Throughout the course you will use a number of tools. Some tools are within the course page and others will be at external spaces at the web. Below you can find a list of the main tools.

Tools used within the course

1. Forums

2. Chat / IRC

3. My Menu

4. Timetable

5. File Download Area

6. Assignments Zone Directory

7. User lists & profiles

8. Learning Reflection Form

9. Extra Services Directory

9.1 In-class lessons nearby your place & private virtual support

9.2 Marked-assessment and Accreditation

10. Module respective tools

1. Forums

The forums are the space for getting in touch with peers, to post questions and answers, or to contact the module facilitators. At the forums you also can find the times and dates of chats / IRC sessions, of guest lectures, or other events. Usually all of those events are announced both, within the forums as well as within the Timetable. To post on the forums you need to first register and then login.

Go to the Forums

2. Chat / IRC

Chats / IRC are used for meetings with course facilitators and other course participants / peers. The times and dates of chats / IRC are announced at the Timetable and are also posted at the Forums. You also can organize your own Chats / IRC and announce them and invite your peers to attend.

Go to the guide on How to use IRC / Chat

3. My Menu

The My Menu space provides you with the following options:

My forum posts – to see your past posts you made at the forum

My Certificate – to print you Community Certificate

My Profile – to see and edit your profile information

Submit Assignments – to submit your assignments to the Assignment Zone. Note: Only submitted assignments will show at your Community Certificate

Submit Event – to submit an event, for example local or virtual meet ups with peers that you are organizing

4. Timetable

At the timetable you can find all type of event announcements. This might be the dates of the next chats organized by module facilitators, local or virtual meet ups organized by peers, guest lecturers, etc. The times and dates of chats / IRC are announced as well at the timetable and are also posted at the Forums.

Please note: If not mentioned otherwise, all times are for UTC/GMT timezone (e.g. London, UK time). To see or calculate your local time you can go to: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=136

There is a color bar to show the type of events. At the moment those colors stand for the following:

You can also select the type of event category you are interested at, then only this category would be shown. For Example, if you only want to see the next chats, then select the category "IRC / Chat" The image below shows how to select a category.

Go to the Timetable

5. File Download Area

The file download area hosts some of the learning materials of the modules. 

Please note: During the first course round participants also used the download area for the submission of their assignments or sharing of activities. As from 2011 onward all attachments to your assignments should be attached within the Assignment Zone and all activities should be shared via the module forums!

6. Assignments Zone Directory

Each modules has an assignment that you are asked to complete. At the Assignments Zone you can:

1. Submit your own assignment

2. Find assignments submitted by peers

3. Rate and comment assignments submitted by peers

Go to the Assignments Zone

7. User lists & profiles

Want to find peers that study the same modules then you? Want to find peers that are located nearby your place to meet up and study together? Want to find past assignments of peers?

Then go ahead and have a look at the User lists & profiles

8. Learning Reflection Form

The OpenED learning reflection form has been especially designed to help you to reflect on and log what you've been doing in the last week and record what you've learnt from it. The learning reflection form also gives you a chance to tell us about how well you think the course is going. This will help in our evaluation and to make improvements to the course. Please be honest and open. Your comments and feedback are not required as part of the course. They can be anonymous, if you do not want to add your name and email address.

Go to the Learning Reflection Form

9. Extra Services Directory

The openEd 2.0 course is 100% FREE of cost to you. However the course is OPEN to educators throughout the world to offer extra services. Such extra services might be however only available against fees. Extra Services consist of:

9.1 In-class lessons nearby your place & private virtual support

If you are looking for in-class lessons nearby your place or private virtual support then please take a look at the ‘Extra Service’ directory. openEd 2.0 is a FREE and OPEN course, which means that educational providers around the world are FREE in choosing to offer individual services to you. This means however also that those educational providers are equally FREE in charging a reasonable fee for such services.

9.2 Marked-assessment and Accreditation

If you are looking for marked-assessment and accreditation, be it nearby your place or virtual, then please take a look at the ‘Extra Service’ directory. openEd 2.0 is a FREE and OPEN course, which means that educational providers around the world are FREE in choosing to offer individual services to you. This means however also that those educational providers are equally FREE in charging a reasonable fee for such services.

Go to the Extra Service Directory

10. Module respective tools

There are a number of further tools that you will use within the modules. Information on how to use those tools will be provided within each of the modules.