Course Tools: An Overview
There are a number of tools
that can be used in D2L --
All tools may not appear in any one course.
If they are available in your course they are available by clicking on the Tool Name in the Navigation
bars.
| Tool | Description |
| Articles | This feature allows you to view news articles that you create. |
| Chat | Chats allow users to converse with more than one other user at a time. They are synchronous (i.e., live, real time) discussions. This area allows you to enter Chat and begin chatting or view previous sessions (archives) of the Chat. For more information, refer to Chat Options. |
| Checklist | This feature is a way to highlight important aspects of the course as a visual guideline to determine the needs for completing the course. |
| Classlist | This feature keeps track of users enrolled in the course. It is also valuable as a way of finding which users are currently online. The Classlist tool also allows users to share information about themselves using the Profile or Homepage tools. |
| Content | This feature allows the instructor to post content related to the course. Students may download files such as PowerPoint presentations to complement the course. |
| Discussions | This area provides the instructor with the ability to view, add, modify, or remove forums and discussion topics. Students can read and post threads. |
| Dropbox | This feature gives the instructor the option to allow students to submit their work online. Students can upload their work in the Dropbox and the instructor can view it at their discretion. For more information, refer to Working with the Dropbox. |
| The email feature provides an easy method to email course participants. You can automatically address email to course members or instructors directly from the Address Book. Email generated through Desire2Learn is delivered to the email address recorded within Desire2Learn. For more information, refer to Sending Email in Desire2Learn. | |
| FAQ | This feature allows an instructor to publish a list of frequently asked questions related to the course content or policies. |
| Glossary | This feature allows instructors to create a course glossary. The glossary can be used to make key terms related to the course available to students. |
| Grades | This feature is an immediate feedback option to let students know their progress in the course. For more information, refer to Working with the Gradebook. |
| Help | Allows the instructor to post help documentation created by Desire2Learn. |
| Journal | This feature allows instructors to keep track of ideas and information they might want to use in class. This feature is accessible almost anywhere and easily transportable. |
| Links | Adding links allows instructors to use information from outside of Desire2Learn to complement the course content. |
| Locker | This tool provides an additional storage area for files. Files in this area can be make public or kept private. This is useful when working at multiple workstations. |
| News | This feature allows the instructor to post items that all students can see. Posting news is an ideal way to inform students about upcoming events, due dates, or corrections. For more information, refer to Working with News. |
| Pager | This tool allows you to send instant messages to other contacts online. For more information, refer to Working with the Pager. |
| Quizzes | This feature allows instructors to evaluate students online. Different question formats can be applied and modified. For more information, refer to Creating a Quiz. |
| Schedule | The Schedule (calendar) provides a central location for course and personal events, such as add/drop periods, exams, and personal appointments. This feature has been temporarily disabled. |
| Survey | This feature allows the instructor to collect instant feedback from students. This monitors trends and opinions of the users. The surveys can be collected anonymously. For more information, refer to Working with Surveys. |
| User Progress | This allows the instructor to view the amount of work a student has completed. |