabled.
Module Creator Wizard - CourseSpace Light only
The Module Creator Wizard creates a course module structure specifically for a CourseSpace Light (CSL) course in that it does not create communication or interactive components. This wizard is located available for use only in CourseSpace Light courses. It creates a single module at a time to accomodate the specific needs of CSL instructors and their CSL courses. The Module Creator Wizard is an online tool available from the CSL Professor Navigator. All CSL courses are created and managed from the web using the Professor Navigator.
Automated Pour Process
Within the CourseSpace Faculty Center, instructors will see the new Automated Pour for Faculty link. This tool enables faculty and Campus MIDs to easily copy course materials from existing and previously offered SLN and CourseSpace courses.
My SLN Account Tool
The My SLN Account enables faculty to update their contact information, change their e-mail forwarding address, and provides links related to course and guest access.
SLN/CS Suggestion Box
Instructors can also contribute suggestions to the list of application enhancements by clicking on the CourseSpace Suggestions link located within the Faculty Center. |