Post is a unique feature in CN. It supports student-centered, asynchronous communication and interaction for online learning. Any user can create a post from the Post tab on Hompage, in courses, and in Networks. This article shows the steps and some detailed features involved in creating a post.

Create a Post

To create a post, first, you need to know whom you want to post to and the purpose of the post. If you want to communicate with followers and other CN users of an interest community, you should post on Home page. If you need to post to your class, you should get in the course to post. Similarly, if you plan to post to a Network, you should get on the Network page to post. 

Once you are in the right place, click the Post tab to make the post. 

STEP1: (Optional) Create a title for your post

STEP2: Select instructor-suggested hashtags for your post 

Choose hashtags based on the content of your post. If you don’t see any hashtags that are relevant to your post, create your own (simply type the hashtags)!

Note: you can also insert hashtags in the middle of your post or at the very end.

STEP3: Write your post

STEP4: Attach multimedia

You can attach images, drawings (using the CN drawing tool), self-created/uploaded or YouTube videos, audio files, and documents.  Multimedia can help keep posts interesting and support your argument. Use the opportunity to share related learning materials with your class.

STEP5: Choose a visibility setting

STEP6: Click Submit – Before completing this step, check out a few of our helpful hints below!

TIP1: Add emojicons

TIP2: Add Math Equations

TIP3: Bold your content to make it stand out

TIP4: See if you meet the minimum word requirement set by your instructor in order to earn Anar Seeds. This only applies to CN Classic LMS courses. 

In this case, the minimum requirement is 15 in this example and this post has 146 words, so the Anar is happy. If you see a frowny Anar with a red number, you have not met the minimum word requirement and if you choose to submit, you will not earn any Anar Seeds.

TIP5: You may set up advanced settings for your post (see screenshot below). The options are: 1. create a post now but show it to others after a set time. 2. stop receiving reflections after a set time (as the post creator, you can reflect on the post anytime) 3. do not show reflections to users until they reflect on the post (as the post creator, you can always see reflections on it). You may apply one or multiple of these options to your post. 

TIP6: By checking the box, you can choose to add your post to your public ePortfolio to showcase your work

Here is the submitted post view in this article.

Interact with Others on Posts

CN supports interactions with peers and instructors through posts. You can reflect a post and a comment, rate a post, and select the best reflection. 

Post reflections

When you see a post of your interest (remember, you can filter posts using hashtags), write a nice comment/reflection on it. Make sure your reflection is thoughtful and respectful. 

Just like on a post, you can include hashtags, attach multimedia, include use emoji, add math equations, and bold text. 

CN supports reflections on a reflection. Here is a post with two layers of reflections.

Read related article: Create a Poll in Full CN