Welcome to the Briefing session on WebCT 4.1

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Welcome to theBriefing session on WebCT 4.1

• An introduction to WebCT 4.1 features and our
  eLearning support services.

By ITS eLearning Support Team
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WebCT 4.1 _at_ PolyU

• This version includes a number of new tools and
  features and improvements of previous version.
• PolyU WebCT server login page
• http//webct2.polyu.edu.hk
• PolyU WebCT Support site
• http//www.polyu.edu.hk/elearning

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WebCT Login Page

• WebCT ID and password are the same as your NetID
  and Netpassword.

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eLearning Support site

• Contains FAQ/WebCT account creation information
  for staff and students.

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WebCT tools features

• Course Content
• Syllabus
• Upload/Manage
• Course materials
• Backup/Restore
• Course
• Setup URL
• Glossary
• Image Database

• Communication Tools
• E-Mail
• Chat
• Discussion Boards
• Whiteboard
• Calendar

• Evaluation Assessment
• My Grades
• My Progress
• Assignments
• Quizzes and Surveys
• Self Test
• Student Tracking

• Study Tools
• Student Groups
• Student Homepages
• Student Presentation
• E-Mail

Version 4 Key features http//www.webct.com/produ
cts/viewpage?nameproducts_ce_4.1
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Advantages of using WebCT

• For Instructors
• Create, upload, update course materials
  interactively through the Web.
• Tracking student performance at any time.
• Conduct online quiz and survey.
• Quick feedback to students questions using WebCT
  mail or discussion forum.
• Using Calendar to plan class event and inform
  assignment due date.

Instructors can combine different WebCT tools in
an online course according to their teaching
styles and learning objective.
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Advantages of using WebCT

• For Students
• Access the course materials at any time.
• Check grades and track course progress.
• Communicate with other students using WebCT mail
  or Project Group members using discussion group.
• Submit assignment online on time.

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myWebCT
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myWebCT

• 5 major areas
• Courses - access to a list of your WebCT courses
  and your role in the course.
• Announcements - Important announcements/events
  that you should not miss.
• Bookmarks - a easy way to locate related URLs.
• WebDAV where to upload your course materials
  (drag drop).
• Global calendar mark quiz date, assignment due
  date and course activities for students.

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Your role in WebCT

• Primary Designer you are the owner of the
  course (usually Instructor). You have complete
  control over the course content and course
  administration.
• Co-designer your colleague(s) who assist you in
  teaching the course. He/she has the same access
  rights as you.
• Teaching Assistant your colleague(s) who assist
  you with grading assignments and quizzes.
• Student those enrolled in your course, can read
  the course content, involve in course activities
  but cannot modify the course. (student access to
  the course can be control by the Designer).

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As a Designer
Designer Options -allows designer to customize
the course Control Panel - allows easy access to
designer functions Actions menu - allows easy
access to functions related to current page
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Control Panel

• The Control Panel is now similar to the Designer
  Map and is divided into Basic View and
  Extended View.

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Control panel Basic View

• This is the default view showing buttons to the 5
  tools. This default view reduces search time when
  you know what set of tools you need to use.

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Control panel Extended View

• It displays all available options on a single
  page. You can click the Set as default view to
  make this the first view displayed when the
  Control Panel is clicked.

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How are courses build in WebCT?

• Modules
• You can build your courses into modules
  (chapters).
• Selective release
• Make those modules visible to the student
  whenever you decide (based on chosen students,
  selective date) or according to their learning
  proficiency (the assignment/quiz grade).

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Course Design Wizards

• Course Design wizards provide step-by-step
  instructions on using many WebCT tools. Wizards
  can be used anytime, and will return you to the
  point where you left off if you exit before the
  end.
• Wizards are available for these tools
• Homepage
• Organizer page
• Syllabus
• Content Module
• Discussions
• Mail
• Calendar
• Chat

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Course Design Wizards

• Wizards Video Demo can be find in here
• http//booboo.webct.com/demo/CE4/FINAL_Discussions
  Wizard.htm

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Course Content and materials

• Syllabus
• Calendar
• Content Module
• Glossary
• Search
• Compile

Demo Building Syllabus, Add entry to calendar
and setup of table of content
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Syllabus
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Calendar
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Content Module
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HTML Editor

• The HTML Editor provides word-processor-like
  features that display text and graphics the same
  as they will appear in a browser for both
  students and instructors. The HTML Editor is
  available from
• Content Module
• Discussions
• Mail
• Manage Files
• Organizer Pages
• Student Homepage
• Student presentations

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HTML Editor

• HTML Editor Video Demo can be find in here
• http//booboo.webct.com/demo/CE4/FINAL_HomepageCus
  tomization_HTML1.htm

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Equation Editor

• The WebEQ Equation Editor allows users to create,
  view, and edit mathematical equations and include
  them in WebCT content.
• The Equation Editor is available from Content
  Module, Discussions, Mail, Manage Files, and Quiz
• User can Import/Export questions in MathML (.mml)
  format from other equation editing software.

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Equation Editor
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Selective release of content
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Manage course materials

• Upload/download single file
• Upload/download multiple files using WebDAV Web
  folder
• Upload and Synchronize course pages using
  Dreamweaver

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Manage single file
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Manage files using Web Folder

• WebDAV is Web-based Distributed Authoring and
  Versioning allows you to use a remote web server
  as though it were a local file server.
• This technology allows you to drag and drop files
  from your PC to WebCT and vice versa. Simply
  setup Web folder in your PC and multiple files
  can be uploaded at one time.

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Setup Web folder
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Web Folder (drag drop for file uploading)

• Setup Web folder in your PC, drag and drop
  multiple files to your WebCT course file area.

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Upload and Synchronize course pages using
Dreamweaver

• WebCT 4.1 can integrate with Dreamweaver MX
  (support Webdav). This makes it possible for
  designer to make a website in Dreamweaver that
  will directly access your Manage Files area in
  your WebCT course with few clicks.

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Integrate with Dreamweaver
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Content file types and naming convention

• What file types can be displayed in WebCT?
• Text files (.txt), Rich Text Format files (.rtf)
• Documents created by MS Word, Powerpoint, Excel,
  PDF (required application installed in your PC)
• HTML files
• Graphic files eg. GIF , JPEG
• Multimedia files eg. audio/video files, streamed
  videos or flash files (required plug-in or
  players)

WebCT is capable of reading multimedia files from
a CD on your PC.
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Content file types and naming convention

• What file name can be used in WebCT?
• It is recommended that the filename used in WebCT
  has to be in web standards. Use letters
  (a..zA..Z), numbers (0..9).
• NO space should be contained in the file name,
  (instead of space please use underscore "_" eg.
  Module_1.doc)
• For the length of the filenames, it is a good
  practice to keep it less than 64 characters which
  is more readable in the File Manager and the file
  list boxes.

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Communication tools

• Mail
• Discussions
• Chat
• Whiteboard

Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese
characters are supported in these tools.
Demo Compose mail, set mail forwarding,
discussions, online chat and whiteboard
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Mail

• Compose/Send/Reply/Delete Email
• Setup Mail folder
• Search mail by date/subject/keywords/sender
• Set mail forwarding address

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Mail (Chinese input)
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Discussion

• Compose/Send/Reply/Delete discussion
• Setup Discussion topic
• Search discussion by date/subject/keywords/sender

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Discussion (Chinese input)
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Chat

• Real-time chatting area
• Can send messages to all users in the Chat room
  or private message to a user.

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Chat (Chinese input)
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Assessment/Evaluation tools

• Assignment
• Self Test
• Quiz
• My Grades

Demo Assignment, Quiz tools
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Assignment tool

• The Assignment tool in WebCT 4.1 provides detail
  assignment information to Student. Instructor can
  create and distribute assignment to student,
  download, evaluate and grade the student
  assignments.

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Setup assignment
Instructor can attach assignment-related files
such as image, spreadsheet, articles for student
to to the assignment.
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Student View of assignment
Maximum Grade, assignment instructions and
attachment are displayed
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Assignment submission report
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Electronic Quiz tool

• WebCT Quiz tools can be of 5 types
• Multiple choice, matching, calculated, short
  answer and essay.
• The MC, matching and calculated can be marked
  automatically while short answer and essay should
  be graded by Instructor.
• For MC type questions, designers can randomize
  the display of answers and use letters or numbers
  as indices for question choices.
• For calculated questions, designer can use WebCT
  Equation Editor to enter Mathematical and
  scientific notations.

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Electronic Quiz tool

• Randomize questions and answers

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Electronic Quiz tool

• Designer can set selective release criteria of a
  Chapter according to the grade of a quiz.

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Manage students

• Manage Students is a powerful tool for
  maintaining
• student information and grades in WebCT
• Allow/Deny student access
• update student records
• calculate grades
• access the Quiz and Mail features for a
  particular student
• add statistical information to student records
• change how student records are displayed
• release quiz results and assignment grades to
  students

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Manage students
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Track students performance

• Track Students allows you to monitor which areas
  of the course students are accessing and how they
  are progressing through the course material.

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Track students performance
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Track pages

• You can see how many times the pages have been
  visited, and the amount of time spent on each
  page.

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Backup your course

• You can back up your course at any stage of
  development. After you create a backup, we
  recommend that you download it to your computer
  for safekeeping.

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Backup your course
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Logout

• Remember to logout after your have finished using
  WebCT.

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eLearning support website

• www.polyu.edu.hk/elearning
• Resources for teachers
• Resources for students
• Procedures to request for WebCT account
• FAQs

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Request for WebCT account

• WebCT accounts are created for
• LEC and LTL components (according to the TTS
  Time Tabling System of AS)
• Additional request from departments/lecturers
• You need more than 1 online subject website (for
  a single subject)
• You need several new subject websites to conduct
  to different groups of students.
• You need new subject website for several
  colleagues take part in team teaching
• You need to add your colleague or assistant to
  your subject website as TAs or Co-designer.

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Request for WebCT account
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WebCT CE 6 is coming
The new version of WebCT CE provides more
functions and features (eg. eLearning
objects) ITS is working with departmental
coordinators to work out their upgrade plan.  It
is desirable to arrange upgrade for the whole
department to avoid confusion to students.  CE
4.1 will still be available next year.
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Support Team Hotline

• Please contact WebCT Support team _at_4948
• Or you can send Groupwise E-mail to itwebct
• eLearning Support website
• http//www.polyu.edu.hk/elearning
• WebCT server
• http//webct2.polyu.edu.hk
• Thank You

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SMILE