CSC 261 Course Workspace Guide

The CSC 261 Course Workspace is where you read each problem, write or upload your work, ask Codex for feedback, and prepare your assignment files. New problem sets will appear as they are assigned.

The workspace is under active development. If something does not work as described here, tell your course staff what happened and where you got stuck.

1. Open csc261.path.app.
2. Enter your Furman email address.
3. Request the six-digit PIN and enter it when it arrives. One-time-code autofill also works when your device offers it.

Your browser session opens only your own CSC 261 work. Do not share your email PIN, sign-in link, authorization page, pairing code, or token with anyone.

You normally need to do this only once on each computer.

1. In the desktop app, open the mode switcher in the upper-left corner and choose Codex, not ChatGPT.

2. In the Course Workspace, choose Connect agent.

3. Start a new Codex task and send the prompt shown in the connection window. It will look like this:

   Connect the CSC 261 MCP server at https://csc261.path.app/mcp. Add it to my shared Codex MCP configuration using the name csc261, start the OAuth sign-in, and wait while I approve the connection. Once connected, call open_course_workspace and open its returned URL in the Browser pane.
   

4. Codex will add the course tool and open an authorization page.

5. Confirm that the authorization page shows your name, then choose Connect Codex.

6. Return to Codex. Ask it to verify the csc261 connection and open your signed-in course workspace.

You should not need to paste a course password, pairing code, or access token into Codex. You can enter /mcp in Codex to inspect the connection.

If Codex cannot add the course tool for you:

1. Confirm that the mode switcher in the upper-left corner says Codex.

2. Open Settings → Connections, then add a connection using these settings:

   • Name: csc261
   • Type: Streamable HTTP
   • URL: https://csc261.path.app/mcp

3. Save the server and restart the app.

4. Return to Settings → Connections, select csc261, and choose Authenticate.

5. Approve the connection in your browser, then enter /mcp in Codex to confirm that csc261 is connected.

Keep the Course Workspace open beside Codex while you work.

1. Select the assignment and problem you are working on.
2. Write your attempt in the workspace. Your work saves as you type.
3. Ask Codex to read the current problem and your saved work.
4. Discuss the problem, revise your work, and ask Codex to review the new version.
5. Continue until you can explain and defend the answer yourself.

Useful prompts include:

Help me with my current CSC 261 problem.

Review my latest saved work and give me one hint about what to try next.

I revised my answer. Please read the current version and review it again.

Codex is a teaching guide. It should ask questions, explain ideas, and check your reasoning; it should not write a complete solution for you. You are the author of the work you submit, and AI feedback can be incomplete or wrong.

Upload handwritten work through the Course Workspace, not as an attachment in the Codex chat.

1. Open the correct problem in the Course Workspace.

2. Upload your image or PDF there.

3. Explicitly ask Codex to read or transcribe the upload:

   Read the paper draft I uploaded for the current problem and transcribe it faithfully.
   

4. Compare the transcription in the workspace with your original. Correct any unclear or misread text before requesting feedback.

Codex reads PDFs one page at a time, so a multi-page file may take longer. A faithful transcription should preserve your reasoning and mistakes instead of silently correcting or completing your answer.

Ask Codex to review the exact saved version of each required problem. If you edit an answer after review, ask Codex to review it again.

When all required problems have been reviewed, explicitly ask:

I am ready to submit. Please prepare my CSC 261 assignment.

The Course Workspace records the visible coaching conversation and prepares your assignment files. It does not upload anything to Moodle. Download the files requested by the assignment, then follow the workspace instructions to upload them to Moodle yourself.

• Request a new PIN and use the newest message; a new PIN replaces the old one.
• Check that you entered the same Furman email address that is on the course roster.
• If the message does not arrive, check spam before contacting course staff.

• Confirm that the upper-left mode switcher says Codex.
• Open Settings → Connections and confirm that the server is saved and enabled.
• Confirm that its URL is exactly https://csc261.path.app/mcp.
• Restart the desktop app after adding or changing the server.

• Open Settings → Connections, select csc261, and choose Authenticate again.
• Sign in on the authorization page if prompted.
• Confirm your own name before choosing Connect Codex.

• Confirm that you uploaded it in the Course Workspace, not the Codex chat.
• Confirm that the correct problem is open in the workspace.
• Ask Codex to read the current problem again.

• Wait for the workspace to save your latest edit.
• Tell Codex: Read my current saved work again before responding.

If a connection problem continues, disconnect the csc261 MCP server, add it again, and repeat authentication. Ask course staff for help if you still cannot connect.

Official reference: Connect Codex to an MCP server