WebKF2

Web Knowledge Forum: Collaborative Online Learning

This environment is totally web-based and very easy to use as long as you can use a web browser. WebKF2 is home grown at OISE, based on Knowledge Building principles established through IKIT. It is an institutional standard because of its ease-of-use and ability to connect and link ideas across many forums established through asynchronous discussions.

Graduate courses are using WebKF used in conjunction with Blackboard. Instructors see:

The New WebKF Formula
 

Who uses WebKF at OISE?

Almost all online additional qualifications courses offered by OISE's Continuing Education department use this environment and most Graduate distance courses take advantage of WebKF2 for directed progressive discourse.
 

Things you will need for WebKF

1. WebKF2 Login Checklist
Please use this login checklist if you are having problems logging into your course and prior to asking for formal institutional help.

2. WebKF2 Help Request Form
This help request form is for WebKF2 issues only. Ensure you have gone through the login checklist above if you are having login problems. We require the correct course URL, please lookup the URL if you are unsure or contact your instructor. Please fill out all the fields on the form and be as specific as you can with your problem. Non-WebKF issues are handles at the Client Care Portal.

3. WebKF2 Support Manuals
Students:  English : En Français
Instructors: English : En Français

4. Requesting a Course Shell (for Instructors only)
OLE request site.

5. Archive your WebKF Course

To store a WebKF course digitally for your own records:

1. Download uploaded files (these are separate files in the shared or personal directories). Right click to download to your hard drive.
    
2. Copy/paste relevant courses notes you wish to keep into a Word document. We recommend this for instructional material.
   
   Or, the best method to have a copy of an entire view (including student notes):
   
   Open a view with all the notes and save as a web page. This will save all the notes in that view as an html file. You must do  this view by view. You save the entire course at once. Therefore, choose which views you would like to save. Name the html files accordingly. Later when you click on the html file, it will open up in your browser.
   
   We recommend you put all the html and regular files into a folder and store it with the course name.

Should I Use WebKF2?

Here are Some Simple Guidelines:

• Used for distance courses since 1999

• Technology Skill: Novice

• Requires little support for instructor setup or for student use

• Easy startup

• Easy user interface

• No layout customization

• Can use browser toolbars

• No pop-up windows

• No nesting of conference views (e.g. a conference inside of a conference)

• Knowledge Building occurs through instructional methodology

• Minimal searching capability

• Three permission levels, most use two of these - teacher and student

• Public views only

• Easy access to uploads in notes or within directory

• Instructor registers Students manually

WebKF4 (KF4) - No Longer Supported

KF Version 4:
KF4 Support Manual | Short Manual | Reference Card

We regret that we are unable to provide KF4 as a teaching and learning system after September 2009. Please contact us for questions and support.

Similarly to version 2, Knowledge Forum 4 is totally web-based. The ability to connect and link ideas through asynchronous discussions is still part of its prime directive, however new features that support Knowledge Building* pedagogies have been added, such as, Scaffolds, Rise Above's, References, Keywords and Problem Identifications. See IKIT Resources and Collective Cognitive Responsibility for the Advancement of Knowledge (Scardamalia, 2002) for more information on this learning model.

Although the user interface is dramatically different, its updates allow for student self-registration, nested views and various levels of permissions. For instructors who are interested, we suggest a quick tour and demonstration by an EC staff member to aid with course setup. Students are guided by the curriculum setup and should find no real difficulties.

KF4 can be used as a stand alone, but has recently been integrated with the Blackboard Learning Management System, which allows the instructor to take advantage of various UofT administrative features offered through Blackboard, including ROSI. The combination offers more variety for resource-based assignments and resources, but greatly improves the ability for collaborative discourse enhancing deeper learning online.

If you are interested in using KF4 for research, please contact IKIT.

From C2C

If you have used WebKF or First Class for your courses and you need peer-to-peer online collaboration, you'll want to check out C2C.  If the online component of your course is about posting resources, stick with Blackboard! But, get the flex you need if your course methodology promotes asynchronous learning through online discussion or if your course is at a distance.

All OISE faculty, staff and students are eligable to try our C2C Sandbox:

• Want to try it out NOW? Login with UTORid into our C2C OISE Sandbox

• Want to use C2C for your course? Contact CCP

• Already using C2C and want a better experience?  We recommend using Firefox as your web browser

What will C2C Replace?

• WebKF2
• WebKF4
• First Class (OISENet) Conference Discussions within Courses

This tool is practice and researched informed and is currently being developed by EC's Solutions Development Group (SDG) for use in conjunction with Blackboard.

Soon (but not quite yet) the tool can be used within the OISEcms for research, professional and administrative knowledge communities.
 

Why use C2C?

It is especially designed for instruction methodology using asynchonous online collaborations amoung students. Distance Education instructors will benefit greatly.

There is no need to use C2C if you primarily use your online course environments as a file sharing repository.

Features:

• Easily create, move, hide/show, and lock forums and sub forums (conferences)
• Create course notes, draft notes, replies and even private replies
• Create muti-authored notes
• Easily link and reference cross-conference notes
• New split-screen viewing capabilities
• Search the notes you need while you are editing a note
• Create private folders to make collections of significant notes, make notes to self
• Upload files, images and format your notes easily
• Instructor Reports for class and student interaction

Who can Use C2C?

Everyone: Graduate Courses, ITE Courses, AQ Courses, Partially Online or Distance Courses
 

How will it Work?

• There will be an automatic account requesting area via myOISE.
• Link the C2C environment (URL) into your Blackboard course shell menu.
• There is no account management. If students are enrolled in your course, they will be able to access C2C just like they can access Blackboard. Once they have logged into Blackboard, they will click on the C2C course menu link.

How do I get involved?