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I use LearnLink, in addition to email, as an electronic means of communicating with students. Students post questions in a bulletin-board format concerning course administration, lecture material, and exams; I post answers to those questions, attendance records, grades and administrative announcements. Thus, some folders associated with a course become an FAQ list, which helps students prepare for exams. I also use LearnLink before each exam as a virtual help session to complement the standard help session.

In addition to posting in a bulletin-board format, participants in a particular conference (such as members of a class) can use LearnLink as an internal email system and write private messages.

Each student in a my current class is given a user name and a password. Any person can sign on as a guest (User Name: A Guest; Password: 0000).

Instructions for downloading and using the software can be found at http://bio.fsu.edu/LearnLink. Once the software (FirstClass Client ) is open, select "Service" and, on the pull-down menu, select "Connect." Log on; select "Private Conferences" and then "Plants are Cool!!!"

Welcome aboard.