Student Guide

Student Guide

Logging in to your myWebCT Page	Login Example		WebCT Tools	Overview
About the myWebCT Page				Email
The WebCT Homepage				Discussion
ALWAYS Log Off!				Chat
Ask Dr. C for Students
Troubleshoot Problems
Supported Client Operating Systems
Use an Approved Browser
Check Browser Settings (UTMB site)		(remote site)

Some material appears courtesy of, and with permission of, TAFE SA Online, South Australia.

Logging in to your myWebCT Page

Open a browser window and go to the Welcome to WebCT page at eclass.utmb.edu.

Click the Log on to WebCT link or the My WebCT button. You will be prompted for a username and password. Use your email username and password.

If your password is rejected, try again, this time taking great care that you do not have the Caps Lock on and that your password is absolutely correct. If your password is rejected three times, you will be locked out of WebCT and locked out of your email account. If this happens, call the HelpDesk at x25200 (409-772-5200) to have your password reset and/or your account unlocked. You may need to re-boot before logging in to WebCT again.

When you do log in to WebCT, you will see your myWebCT page. It will list the courses to which you have access. Click on a course name to go to the home page of that course.

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Login Example:

Go to http://eclass.utmb.edu
username: your-email-username password: your-email-password
Your myWebCT page

NOTE: Username and passwords are case sensitive, so be careful when typing them. Do NOT leave any spaces!

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About the myWebCT page

The screen is divided into a number of segments. The layout of the screen moving from left to right though the white part of the screen is as follows:

Under the Courses bar is a list of the your WebCT courses. Click on the name of the course to go into it.
The Announcements area underneath the WebCT.com link will show announcements posted by the server administrator.
The Links under the Links bar contains links for everyone using WebCT.
The Personal Links area can show links that you add to your screen by clicking Manage Links in the green Links bar.
The Help link at the top right side of the page leads to online documentation.

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The WebCT Homepage

The first page you see after you have logged into WebCT is a homepage . This is a standard feature of WebCT, and although it may differ slightly in every module, there are some common features.

You can return to the homepage at any time by selecting the "Home" link above the action Menu (these links are referred to as "breadcrumbs"). You will become more familiar with the different sections as you work through the material. A sample homepage is displayed below.

A homepage :

is the centre of all WebCT modules.
is the first page displayed after logging in.
contains the learning materials and support tools
is accessible from every other page in the course.

The page displayed above has icons showing some of the most popular features of WebCT. The icons on the homepage can link to :

learning pathway or contents page (learning materials, module guide)
WebCT tools (mail, discussions, chat)
tool page (student support tools - similar design to a homepage)
a URL (links to a page outside the WebCT module)
a single page (assessment)

The homepage layout is designed to suit the topic and learning methodology of each module. The number of icons will vary, as will the function of some icons

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Breadcrumbs

Underneath the course title you will see a trail of links showing the path you have taken. These are called 'breadcrumbs'. Here is an example -

This 'trail of breadcrumbs' shows that you are currently looking at the "How do I navigate?" page. You got to this page from the Learner Guide which you got to from the home page. You can click on any of the links to go back.

Linking to an Organiser Page from the Home Page opens a new page with a similar concept to the homepage. It allows the designer to put more WebCT tools on a separate page rather than crowd the homepage. This may include tools to change the password, search the learning materials, check results or check progress. If a separate Organiser Page is implemented in the design you will be able to return to the Home Page using the breadcrumbs..

Linking to a URL may open a new window in your browser, in which case it will have to be closed. If it uses the same browser window, you will need to use the back button on your browser as you will be outside WebCT.

Linking to a single page opens a new browser window but has a built-in close button because it is still under the control of WebCT.

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Troubleshoot Browser Problems

WebCT is easy to use; however, a few pitfalls can occur, and these can happen when:

you are not using one of the approved browsers
the browser settings do not enable javascript
you are using an AOL version other than 7 to connect to the Internet
you do not close the browser when you finish a WebCT session.

The instructions below tell you how you can avoid these problems.

Supported Client Operating Systems

Windows 98/ME/NT/2000
Mac OS 8.6 & 9.1 (OS X to be supported with full release of IE)
Linux

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Use an Approved Browser

For our version: WebCT 3.8	Internet Explorer 6.0
	1.AOL 7.0 (PC & Mac)

If you don’t know what version of a browser you are using, click the Help button in the menu bar and in the drop down box, click About Internet Explorer or About Netscape.

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Check Browser Settings (UTMB site)

Once you are sure the browser you are using is one of the preferred ones, you should check the javascript settings.

Test for Java. See if you can load a java applet of this puzzle or this magic cube. We link to two applets because the sites are occasionally not available. If you can't link to one, try the other.
If you don't see the cube, you will need to download an updated Java plug-in for Windows (JVM). Download file from Sun.
After installation of the Java plug-in, try to load the puzzle or magic cube java applet again.

Set Your Browser Cache to Always Reload a Page

Select "Tools" then choose "Internet Options"
Select the "General" tab
Select "Settings" from Temporary Internet Files
Select the "Every Visit to the Page" radio button
Click "OK"

Turn off Anonymous Logon

Select "Tools" then choose "Internet Options"
Select the "Security" tab
Select "Custom level"
Scroll down to "User Authentication" settings
"Logon" options
Select the "Automatic logon only in Intranet zone" radio button
Click "OK"

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Enable Cookies If you are using WebCT Campus Edition with ticket-based authentication, client browsers must have cookies enabled.

How do I enable cookies for Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x?

Select "Internet Options" from the Tools menu
Click on the Privacy Tab
Enable cookies:

If using a default setting, move the slider to select any of the following privacy settings:

Medium High
Medium
Low
Accept all cookies

If using a custom setting, click Advanced:

Select Override automatic cookie handling
Select Always allow session cookies
Click OK to return to the Privacy Tab of Internet Options

Click Apply and then OK

Check Browser (remote site) WebCT's Browser Tune-up at http://www.webct.com/exchange/viewpage?name=exchange_browser_tuneup

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ALWAYS Log Off!

Browsers remember id’s and passwords! If students are using WebCT on public PCs, they must know to close the browser and log completely out of the session when they are done. If the student has been logged on to WebCT and leaves the browser running, the next person who uses that machine can log on to WebCT using the first student’s id and password. They might not even notice they are logged in under a different id and turn in work, take exams, send email, and make discussion postings – all under the first student’s name.

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WebCT Tools

This is a general overview of access and usage of WebCT (Web Course Tools). Some material appears courtesy of TAFE SA Online, South Australia.

WebCT tools make courses very versatile and interactive. The course instructor decides which tools will be installed and available. The following is a list of all the tools that you might find on your homepage and a short description of what these tools can do for you. Remember, the following tools are available only if the instructor has added them.

NOTE: Different icons may be used to designate the tools.

	Password: This tool allows you to change your password.
	Discussions is a place where messages can be posted for public display. On the Internet, and in some of the online modules, a Discussion may also be called a bulletin board or a forum. In WebCT, Discussions is the main tool and topics are the items to be discussed. A Discussion can be used : as a place where students can discuss general issues to discuss case studies or learning material with lecturer by a group of students to discuss or present an assignment to post general messages from the lecturer to organize related discussions
	Email: The mail icon in WebCT allows users to send e-mail to other WebCT users. WebCT also allows for mail to be forwarded to any Internet mail address if the administrator allows it.
	Chat: With online chat you can 'talk' to other students and instructors while you are online. You have the option of 'chatting' in a general area, or there are 4 separate rooms where the 'conversation' is logged. This is to allow the private rooms to be used for assessment (i.e., group work or 'brainstorming').
	Calendar: With the Calendar tool you can view any scheduled events. You can add private entries to the calendar (visible only to yourself) and, if the instructor has allowed it, public ones (visible to everyone in the course) . A list of new events pops up when you access the calendar.
	Quiz: take quizzes, complete surveys and do assignments online. The quiz homepage allows you access to all quizzes in the course. You can also view your test scores and the instructor's comments, as well as statistics about the quizzes. See "More Explanation" for additional information.
	The My Grades tool allows you to view your assessment results. This only applies if the lecturer has released them.
	My Progress: This shows information and statistics graphs about which parts of the course have been accessed. A history of pages visited are displayed.
	Glossary: search for keywords and their definitions. See "More Explanation" for additional information.
	The Compile tool lets you condense several pages into one. This is useful when printing out the course contents.
	The Index tool lists the index entries. This is similar to an index in a book where keywords are listed along with the page references.
	Whiteboard: enables students to prepare group or individual projects and "present" them to the class.
	Homepages: Clicking on this icon will take you to a list of student names. You can view any user's homepage by following its hyperlink. To customize your own page, click on your name. The window will now be divided in two frames. The bottom frame provides you with the attribute options that you can set for your homepage. The top frame will display the page as you update it.
	Image Database - Here, you can view, search, and retrieve images from the databases created by the lecturer
	Search: allows keyword search in the index, title, header, or the entire course content.
	Resume Session: allows you to start the new session exactly where you left off. It takes you back to the page of the course content last accessed.
	The Assessment Dropbox may also be used to present assignment topics and resources. You will need to upload your completed assignments.

Printing From Your Class

To print class materials or class messages you must use your browser print option. In Netscape you would go to the top menu bar and choose File and Print Frame. You must have your cursor activated in the frame of your browser that you want to print.

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Email

The mail icon in WebCT allows users to send e-mail to other WebCT users. WebCT also allows for mail to be forwarded to any Internet mail address if the administrator allows it.

This icon will be displayed if you have new mail.

Viewing Folders

When you have new mail, click on the mail icon (or the Mail course menu item). You will see a page showing your mail folders. Select the folder you wish to view by clicking on the folder link.

The menu icons on this page perform the following actions

	To compose a new message
	Search for text in a message
	Create, delete and rename mail folders
	Move messages to folders or delete
	Mail forwarding or alter number of messages to display on the page

Forward Mail

To forward your WebCT email to an external email address, choose Manage Settings. The following window appears where you can enter your email address -

Read Messages

When you choose a mailbox to view, you will see the e-mail page which contains

some buttons for working with messages,
a message organizer section and
a listing of the emails in the selected folder.

The first line of the message is the Subject of the message/s. The second line contains -

a check box where you can select a file/files when you want to do something with it,
the name of the sender
the time and date the message was sent
a new indicator if the message has not been read

To read a message, click on the Subject title.

To reply to the message press the button.

After you have written the reply message click on the Send button.

Attach Files to Email Messages

Use the skills you developed in the last section to open up WebCT Mail and click on the Compose button. Type in the login id name of the recipient, the subject of your message and a brief message giving your instructor some information about the file you are attaching.

If you know the exact path to the file you want to attach type it in the box beside

'Attach the file:' For example, you know the essay you want to send your instructor is in a file called essay.doc on drive c:, type in 'C:\essay.doc'. If you are not sure of the exact location of the file, click on the button and if you are using Windows you will see a screen like the following.

Find the file you want to attach by following the same steps you use when opening a new word processing document. Click on the file you want and then click on the Open button. The next screen you see will be similar to the following.

Once you have chosen the file you want to attach to your email message, click on the Attach File button and you will see a screen like the one below.

The attachment can now be sent with your message. You can attach further files or delete the attachments if you change your mind.

If you ever receive a message with an attachment, you will see the paperclip icon next to your message. Click on it to see a list of the attachments and then click on the file you want to view.

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Discussion

"Discussions" is a place where messages can be posted for public display. On the Internet, and in some of the online modules, a Discussion may also be called a bulletin board or a forum. In WebCT, Discussions is the main tool and topics are the items to be discussed.

A Discussion can be used :

as a place where students can discuss general issues
to discuss case studies or learning material with lecturer
by a group of students to discuss or present an assignment
to post general messages from the lecturer
to organize related discussions

This icon will be displayed if there is a new message.

The Discussions layout is very similar to that of the e-mail window. The main difference between the Discussions tool and Mail is that when you post a message in a topic, everyone sees the posted messages.

Bulletin boards are used to ask questions about the course. The questions can be general or specific. They are open to all readers and can be answered by students or instructors.

You are also encouraged to answer questions that other students have posted.

When you select the Discussions tool, by clicking on the menu link or on a Discussions icon, you will be taken to a topic listing window.

Click on the Topic to see the postings. If you click on All you will see all postings for all available topics.

The image on the left shows the command buttons used to display the different forums.

The Return to Discussions link will return you to the topic listing. Don't forget to use the online Help if you are not sure about using the Discussions tool.

Topics may be set up for particular subjects. Click on the Topic dropdown box to see the different topics that are available.

As in the e-mail, messages can be sorted, and you can display All, Read or Unread messages by using the Show option.

To post a new message, click on Compose Message, enter the text, and then click the Send button.

Messages which have not been read will have a "New" icon next to the message. Discussion messages also accept attachments.

Be sure to press Update the Listing after reading/composing messages so that the latest information is displayed. Check also that the Topic list is showing the correct topic for your message(s).

Don't be shy ! Use the forum to ask your questions.

You may also be able to provide some answers, comments, or suggestions to other students.

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NOTE: Click on the "Help" button for detailed help.

Chat

With online chat you can 'talk' to other students and instructors while you are online.

You have the option of 'chatting' in a general area, or there are 4 separate rooms where the 'conversation' is logged. This is to allow the private rooms to be used for assessment (i.e.. group work or 'brainstorming').

The image to the left shows the options available when you select online chat from the homepage.

To use Online Chat you must have the Java option enabled in your browser. Note that online chat will only work with 32-bit operating systems (Windows 3.1 is a 16-bit operating system).

To chat, just type your message in the message box and press Enter.

You can chat to other students online. They may even be on the other side of the world.

"Rooms 1-4" are for group discussion. Conversations in these rooms will be recorded and the instructor can access these logs.

"General chat for your class" lets you talk to any student in your class.

"General chat for all courses" is open to all students who are taking a WebCT course.

These are very basic Chat instructions:

Entering a chat room: After you have clicked on a room, your identity appears in the right frame under "Users Logged On" with the other users.
Chatting: Enter your message in the bottom frame and press the "Enter" key to have it displayed in the "Output Interaction Box". This message will be visible to all chat members.
Sending a private message: Select the user's ID from the right frame, enter your message and press the "Enter" key. To make your messages public again, deselect that user's ID.
Leaving the room: Click on the "Quit" button at the very bottom of the Chat window.

Be aware that unnecessary chat in a crowded chat room may be very disruptive. Be careful not to interrupt each other. If you want, you can invite other students into a private chat room.

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Glossary

Glossary: search for keywords and their definitions. See "More Explanation" for additional information.

Click on "View Whole Glossary" to view the entire glossary.
Click on letters from "A-Z" to view entries by first letter.
Click on "Search" to search the glossary using keywords within the definition.

Closing the Glossary: If you accessed the glossary through the homepage, "BACK" will take you to the homepage. If you accessed the glossary from a content page and want to go back to that page, click on the "refresh" button in the left frame.

Glossary access from course content: Notice that some words in a page within the course content might be colored and underlined, which means that they are defined in the glossary. Clicking on these words opens a window that displays the glossary definition for that term. Click "close" to go back to the text.

Revised by AR/AC staff 12/2002. Originally prepared by the ISU Instructional Technology Resource Center and modified for CNU. This document may be copied for individual or nonprofit use.