We have had numerous requests for a list containing information on what each tool can be used for. The following list contains a brief description of each tool, examples of its use, whether this tool offers email notification, and more.

The OWL-Space tools are broken down into three main categories based on the tool's main purpose:

Communication
Document and Web Resources
Testing and Surveying

Communication Tools

• Announcements
  • posted in the course Announcements section and on course Home page
  • post info such as important course changes, current items of interest, reading assignments, grade postings, guest speakers, etc
  • can attach files to an announcement (such as pdf files of reading assignments, HW, etc)
  • option to send email to course members when a new announcement is added
• Blogger
  • create a course blog with optional student commenting
• Chat Room
  • real-time, unstructured chats and discussions between individuals that are in the chat room at the same time
  • a copy of all previous chats can be viewed by anyone in the course
• Discussion
  • threaded discussion area
  • area where students can ask questions to either their fellow class members, TAs or instructors, discuss topics covered in class, readings, HW clarification, exam review, etc
• Email Archive
  • like a listserv, sends an email to everyone in the class (students, TAs, instructors)
  • all emails are archived in the course site and are searchable
  • by default only Instructors and TAs are allowed to use this feature to email out to the entire class
• Forums
  • discussion area similar to the Discussion tool
  • view discussion board statistics, including: number of posts by each users, number of unread messages, etc
  • instructor can now assign a grade (with comments) to a student's posting and send this grade to the Gradebook tool
  • moderation ability
• Messages
  • Private messaging among students and instructors
• Roster
  • list of all members of a course
  • information and images are pulled from an individual’s Profile information that is set in their MyWorkspace area
• Schedule
  • post items in a calendar format
  • post info such as exam dates, HW due dates, paper due dates, exam review sessions, deadlines, etc
  • can upload a document or url to schedule entry
  • does not have an option to email participants when a new entry is added
• Syllabus
  • post info such as required textbooks, readings, office hours, TA contact info, instructor information, course requirements, expectations
  • can upload a document or create content with an online editor
  • option to email course members when a new information is added

Document and Web Resource Tools

• Drop Box
  • each student in the course gets their own drop box that only the student and the TAs and instructors can see
  • students can send a file to the instructor using this tool and vice versa
  • easy way to send a file directly on a student-by-student basis
  • examples of use include draft revisions, computer code, etc
  • if it’s something that every student will be submitting to, then the Assignment area would be better to use
• Glossary
  • ability to create a glossary of terms for your course site
  • instructors can change tool so that students can add/edit content
• Modules
  • build sequential learning content
  • post things such as a lesson on subject related to your course that you don’t want to spend time on in class, refresher on content that students need and should have covered previously, extra lecture materials on hard concepts, etc
  • release dates can be set so that material is only available to students when it is needed
• Post'Em
  • allows targeted feedback delivery to students
  • ability to post letter grade based gradebook for student view
• Presentation
  • a simple image presentation tool, only shows images (no powerpoint slides, pdf files, video files, etc)
  • displays only the image with no text attached to it
  • displays the images that are uploaded to a folder in the Presentations folder in the Resources section
  • if want more options for online image display a new tool will be coming online in the spring
• Resources
  • place to upload any files that you want to share with your course
  • items such as images, pdf files, word documents, excel spreadsheets, videos, audio files
  • computer code examples, instruction sheets, HW answers, exam keys, powerpoint presentations, class notes, etc
  • option to email course members when a new file is uploaded or url is posted
• RSS Feeds
  • a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites
  • examples of sites with RSS feeds are: CNN, Wired, The New York Times
• Web Page links
  • way to put a few web links your students would go to frequently
  • if putting more than a few, put them into the Resources section
• Wiki
  • an “open-editable” page, members of a site can edit the content and organization of a shared page

Testing and Surveying Tools

• Assignments
  • online file submission for an assignment, submissions are private, students only see their submissions
  • has the ability to accept a resubmission
  • instructors/graders can send comments back to students
  • can be used for HW submissions, exams, essays, etc
  • does not email course members when a new assignment is available
• Gradebook
  • online gradebook with secure login
  • students only see their grades
• Poll
  • create a simple poll on your site
• Tests & Quizzes
  • online assessments or surveys
  • question types include:
    • multiple choice
    • true/false
    • matching
    • fill in the blank
    • essay
    • file upload
    • survey
  • some questions can be automatically graded by OWL-Space (multiple choice, true/false, matching)
  • allows for anonymous grading
  • does not email course members when a new assessment is available