Frequently Asked Questions: Q: Why are there different file formats for various assignments? A: Four different file formats are used in this course. Once you know which is which, you will simply use the one that is right for you. Rich Text Format (.rtf) is a file format that is universal. That is, any word processor can read a file saved as Rich Text Format. I use Microsoft Word exclusively, but unless you have the same program, my files may not be readable on your word processor. If I do Save As... and choose Rich Text Format, we're OK. HyperText Markup Language (.html) is the file format for web pages. As I develop my course content, I can save them as web pages that will display correctly on any web browser. Microsoft Word Document (.doc) is the format used by Microsoft Word. Since this is a common application, I save files this way for my students. I also save them in a universal format for my students who do not have Microsoft Word. Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf) This is another universal format. Portable Document Format (.pdf) is available to anyone who downloads the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. You need to purchase the application, Adobe Acrobat, to make the files. This file format is great because it maintains all of the formatting of the original document and often is a smaller file than the original (i.e. quicker downloads). Q: How much participation is needed in the Discussion Boards? A: I think a good guideline is that each week you would post three times in each Discussion Board; you should begin a thread as well as respond to two other people's comments.