Office of elearning & Innovation

Transcription

1 Getting Started with Tri-C Private SoftChalk Cloud Welcome to Private Tri-C SoftChalk Cloud! SoftChalk Cloud is an award winning software that enables you to create interactive web pages that can be incorporated into your Blackboard course site(s). With it you can engage your students with lessons that include pop-up text annotations, self-assessment quizzes, and interactive learning games. Tri-C SoftChalk Cloud works in the same way as the SoftChalk Create Desktop that faculty use at Tri-C. The difference is with Tri-C SoftChalk Cloud, faculty can access lessons in the cloud and simultaneously update lessons linked in Blackboard by updating the lessons in the cloud. Follow these step-by-step instructions to login to your Tri-C Private SoftChalk Cloud. 1. Go to 2. Enter your S# as your Tri-C Employee Number, and your network password as your password.

2 3. SoftChalk Cloud Private opens to the home page. 4. Faculty can get around in SoftChalk by using the Navigation tool bar at the top of the page. 5. The My Content tab is where faculty manage and create content such as learning objects, lessons, polls, and files. 6. Use the Account tab to manage your profile, and create groups for sharing. The account overview will keep you up to date on available disk space. 7. The About, Getting Started, Support, and SoftChalk tabs direct faculty to online resources such as the Tri-C website, the SoftChalk page on the eli blog, SoftChalk s Support services, and the SoftChalk public site.

3 8. The Menu features content and information for faculty. Hover over the menu items and then click the image to access featured lessons, learning objects, or informational links. a. The Tri-C SoftChalk Collection features SoftChalk lessons created and shared by Cuyahoga Community College faculty. This section is restricted to Tri-C users and holds content that faculty designated to be public. b. Newest Content features the most recently added shared public content. Click on individual lessons and activities to gain access here. c. The SoftChalk Public Library features shared public lessons, learning objects and courses created by faculty all over the world. Click on individual lessons and activities to gain access here. d. Finally, the Help menu takes faculty to the SoftChalk page on the eli Blog. 9. The Lessons and Courses area is where you will get most of your work done. It houses all your SoftChalk lessons and gives faculty an at a glance listing of content type, privacy settings, and ratings.

4 10. The Icons listed in the table give faculty access to share, view lesson properties, or delete lessons. 11. The Actions menu gives faculty access to manage the My Lessons and Courses area and to begin working in SoftChalk. 12. Use the Create Folder and Sort Folder options to manage files. Faculty can share lessons with other faculty at the lesson level or share multiple lessons by sharing the folder. 13. Click Create a Lesson in SoftChalk or Create a Course in Soft Chalk to open SoftChalk on your desk top.

5 Remember, when you use the cloud version of SoftChalk, updating lessons on the cloud will update them everywhere else they are deployed. We strongly recommend making tri-c.softchalkcloud.com the only way you access SoftChalk. Opening SoftChalk Create Follow these step-by-step instructions to open SoftChalk Create. 1. Select Create Content. (If you are already in the Lessons and Courses area, you may select Create Lesson in SoftChalk Create.) 2. The browser will notify you that SoftChalk has downloaded a jnlp file. Select to Keep the file and then double click on the file. 3. A dialogue window will open asking if you want to allow this program to make changes to your computer. Select Run.

6 4. On a campus computer, the Windows Firewall will appear to tell you it is blocking some aspects of this program. Select Allow Access. You may get a needs administrator access dialogue box, just continue to click on the X at the top right of the dialogue box. 5. Java will begin a web launch of the SoftChalk Create Application. The following three icons will appear. a. Your Java may appear as 6 or 7. b. Java downloads the application.

7 c. Java verifies the application. d. The SoftChalk Create Icon appears. SoftChalk confirms that your Private SoftChalk Cloud is connected to the SoftChalk Create application. If you are a current SoftChalk user, your Blackboard server settings will also be connected to Create.

8 6. After all the connections are established, the SoftChalk Create application opens. Click Close to close the tutorial window. Use the Tool bar options to begin creating new SoftChalk lessons and activities.