e-Tips

The following are some e-tips that may make use of the web site easier for you.

Consider making the course web site your default location when opening your browser. It becomes a nice reminder to check the interaction.

1. The ‘Discussion Board’ is the heart of your course activity. Take the time to familiarize yourself with its layout and features.
2. The attachment feature is a very important one. Often, there are materials such as papers, reports, and articles, that are best shared as attachments. However, use the attachment feature only for messages that you do not create. If you want to prepare your message or assignment response offline, you can do so - and then ‘copy and paste’ the content into the Discussion page message. It is a lot easier on the readers.
3. You can reply to a discussion posting publicly, or you can send a private reply to the sender - in which case the reply will be sent directly to the sender’s e-mail in-box, rather than to the discussion board. Because it is easy to forget to click the ‘Reply privately’ button, I recommend always feeling comfortable about the content of your message if, inadvertently, it goes to everyone. If the message is sensitive, send it through external email, rather than through the web course discussion board or internal email, because private messages sent via the web course can still be read by the course sponsors.
4. Since we learn from each other I encourage you all to respond so everyone can read your message. Remember in the e-learning environment you all contribute as much to the learning environment as I do.
5. If a printed copy of a discussion posting is desired, merely select File, then Print from the pull-down menus at the top of the window.
6. You can reorganize the discussion postings from the numerical sequence in which posting occurs, to a grouping by topic with accompanying responses, by clicking the ‘Threaded’ and ‘Unthreaded’ buttons. You can also select a topic and its accompanying responses together in one display window by checking the check-box next to the desired topic, and clicking the ‘Compile’ button at the bottom of the discussion page.
7. Vacations - what to do? A participant wrote, “I am going on vacation and I will only be able to submit the final assignment if I double up on the sessions before I leave and submit the final assignment. Is this acceptable or is there another alternative? I am enjoying the class thus far.” One of the benefits of online courses is that any participant can participate anytime it is convenient to do so, whether that is midnight, or 4:30 in the morning, or in a motel room while traveling on business. Some options are: a) take a laptop with a modem with you, b) use an Internet kiosk increasingly found at airports, train stations, other places, c) Use computers at libraries, community technology centers, families or friends
   

The mission of the IL NET is to provide training and technical assistance on a variety of issues central to independent living today--understanding the Rehab Act, what the statewide independent living council is and how it can operate most effectively, management issues for centers for independent living, systems advocacy, computer networking, and others. Training activities are conducted conference-style, via long-distance communication, webcasts, through widely disseminated print and audio materials, and through the promotion of a strong national network of centers and individuals in the independent living field.

Substantial support for development of this publication was provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education. The content is the responsibility of ILRU and no official endorsement of the Department of Education should be inferred.

This site is hosted as a courtesy of Baylor College of Medicine
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