For most of the functions you'll need to have a few features turned on and understand the icons you will use.

When you are in list view if you see no icons to the right of your content or your pages you will want to check "Extended View" just under the list.

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Once turned on you will get a series of icons to the right of the page or content element name.  These are covered under "List Module".

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Quick edit page properties

What to change several Navigation titles at once? Change several pages to "hidden in menu" without having to open up each page's properties? Quick edit in List provides a way to do this.

Quick edit content

What to change the date that several content elements show up without opening every content element to do so? Need to change a name in more than one content element? Quick edit provides an easy way to do this.