Classroom Case

The classroom tab is broken down into four sections: materials, discussion, assignments, and grades. Each of these tab will be described in detail in the following section.

Materials

The materials tab has four main areas:

1. Drop down list of classes enrolled in

2. Course outline

3. Weekly breakdown of class materials

4. Useful links

Drop down list of classes enrolled in

This area of the materials tab will show the current courses that a student is enrolled in. When a student is enrolled in more than one class, this drop down box will allow them to easily switch between classes. This list not only includes current classes, but also previous and future classes.

Course outline

The course outline section contains quick links to each week of a course. If a student needs materials to a specific week, these links will take them straight to that specific week. Also included in the course outline section is the following information:

* Course overview

* Policies

* Required software

* Other resources needed for a class

Some of the other resources that can be included in this list are software needed for the class and virtual environments used for skill labs. The course outline section may also include a special note from the instructor that is meant to be read before starting the class.

Weekly breakdown of class materials

This section of the materials tab breaks down the materials and assignments needed and used for each week. Objectives for each week are included in the materials so student will know what they are expected to learn with that week's materials. After the objectives are the materials needed. The materials can include some of the following:

* what text chapters are to be read

* electronic readings and searches

* any virtual environments used to complete skill labs

After the materials are listed, the instructor may include additional files or materials. This can include grading scales for assignments, assignment requirements, or anything the instructor deems necessary for the class.

Useful links

The useful links section provides links to some of the most commonly used tools offered to students. These are the links that will help the student the most in completing assignments and getting the most out of the education they are trying for. Some of the links provided in this section are:

* Center for mathematics excellence (CME)

* Center for writing excellence (CWE)

* Reference and citation generator

* Grammar and writing guides

* Learning team toolkit

* Live math tutoring

* Student resources guide

Discussion

The discussion tab is where a student will spend most of his or her time on the student website. This is where the participation part of class takes place. There are three main areas of the discussion tab:

1. Forums

2. Preferences

3. Useful links

Forums

The forums section is where most of the communication is done by students and instructors. The main forum is where discussion questions are posted. Instructors will also post threads about any questions the students might have, along with other threads concerning topics being covered in the class. The chat room section of forums is where students and instructors get to know one another. Student and instructor bios are posted here so that everyone can get to know each other. Instructors will post course materials such as the syllabus in the course materials forum. Communication for learning teams will be posted in each individual team's specific forum. Communication between the instructor and individual students can be done in the individual forum. Threads posted in the individual forum