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Mendocino College Home > Distance Education Home > FAQ > ETUDES Tips & Tricks

Distance Education at Mendocino College

ETUDES Tips & Tricks

Etudes System Requirements | Printing in Etudes | Cut-n-Paste in Etudes
Saving in Rich Text Format | Posting & Replying in Etudes Discussions

Welcome to Etudes -- a teaching, learning, and collaboration environment. This system serves faculty, staff, and learners from ETUDES Consortium institutions, including Mendocino College. There is an Etudes Code of Conduct for all users of the system, you can view it at etudes_code_conduct.htm.

ETUDES System Requirements

  1. Computer (PC and Mac) and Connectivity Requirements
  2. Be sure you are using a supported browser. They are free downloads.
  3. Configure your browser's cache. 99% of problems are due to incorrect "cache" browser settings.
  4. Configure cookies, JavaScript, pop-up blocker.
  5. Accept SSL certificate and settings for alerts.

Other ISP & browser considerations:

  1. IMPORTANT note for AOL Users! Do NOT use AOL's browser.
  2. Satellite ISP's are NOT recommended! Users who are using Directway or Hughes Satellite ISP's might encounter technology problems and intermittent issues with Etudes-NG that are beyond our control.
  3. Use of Multiple Browser Windows is a no-no! Do NOT open more than one Etudes-NG browser window while being logged into the system. It is easy to log yourself out of one and get logged out of the others, losing what you were working on - assignments, tests, etc. You will be prompted to log back in!
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How do I print course content in ETUDES?

How best to print depends a bit on whether you are using a Mac or PC, Firefox or Internet Explorer, and printing modules or discussions. Basically, the best strategy is to right-click on the main content you want to print (or Control-click on a Mac) and choose the option from the contextual menu that opens the main content frame in a new window. That will get rid of the navigation buttons on the left and title frame along the top of the page. In the new window, click on any links to navigate to the material you want to print and print it.

Depending on the browser you are using, you may be able to print the whole content section or may prefer to click and drag over a portion of the content and print the selection. Using your browser's Print Preview button can help you to anticipate whether blank pages will be printed and allow you to skip printing those pages. Below are some more specific instructions:

Print Discussions on a PC

Firefox:

  1. Right click in the discussion you want to print. A menu pops up.
  2. Pull down to This Frame... and over to Open Frame in a New Window.
  3. Choose File >> Print. Click OK in the resulting print dialog box.
  4. Close the new window to return to the ETUDES site.

Internet Explorer (IE):

  1. Right click in the middle of the discussion you want to print. A menu pops up.
  2. In the print dialog box that appears, click Print.
  3. In the resulting print dialog box, click Print at the bottom of the window.

Print Lectures on a PC

Firefox:

  1. Right click in the discussion you want to print. A menu pops up.
  2. Pull down to Select All. (Alternatively, you can select what you want to print by clicking and dragging yourself.
  3. Choose File >> Print.
  4. In the Print Range box (lower left), click Selection
  5. Click the OK button at the bottom of the box.

IE:

  1. Click and drag to select what you want to print.
  2. Choose File >> Print.
  3. In the Page Range box (lower left), click Selection.
  4. Click the Print button at the bottom of the box.

OR

  1. Right-click inside the lecture you want to print.
  2. Choose File >> Print
  3. In the print dialog box, click on the Options tab at the top of the window.
  4. Click on the Only the Selected Frame radio button.
  5. Click on the Print button at the bottom of the box.

 

Print Discussions on a Mac

Firefox:

  1. If you have a 2-button mouse, right click in the middle of a discussion anywhere.
  2. A menu pops up. Pull down to This Frame... and over to Open Frame in a New Window.
  3. The frame opens in a new window without the header and left nav menu. Choose File >> Print.
  4. In the resulting print dialog box, click on Print at the bottom of the window.

Print Lectures on a Mac

Firefox:

  1. Click and drag to select the information you want to print.
  2. Choose File >> Print
  3. In the Copies & Pages drop-down box near the top, click and drag down to Firefox
  4. Check Print Selection Only
  5. Click the Print button at the bottom of the window.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR AOL USERS !

You cannot use the version of Internet Explorer that is provided with your AOL Account. Instead you must download and install a "real version" of Internet Explorer or Firefox. AOL will still be your "Internet Service Provider" or ISP.

There are three ways to use an External Browser while signed on to AOL.

Method One

  1. Sign on to AOL as your connection.
  2. Minimize the AOL screen.
  3. launch Internet Explorer or your favorite other non-AOL browser from your computer's desktop.

Method Two

  1. Sign on to AOL as your connection.
  2. Launch Internet Explorer via Start > Programs > Internet Explorer (or other browser's name).

Method Three

  1. Sign on to AOL as your connection.
  2. Launch Internet Explorer (or your favorite other non-AOL browser) from the toolbar next to your Start button (usually at the bottom left of your screen).
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Cut and Paste with Etudes

Cut and paste is just like how it sounds. In Kindergarten you cut a picture out of magazines and pasted it on paper. In computer lingo, you cut text or graphics and paste them in the same or another document. Try it now On your computer, Cut text from the screen and Paste into a text area in your Word Processing program.

Highlight text then click the right mouse button - select copy.

Move pointer to target location, click the right mouse button - select paste.

If it doesn't work:

Netscape and Internet Explorer use Ctrl-C to copy the highlighted area, or the whole page, then Ctrl V to paste. AOL uses Ctrl-C, and then Ctrl-V to copy the highlight and Ctrl-V to paste instead of the right mouse button.

TIP: Highlighting - To select an area, hold the left mouse button down while moving the mouse. Hold the Shift key down while pressing the left mouse button to extend a selected area. Ctrl+left mouse button may be used when a list of files is offered (add to/remove from list).

How Do I Paste Into Tasks, Tests and Surveys (TT&S) in Etudes?

Many instructors suggest that you write and save your work in Microsoft Word before pasting it in the Assignment Desk. This is a great idea so that you have your work in case you lose it in the process of posting it.

To PASTE a MS Word document into TT&S, please follow these steps closely:

  1. Open your MS Word document.
  2. Click on EDIT (menu bar) and then choose "Select All."
  3. Click on EDIT again and then select "Copy."
  4. Connect to the internet and log into the Etudes Course.
  5. Click on "Assignment Desk" and then on the LINK of the ASSIGNMENT that you wish to submit.
  6. Scroll down to the window for the assignment and click INSIDE it (anywhere inside the box) with the mouse. (The cursor MUST be inside the window for text to be pasted.)
  7. Click on the EDIT button of your browser (menu bar) and then on PASTE.
  8. You are now ready to click on the "submit assignment" button.

These eight steps may seem long but they are basic word processing commands.

Once you do this a couple of times, it will become second nature.

Word 2007/Vista

When pasting text composed in Word 2007 you must use the Word Paste function in Etudes to strip out the extra code built into Word (and all Office 2007 products). Failure to do so can cause errors that will prevent you from submitting your work.
In Discussions and Private Messages:
Word Paste for Etudes

In Tasks, Tests and Surveys
Word Paste for Etudes

The Paste Box
Paste Box for Etudes

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My instructor requires that documents be saved in
Rich Text Format (.rft), how do I do this?

So that your instructor can open your file/document you should always save your work in Rich Text Format (.rtf).  This format will set up your file so that any computer, PC or Mac, can read your document.

Follow these steps to save in rft format:

  1. When ready to save your document, click on File
  2. Select the Save As... option and scroll through the choices and select Rich Text Format

If you have Microsoft Word 2007, you will have an additional step

  1. Select Save As... and then select Other Formats, in the Save As drop-down-box scroll through the choices and select Rich Text Format

How to Save as RTF

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To post your initial topic in the Etudes Discussion forum
New Topic

To post a reply to someone else's topic
Post Reply

And for general tips on what to post in discussions see:
Discussion Tips

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