CyberClass is the Writing Program's communication and group conferencing system. Messages can be sent to and received from anyone with an email address. For our purposes in the Writing Program, however, our chief purpose for using CyberClass is to provide space for asynchronous (and synchronous) electronic discussions and for sharing and exchanging students' work, both drafts and finished products, in their writing courses.
Downloading CyberClass Client to Your Home Computer (optional but recommended)
There are two ways to connect to CyberClass from off campus—by using the client software or by using a web browser. CyberClass client allows you to get the most out of your CyberClass account, and while you can access your account using a web browser (say, to check your email while you're away from your regular computer), you won't have nearly the same speed, reliability, or feature set that you do with CyberClass client software. You can download the free CyberClass client from http://cyberclass.uccs.edu or, if you experience downloading problems, you can pick up a CD-ROM with CyberClass client from the IT Helpdesk for only $1.00.
Guide Overview
This guide includes the following:
NT login (provides you with access to lab computers and to hard drive space on the NT server)
Follow the instructions on the computer login screen, as follows:
Username: First name initial + first 7 letters of last
name (lower case). Example: Mary Peterson = mpeterso
Note: If you have a common name, you may have a number appended to the end
of your username to make it unique (e.g., mpeters1 instead of mpeterso). Your instructor will let
you know if that is the case.
Password:
For first-time users: Your Password will be MmmxxxxA, where
mmm is your birth month,
xxxx is the last four numbers of your Student ID Number (for faculty
and staff, the last four numbers of their Employee Number), and a is the first initial of your last name. Please note: The password
is case sensitive--use all lower case.
Changing your password: The first time you log in, you must change your password (the system will say that your password has expired). Instructions for changing your password are on posted on the login screen and include the following parameters: Passwords cannot begin or end with a number, must be eight (8) characters long, and cannot be a word or name. They must contain two(2) of the following criteria: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, or special characters.
CyberClass login (provides you with access to CyberClass)Same as above, with one exception: changing the login password for CyberClass is not required by the system, but do change it so that you will have the same password for both logins.
To do so, from the CyberClass menu bar, go to Collaborate>Change password.
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Throughout the semester… |
You are responsible for your computer workstation while you are in class. Report any problems to your instructor. For out-of-class access to your work, save to your NT account. Rules: No games, personal email, or non-academic net surfing during class. Please use the classroom computers responsibly. Possible point loss penalties for misuse. |
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At the beginning of each class… |
Log in to your NT account with your username and password. |
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At the end of each class… |
Logoff by clicking the Logoff icon on the Windows desktop. Note: It's important that you logoff, so no one else can access your account. |
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You have disk space on an NT server for storing files to which only you have access, represented by the My Documents icon on the campus lab computers.
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To access your NT disk space from any campus lab computer, open the My Documents icon on the Windows desktop. To save a file to your NT account, go to File>Save As. The default location will be your NT account folder. In case this is not the default: Locate and open Excelsior ( S: ) Locate and open the folder with your first name initial. Locate and open your NT folder. |
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CyberClass is an email-based groupware that allows you to have synchronous and asynchronous communication with your classmates and instructor. Your CyberClass desktop includes several icons, representing… |
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Your Mailbox folder(private space) |
for sending/receiving private messages. |
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CyberClass folder (shared space)… |
for accessing help with CyberClass. |
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General Comp Info folder (shared space)… |
for accessing general Writing Program information, including a web link to these instructions. |
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Your English class folder (shared space)… |
for your Writing class coursework—the work that you and your classmates will write, read, and exchange in your class. Each English class folder has these subfolders: · Handout · Turn-in · Workshops (with 6 workshop subfolders) · Work completed · Calendar |
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The Handout folder |
Read-only permissions, where you can read and print information and handouts distributed by your instructor. |
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The Turn-in folder |
Write-only permissions, where you can send work to be read only by your instructor. |
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The Workshops folder |
Read-and-Write permissions; holds 6 workshops (subfolders) where you can send work to be read by everyone in your class. |
| Work Completed folder | "Storage folder," where your instructor may keep students' completed work |
| Calendar | Schedule keeper, which your instructor may choose to use to highlight work due, etc. |
| To create a message… | Go to Message>New Message. |
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To send a message you have created… |
Go to Message>Send (or Message>Send & Close). A postmark will appear on the message. |
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To reply to a message you have received… |
Go to Message>Reply, or Message> Reply Special . This allows you to choose “to sender,” “to conference,” “to all,” etc. |
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To include the original message in a reply… |
Go to Message>Reply Special>Reply with Quote. Or select the part of the original message you want to include in your reply, and go to Message>Reply. |
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To open a message in your mailbox or in your Class folder... |
Double-click the mailbox or target folder; then double-click the message. |
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A red flag next to message means… |
You have an unread message. |
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A paper clip next to a message means… |
A file is attached to the message. |
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What it means and how to upload a file… |
This transfers a file from your computer to the CyberClass server. Go to File>Upload. |
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What it means and how to attach a file to a message… |
This transfers a file from your computer to the CyberClass server by attaching it to a CyberClass message (Message>New Message). Go to File>Attach file to attach a file to the message. |
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What it means and how to download a file… |
This transfers a file from the server to your hard drive and also opens it so that you can read it. Note: If you are on a campus computer, you should do a Save As and save the file to your NT account. |
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The difference between an attached file and an uploaded file… |
An attached file is an attachment to a CyberClass message. An uploaded file is directly uploaded to CyberClass, and is not attached to a message. |
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To write an assignment in Word and upload the file to a conference in CyberClass… |
See Exercise 1 below. |
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To write an assignment in Word and attach the file to a message in CyberClass… |
See Exercise 2 below. |
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To download and open a file from CyberClass… |
Double-click the file. See Exercise 3 below. |
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For additional CyberClass Help online… |
Go to the Help Menu on your CyberClass desktop. |
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To send messages to other CyberClass users… |
On the To: line of the message window, type the user's name, and press Enter. |
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To send messages externally to non-users of CyberClass… |
On the “To:” line of the message, type the non-user's complete email address, and press Enter. |
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To format text (change font, style, size, color)… |
Use the menu bar options in your message window. |
If…
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The printer will not print your file… |
1) Check if another print job is in queue from another computer that is hung up. On the Windows desktop, go to Start>settings>printers. 2) On the next screen, double-click the printer you are printing to. On the next screen, check the “status” of the printer. If the “status” shows that the printer has a “job” in queue from another computer, the job must be terminated from that computer, before you can print your document. |
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The CyberClass server goes “down” in the middle of a message you are writing… |
Go to Collaborate>Connect. Login as usual. Then go to your personal mailbox. Your interrupted message should be there. Continue working on it, and send it. |
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Your computer crashes… |
Press Ctrl + Alt + Del. This allows you to end a task that the computer thinks needs completion before taking any other action. If this doesn't work, restart the computer. If this doesn't work, let your instructor know. |
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You try to open an uploaded Word file |
Check to make sure it has a .doc extension. To change a file name in CyberClass, go to File>Properties. Change the file name in the dialog box that pops up and save the change. Remember that file names in CyberClass are limited to 27 characters (+ .doc). |
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You don't have MS Word on your home computer. |
Save your files as .rtf (rich text format) files. That way, your instructor will be able to open them when you upload them to CyberClass. |
Uploading Files, Attaching Files, and Downloading Files
Exercise 1 – Uploading a file (10 points)Write a paragraph in MS Word, and send it to your section's CyberClass Workshop 1 conference as an uploaded file.
Step 1. In MS Word, write a paragraph on the following: What is your preferred name or nickname ? Where are you from? About how old are you? What do you like to do in your free time? What are some of your talents? What would you like to be doing professionally in five years? Of all the problems in the world, which would you solve if you could? How, briefly, would you solve that problem?
Step 2. Double-space the paragraph.
Step 3. Give the paragraph a title, and center it.
Step 4. Save the paragraph to your NT data folder (default save location). Name it your last name-exer1 (e.g., smith-exer1).
Step 5. Print the paragraph. You will submit this printed copy to your instructor. Close the file.
Step 6. Minimize Word, and login to CyberClass.
Step 7. Double-click your class conference>Workshops conference>Workshop 1 conference.
Step 8. Upload the file to the Workshop 1 conference:
Take the same paragraph you have just written, attach it to a CyberClass message, and send it to your section's CyberClass Workshop 2 conference as an attached file .
Step 1. Close Workshop 1 and open Workshop 2.
Step 2. Go to Message>New Message from the menu bar.
Step 3. In the subject line, type “attach file exercise.”
Step 4. In the message window, type, “Attached is my MS Word file, “last name-exer1.”
Step 5. Attach the Exercise 1 file to your message. Go to File>Attach file from the Menu bar. (Note: Because you selected your NT folder in Exercise 1, you don't need to locate it this time—the computer now should point to the same location.)
Step 6. Double-click the file, “last name-exer1.doc." This will automatically attach your file to your message, and you will see it listed in the upper half of your message window, directly below the cc: line. If you cannot see the attached file, point your cursor at the line dividing the upper and lower panes of the window until the cursor looks like a crossbar. Than drag the line down. The attached file should then be visible.
Step 7. Send your message with the attached file and close it (Message>Send & Close). You have now completed Exercise 2.
Exercise 3—Downloading a file (10 points)Step 1. In Workshop 2, locate the message directly after yours in the file list window. Double-click it to open it, and read the message.
Step 2. Go to File>Save As to save the file to your NT folder (or to the Temp folder on the hard drive if you are using a guest account). Click Save. You have now completed Exercise 3.
Note: As a result of completing exercises 1, 2, and 3, you should have two files in your NT data folder: 1) your own file and 2) a classmate's file that you downloaded. Give yourself 10 points each for completing exercises 1, 2, & 3. Mark your total points on the printed copy of your paragraph, and turn it in to your instructor.
Revised 8-16-05 hn