Tip of the Week: Quick Steps

Application: Outlook 2010

Outlook 2010 features Quick Steps, a way to perform repetitive processes on email. Several Quick Steps are included as defaults, and you can customize a Quick Step for a specific situation. Quick Steps can be updated or modified as needs change.

Default Quick Steps

• Move to: Moves the selected message to a mail folder you specify and marks the message as read.
• To Manager: Forwards the message to your manager.
• Done: Moves the message to a specified mail folder, marks the message complete, and then marks it as read.
• Reply & Delete: Opens a reply to the selected message, and then deletes the original message.
• Create New: Create your own Quick Step to execute any sequence of commands, name it, and then apply an icon to help you identify it.

How to Create a Quick Step

1. In Mail, on the Home tab, in the Quick Steps group, in the Quick Steps gallery, click Create New.
2. In the Name box, type a name for the new Quick Step.
3. Click the icon button next to the Name box, click an icon, and then click OK.
4. Click the drop down box under Actions. Choose an action for the Quick Step. To add additional actions, click Add Action.
5. To create a keyboard shortcut, in the Shortcut Key box, click the keyboard shortcut to assign.
6. To create a tooltip text, enter the information in the Tooltip text field. The text will appear when the mouse hovers over the quick step.

Beginning of Semester Checklist

Tip: Beginning of semester tasks

1. Enhance course design and menu options
2. Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable)
3. Make the course available

Enhance the course design and menu options:

1. Access your course
2. On the Control Panel, click on Customization and then select Style where you can:
   
   • choose a course menu style
   • manage how the menu is displayed
   • add/change the course banner
3. On the Course Menu, you can:
   
   • re-arrange the order of menu items by clicking on the double-headed arrow to the left of the menu item then dragging and dropping the item to its new position on the Course Menu
   • rename, show/hide, or delete a menu item by clicking on the action link next to the item
   • add a content area, a link to a course tool, a link to a course area, or an external link to the course menu by clicking on the Add (plus) symbol on the Course Menu

Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable):

1. Access the course from which you want to move users
2. On the Control Panel, click on Packages and Utilities and then select Course Copy
3. Select Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course from the Select Copy Options dropdown
4. Click on Browse and, in the pop-up window that appears, select the Destination Course then click on the Submit button in the lower right-hand corner of the pop-up window
   • NOTE: The Destination Course is the course to which the enrollments will be copied
5. Place a checkmark next to Tasks
6. Place a checkmark next to Include Enrollments in the Copy
7. Click Submit
   
   • NOTE: You will receive an email notification when the enrollments copy is complete

Make the course available:

1. Access the course you want to make available
2. On the Control Panel, click on Customization and then select Properties
3. Under Set Availability, select Yes to Make Course Available
4. Click Submit

Document Properties in Microsoft

Application: Word, Excel, PowerPoint 2007 & 2010


Microsoft documents contain properties that can include the document title, author name, subject, and keyword tags. Using keyword tags can make searching for documents quicker and easier. When sharing documents with others, it is important to restrict editing if you do not want document properties changed.


Office 2007 document properties
1. In Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, click the Microsoft Office button.
2. Scroll to Prepare and then click Properties.
3. The Document Information Panel will appear. Update any fields listed.
Optional: Click the down arrow by Document Properties to view or update Advanced Properties.


Office 2010 document properties
1. In Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, click the File tab.
2. Click Info to view the document properties.
3. To update fields, click the field.
Optional: To see advanced properties, click Show All Properties.


Want to know more about document properties? Microsoft has more information for Office 2007 and Office 2010 users. When sharing documents with others, use the document inspector feature to reveal and remove hidden information. The Microsoft website features application specific articles about the document inspector feature.


For faculty, an interesting article from the Chronicle of Higher Education on Keeping Blind Review Blind by Anonymizing Documents.

Tip of the Week: mybrainshark

Web 2.0 Tools mybrainshark
Presentations that integrate both visual and audio can convey a message in ways that are appealing to audiences. Mybrainshark is a Web 2.0 tool that can be used to add audio via microphone or telephone to PowerPoint slides, documents, photos, videos, and creation of podcasts. The final product can be viewed online in a blog, unique URL on the mybrainshark site, email, or social media sites.


Highlights of the basic (free) account:
• Insert poll or survey questions
• Tracking data shows who, what, when, and where
• PowerPoint animations transfer
• Can add voice or MP3 files
• When uploading files, can add descriptions, categories, and keyword tags for easier searching
• Presentations can be modified at any time

Dividing Text in Excel

Application: Microsoft Excel 2007 & 2010


Have you ever needed to separate last name and first names in an excel spreadsheet? There are frequently times when spreadsheet data needs to be divided into more granular information in order to better sort, filter, alphabetize, or use in a mail merge independently.
Spreadsheets can be updated with Excel’s Text to Column command that can divide the data into separate columns.


Divide data in one column
*These steps apply to data where a space is used to divide. For data that is divided by commas or other, please see the article listed below.
1. Insert a column(s) where the divided data will be placed.
2. On the Data ribbon, select Text to Columns.
3. The Text to Columns Wizard will appear. In Step 1, select Delimited.
4. Click Next. In Step 2, select Space. Be sure to uncheck all other options.
5. Click Next. In Step 3, select Text.
6. Click Finish.

             

        becomes

For more information about this feature, please visit the Microsoft Office article.

Web 2.0 Tool of the Week: Second Life

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is used by universities, businesses and individuals from around the globe.


An Invitation to See Second Life in Action
On April 12-13, TWU will host the Annual Student Creative Arts and Research Symposium. TWU uses Second Life during the symposium to allow students to present a virtual poster from off campus. As in real-life, presenters attend one session of the symposium by logging into Second Life from a computer and having their avatar present during a session. Students present their research to a global audience in addition to the visitors on the TWU campus.
A real-life viewing of Second Life will be available in ACT 225 and is open to the public. Student research will be presented at the following times in world:


Tuesday, April 12
12:00-12:50 p.m.
6-7:20 p.m.


Wednesday April 13
9-10:20 a.m.
12:15-1:00 p.m.
6-7:20 p.m.


In addition to a guided tour in ACT 225, visitors are welcome to try Second Life hands on in ACT 603 or from the convenience of your home. We invite you to join us in this celebration of student research!

Tip of the Week: Adding to My Links

Application: SharePoint
SharePoint has its own bookmarking option to allow for direct navigation to frequently used sites. Both SharePoint and other internet sites can be bookmarked. This list of links or bookmarks can be accessed anywhere through SharePoint.

How to add a link or bookmark in SharePoint
1. Go to Share.twu.edu. (From on campus)
2. Navigate to a specific page. For example, click on Instructional Support Services, then select Denton, then select Training.
3. In the upper right corner of the page, click on My Links.
4. Select Add to My Links.
5. A dialog box appears. Make any optional changes needed such as the name of the link, who can view the links, which group to add the link to or create a new group of links.
6. Click OK.

Tip of the Week: Managing Multiple Schedules

Applications: Outlook & SharePoint
Scheduling a meeting with multiple people or managing multiple schedules for various projects can be challenging. Offices use calendars to schedule meetings, vacations, phone coverage, appointments and more. To manage multiple schedules, there are several technology tools available.

Scheduling MeetingsMicrosoft Outlook calendars offer schedule availability options. Each faculty and staff member can designate times as busy, free, tentative, or out of the office. To schedule a meeting in Outlook:

1. Click on the calendar tab in the navigation pane
2. Select the date for the meeting
3. Right-click to open the dialog box and choose an option such as New Appointment, New All Day Event, New Meeting Request, etc.
4. A new dialog box will open. Select options for title, location, length of meeting, reminders, importance, etc.

When inviting others to a meeting with a meeting request, they are given the option to accept, decline, or mark tentative. The meeting request then keeps track of who has responded and how.

Office Calendars
When working with a group of people, SharePoint calendars can be used. The flexibility of SharePoint allows multiple calendars to be built in any site. A different calendar can be used for each project or person. SharePoint calendars can be connected to Outlook for ease of adding and modifying events. SharePoint also has options to determine levels of access to view, edit, or delete events.