Want to print a handout?
You can download a two-page,
ready-to-use file in Adobe
Acrobat 3.0 (.pdf) format. This can be used to
make copies for a class or printed for personal use
to help you get started.
Open printable
version
|
Signing in
for the first time
To use EMU's WebCaucus, you will need a web browser (such
as Netscape Navigator/Communicator or Microsoft Internet
Explorer) and a user ID. The ID may be your EMU
Request Account, a
class account, or, for
faculty and staff, a Banyan name.
In the Location box in your web browser, type in the
Caucus URL:
http://www.caucus.emich.edu
This address takes you to the sign in page for EMU's Web
Caucus.

If this is your first time using WebCaucus, click on
self-register (see
illustration). You only need to register the first
time you log into Caucus.
Next time, you will already be registered, so choose
Go on to the Caucus
Center
Enter your user ID and
password
A screen will pop up asking you to fill in
the boxes with your username. (Hint: the username is your
log in ID [the part of your email address before the @] for
the Alpha/VMS or Banyan systems). In the next two boxes,
create a password for yourself and enter it twice. You can
choose your own password. Don't know what a username is? The
directions on the screen will link you to an explanation
about what it is and how to get one.

Another screen will pop up, asking you to
enter your username and password again. Enter the same
username and password you used in step 2.

You will see a new box asking you to confirm
your password.

In the future when you enter Caucus, these
are the screens you will see each time you sign in. Be sure
you remember your password!
Add your name to the list

The next screen asks you to enter information about
yourself. In the box where it asks for your name, put your real first and last name (not
your username). Your name is required. This will be used to
identify you each time you put a response in Caucus.
If you put your email address in the box requesting it,
others can click and send you a personal comment. A short
description of yourself is a good way to introduce yourself
electronically.

Joining a conference
At the Caucus Center Page, you will see your name and a
list of some public conferences. You can enter one of these
by clicking on the underlined title. If your conference
isn't listed, type in the name of the conference you want to
join in the blank box and press JOIN. If you don't know the name
of the conference or want to see what else is open, choose
the all conferences option.

When your conference comes up, you can choose to join by
clicking on the Yes!
button to make yourself a member and add the conference to
your personal list. When you do this, each time you sign
into the conference, you will not only see the list of your
conferences but it will also show you which have added
discussions since you last looked at them.
Participating in a discussion

Now that you have joined your conference, you are at the
Conference Home Page. It lists
your conference's organizer, along with the discussion items
and options for viewing them. You can read new responses,
create your own item, or send a message to the organizer by
clicking on the link to his/her name.
The easiest way to get started is to click on the first
New item (these appear
in yellow). Each time you enter the conference you will have
a list of anything that you have not read before. (Hint: if
you want to see an item that is not listed because you've
already read it, click the All button.)

Checking new items
Items, like the one on the left, are individual
discussion topics that an instructor or conference member
starts. Participants can add their questions, comments, or
thoughts by responding to any topic. Items and responses are
ordered by when they are submitted by the participant. In
each, the author is identified and the response is time
stamped. This allows for conversation even when all
participants can't be present at the same time or
place.

Each time you sign in to the conference, new items and
responses will be higlighted. When you finish reading an
item and responses, you can click on Pass to go to the next new item.
Adding a response
When you want to
add your thoughts to an existing topic, you have an edit box
at the end of all the responses where you can type in your
ideas. Just put your cursor in the box and begin to type the
same way you would in your word processor. You can also copy
and paste text into the box that you created in a program on
your computer.
When you are done typing, the best choice is the Post & View button, which
will update the screen so you can see what your response
looks like. Your response will appear just above a new,
cleared text box with your name and the date automatically
added. If you want to make a change, you will have an
Edit button which will
reopen the text box for editing.
(Hint: if you want to start a new item, go to the
conference's home page and find the create a new item text. You will see
a similar text box to start a discussion.)
When you are satisfied with what you wrote,
select the Pass button
and you will be taken to the next new item or back to the
Conference Home Page.
Quitting
WebCaucus
To leave WebCaucus, use the red Quit button at the top of the
page. By quitting, you prevent others from using your login
to access the conferences.
Learning
more
Additional documentation for EMU's WebCaucus is
available from inside Caucus by choosing the Help button at the top of the
page. There is a tutorial and tips on more advanced
features. The Practice conference is a good place to
see examples of how to use Caucus.
If you have a question, you can send email to the
Learning Technology consultants at
helpme@online.emich.edu
or call them at (734) 487-4325.
|