Getting Started with C2C – 10 Key Features:

Please review the C2C Overview Diagrams in conjunction with these notes.

Conceptual Framework of C2C

The main C2C working screen consists of two key areas. You can work between these areas from simple viewing of forum notes to more complex searching and editing.You can also drag files over from the left to right workspace.

To maximize the use of all features, we recommend the latest version of Firefox. If you run into any problems, please check to ensure you are using this browser and the most updated version.

1 Working in Split Screen

Whether you are creating a new note or replying to an existing note in a forum, any notes on the left side of the screen can be expanded by clicking on them(under the Forum Note List Tab).You may click on any note to expand and reveal the note content while editing a message – which includes new notes and replies.

Similarly, you can also access uploaded files from the left side of the split screen. The split screen allows you tocopy/paste and/or drag any text (information) from the left screen into the editing area on the right screen – in My Workspace.

2The Center Bar (Split Screen)

You may drag the center bar left or right to enlarge either the left (note list within the forum) or right pane (the selected note content).

3 Reading Forums and Notes

Forums can be thought of as topics, categories or areas of discussion. They are synonymous with Views (WebKF) or Conferences (First Class).

  • A forum index is displayed when you first login on the left side of the home page.
  • Click on one of the topics (forums) your administrator/instructor has created and simply read a note within the forum by clicking on it (everything is hyperlinked).
  • The note list within the forum is always shown on the left of the split screen, the content of the note (text/images/files/URLs) on the right.
  • Click another note in the list to read a different note or use the left/right arrows in the right pane submenu to scroll down the list chronologically. The note content will always appear within the right pane and will be marked “as read” as you select it.

4 Creating Notes

Choose the forum (from the forum index on the home page) where you wish to contribute a new note. Once in the forum:

  • Select the New Note button (for a new idea).
  • An editing window will appear within the right pane.
  • Type and format text (always select text and know where your cursor is when you insert objects such as files or images).
  • The same editing principles apply to a note Reply or Edit.
  • Save your work (you may wish to do this periodically if you are spending more than a few minutes on a note).
  • Before you publish your entry, be sure to give it a meaningful Title so that others can see what you are discussing.

C2C offers new features that were not available in WebKF or First Class:

  1. You may save your note as a draft (not yet published, available in the editing box before you save the first time)
  2. You may hide a note (in the note submenu dropdown)
  3. You may delete a note (in the note submenu dropdown)
  4. You may reply privately to another author, only you and the author(s) will see this note
  5. You may

5Linking to Another Note= A Reference

Whether you are located in the same forum or anywhere else in the C2C community…. no more note numbers if you are a previous WebKF user.

How?While being in the editing mode of a new note, you can still continue to navigate various notes and refer to uploaded files and websites through the left side of the split screen. As seen below, you may simply drag and/or copy/paste another note title into your note editing window and it will create a hyperlink to that note. This is called a reference.References are tracked and any note you view will display the references that have been made to that note at the bottom of the note.

Why Reference? By referring to notes across the entire course/community, we begin to link ideas acrossall the forums.This is extremely useful when you wish to quickly access content on the left side of the split screen while formulating a new note. It is also beneficial to refer to someone else’s note as you reply or elaborate on an idea as it provides the reader context and a direct hyperlink back. Humans do not think or learn in a linear manner, thus, we often wish to refer to an idea that was brought up weeks before.

Instructors/Administrators can use referencing to set up a course or community, thereby helping participants get started.

The example above also shows how a user in edit mode (in My Workspace) can expand more than one note at a time to view its content as well as copy it to the editing box. Click the title a second time to contract the note content.

6Adding Website Links

In the C2C community, you now have access to a repository of Website links that may be stored by you and other members of the community such as the instructor/administrator for future reference. You can access this repository by clicking on the Websites link at the top of the page.

Like previous versions of C2C, you can still make hotlinks to any Internet site by copy and pasting the full website URL (address) into the URL field after clicking the link icon. You may do this in two ways:

1. Select the text to be linked. Choose the link icon, paste the URL into the respective field and save (OK).

Result: The selected text will be linked when the note has been saved. (Example left)

2. Ensure your cursor is on the correct line. Choose the link icon, paste the URL into the respective field and save (OK).

Result: The URL text will appear and linked when the note has been saved.

This is extremely useful and ensures copyright compliance when adding stable links from the online library databases.

7 Uploading and Attaching Your Files to Notes

C2C includes a new tab called Forum Files. This tab provides a list of all the files that have been uploaded by other users of that forum (called Uploaders). You can reference these files in your note by copy/pasting or dragging the filename into the Workspace area. If the tab does not exist, no files have been uploaded in that view.

Like previous versions of C2C, you can stillclick on the My Files tab to upload and reference your files. To reference these files in a reply or new note, drag or (copy/paste) the file into the editing box.

NOTE: Uploaded files are private until they are linked within the note content and published (saved).

8Attaching an Image within the Note

Instead of clicking on the file name to drag it over to the editing box in the Workspace on the right side of the split screen, click on the file to view the image and drag the image to the desired spot within the text.

Note: If you drag the file name (through List View), the image will appear as a link instead of displaying as the image.

Extra: If you need to resize an image (i.e. it is too large), you may double click the image or choose the image icon.

When you save, an alternative text dialogue box will appear. For accessibility reasons, type a title of the image into the Alt Text field. Save (OK).

9Collaborative Writing

If you are working with a team of people you may wish create collaborative notes by clicking on the Dropdown Arrow in the Note Submenu (to the very right of My Workspace screen).

ChooseInvite Co-Author. Select a participant from the community list (right side) and click Add co-author.

You must have already created a new note or an existing note inorder to invite others. Simply put, some person must initiate this process. This feature is open to anyone in the C2C community, although instructors may set up collaborative notes ahead of time for special class activities.

Each co-author may EDIT that note as they wish and re-contribute (via editing) it to the forum. All co-authors are considered authors of the note. If private notes are made to a co-authored list… all co-authors are able to read the private note.

10Search (and while editing a note)

The search tool is accessible by clicking the Search button from the Main C2C Menu. The search button toggles on/off, so that it can be accessible very quickly, but contracted to save screen space when not
in use.

  • When activated, the most common searches are by Forum or by Author. By default the settings for these are set to ALL. You can multiple select if desired. The dropdown will highlight the selections in blue.
  • Keywords search the text of the notes (not the Author’s names or Forum names). As seen below, you may filter and sort the results as well as quickly clear a previous search parameter.
  • Search will normally show the results (list form) on the left side of the screen and when selected the detailed note content on the right pane.
  • When searching, the navigation labels will depict that you are no longer in a forum, but in a search.
    My Workspace will show where the search result is from and provide links back to that note in context.

C2C’s Powerful Engine

One of the most usefultimes to use search is while you are thinking, writing and creating….
No need to stop or close any windows, all of C2C is at your fingertips.

The screen below, depicts a search initiated while in editing mode. The search below illustrates a search on one individual. While in Edit mode, you may:

1. Expand any note in the Search List to drag (copy/paste) text to the message area in My Workspace.

2. Drag the note title to reference the note.

3. View the Search Files, which are those files that have been uploaded by that individual. These may also be dragged to the message area.

4. Clear and initiate a new search, repeating steps 1-3.

5. All the while you may also click on the sort bar – thread, author, title, date, forum

Note: Searching any one forum is the same as selecting that forum from the forum index list on the home page.

Quick Start GuideAugust 23, 2012Getting Started with C2C-Aug 2012.docx