Mar 28, 2024  
2015-2016 Adjunct Resource Manual 
    
2015-2016 Adjunct Resource Manual

Appendix 2: Clearspace Basics


Logging In: https://share.champlain.edu/cearspace/index.jspa

(You might want to bookmark.).

Use your Champlain email login name (no need for @champlain.edu) and password.

Navigation (Suggestions for how to get around-use whichever works for you):

Use the tag cloud at the lower left of the main page (“Popular Tags”)

Click “view all” to see all Clearspace tags if the one you want isn’t visible.

Type a search term in the box at the upper right.

Click on one of the Browse options below the search bar on the upper right.

Click on one of the recent or popular discussions or activity on the right side.

Click on a recent blog post on the left side.

Click on one of the New/Your Stuff/History/Browse buttons on the menu bar across the top.

What Clearspace Is and Isn’t

Clearspace…

Is not a learning management system

Is not (just) a discussion board

Is not a substitute for face to face collaboration

Clearspace…

Is a way to share ideas about teaching

Is a way to share class materials

Is a way to supplement other communication

Serving suggestions (good uses)…

Collect opinions about teaching a class

Share assignments with other faculty

Discuss classroom strategies 27

Create collaborative documents

Archive teaching examples and ideas

Groups

Use a group if…

You have a group of people with a common objective, like faculty

teaching different sections of the same course

You want wide and easy access to the discussions and materials

Your priority is ease of use, breadth of dissemination, and flexibility

You don’t have a specific product or deadline in mind

Projects

Use a project if…

You have a specific product and deadline in mind

You have a limited number of people you need to involve in the process

You have discrete tasks to perform and specific people to perform them

You don’t want wide access or visibility

Tagging

Tagging is an essential part of using Clearspace

Tags help you organize your information for maximum utility

Tag clouds can grow over time, and adapt to new needs

Everyone using Clearspace needs to understand the tagging protocol appropriate for their use

Tags should be descriptive, pithy, and accurate

It’s a good idea to build a common set of tags for each group or project

Consistency is vital

Prepare a list of tags before beginning Clearspace activities, but add to the list as you go

Tracking Activity

You can track individual activity on Clearspace

Tracking is useful if you have particularly active users or users in leadership positions

Tracking allows you to follow individuals and what they contribute

You can also opt in for email alerts for new material in your Clearspace project or group

The important thing to remember here is that fast and accurate retrieval of information depends on consistent and accurate input tagging of documents when we create them.