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Lenses

What is a lens?

Definition of a lens

Lenses

A lens is a custom view of Connexions content. You can think of it as a fancy kind of list that will let you see Connexions through the eyes of organizations and people you trust.

What is in a lens?

Lens makers point to Connexions materials (modules and collections), creating a guide that includes their own comments and descriptive tags about the content.

Who can create a lens?

Any individual Connexions member, a community, or a respected organization.

What are tags? tag icon

Tags are descriptors added by lens makers to help label content, attaching a vocabulary that is meaningful in the context of the lens.

This content is ...

Affiliated with (What does "Affiliated with" mean?)

This content is either by members of the organizations listed or about topics related to the organizations listed. Click each link to see a list of all content affiliated with the organization.
  • CNX Documentation display tagshide tags

    This module is included inLens: Connexions Documentation
    By: ConnexionsAs a part of collection:"Connexions Tutorial and Reference"

    Comments:

    "The canonical how-to guide to using Connexions."

    Click the "CNX Documentation" link to see all content affiliated with them.

    Click the tag icon tag icon to display tags associated with this content.

Also in these lenses

  • SHN CNX Workshop display tagshide tags

    This module is included inLens: Stategic Horizon Network Workshop on Alternative Couseware -- Connexions Session
    By: ConnexionsAs a part of collection:"Connexions Tutorial and Reference"

    Comments:

    "If you are ready to start creating new materials in Connexions, or adapting and reusing existing materials, this guide and tutorial will help you get started. Questions are always welcome to […]"

    Click the "SHN CNX Workshop" link to see all content selected in this lens.

    Click the tag icon tag icon to display tags associated with this content.

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Tags

(What is a tag?)

These tags come from the endorsement, affiliation, and other lenses that include this content.

Introduction to Connexions

Module by: Mark Husband. E-mail the author

User rating (How does the rating system work?)
Ratings

Ratings allow you to judge the quality of modules. If other users have ranked the module then its average rating is displayed below. Ratings are calculated on a scale from one star (Poor) to five stars (Excellent).

How to rate a module

Hover over the star that corresponds to the rating you wish to assign. Click on the star to add your rating. Your rating should be based on the quality of the content. You must have an account and be logged in to rate content.

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(0 ratings)

Summary: An overview of Connexions, the Connexions home page, navigation tools, and accounts.

Overview

Connexions is a web-based document creation and management system for education and research materials. There are two parts to Connexions: a Content Commons that contains these materials and the software tools necessary to create, manage, and access these materials.

From its inception, Connexions was designed to allow the collaborative development and free availability of material. Instructors and authors can modify this material for any educational purpose. Connexions offers Free/Open Source software tools to help students, instructors, and authors manage these information assets for sharing and advancing knowledge to benefit the global educational community. All of this is accomplished through the use of the Creative Commons Attribution license.

There are three general categories of Connexions users:

  • Students - who use Connexions to access information on-line, to prepare for their classes.
  • Authors - who enter content into Connexions in document files called modules.
  • Instructors - who build courses, which are documents created by linking related modules together in a specific order.

Before you begin using the Connexions system, you should verify that you have all of the necessary software. Visit the Connexions Quick Start Guide for a listing of the software that you will need and the links to help you download it.

The Connexions Home Page

The Connexions home page is the starting point for your use of Connexions. It contains the following items:

These items also appear on the other Connexions web pages.
Figure 1: Connexions home page
Screenshot of CNX homepage.

Home, Content, Lenses, About Us, Help, and MyCNX Tabs

On the upper left of the Connexions home page are tabs labeled "Home", "Content", "About Us", "Help", and "MyCNX". Clicking on these tabs display the following Connexions pages:

  • Home returns to the Connexions home page.
  • Content takes you to the Content landing page, where you can search for modules and collections of interest or browse the repository by subject, author, popularity and more.
  • Lenses is a portal to all user and organization-created lenses.
  • About displays the "About" page that contains a general description of Connexions and links to more detailed information about Connexions, how it works, the people behind it, and a list of contacts.
  • Help displays the "Help" page that contains links to installation, reference, and other information to answer your questions about Connexions.
  • MyCNX displays your author homepage if you are signed in. This page includes links to your personal workspace, your workgroups, your lenses, and content you've recently visited.

Search and Quick Links

You can search the Content Commons for a specific module or a course using the Search button and text box in the upper right of the Connexions home page. Type in a name, keyword, course title, module title, text string, or object ID in the Search text box and click Search. Connexions will display a list of all modules and courses that match your entry. To view a module or course, click on its title.

Above the search box are three quick links for your convenience. These links vary, depending on whether you are logged into the system or not.

Figure 3: Personal toolbar before login
Screenshot of search box while not logged in.

If you have a Connexions account and are logged into the system, you can perform the following actions by clicking on the links in this toolbar:

Figure 4: Personal toolbar after login
Screenshot of search box while logged in.

My Account and Login Sidebar

On the right side of the Connexions homepage is the My Account sidebar. Its display depends on whether you are logged in or not.

Figure 5: My Accounts sidebar
(a) (b)
Screenshot.Screenshot.

The image on the left is displayed if you are not logged into Connexions or do not yet have an account. If you have a Connexions account, you can log into the system using this sidebar. In addition, there is a link to reset your password (if you forgot it), and a link to the page for requesting a new Connexions account.

The image on the right is displayed if you are logged into Connexions. It features links to your MyCNX authoring page, a link to change your account settings, and a link to modules that you have marked as your favorites. If you have any pending role requests or suggested edits, these will also be displayed in the My Account box.

Featured Content

The Featured Content portal is located on the left side of the Home Page. It is used to showcase Connexions' most popular and outstanding content, ranging from math and science collections to academic lenses.

Find Content

You can start browsing Connexions' modules and collections from the Home Page by using the Find Content portal. The Search Content box is used to search for keywords related to the content you would like to find.

There are also several links in the Find Content portal that will point you toward interesting Connexions content. First, place your mouse over the way you wish to browse the repository-- either by Subject, Language, Popularity, or Title, etc. This will change the list of links on the right. Click on a link to being browsing that particular selection of Connexions content.

Create Content

It's easy to get started creating content on Connexions. The Create Content portal contains links to help you being authoring your own modules and collections.

Spotlight Sidebar

This sidebar features authors and their content, feedback from Connexions users, and events related to Connexions.

Figure 6: The Spotlight sidebar
Screenshot.

News Sidebar

This sidebar contains links to news items about the latest developments with Connexions. This includes updates to the site and outside publications that feature Connexions.

Account Requests

To apply for a Connexions account, use the following steps:

  1. Click on the Get An Account link in the My Account sidebar. The Request a Connexions Account page displays.
    Figure 7: "Request a Connexions Account" page
    Screenshot.
  2. Type in your first and last name, e-mail address, and home page URL. The fields with red squares next to the field names are required.
  3. Type in a user name.
  4. Review the site license agreement and check the box next to I have read the Connexions Site License and I agree to be bound by its terms. You must agree to the license in order to receive an account.
  5. Click Request Account. The "Account Request Complete" page displays. Connexions will send an e-mail to the address you entered in the step above. The e-mail contains directions for activating your new account.

Logging In and Out

To log into Connexions, enter your user name and password in the My Account sidebar and click Log in.

To log out, click the Log out link located above the Search Box, in the upper right side of the Connexions home page.

Content actions

Give Feedback:

E-mail the module author | Rate module ( How does the rating system work?)

Rating system

Ratings

Ratings allow you to judge the quality of modules. If other users have ranked the module then its average rating is displayed below. Ratings are calculated on a scale from one star (Poor) to five stars (Excellent).

How to rate a module

Hover over the star that corresponds to the rating you wish to assign. Click on the star to add your rating. Your rating should be based on the quality of the content. You must have an account and be logged in to rate content.

(0 ratings)

Download:

Module PDF

Add module to:

My Favorites (?)

'My Favorites' is a special kind of lens which you can use to bookmark modules and collections directly in Connexions. 'My Favorites' can only be seen by you, and collections saved in 'My Favorites' can remember the last module you were on. You need a Connexions account to use 'My Favorites'.

| A lens (?)

Definition of a lens

Lenses

A lens is a custom view of Connexions content. You can think of it as a fancy kind of list that will let you see Connexions through the eyes of organizations and people you trust.

What is in a lens?

Lens makers point to Connexions materials (modules and collections), creating a guide that includes their own comments and descriptive tags about the content.

Who can create a lens?

Any individual Connexions member, a community, or a respected organization.

What are tags? tag icon

Tags are descriptors added by lens makers to help label content, attaching a vocabulary that is meaningful in the context of the lens.

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