On-Line Services

There are many exciting network services available to you at Trinity. These currently include our campus Web, discussion forums, and more.

World Wide Web

Trinity has a well-articulated Web presence, centering around the campus "home page", at http://www.trincoll.edu.  Of special interest are the Computing Center help guides and resources, located off of the main Computing Center page at http://www.trincoll.edu/RaetherCtr/ComputingCenter/.

The College Library maintains a web page, which introduces many of its excellent services. Look for it at http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/library.

In addition to the College's "institutional" web server (at the www.trincoll.edu address), the Computing Center also provides another web server at http://www2.trincoll.edu, a server for personal web pages. Many students have their own pages, as do some staff. A number of faculty have created web pages to support individual classes. Later on in this document is an overview of using technology in the classroom.

BlackBoard: The Easiest Way to Put Your Course Online

Blackboard is a system that makes it very easy for faculty to use the power of the web to support their classes. It has facilities for posting class materials, on-line discussions, chat sessions with a shared whiteboard, document exchange, online gradebook, online assessments, and many other features. The instructor determines which pieces of the system to use for any given class. BlackBoard is very easy to use. (BlackBoard in most instances replaces Docex for file exchange.)

All Trinity faculty and students have access to BlackBoard. However, some faculty may limit access to all or part of their class web site to students enrolled in their class. The "front door" is located at http://blackboard.trincoll.edu. Many people find that the best way to learn BlackBoard is simply to jump right in and try it. However, we have some basic documentation to get you started at  http://www.trincoll.edu/RaetherCtr/ComputingCenter/GeneralServices/blackboard.htm.

You will only be able to see the entire course site for which you are listed as a member. Other courses may only allow you limited access. Every course automatically has a Blackboard course site created and populated with students who have registered for the class officially through the Registrar's office. If you wish, however, a BlackBoard sites can easily be created by your Resource Specialist for any use you might have.  As always, assistance is available from your Academic Computing Resource Specialist. A handy online form is also available for you to make your requests at http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/cc/acad/forms/technology_request_form.htm.

Fileserver Share Areas

As mentioned earlier, in the hardware section, fileservers are large computers that can share their disk resources over the network. These large depositories are used for sharing large amounts of information with multiple individuals. There are three major share areas for academics at Trinity. For Windows users, these servers are available under the "Start" button, in the "Network Servers" folder. On the Mac, these servers are available through the "Network Servers" folder in Macintosh HD. 

Share areas as well as BlackBoard work best when the class is disciplined in saving documents in a single file format, preferably .rtf (rich text format) which is one that can be read on Windows or Mac computers, and with most major word processors. Otherwise, confusion can arise over files that can't be easily read. The same ideas apply to BlackBoard document exchange, and in sending e-mail attachments.

• Class Software

  Class Software contains most of the major programs used in classes. This includes statistics, modeling, programming, music, writing, drawing, and communications software. If you have software you would like placed onto this share area for class support, please contact your Resource Specialist. Please remember that the Resource Specialist will need the software from you well in advance of the semester start-up if you wish to have it on the public lab computers - by April 15th for use in the following Fall Semester and by Nov. 15th for use in the Spring Semester.

• Bantam

  Bantam is a collection of standard programs used on campus, especially utility, system, and virus removal applications. It's provided for convenience, and saves time on downloading programs that may take more time if done via the web. Look in the "Network Servers" folder under the "Start" button in Windows or in the Information Services folder in Macintosh HD.

• Docex

  Docex has been used in the past to facilitate the exchange documents between a faculty member and his or her class. However, now that BlackBoard is available, you are strongly encouraged to have your document exchange take place on your BlackBoard site, so your students have only one location to go to for all aspects of your course.  Please ask your Resource Specialist which method is most appropriate for your class.

Outlook Address Book

Outlook has a function that allows you to look up the phone number or e-mail address of anyone on campus, called the Address Book. Access it via Outlook's "Tools" menu. You can select from a campus-wide list of users, or from departmental listings. You can also build your own personal address listing for people off campus in the Personal Address Book section.

An online version of the directory is also available through the web at http://internet2.trincoll.edu/ptools/directory.aspx.

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