Getting Started with WebCT Vista Part I Interface and Communication Tools

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Getting Started with WebCT VistaPart I
Interface and Communication Tools

• Distance Learning
• mxccedtech_at_gmail.com
• (860)343 5822/5783
• Chapman 633/632
• Middlesex Community College
• Visit http//www.mxcc.commnet.edu/distance

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Basic Features of WebCT Vista

• My WebCT
• Course list, calendar, mail, bookmarks, file
  manager
• Section Page
• Three Views
• Build, Teach, Student View
• Course Toolbar
• Calendar, Mail, Discussions, Announcements
• Home Page
• Syllabus, Learning Module, Organizer
• An example of a WebCT course that uses common
  tools.
• Announcements, calendar, mail, discussions,
  syllabus, welcome, assignments, quiz, etc.

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Logon to WebCT Vista via myCommNet

• Go to my.commnet.edu and enter your NetID and
  password.
• NetID BannerID_at_mxcc.commnet.edu
• Example of NetID 09109109_at_mxcc.commnet.edu
• Password 8-digit NetID password
• Use the same password to access campus computers
  and remote e-mail (www.mail.commnet.edu).
• If you have never logged on to a campus computer
  or accessed your college email at
  www.mail.commnet.edu, use your initial password.
• Initial Password
• 1st three letters of birth month with first
  letter capitalized
• Ampersand character
• Last 4 digits of SS
• Example
• John Brown was born April of 1968 and SS is
  045-84-9583.
• His initial password is Apr9583
• Change password
• When you log on the first time, you will be
  prompted to change to a new password.
• At least 8 characters in length
• At least 3 of the 4 following criteria1. Upper
  case letters, 2. lower case letters, 3. numbers,
  or 4. special characters.

Having trouble logging on? Contact IT service
in Wheaton Hall or call [phone].
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Best Performance in WebCT

• Before you work in WebCT, there are a few things
  you need to do to ensure best performance in
  WebCT.
• You need to disable all pop-up blockers in order
  to have WebCT window open.
• Once you are in myCommNet, click WebCT Vista at
  upper right corner to access myWebCT page.
• Close out myCommNet window. This is to avoid
  time-out messages from myCommNet when you work in
  WebCT.
• Click Logout at the upper right corner of
  myCommNet window. Close myCommNet window by
  clicking X sign.
• Click maximize icon in WebCT window to enlarge
  WebCT window.
• To get out of WebCT, do not click X sign to close
  WebCT window. Click Logout (upper right) in WebCT
  window instead. If you click X sign in WebCT
  window, you may not be able to get back to WebCT
  via myCommNet unless you wait for a few hours.
• To hide courses in MyWebCT page, click Edit
  (pencil) icon at the upper right corner of Course
  List column. Check the courses you dont want to
  display in myWebCT and click Hide button.

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My WebCT

• List of courses click a course name to enter the
  course.
• Tools Calendar, File Manager, Email
• Displays
• Calendar Day, To Do List, My Grades (student)
• Personal bookmarks, Campus bookmarks, Who is
  online.
• Settings Content, Color, Layout
• My WebCT, Check Browser, Help, Log Out.

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Explore Basic Features in My WebCT

• Calendar Post items for all classes.
• Email Check emails for all classes.
• Content Change the tools/displays
• Color Change color scheme of My WebCT
• Layout Change the order of features on each
  column.
• Edit with icon.
• Show/Hide Classes, Calendar, To Do List, Personal
  Bookmarks, Campus Bookmarks (not available
  currently).
• Help Shows help instructions related to the page
  you are on.

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Add a Personal Bookmark

• Click , type the title and the URL of
  the web page. Click Save. Add a second bookmark.

• Tools in the Personal Bookmarks window
• Move check the site you want to move, click the
  move icon next to where it is moved.
• Availability Click Yes to turn it off. Click No
  to turn it on.
• Edit edit the title or the URL.
• Delete delete the bookmark.

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Start Page-Three Views

• Select a course
• When you first log on to your WebCT course, you
  will be asked to apply a template. If you see a
  list of templates, select Blank Template.
• Then you are at the Start page.
• Build
• Tools to design the course
• Teach
• Conduct teaching activities
• Gradebook, manage groups, track students, release
  tools or files, set tool settings.
• Student View
• See interface and use tools from student
  perspective.
• You may check Do not show this page again to
  turn the Start Page off.
• Click Start button to enter the course.
• You will see a screen with selection of two
  templates Blank template and MxCC Oncampus
  Template
• Selecting MxCC Oncampus Template allows you to
  use the basic features, useful web resources, and
  orientation tools.

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WebCT Vista Home Page

• Home Page Tools added to Home Page
• Course Toolbar, Tools added to Course Toolbar.
• Build tab, Teach tab, Student View tab
• File Manager, Search, Content Import, Backup.

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Course Toolbar

• Add tools you need to the Course Toolbar.
• Click a tool on the Add to Course Toolbar.
• Announcement, calendar, mail, and discussions
  (more tools).
• Move, Delete, or Go to a tool.
• Click the down gray arrow next to a tool.
• Click the green arrow to move it left or right.
• Click Remove to delete it
• Click Go to tool to enter the tool screen.
• Click Teach or Student View tab, the tools
  selected are listed on the upper right corner of
  the screen. If more than 4 tools are selected,
  click More Tools to access more tools.

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Announcements

• Click Teach tab and then click Announcements on
  the course toolbar.
• Click Create Announcements button.
• Type the title and the message.
• Select all by checking Select All Roles.
• Or select to whom you would like this
  announcement delivered.
• Timed announcement will be eliminated from
  Teach/Student view after the ending time.

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Announcements

• Select the dates and time of posting and stopping
  the announcement.
• You may check A pop-up message to display the
  announcement as a pop-up message.
• Click Send button.
• After the announcement message is sent, in
  Student View, there will be a green check mark
  next to Announcements.
• The posted announcement cannot be edited but can
  be deleted.
• In Build tab. Go to the Announcements tool.
• Click the delete icon. Click OK to confirm.

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Calendar

• Click Teach tab and then click Calendar on the
  course toolbar.
• To post items on current course, you may select
  This Course only and click the green arrow.
• In Teach Tab Click Calendar icon.
• Useful tools in Calendar
• Navigate to different months.
• Post an item on the calendar.
• Click a date.
• Click Add Entry.

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Post an Item on the Calendar

• Calendar can be used to post activities,
  reminders, assignments, announcements, and etc.
• Click the day that you want to post an item.
• Click Add Entry button at the left bottom of the
  calendar.
• Type the summary and details.
• You may click More Options internal link, URL,
  repeat events.
• Check This is an all-day event. This item will
  display as a day even instead of with start and
  end time.
• Click Save.
• Click View Month to go back to the monthly
  calendar view.

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Delete or Revise a Calendar Item

• In Monthly View, click the day containing the
  posted item you want to edit or delete.
• Edit Click the Edit icon. Make revision and
  click Save.
• Delete Click the delete icon and click OK to
  confirm.

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More Features in Calendar

• Display New Entries
• Create Printable View
• Delete All
• Delete a Range
• View This Course Personal, All Courses, This
  Course Only, and etc.
• Edit Settings Default does not allow students to
  post public items.

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Mail-Send Mail

• Mail in WebCT is internal only enrolled students
  and the instructor can email to each other. It
  is mainly used for private communication between
  a student and the instructor or between students.
• Go to Mail tool
• Teach Tab click the Mail icon on the Course
  Toolbar.
• My WebCT click the Mail icon on the upper right
  corner.
• Click Create Message button.
• Click Browse for Recipients... Button.
• To show all students on one page, click Edit
  Paging link. Enter max number of students in your
  course. Click Save.
• Check
• To box to whoever you sent
• CC box to whoever you send a copy
• BCC box to whoever you send a blind copy
• Click Save.
• Type the subject and message.
• Click Send button at the bottom left corner.
• Attach a file to an email message.
• See instruction for slide of Discussions-Attach
  a Document.

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Email Tips

• Send an email to all students
• In Teach tab, click Mail. Click Create Message,
  click Browse Recipients.
• Click Edit Paging and enter the max number of
  people from the recipient list. Click OK.
• Click the top to box to check all recipients
  from the list. Click Save at the bottom of the
  window.
• Use Spell Checker in a mail message
• In the Create Message window, click On under HTML
  Creator. This turns on the WebCT Word processor
  to allow you to format text, do spell checking,
  etc.

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Mail-Read/Reply an Email

• When there is a new mail message in Inbox, there
  is a green checkmark next to the Mail icon.
• Click the Mail icon (Teach tab or My WebCT) to go
  to the Mail page.
• Click the message subject to open it.
• Reply to a message
• Click Reply button.
• Type the replied message.
• Click Send button.
• Reply to All reply to all the recipients.
• Click Reply to All button.
• Type the replied message.
• Click Send button.
• Delete the message.
• Click the Delete button.
• While you are reading messages, you may click
  Refresh Now button to refresh the Mail screen in
  order to receive new messages.

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Email - Delete, Create a Subfolder, Move

• In Mail page.
• Delete a message Click the delete icon.
• Create a subfolder Click Create Folder. Type the
  folder name and click Create.
• Move a message to a subfolder.
• Select the message. Select the subfolder. Click

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Discussions-Topics

• In Teach tab, click Discussions.
• Create a new topic.
• It is highly suggested that you create various
  topics for class discussions.
• Questions Answers, week1 discussions, etc.
• Click Create Topic button.
• Name of the topic in the Title box.
• You may enter the topic descriptions.
• Gradable topic
• Editable posts
• Click Save.
• To rename the default topic.
• Click Default Topic.
• Click Edit Settings icon.
• Change the topic.
• Click Save.

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Discussions-Post a Message

• In Discussions, click the discussion topic that
  you need to post the message.
• Click Create Message button.
• Type the subject.
• Type the message.
• Use Spell Checker feature
• Check On in HTML Creator
• Click Spell Checking icon.
• Make corrections if necessary.
• Click Preview to review the message.
• Click Post to post the message.

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Discussions-Attach a Document

• In the Create Message window.
• Click Add Attachments.
• Click Upload File at the bottom right corner.
• Locate the file from your computer.
• Double-click the file.
• Click Save button. Wait till the file is
  attached.
• Click Add Selected button.
• Click Post.

Remove the file
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Discussions Add Attachment

• After you click Add Attachment from the
  discussion message window, you see the following
  screen.
• Click Upload File at the bottom right corner.
• Click Browse
• Locate the file from your computer.
• Double-click the file.
• Click Save button. Wait till the file is
  attached.
• Click Add Selected button.
• The file is then attached to the message.

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Discussions-Read/Reply to a Message

• When there is a new message posted on the
  discussion board, a green checkmark will be shown
  next to the Discussions icon.
• In Teach tab, click Discussions.
• Click the topic with the new messages that you
  want to read.
• Read Click the subject of the new message to
  open it.
• Reply Click the Reply button. Type your replied
  message and click Post.
• Send Email (Reply Privately) Click the gray
  arrow next to the student name. Select Send Mail.

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Discussions-Edit, Move, Delete a Message

• In the Discussion topic page (Discussionsgtclick a
  topic)
• You can edit a message you posted.
• Click the message subject.
• Click Edit Message button.
• Make revision
• Click Post.
• Delete a message
• Click the delete button.
• Select the message. Select the topic to which you
  want to move. Click

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Discussion Topics Settings

• You may do the following for a specific
  discussion topic
• Availability Yes or No.
• Re-order check the topic to be moved, click Move
  icon next to topic youd like to move. Select
  move above/below.
• Delete click the delete icon.
• Release Release by date, group, member, grade
  book.
• Edit Settings
• Gradable topic Make the discussion topic
  gradable.
• Editable Allow students to edit their messages.
• Lock Lock the topic after the deadline of
  posting messages.

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Views of Discussion Messages

• Threaded vs. Unthreaded
• Threaded (Default) messages are listed in a
  group with the initial message and the responses.
  You use threaded view to see logical connections
  among messages.
• Unthreaded messages are listed in chronological
  order. You use this view to see the newly posted
  messages easily.
• Click the sign next to a thread to see messages
  in the thread.
• All vs. Unread.
• All (default) all messages are displayed.
• Unread only the new messages are displayed.

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Examples of Using Discussions

• Learning can be enhanced by active interactions
  of student-student and student-instructor.
• Medical Terminology
• Jeopardy game to learn medical terms.
• Psychology
• Respond to the instructors questions.
• Respond to at least 2 student answers.
• Business
• Ask students to pick 2 out of 10 questions and
  answer them. Each student responds to at least 2
  postings.
• Human Service
• Assign bulletin board buddies pair up students
  and they respond to each others questions.

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Chat White Board

• Vista combines the Chat room and White board
  together.
• You need to schedule a certain time period to
  conduct a chat session. (i.g. office hours)
• Build Tab-Basic View Click Go to Chat White
  Board tool.
• There is a Default Chat room that you may rename.
  
• Click the Edit Settings icon of the Default
  Chat room.
• Change the name
• Click Save.
• Or you may create more chat rooms yourself.
• Click Create a Chat or White Board Room button.
• Type the title and description.
• Enter maximum users.
• Click More Options.
• You may check
• allow users to hide/show Chat or Whiteboard in a
  combined room.
• Allow private Chat messages.
• Click Save.

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Chat

• In Teach tab. Click Chat White Board in More
  Tools on the Course Toolbar (upper right corner).
• Click the chat icon of a chat room you
  want to use.
• Type message at the bottom of the window and hit
  Enter.
• You may use the White Board to draw graphics
  while conducting a chat session.
• Examples of using Chat
• Office hours, questions and answers.
• Explore tools in White Board.

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Edit Chat Room Settings-View Log

• Make the room available Yes or No.
• Edit Settings name, descriptions, hide/show.
• View Log Retrieve the chat conversations.
• Set Release Criteria Release the chat room based
  on time, students, group, and etc.
• Delete the chat room.