Where and how to access FirstClass

The FirstClass software runs on Macintosh and Windows and is installed on all corresponding computers on Campus. You will find the program in a Folder called FirstClass Client (for Window is FirstClass). After you open the folder you can start a session by double-clicking on the FirstClass icon in the new window. The login window will appear and you can log in by entering your user id and password that you were given in class (Hit return/enter only after you entered both, user id and password).

Desktop Window

Once you are logged into FirstClass you will see the Desktop window which includes 15 folders: Mailbox, News, Conferences, Help and one folder (called conference) for each of the 11 homework sets. You can send and receive mail with the Mailbox icon. Important course information will be found in the News (icon). There will be a flag next to these icons if they contain information you have not read. You may find help for the problems in the conferences with the corresponding set icons.

Conferences

You can post your questions for each problem in the appropriate folder within each set and/or you can reply to other students' questions. All that information will be in the folder and will be accessible to everyone. Again, there will be a flag next to a conference which contains information that you have not read yet.

Once you have opened a conference by double clicking on the icon, you can post a message with help of the Compose... (for Windows it is the New Message) command under the Message menu of the menu bar on top of the screen. Enter a subject title and type the message in the bottom half of the window. The default address is the corresponding conference. You can send the message by just closing the window and clicking on Send Now.

The menu bar on the top should guide you in how to reply to a message and perform other commands.

Chats

In addition to the messages in the conference folders each folder contains its own Chat icon. When you double click on this icon you will start a chat (or join it) if there is one already in progress (this is indicated by a red balloon). If you start a Chat, you can invite other users by clicking Invite and then select one or several users that are online. The chat screen is split in two parts. You type inside the box of the top window. The top window also contains a list of participants in the chat and the bottom part shows the chat itself. In order to view the full list of participants you might have to increase the size of the top screen, which you can do by pointing on the line and drag down. (Note that you type inside the box of the top window) You can leave the chat by closing the window.

Logout

Close your session with Quit (for Windows it is Exit) under the File menu.

Questions and Comments

If you have questions or comments about the system you are welcome to send them to the Administrator of the system. Send a message in the same way you would write a message to a conference, just enter admin in the address field ( To:).

Please feel free to explore the system. If you are familiar with a Macintosh or Windows you will find that many of the features you already know will apply here.