Possible first-day and followup activities:

Open Digication and provide an overview of the interface; it may be helpful to point out that Digication has four main interface areas in which we work:

[1] banner

[2] sections

[3] pages

[4] content

• present Quick Start Guide (two pp.; succinct)      
  
• show how to log in with Campus Connection credentials
• show brief visual conventions of what portflios look like 
• show where documentation and guides live  
• show "Create New A E-Portfolio" link
• show how to create a page and a module
  

Most initial "how-do-I?" questions can be addressed in the information links found under "Create A New  E-Portfolio": portfolio title, format, privacy.

If you are teaching in a campus computer classroom, turn them loose for 10-15 minutes after your introduction -- "play, see what it can do" -- and let them try copying/pasting some text, inserting an image and video, reminding them to "Publish" in order to see their pages. They can always delete their play text later. This is also true of the initial set-up information under "Create New A E-Portfolio": title, format, and privacy can all be edited later.

If you are not teaching in a campus computer classroom, but have presented your introduction in a campus smart classroom, provide students with the two-page PDF Quick Start handout so they can practice later, at home or in a campus computer lab. Good goals for students' initial Digication efforts:

• Visit http://depaul.digication.com/
• Create a new digital portfolio
• Add a section
• Add a page
• Add content -- a low-stakes assignment or practice text -- save and publish
• Check to make sure the content is visible when visiting the "Published" tab

Subsequent in-class followup activities could include:

• Problem-solving by inviting students to email you before class with Digication questions, giving you time to prepare overhead "how-to examples")
• Workshopping text and image integration -- both how-to and citation styles
• Choosing random portfolios to view daily, which can generate both ideas for the arrangement and presentation of materials
• Provide students a method for working with metacognition and reflection
• Creating hyperlinks
• Managing comments and tags
  
• Designing banners
• Comparing digital reading practices and print reading practices

Remind students that tutors from the University Center for Writing-based Learning have been trained on Digication -- and integrated nicely with their tutoring responsibilities -- and are available to work them. No appointments necessary; it's on a drop-in basis.