Online Tutorial for WebCT

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WebCT is the online course management software that you will use when taking your classes online through SCC. As with all software, you will have to learn to use WebCT; the more you use it, the more comfortable you will become with it.

If you are taking an online course, you will want to learn how to use WebCT effectively in order to take advantage of the features of the software. In the material presented in this tutorial, you will learn how to log in to WebCT, features on the myWebCT page, features on your course home page, and three of the most popular communication tools you may find in an online course.

This tutorial is made up of these sections:

• Loging In to WebCT
• The myWebCT Page
• Your Course Homepage
• Communication Tools
• A Learner's Guide
• Frequently Asked Questions

To move around within any of these sections, use the navigation buttons at the top and bottom of each screen. The Previous and Next buttons will take you to the previous and next pages.The Home button will take you to the Main Menu page of this tutorial, and the Exit button will close this tutorial.

Let's get started. Select a link from the left-hand navigation bar to choose the section you would like to learn about.

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Logging In to WebCT: Introduction

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WebCT is an online application. That means you access it through a web browser. Internet Explorer is a commonly used browser. In the Address field of your browser, type "http://webct.stanly.edu" and press the Enter key on your keyboard. (Notice that www is not part of the URL.)

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Logging In to WebCT: Log in Link

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When you access the WebCT home page, click on the "Log in to myWebCT" link. This will take you to a screen where you can log in.

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Logging In to WebCT: ID and Password

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Enter your WebCT ID and Password into these fields and press the "Log in" button to log in to your account.

Your WebCT ID is made up of the first initial of your first name, your last name, and the last four digits of your Student ID number. For example, if John Smith's Student ID is 569876, his WebCT ID would be jsmith9876.

The password is the first initial of last name (capitalized) plus the second letter of last name (lower case) and last four digits of student ID. Example: Sm9876

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Logging In to WebCT: Password Settings

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After you have Logged In to WebCT, you have the option of changing your password. To do this, click the "Password settings" button. An example of that button is highlighted below.

You should now see the screen below. By filling in these fields, you can change your password whenever you want to do so. Just make certain to use a minimum of four characters.

You can also create a login hint. If you ever forget your login ID or password, you can click on the "Forgot your password?" link on the Entry page. WebCT will then ask you for your ID. If you have also forgotten your ID, you will be asked to select the "click here for help" link. You will then be asked your login hint question. If you respond with the correct answer, WebCT will email your password to the email address you enter below. Note that you may change your email address login hint at any time.

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Browser Requirements: Introduction

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Browser Checker: WebCT Campus Edition 4.1 automatically checks your browser when you log in to determine which browser you are using. Once the WebCT version and browser version are determined, you will be able to see if your browser is supported by WebCT by clicking on the link for the Browser Tune-up page:

http://www.webct.com/tuneup

WebCT browsers are classified as:

• Validated: These browsers have been tested extensively and have been validated for use with WebCT.
• Nonvalidated: These browsers have not been tested extensively but no significant issues are known.
• Unsupported: These browsers are known to have significant issues in operation with WebCT and are not supported for use with WebCT.

Note: The supported browsers for use with WebCT are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, AOL, and Mozilla.. Other browsers such as Opera and Safari are not supported for use with WebCT.

A list of browsers for various versions of WebCT is shown on the Browser Tune-up page along with links to download supported browsers.

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Browser Requirements: Browsers Supported

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For WebCT Campus Edition 4.1, the following information is given:

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Browser Requirements: AOL Browsers

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AOL Users: Even though AOL is shown as a validated browser, WebCT does not always work properly with AOL. If you use AOL, you will need to use Internet Explorer or Netscape as your browser. Otherwise, you will experience problems accessing WebCT as well as problems using some WebCT components. In order to get to WebCT via AOL, take the following steps:

• Connect to the Internet using AOL.
• Minimize the AOL screen. (Do not close AOL or you will lose your Internet connection.)
• Start Internet Explorer or Netscape. You will use IE or Netscape as your browser--not AOL as your browser.

Losing your connection or getting AOL timeout notifications?

• Open a private chat within AOL.
• Minimize the chat.
• Minimize AOL.
• Open Internet Explorer.
• AOL will think you are busy while you are using WebCT and you will not be asked to disconnect because of a lack of activity.

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Browser Adjustments: Introduction

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You must make adjustments to the browser you use to access WebCT. If the browser is not set correctly, some components of WebCT will not work properly. Specific steps for the adjustments may be found at the following URL: http://www.webct.com/tuneup.

As an example, the following screens give the steps necessary to optimize an Internet Explorer browser.

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Browser Adjustments: Enable Java

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Enable Java—You will need to have the Sun Microsystems Java Runtime Environment (JRE) software version 1.4.1 (1.4.2 or higher recommended) software installed in your browser in order for certain areas of WebCT to function properly.

You may need to download and install this software.

In addition, you will need to perform the following adjustments for Internet Explorer:

1. Select Tools then choose Internet Options. The Internet Options screen appears.
2. Select the Security tab.
3. Click the Custom Level button. The Security Settings screen appears.
4. Scroll down to Java Permissions and choose either Low, Medium, or High safety
5. Click OK. The Internet Options screen appears.
6. Click OK.

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Browser Adjustments: Switch to the Sun Java Virtual Machine

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For Internet Explorer, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Windows Control Panel by clicking Start > Settings > Control Panel. The Control Panel appears.
2. Locate and double-click Java Plug-in. The Java(TM) Plug-in Control Panel appears.
3. Click the Browser tab.
4. Under Settings, select the checkbox next to your browser.
5. Click Apply to save your settings.
6. Restart the browser.

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Browser Adjustments: Enable Javascript

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For Internet Explorer, follow the steps below:

1. Select Tools then choose Internet Options. Select the Security tab.
2. Click the Custom Level button. The Security Settings screen appears.
3. Scroll down to Scripting, and enable Active Scripting and Scripting of Java Applets.
4. Click OK. The Internet Options screen appears.
5. Click OK.

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Browser Adjustments: Set Browser Cache

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For Internet Explorer, follow the steps below:

1. Select Tools then choose Internet Options. The Internet Options screen appears.
2. Select the General tab.
3. Under Temporary Internet Files, select Settings. The Settings screen appears.
4. Select the Automatically radio button.
5. Click OK. The Internet Options screen appears.
6. Click OK.

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Browser Adjustments: Turn off Anonymous Logon

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For Internet Explorer, follow the steps below:

1. Select Tools then choose Internet Options
2. Select the Security tab
3. Click the Custom Level button
4. Scroll down to the User Authentication settings
5. Under Logon select the Automatic logon only in Intranet zone radio button.
6. Click OK.

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Browser Adjustments: Enable Cookies

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For Internet Explorer 6.x, follow the steps below:

1. Select Tools then choose Internet Options
2. Select the Privacy tab
3. 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 the Advanced button
     • Select Override automatic cookie handling
     • Select Always allow session cookies
     • Click OK to return to the Privacy Tab
       
4. Click Apply then OK

For Internet Explorer 5.x, follow the steps below.

1. Select Tools then choose Internet Options. The Internet Options screen appears.
2. Select the Security tab.
3. Click the Custom Level button. The Security Settings screen appears.
4. Scroll down to the Cookies section
5. Set Allow cookies that are stored on your computer to Enable
6. Set Allow per-session cookies to Enable
7. Click OK

For Internet Explorer 4.x, follow the steps below.

1. Select View then choose Internet Options
2. Select the Advanced tab
3. Scroll down to the Security section and then find Cookies
4. Select Always accept cookies
5. Click OK

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Browser Adjustments: Disable Pop-up Blocking

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While using WebCT, you will need to disable pop-up blocking for the WebCT server if you are unable to view discussion postings, quiz windows, and download links.

Depending on the pop-up blocking software you are using, you may be able to set your WebCT server as an allowed site, or you may need to disable the pop-up blocker while using WebCT.

Pop-up blockers work in the background while you browse the Internet. When they detect a pop-up window that may be an unwanted advertisement, they automatically close the window. This can prevent WebCT from performing properly.

To disable pop-up blockers for WebCT:

1. Search your hard drive for any software with "pop-up" in the name. Disable it or set your WebCT server as an allowed site. Examples of popular pop-up blocking applications include:
   1. Pop-Up Stopper
   2. Pop-Up Defender
   3. Pop-Up Zapper
   
   
2. Pop-up blocking functions are included in some anti-virus, Internet security, personal firewall, and browser programs. Disable the relevant setting in the program or set your WebCT server as an allowed site. Examples of programs that include pop-up blocking functions include the following: Norton Internet Security, Zone Alarm Pro, Google Toolbar, Yahoo! Toolbar, MSN Toolbar, AOL 8.0 and later, Safari browser, Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 2, Mozilla browser, and Netscape browser.
   
   You may also need to disable firewall software applications. Some firewall applications prevent consistent and continuous communications between the student computer and the course web sites. Some popular firewall software applications include: Norton Firewall, McAfee Firewall, and ZoneAlarm.
   
   Disable the firewall software application before connecting to the course or configure it to allow access to the WebCT site at Port 80.

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myWebCT: Introduction

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The first page you see when you log in to WebCT is the welcome page, which is called myWebCT. Here you will see a link for each online course you are taking. This means you will have only one login ID and one password to remember.

As you go through the following sections of this module, you may want to return to the myWebCT page. This is done by clicking on the myWebCT link on the menu bar above your course homepage. To return to your orientation course, click on the course name link.

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myWebCT: Left-hand side of myWebCT

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Course links: A list of all courses you are taking through WebCT is available as links down the left-hand side of the page. This means you will have only one user ID and one password to remember even though you may be taking more than one course.

Course news: Beneath each course name, you will have messages to alert you to new mail, new assignments, new discussion postings, etc., within each course. This enables you to quickly find information in your course that has been added since the last time you entered your course.

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myWebCT: Right-hand side of myWebCT

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Institutional announcements: Watch for college announcements such as registration dates, weather-related openings and closings, and events on campus.

Institutional bookmarks: Links are provided for you to access such areas as the SCC web site home page, LRC, Student Development, and CampusCruiser.

Personal bookmarks: Links are provided by WebCT that are of general interest to college students. You may also add links of your own to this area.

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myWebCT: Menu Bar of myWebCT

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Bookmarks: This allows you to add and delete the bookmarks that display in your Personal Bookmarks.

Global calendar: This calendar includes entries for course calendars in all WebCT courses you are taking. You will look at the course calendar later.

Password settings: This feature allows you to change the initial password you are assigned when your account is set up. Your instructor will encourage you to do this within your course.

Preferences: Once you are taking an online course, you will be able to set up a logon hint in case you forget your password--or even your ID.

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Course Home Page: Introduction

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In this section you will learn about the features of the home page, such as menu items and links. You will also learn how to navigate through a WebCT course.

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Course Home Page: Content Area

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The majority of the course home page has icons that represent modules or sections of your course. These icons act as links to information your instructor has provided. Your instructor may also use the area above and below the icons for class announcements or reminders.

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Course Home Page: Menu Bar Links

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The course home page contains the following links on the menu bar:

myWebCT: You have already used this link to return to the myWebCT page. This page has links to all online courses you are taking.

Resume Course: This link allows you to pick up in a content module wherever you stopped working the last time you were in your course.

Course Map: This link provides an overview of your course in an outline format on one page.

Resources: The Resources link opens a new browser window and takes you to the WebCT web site. You may set up a search from this site for additional content information.

Logout: It is important to always log out of WebCT when you have finished working on your course--especially if you are using a computer in a public computer lab. If you do not log out, someone may be able to get into your course.

Help: The Help link is context sensitive. In other words, the help information that pops up depends on where you are within your course when you select that link. For example, if you are in an Assignments module when you select Help, a page will come up with information about viewing assignments, submitting assignments, viewing an assignment grade, etc.

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Course Home Page: Course Menu

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The navigation bar or Course Menu on the left-hand side of your course home page gives you links to the various components of your course. You may use these links in addition to the icons in the content area to go to different sections of your course.

Also, to the left of the Course Menu there is a Hide Navigation command in the form of a green triangle pointing down. Click on Hide Navigation or green triangle and notice that the Course Menu disappears and the content area view expands. This is useful when you are working on Course Content modules. Now click Show Navigation or green triangle pointing to the right, and you will see the Course Menu links again.

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Course Home Page: Navigating the Course

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One way to navigate or work through course materials is to use the Breadcrumbs. This is where you will see the path of links as you work through material within your course. To go back to a previous page or pages, click on the appropriate link for the name of the page to which you want to return.

When you are working on course material within a content module, you will see an Action Menu at the top of each content page. There will be links on the Action Menu that will take you to the next page or a previous page within the module. A course content module is usually identified by a table of contents that appears when you first click on the icon for the module.

Important: Do not use Back and Forward buttons on your browser to navigate. These buttons do not work the way you expect them to work. Instead, move through the course by using:

• Content element icon
• Course Menu (navigation bar)
• Menu Bar
• Action Menu
• Breadcrumbs

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Communication Tools: Introduction

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In this section you will learn about four of the most commonly used communications tools available in WebCT online courses:

• Mail
• Calendar
• Discussions
• Chat

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Communication Tools: The Mail Tool

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Email is provided within your WebCT course that you can use to communicate with your instructor and with other students taking the course. Since it is within your course, you will not have to exit your course and go to a private or external email account to send or ready your messages.

Also, you will not have to worry about getting email addresses for students in your course--and you know that email addresses frequently change. This will not be a problem when you use WebCT's mail tool.

Notice from the illustration above that you have folders built in. The inbox folder is where all of your incoming messages will appear. The outbox is where a copy of all outgoing messages you send will be saved. This is a very handy feature! The Draft folder allows you to save messages that are in progress. Maybe you are in the middle of a message and have to stop working. When you save the message in your Draft folder, you do not have to start over with your message.

WebCT also allows you to create folders of your own to help organize your work.

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Communication Tools: The Calendar Tool

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Your instructor may include a calendar within your course and post due dates for assignments, tests, etc. You may also use the calendar to post your own messages on the calendar.

In addition to the course calendar, WebCT provides a Global Calendar on the myWebCT page. If you are taking several courses, you will be able to check the Global Calendar to see due dates for each of your courses on this one calendar. You will also be able to post private messages on this calendar.

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Communication Tools: The Discussions Tool

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The Discussions tool, sometimes called a bulletin board, simulates discussions that occur in a traditional or seated course. You will be able to interact with fellow students similar to the way you would if you were sitting in a classroom or talking in groups before or after class.

An advantage to the Discussions tool is that it is a "delayed" form of communication. This means you can take your time in responding to a discussion topic and think about what you want to say.

To respond to a discussion posting, you should click on the posting to which you want to reply. In the example above, that posting would be the blue "Discussions Tool" that was authored by Marlene Saunders. A screen similar to the one below should appear.

On this screen, click the "Reply" or the "Quote" button and then enter your reply in the fields provided. "Reply" will simply reply to the message. "Quote" will reply to the message but it will also include the original message in your posting. Using "Quote" can make reading each post easier to understand.

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Communication Tools: The Chat Tool

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The Chat tool may be used in your course as a way to communicate in "real" time. It may be used by the instructor to provide instruction to a group of students or to use Chat during the instructor's office hours. Also, Chat may be used by students within the course to "talk" to each other about the course or to work on a group project.

You may activate an entry chime to sound whenever someone "enters" the room. You will hear the chime whether you are in a chat room or working on something else within your course. You will find four general purpose rooms, one of which is labeled with the name of your course. A general chat room is available for anyone enrolled in a WebCT course at SCC.

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How do I . . .

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The interactive tutorials will demonstrate various activities in WebCT. In some cases you will have an opportunity to practice the activities. If you are using a computer in a lab setting on campus, you may need to turn on the speakers on your computer and get headphones from the lab assistant.

Email:
Attach a file to an e-mail

Assignments:
Download a file from an assignments page
Upload and submit a completed assignment
Create rich text format document

Discussions:
Post and Reply

General Windows:
Browse for a file
Zip files using Windows XP
Popup windows

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Frequently Asked Questions

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1. Will the instructor help me?
In general, to succeed in an online class you should be able to read and follow directions without further input from the instructor. Class contact is limited and you must be willing to read instructions and assignments yourself. While your instructor will be happy to help you, you will have to contact him or her by phone or email, which means that you may not get immediate feedback.

Do not hesitate to contact your instructor for help, but also plan ahead and start on your work early so that you are not waiting for feedback in order to complete assignments on time.
2. How will I learn the material?
In an online class, most of your learning is accomplished from what you read. This means that you will need to take notes on the course material, both from a textbook and from the online reading and activities that you do. Along with reading, you will have various assignments to complete; and you may engage in online discussions with other students. However, most of what you do will require that you read—either course material, comments from other students, or web pages from the World Wide Web.

Therefore, if you are a slow reader or do not like to read, you will want to budget extra time for this course and to plan ahead. You may want to look over the course syllabus as soon as the semester starts and plan a timetable of what you will need to do along with due dates.
3. How will I be tested?
Each course is different, and you may experience a variety of assignments and testing procedures. Some courses may require that you come to campus or to a designated testing center to take tests. This information will be included on the course syllabus.

The important thing is that you read the syllabus as soon as possible so that you know what to expect and when the assignments and tests are due.
4. How much time do online courses take?
Because of the self-directed nature of online learning, you can expect to spend more time on an online class than on its seated counterpart. Be sure that you budget plenty of time for this course. On average, students spend about 12 hours a week on a 3 credit hour online class.

On the other hand, online courses provide great flexibility since you can work on them at any time and do not have to plan your class work around specific meeting times. However, it will pay off if you still set aside specific times each week to work on your course. The good thing is that these times can be at 2 in the morning in your pajamas if you want. Make sure that you do not rush through the material and that you stick to your timetable. If you fall behind in an online course, it can be very hard to get caught up. Procrastination can spell disaster!
5. Do I need to know how to type?
You do not need to know how to type, but you will have a great advantage if you can type. Much of your correspondence and assignments are typed in an online class. You will also want to proofread your correspondence, since some instructors do grade on grammar and spelling and all of your instructors will need to receive correspondence from you that is clear and easily understood.

Experience using a mouse and keyboard is required.
6. How hard are online classes?
Online classes generally take more time than seated classes and typically require more work on the part of students. Therefore, they are definitely not easier than seated classes. On the other hand, the greater flexibility and ability to work at your own pace can make online courses very suitable for some students.
7. What computer skills do I need?
;The number one thing that causes some students to do poorly in online courses is procrastination. However, the number two thing is lack of computer skills. The basic skills that you need are listed below.

In order to take an online course successfully, you need the following skills. If you do not have them, you may wish to speak to your advisor about taking a different course and about how to receive tutoring in these areas.
• You will need to use email effectively. This means that you can send and receive emails with attachments and that you can check to be sure that you have attached the proper file before sending your email. You will also want to “sign” every email message with a first and last name.
  
• You will need to know how to organize files on your computer. You may work on the same file over many days or weeks, and you will want to save it each time and access the proper version each time.
  
• You will need to know how to use a word processor, such as Word, Works, or WordPerfect. It will help you if you know how to use the “extra” features, such as grammar checking and spell checking.
  
• You will need to know how to save word processing files in various formats. Specifically, many instructors will require that you save files as rich text format (RTF) files before you submit them for a grade.
  
• Some courses may require knowledge of programs such as Excel or Access. Check with the instructor if you think your course may have special software requirements.
  
• If you use AOL, you will need to know how to use Internet Explorer or Netscape as your browser since AOL experiences problems when it encounters server "firewalls" or when it tries to download files.
  
• If you use a free email account (e.g., Yahoo, NetZero, Hotmail), there may be a limit as to the size of attachments that you can send or receive. If this is the case, you will need to know how to split files and send them as multiple attachments; and you will need to double check any attachments that you receive or send in order to ensure that they are complete. (This is not necessary when using email within WebCT.)
8. What kind of computer do I need?
There are some minimum hardware and software requirements for online courses. However, some courses do require special programs or capacities. Check with your instructor if you think that you course has special requirements.

Minimum hardware and software requirements:
• You will need to have access to the Internet and your browser will need to be Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher or Netscape 4.5 or higher.
• You will need to have an email account and be able to check your email account at least every other day.
• You will need to have access to a word processing program.
• You may need access to other programs, such as Excel. Check with your instructor if you are unsure.
9. Need more detailed information?
If this is your first time taking an online course, you may want to have more detailed information to help you get off to a good start. The link to the TAFE web site will take you to a online student induction program available through TAFE SA online services. Modules there include:


• How to use the Internet
• What is the Internet
• Getting connected
• How to learn online
• How to use WebCT

Visit the TAFE site for more information.

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Technical Assistance

If you have trouble getting into WebCT or accessing any of the features, make sure you have made the adjustments described above. If you are still having problems, contact the Distance Learning Help Desk as follows:

DLHelpDesk@stanly.edu
(704) 991-0258

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