Part 2 | Grading in WebCT 6 - Educational Development Centre

Transcription

WebCT 6 Guide
for
Carleton University
Instructors
A guide by the
Educational Development Centre
Produced by the Educational Development Center, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada, K1S 5B6
Established in 2002, the Educational Development Centre is dedicated to the support
of teaching excellence at Carleton University. The mission of the EDC is to provide a
comprehensive range of technological and pedagogical teaching tools and resources
to faculty members, contract instructors, and teaching assistants in order to ensure an
exceptional learning experience for students in the classroom and beyond.
Educational Development Centre
410 Dunton Tower
Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 5B6
Phone: 613.520.4433
Fax: 613.520.4456
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.carleton.ca/edc
Layout and cover design by Jordan Harris
©2007 Educational Development Centre
Acknowledgments:
This guidebook was created by the staff at the
Educational Development Centre. It would not have
been completed without the time, energy and hard work
of: Valerie Doucette, Jordan Harris, Ryan Kuhne,
Margaret McClure, Jennifer Nicol, Derek Vilim,
and Dragana Polovina-Vukovic.
Table of Contents
How is This Guide Organized? . ........................................................................................................................... i
Part 1 | WebCT 6 for Busy People.........................................................................................................................1
Chapter 1: Getting Started........................................................................................................................2
Chapter 2: Understanding the WebCT 6 Layout.......................................................................................5
Chapter 3: Adding & Organizing Content................................................................................................9
Chapter 4: Grading Basics in WebCT 6..................................................................................................11
Chapter 5: Migrating Course Material From WebCT 4 to 6...................................................................13
Part 2 | Grading in WebCT 6...............................................................................................................................15
Chapter 6: Using the Grade Book...........................................................................................................16
Chapter 7: Exporting Grades to a Spreadsheet.......................................................................................19
Chapter 8: Grading Forms......................................................................................................................21
Chapter 9: Letter Grades in the Grade Book..........................................................................................24
Chapter 10: E-grades & WebCT.............................................................................................................26
Part 3 | Assignments & Assessments....................................................................................................................29
Chapter 11: Assignments........................................................................................................................30
Chapter 12: Assessments.........................................................................................................................31
Chapter 13: Creating Surveys and Self-tests..........................................................................................33
Part 4 | Organizing Content & Customizing Appearance.................................................................................35
Chapter 14: Adding and Moving Files, Tools and Folders.....................................................................36
Chapter 15: Learning Modules...............................................................................................................38
Chapter 16: Copyright.............................................................................................................................42
Chapter 17: Changing Course Layout & Appearance.............................................................................43
Part 5 | Communication Tools in WebCT 6........................................................................................................46
Chapter 18: Announcements...................................................................................................................47
Chapter 19: Discussions, Blogs, and Journals........................................................................................48
Chapter 20: Mail.....................................................................................................................................51
Chapter 21: Chat / Whiteboard...............................................................................................................52
Chapter 22: Calendar..............................................................................................................................54
Part 6 | Course Management with WebCT 6......................................................................................................55
Chapter 23 : My WebCT.........................................................................................................................56
Chapter 24: WebCT for Large Classes....................................................................................................57
Chapter 25: Tracking Student Performance............................................................................................59
Chapter 26: Managing Your TAs............................................................................................................61
Chapter 27: When the Term is Over.......................................................................................................63
Chapter 28: Group Manager...................................................................................................................64
Chapter 29: Selective Release.................................................................................................................66
Appendix A: Differences between WebCT 4 and WebCT 6..............................................................................68
Appendix B: Frequently Asked Questions..........................................................................................................72
Educational Development Centre – Carleton University
Part i | How is this Guide Organized?
i
How is this Guide Organized?
Part 1: WebCT for Busy People
Provides the briefest possible introduction to using WebCT 6. It shows you how to log on and access your course for the
first time, reviews WebCT 6 navigation; helps you add and organize basic content; and shows you how to use the Grade
Book.
Part 2: Grading in WebCT 6
Covers all aspects of grading in WebCT 6: including using grade forms, converting numeric grades into letter grades, and
moving WebCT grades into E-grades.
Part 3: Assignments and Assessments
In this section: learn to create online quizzes, collect anonymous feedback from students, provide self-test opportunities to
the class, and receive electronic paper submissions.
Part 4: Organizing Content and Customizing Course Appearance
Organize your content in folders and in learning modules. Customize the appearance of your course by changing icons,
colours, layout and how students navigate your course.
Part 5: Communicating with Students
Learn to use WebCT’s extensive set of communication tools: threaded discussions, blogs, journals, announcements, chat
and mail.
Part 6: Course Management with WebCT 6
Suggestions on using WebCT to help with the administration and teaching of large classes, managing teaching assistants,
closing out a course at the end of term, managing and creating groups, and release content/tools at specific times during
the term.
Appendices include a comparison of WebCT 4 to WebCT 6 and a set of extensive frequently asked questions (FAQ).
This guidebook is just one of the many resources at Carleton designed to help you with instructional technologies such as
WebCT. Online help manuals are available at http://www.carleton.ca/edc/
Specific questions on WebCT are also answered by phone or email:
• For account help or student problems regarding WebCT, contact the CCS service desk at extension 3700 or
[email protected].
• Questions on how to use WebCT should be directed to the Educational Development Centre at 613-520-4433 or
[email protected]. EDC staff are also available for personalized one-on-one training, can assist with transferring
course material from WebCT 4 to WebCT 6, and can provide advice on how best to use WebCT.
Part 1 | WebCT 6 for Busy People
Chapter 1 | Getting Started
Chapter 2 | Navigating WebCT 6
Chapter 3 | Adding and Organizing Content
Chapter 4 | Grading Basics
Chapter 5 | Migrating from WebCT 4 to WebCT 6
2
Chapter 1: Getting Started
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Logging into WebCT 6
Quick Start Set-up
Commonly-used WebCT 6 Tools
Logging into WebCT 6
1. From the Carleton homepage (http://www.carleton.ca), click WebCT 6 on the right hand side to reach the main log-in
site. Or, type in http://webct6.carleton.ca into the address bar.
2. Before logging in, you should perform a Browser Check, to see if your browser supports WebCT 6. If it does not, you
will not be able to access some aspects of WebCT 6. To do so, click Broswer Check in the right-hand menu.
The Browser Check Results screen will appear. If it includes any red “X” indications, follow the instructions listed.
If you do not have administrative rights to your computer, or experience any difficulties with this process, please
call Carleton Computing Services (CCS) at extension 3700. You may need to restart your browser after any major
software changes.
3. After your settings are verified, click Log In. In the space provided, enter the User ID and password of your Faculty
Computing Account (same as MyCarleton or Connect). If you do
not have this log in information contact CCS at ext. 3700.
4. This will bring you to the MyWebCT homepage, which lists all of
your courses. The MyWebCT page also includes other information
columns known as Channels. These Channels can be edited or
removed by clicking the Action Link icon to the right of it. See
Chapter 23 for more information on MyWebCT.
Note: All courses at Carleton are automatically created in WebCT
6 with a full listing of students. If a course is missing from your
The course list appears on the My WebCT page.
listing, please talk to your departmental administrator and they will
correct this error. If your department administrator has done so
and the course still does not show up, please contact
[email protected].
5. To enter a specific course, simply click on the title.
Quick Start Set-up
When you enter your course for the first time, you will be taken to a Quick Start page and given four options to set up
your course.
Set up a blank course
Allows you to start with an empty course and add your desired tools and content. See page 3 for more information.
• Copy content
Allows you to copy content from other WebCT 6 courses in which you are a designer. See next page for more
information.
• Assign a Template
If your administrator has provided templates, you can select a template for your course.
• Import Content
Allows you to import content, such as old WebCT 4 courses, from file. See Chapter 5 for instructions on how to
migrate a WebCT 4 course into WebCT 6.
3
Chapter 1 | Getting Started
Note: As the Quick Start menu will only appear once, this is the ONLY time you will be able to copy another WebCT 6
course’s content in full into your course.
Setting Up a Blank Course
When presented with the initial four course set-up options, select Set up a blank course and click Continue. You will
then be taken to the Quick Start page, which lists all the tools available to you. Be selective – students may find it
confusing if you select too many tools!
1. Choose the tools that you would like to add to your course (see below for an explanation of the most commonly-used
WebCT tools).
2. Select the check box next to each tool.
3. Click Save. The “Congratulations! You are ready to build your course” screen appears. Once you have reviewed the
information provided, check the box beside “Do not show me this page again,” and click Done.
4. A link to each tool you selected appears in the course menu, under Course Tools. You and other users can access the
tools and their content by clicking these links.
Copying Content
When presented with the initial four set-up options, select Copy Content from another course and click Continue. You
will then be taken to a page listing all the courses you are enrolled in as a designer. Select the course you wish to copy and
click Continue. This is a great way to roll over content from one term to another.
Commonly-used WebCT 6 Tools
WebCT 6 Tool
Description
Recommendation
Allows you to input
dates and other important
information for your
course.
The calendar can be
viewed in a monthly,
weekly, or daily format.
•
Students can access
Syllabus through a
designated link.
•
Upload the syllabus from a file, or create one using the
preset format. Either way, it does not automatically add
itself as a link to the course content homepage: if you wish
it to be there you must manually add a content link.
This tool allows you
to deliver important
information to course
members: messages can
be created in advance and
set into a pop-up window
notification.
•
Consider also putting important announcements into the
calendar tool.
Send specific and/or separate announcements to students
and TAs.
Organizational Tools
Calendar
(see chapter 22)
Syllabus
(see chapter 3)
•
You can attach links to content such as readings to dates in
the calendar, so that students can see an overview of their
learning schedule.
The calendar can be used to list quizzes, announcements,
guest speakers, or even group presentations. You can also
choose to allow students to create course events.
Communication Tools
Announcements
(see chapter 18)
•
(table continues on next page.)
WebCT 6 Guide for Carleton University Instructors
Discussions
(see chapter 19)
Allows you to create
spaces where course
members can post and
reply to messages on
related topics.
•
•
•
•
Mail
(see chapter 20)
Mail system internal to
WebCT 6 which allows
you to correspond with
course members.
Threaded discussions allow traditional responses, while
the Blog format leads to chronological posting with an
emphasis on individual writing. The Journal format is a
more extensive form of individual writing which can be
made private between instructor and individual student, or
public to the entire course.
Option of grading discussion built into the tool.
If a guest lecturer cannot attend the class, consider setting
up a virtual space in which students can pose questions.
Consider posting a new discussion question for each lecture
topic, or major topic unit. These discussions can be added
to the course homepage as part of learning modules or
folders.
•
When you create a message, if you select “browse for
recipients” you are able to select the entire class, or
specifically only students, or only TAs.While the email is
separate from your Carleton e-mail, you can set-up limited
forwarding options.
A space in which you can
prepare online quizzes,
surveys, or self-tests for
students to take.
•
•
Questions can be automaticaly pulled from a larger set.
WebCT 6 introduces four new question types: Fill-inthe-blanks, combination multiple choice, true-false, and
jumbled-sentence.
Surveys can be useful for anonymous feedback.
Allows you to create
assignements for online
submission
•
Student Learning Activities
Assessments
(see chapter 12)
Assignments
(see chapter 11)
•
•
•
•
Create individual, group, or custom assignments with
different instructions for individuals if needed.
When designating assignment due dates, instructors have
the option to include a “grace period”.
You can assign a grading form to the assignment to clearly
define your expectations.
Assignments can be submitted into the Assignment Drop
Box through text or attached files.
Content Tools
Web Links
Create a direct link to an
online resource or a Web
site that your students
will need to access often.
•
•
You can now annotate links to give students a brief
description (1 or 2 sentences) of the resource.
If you post several site references in different areas of the
course, the Weblinks tool lets you see them combined in
one reference list.
4
5
Chapter 2: Understanding the WebCT 6 Layout
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Build tab
Teach tab
Student View
The most important thing to notice about WebCT navigation is the three navigation tabs at the top
of the course, labelled Build, Teach, and Student View. These are three distinct ways to interact
with your course.
Build tab
1. In the Build tab you are able to create, manage, and organize course content.
Teach tab
2. In the Teach tab, you can manage all aspects of grading as well as interacting with the
student through the discussion tools.
3. In the Student view tab you can see a 100% an accurate view of what the student sees.
Student View tab
The next three pages present screen shots of each view, with a description of the main
features. Keep an eye out for the Action Link: this very useful feature is available in the Build and
Teach tabs. It is a small icon that appears right beside files, folders, and many other items in WebCT.
Clicking on the Action Link will display a drop-down menu of all actions associated with the item.
Action Link icon
6
Chapter 2 | Understanding the WebCT 6 Layout
7
8
Chapter 2 | Understanding the WebCT 6 Layout
9
Chapter 3: Adding & Organizing Content
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Adding/Removing Tools
Adding a Syllabus
Creating a Folder
•
•
•
Moving Icons
Creating a Learning Module
Adding Content to a Learning Module
Once your course is created, and tools selected, you will likely begin to add content.
Depending on the nature of your course, you can choose between posting single files on the homepage, grouping similar
items together into folders, or using Learning Modules.
See Part 4: Organizing Content & Customizing Appearance.
To Quickly Add a File
1. From Course Content Home, click Add File. The Add File menu appears.
2. Choose Browse for Files. The Content Browser appears.
3. Click My Computer (in the left-hand side of the box). Your computer’s file
browser appears.
4. Double-click the desired file (or select the file and click Open). The file
automatically uploads and appears as a link on Course Content Home.
After clicking Add File, you can choose to
create or browse for a file.
1.
2.
3.
4.
From the Build tab, select Manage Course, then select Tools.
This brings up the Tools page where you select and de-select the boxes of the tools you wish to add to your course.
When you are finished adding/removing tools, click Save.
Once tools are added to your course, they will be displayed under the Course Tools Menu viewable from all three tabs
(Build, Teach and Student View).
To Add a Syllabus or other Content Links
Ensure you are under the Build tab under Course Content Home.
1. From the top menu bar, select Add Content Link.
2. Then click Syllabus, or any other Content Link that you would like to add.
3. From here, you can press Select to upload a syllabus file, or Create Syllabus to create a custom electronic version.
Moving Icons
1. Click the Action Link icon to the right of the file. This will produce a drop down options menu.
2. To move the file icon in a certain direction, click the corresponding arrow. This will switch the position of the icon
in that direction with the one you selected.
To Create a Folder (icon based display)
1. From Course Content Home, click Create Folder.
2. Enter a title and optional description on the Create Folder screen.
3. Click Save. The folder is added to Course Content Home.
Note: To add content to a folder you must first enter the folder, then follow the above steps on adding content.
The folder
icon
10
Chapter 3 | Adding & Organizing Content
Create a Learning Module (list based display)
Ensure you are in the Build tab and under Course Content Home. Also check that you have added the
Learning Module tool to your toolbar.
1.
From the top menu bar, select Add Content Link. Then click Create Learning Module.
2.
Enter a Title (required) and a description of what will be placed here (optional). Then click Save.
Note: To add content to a Learning Module you must first enter the Learning Module, then follow the
above steps on adding content.
For more information on organizing content and customizing appearance, please see Part 4 (pages 36–46).
For a comparison of Folders and Learning Modules, please see Chapter 15.
The Learning
Module icon
11
Chapter 4: Grading Basics
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Managing Student Grades
Adding Grade Columns
Entering Grades
The student grades are all housed in the Teach tab, under the Grade Book menu link. Here you will find a spreadsheetstyle Grade Book, with rows of students and columns of grades. You can input students’ grades manually or upload a
spreadsheet from programs like Excel. You are able to create and re-organize columns, as well as calculate final grades
using a formula. When you create an Assessment or Assignment in WebCT 6, a column is automatically created to house
these grades.
IMPORTANT: Grades should not be posted in public space due to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
Act (FIPPA). WebCT 6 provides a private and secure method to release grades to students.
The Grade Book displays student names in rows, and grades in columns.
Adding and Modifying Grade Columns
Note: Grade Columns are automatically created for each assignment or assessment that you create in WebCT though the
Assignment or Assessment tools.
To Add a New Column:
1. Making sure the Teach tab is selected, choose Grade Book.
2. Click Create Column at the top left and choose a Column type.
– The most common Column type is Numeric followed by Calculated. See next page for a full description of all types.
3. Once you have selected the column type, you are brought to the Column Settings Page. From here, enter the title or
Column Label of that column and click Save.
Warning: By default, this grade will be released to students. If you do NOT want the grades released immediately,
deselect Released to Students.
4. If you created Numeric, Alphanumeric, or Text columns, you are now ready to enter grades.
12
Chapter 4 | Grading Basics
Grade Column Types
The most common Column type is Numeric followed by Calculated.
Numeric Allows input of a numerical value only.
Calculated Used to input a formula to add numeric columns together such as summing all
class marks for the final grade.
Letter grade Allows input of letter grade from a numeric or calculated column via
another column.
Alphanumeric Allows you to input a letter or number grade, which cannot be calculated.
Text Allows you to input basic text information.
Selection List Allows you to define your own set of grading options. This is useful if the
regular column types, such as numerical, calculated, alphanumeric, etc, are
not appropriate for your situation. For example, you could create a column
to record a simple pass or fail grade, or student participation in a
particular activity.
Grading Form Allows you to create a column based off a pre-existing Grading Form.
Types of grade columns
Entering Grades in the Grade Book
These instructions applies to all columns except calculated, grading form and letter
grade columns, which are special cases. To enter or modify all other grade columns,
follow these steps below:
2. From here, you can either enter all grades for a single student, all grades for a
single column (most common), or individual mark for a single student.
Single Student: Click a Student’s name or the Action Links beside it to
bring up a menu of options. From here select Edit Member. You can now
enter or change any existing grades for this particular student.
Single Column: Click Column Title or the Action Link beside it to
bring up a menu of options. Next select Edit Values. You can now enter or
change any existing grades for this particular column.
Single Mark: Click the Mark Cell of the mark you want to change. In the
new window edit the single mark.
3. Select Save to finish
Note: Instructors can enter additional comments when modifying students` grades.
These comments can only be viewed by the Instructor and TAs, if they have access
to the Grade Book.
Edit Member lets you enter grades for a
single student.
“Edit Values” lets you enter or
change a grade for a particular
column.
13
Chapter 5: Migrating Course Material From WebCT 4 to 6
In this Chapter:
•
•
Exporting a WebCT 4 Course
Importing a WebCT 4 Course to a Blank WebCT
Course
•
•
•
Importing Content to an Existing WebCT 6 Course
New Organization and Import Log
Many WebCT 4 Tools Renamed in WebCT 6
Using WebCT 6’s Import tool, it is possible to move content, or an entire course, from WebCT 4 into your new WebCT 6
course. This is done in 2 major steps:
1. Export the content that you would like to copy from the previous WebCT 4 course.
2. Import the .zip file into your new WebCT 6 course.
Exporting a WebCT 4 Course
Exporting a course from WebCT 4 may take several minutes, depending on the size and complexity of the course material.
1. To get to WebCT 4 courses, we must first log in to WebCT 6 at webct6.carleton.ca, then select “See courses on
WebCT 4” from the External Courses area under your course list.
2. Click Manage Course, then click the Export Content heading at the bottom right side of the screen.
3. Select Export Course and Download the content package to my computer after export, then click Continue. This
step will create a ‘.zip’ file of the content and allow you to download it.
Note: If your browser does not immediately prompt you to download the file, check that your pop-up blocker is set to
allow webct6.carleton.ca as a trusted site. (See Appendix B: FAQ, question #17)
Step 2a
Step 2b
Step 3
Exporting from a WebCT 4 Course.
Importing a WebCT 4 Course to a Blank WebCT 6
Course
Once you have your .zip file, you are ready to import the
content to a “blank” WebCT 6 course. A blank course is one
which you have not yet entered.
1. Log in to WebCT 6 at webct6.carleton.ca and enter
the course you want to import material to from your
MyWebCT Course List.
2. At the Assign Course Content screen, select Import
content from file and click Continue.
Importing into a WebCT 6 Blank Course
14
Chapter 5 | Migrating Course Material From WebCT 4 to 6
Note: If you do not see this screen, you do not have a blank course. Skip to the next section “Importing Content to an
existing WebCT 6 course.”
3. Select My Computer then Browse, to locate and select the ‘.zip’ file containing your old content and click OK.
WebCT 6 will automatically decompress and organize the material into your new course.
Note: This step may take several minutes depending on the size and complexity of the course.
4. To finish, click the Return button. To view the import statistics (errors and warnings), click View Import Log.
Importing Content to an Existing WebCT 6 Course
1. Log in to WebCT 6 at webct6.carleton.ca and enter the course you would like to add content into.
2. Under the Build tab, click Manage Course, then click Import.
3. Select the My Computer tab from the left then click Browse. Locate and select the ‘.zip’ file containing your old
content and click OK. WebCT 6 will automatically decompress and organize the material into your new course.
Note: This step may take several minutes depending on the size and complexity of the course.
4. Once the content package is imported, you can either select:
– Return – To go back to your course homepage
– View Import Log – To see the warnings and errors (if any) from the import process
Importing Content into an Existing WebCT 6 Course.
New Organization and Import Log
After your course has been imported, a (Hidden) Content Link named Course Content Import Log will be created on your
course homepage, but hidden from students views. This log provides a detailed guide outlining how each course item,
such as assessments or content links, has been arranged in the new WebCT course. In the File Manager, all imported files
are placed in a folder called Imported_Resources within your Class Files folder.
All imported quizzes, self-tests and surveys are added to the Assessments tool, while imported questions are added to the
Question Database tool. The imported assessments will retain their previous settings, which means you may have to reset
the quiz dates. If you imported categorized questions from WebCT 4, a category is automatically created and the questions
are added to it. If you imported uncategorized questions from WebCT 4, the questions are added to the Uncategorized
(default) Questions Category.
WebCT Tools Renamed in WebCT 6
Many WebCT 4 tools have been renamed in WebCT 6.
• The Content Module tool has become the Learning Module tool.
• Organizer Pages have become Folders.
• Quizzes/Surveys tool has become the Assessments Tool.
• The Upper and Lower text blocks have now become Headers and Footers which are available through the Page
Options menu in the top right corner of the Course Contents Home Page.
Part 2 | Grading in WebCT 6
Chapter 6 | Using the Grade Book
Chapter 7 | Exporting Grades to a Spreadsheet
Chapter 8 | Grading Forms
Chapter 9 | Letter Grades in the Grade Book
Chapter 10 | E-grades & WebCT
16
Chapter 6: Using the Grade Book
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Adding Grade Columns
Entering Grades
•
•
Modifying Column Settings
Releasing Grades to Students
The student grades are all housed in the Teach tab, under the Grade Book menu link. Here you will find a spreadsheetstyle Grade Book, with rows of students and columns of grades. You can input students’ grades manually or upload a
spreadsheet from programs like Excel. You are able to create and re-organize columns, as well as calculate final grades
using a formula. When you create an Assessment or Assignment in WebCT 6, a column is automatically created to house
these grades.
IMPORTANT: Grades should not be posted in public space due to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
Act (FIPPA). WebCT 6 provides a private and secure method to release grades to students.
The Grade Book displays student names in rows, and grades in columns.
Adding and Modifying Grade Columns
Note: Grade Columns are automatically created for each assignment or assessment that you create in WebCT though the
Assignment or Assessment tools.
To Add a New Column:
2. Click Create Column at the top left and choose a Column type.
– The most common Column type is Numeric followed by Calculated. See next page for a full description of all types.
3. Once you have selected the column type, you are brought to the Column Settings Page. From here, enter the title or
Column Label of that column and click Save.
Warning: By default, this grade will be released to students. If you do NOT want the grades released immediately,
deselect Released to Students.
4. If you created Numeric, Alphanumeric, or Text columns, you are now ready to enter grades.
17
Chapter 6 | Using the Grade Book
Grade Column Types
The most common Column type is Numeric followed by Calculated.
Numeric Allows input of a numerical value only.
Calculated Used to input a formula to add numeric columns together such as summing all
class marks for the final grade.
Letter grade Allows input of letter grade from a numeric or calculated column via
another column.
Alphanumeric Allows you to input a letter or number grade, which cannot be calculated.
Text Allows you to input basic text information.
Selection List Allows you to define your own set of grading options. This is useful if the
regular column types, such as numerical, calculated, alphanumeric, etc, are
not appropriate for your situation. For example, you could create a column
to record a simple pass or fail grade, or student participation in a
particular activity.
Grading Form Allows you to create a column based off a pre-existing Grading Form.
Types of grade columns
Entering Grades in the Grade Book
These instructions applies to all columns except calculated, grading form and letter
grade columns, which are special cases. To enter or modify all other grade columns,
follow these steps below:
2. From here, you can either enter all grades for a single student, all grades for a
single column (most common), or individual mark for a single student.
Single Student: Click a Student’s name or the Action Links beside it to
bring up a menu of options. From here select Edit Member. You can now
enter or change any existing grades for this particular student.
Single Column: Click Column Title or the Action Link beside it to
bring up a menu of options. Next select Edit Values. You can now enter or
change any existing grades for this particular column.
Single Mark: Click the Mark Cell of the mark you want to change. In the
new window edit the single mark.
3. Select Save to finish
Note: Instructors can enter additional comments when modifying students` grades.
These comments can only be viewed by the Instructor and TAs, if they have access
to the Grade Book.
Edit Member lets you enter grades for a
single student.
“Edit Values” lets you enter or
change a grade for a particular
column.
18
Modify Column Settings
1. Click the Grade Book Options button at the top right of the screen and
select Column Settings.
2. The Column Settings screen will appear, displaying the attributes for all
the columns. Click on the column you wish to modify.
Note: Columns in the Grade Book that were automatically added through the
creation of Assignments or Assessments in WebCT cannot be changed in the
Grade Book. You can only change these automatically created columns by
returning to the original assignment.
Changing the Column Label:
Column Settings is found under Grade Book
options
1. Locate the column that you want to rename and click its title.
2. The Edit Column Value pop-up window appears, displaying the current
column name.
3. In the New Value text box, enter the new column title, click Save.
Note: The formula for calculated columns depends on the column names. This means
that if you change a column label, you must also update the column label in the
formula of the calculated column.
Changing the Column Type:
1. Locate the column that you want to modify and click on its Type row. The
Convert Column Type pop-up window appears.
2. From the New Value drop-down list, select a new column type.
3. In the Comment text box, enter a note about your change. Click Save.
4. The Confirm New Values screen appears, displaying the old values for the
column and the new, converted values. Scroll through and review each new value.
5. Click Apply. The column type is changed.
Releasing the Grade Column to Students:
You can change these attributes
through Column Settings
Depending on how you created you column students may be able to see their grades as soon as they are entered into a new
column. If you do not want to release the column to students:
1. Locate the column that you want to withhold on the Column Settings page.
2. In its Released to Student row, click Yes. The value is updated to No, indicating it is not released to Students.
How Students View Their Grades
Students in WebCT can only see their own grade that you
have chosen to release to the course. They access this
information by selecting My Grades link in the My Tools
Menu. To see grades as the student would, go to the Student
tab then select My Grades.
Note: If you do not see a MyGrades option in the Student
view under the MyTools area, you need to add this tool to
your course through Manage Course > Tools.
The Student View of Grades
19
Chapter 7: Exporting Grades to a Spreadsheet
In this Chapter:
•
•
Exporting Grades to a Spreadsheet
Importing Grades From a Spreadsheet
Exporting Grades to a Spreadsheet
This option allows you to export the contents of the Grade Book to a text file that can be used
by other spreadsheet applications like Excel or SPSS. If you want to export for E-grades, see
Chapter 9 for specific instructions.
1. Click the Export to Spreadsheet button below the Grade Book.
2. The Export to Spreadsheet screen appears.
3. Under Columns to Export, do one of the following:
– To export the data columns that appear in the tab from which you initiated the
export, select Visible Columns. Hidden columns will not be included in the export.
– To export all the data columns (this includes hidden ones) that have been defined
for this course, select All columns.
4. Under Export Format, do one of the following:
– file where field information is separated by a comma, select Comma-delimited.
– file where field information is separated by a tab keystroke, select tab-delimited.
5. Under Character Set, leave the default.
6. Note: Unicode (UTF-8) is the most common character set, however, characters in some
languages do not work with certain spreadsheet applications in Unicode (UTF-8). If you
have difficulty reading the exported file with your spreadsheet application, try exporting in
UnicodeLittle (UCS-2).
7. Click Export. Select the software needed to read the downloaded file (e.g. MS Excel).
Click OK.
Export Spreadsheet presents
several choices for export
format
Importing Grades from a Spreadsheet
This option allows you to import a text file containing student information from
another spreadsheet application. The uploaded data must be either a .txt (tab) or .csv
(comma) delimited file, similar to files exported from Excel or the files given back as
Scantron Results.
Import Files requires these choices.
1. Click the Import from Spreadsheet button above the Grade Book.
2. The Import File screen appears. Click Browse, locate and select the file
you want to import.
3. From the Separator drop-down list, select the character (tab or comma)
that separates column data in your file. Click Upload.
4. The Import File screen is updated to display the following information:
– Import Column, the field names from your text file are displayed.
– Match, a check mark will appear for those fields that could be
matched to existing Grade Book data columns.
– Grade Book Column, for matched fields, the data column that
matches your text file field is displayed.
WebCT 6 will tell you if the imported file
– Data Preview, the various user values for that field are displayed.
columns match your Grade Book columns.
5. Check that the fields from your text file are matched to data columns in
your Grade Book.
20
Chapter 7 | Exporting Grades to a Spreadsheet
6. If there are new columns, you can choose to Add as a new column or Do Not Import.
Note: The User ID column is a required column for matching purposes.
7. Click Import. Your data is imported and will show up in the Grade Book now.
21
Chapter 8: Grading Forms
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Creating a Grading Form
Modifying a Grading Form
Adding Grading Form Content
•
Linking Grading Forms to Assignments, Discussions,
and Grade Columns
WebCT 6 Grading Forms help instructors to create rubrics which specify grading criteria and define performance levels
for a learning activity. The instructor or designer can create multiple Grading Forms within a course and associate them
with their Assignments, Discussions, or Grade Book Columns.
Grading Forms let instructors provide clear performance expectations for their students before they hand in work. Grading
Forms also provide objective guidelines for other graders (such as teaching assistants).
This is a partial example of a grading form, as seen from the Teach tab.
A grading form as seen by the student.
22
Chapter 8 | Grading Forms
Creating a Grading Form
1. Making sure the Teach tab is selected, choose Grading Forms.
2. Click Create Grading Form at the top left.
3. In the Create Grading Form window, enter a title (required) and
a description (optional) for the grading form.
Note: Grading Forms cannot be exported.
Modifying a Grading Form
Adding and Changing Titles for Rows and Columns
By default the Grading Form has three Performance Indicators (titles
along the top) and three Objective/Criteria (titles along the left side).
These Objectives/Criteria and the Performance Indictors are fully
customizable to suit your assessment.
Grading Forms are located in the Teach tab.
To change the titles of either Objective/Criteria or Performance
Indicators
1. Click the edit text button or the title you wish to change.
2. The title name will become editable. You can type the new name in the box and then either press enter or click
somewhere else on the screen.
To add Criterion or Performance Indicators
1. Click on either Add Criterion or Add Performance Indicator button.
2. A blank Objective/Criteria Indicator row or Performance Indicator column will appear
in the last row or column respectively
To remove Criterion or Performance Indicators
1. Click on the remove icon. Then confirm your decision in the pop-up window.
– The order of the rows or columns can not be changed. It must be done by retyping the title and content in.
– Grading Forms must have a minimum of two Objective/Criteria and two Performance Indicators
Adding Grading Form Content
1. Click the space in which you wish to enter a description. Type in your description. Press enter or click somewhere
else on the screen. Note: Descriptions are optional.
2. You must then enter the number of points associated with this description. The grading form will automatically add up
the points at the bottom right hand corner of the grading Form. It will take the highest point in each row and add that
to the total.
Note: The automatic adding-up of points cannot be turned off.
To see a preview, click the Action Link beside the grading forms title when you are in the main Grading Forms page
Linking Grading Forms
To link a Grading Form to an Assignment, Discussion or Grade Book Column you must first create a grading form.
Assignments
Note: You must link the Grading Form while you are creating the assignment.
1. Once you have created the Grading Form, go to Assignments.
2. Click Create Assignment.
3. Under grading heading, while you are creating the assignment select the check box beside Allow the assignment to
be graded.
4. Select the bubble beside Grade by Grading Form.
5. Click the button Select Grading Form and a list of all your grading forms will appear. Select the grading form you
wish to link to the Assignment.
6. Click Save.
Discussion Topic
Note: You must link the Grading Form while you are creating the Discussion Topic.
1. Once you have the Grading Form created, go to Discussions.
2. Click Create Topic.
3. Choose a type of topic (see Chapter 19: Discussions, Blogs, and Journals for more information).
4. Under Grading, select the bubble beside Grade by Grading Form.
wish to link to the Discussion Topic.
6. Click Save.
Grade Book Column
Note: You must link the Grading Form while you are creating the Grade Book Column.
1. Once you have the Grading Form created, go to Grade Book.
2. Click Create Column.
3. Choose Grading Form.
wish to link to the Grade Book Column.
5. Click Save.
23
24
Chapter 9: Letter Grades in the Grade Book
In this Chapter:
•
•
Creating a Letter Grade Column
Changing the Letter Grade Scheme
The letter grade column in WebCT is particularly useful as it allows you to convert numeric grades into letter grades.
Many instructors use this column to simplify and automated the calculation of final letter grades before they submit their
final grades to E-grades.
Creating a Letter Grade Column
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Switch to the Teach tab in your course.
Click on Grade Book on the left side navigation bar to access the Grade Book.
Click on Create a Column and pick Letter grade.
Enter a Column label.
Decide whether or not to release the grades to students immediately. Please note that by
default the option to release grades to students immediately is selected.
6. Select which existing column in your Grade Book that this letter grade column will be based on using the pull down
menu: Based on numeric/calculated column. Letter grade columns can only be based on numeric or calculated
columns. Most instructors base their letter grade column off a calculated final grade column.
7. Click Save.
25
Chapter 9 | Letter Grades in the Grade Book
Changing the Letter Grade
Scheme
Unfortunately the Letter Grade
Scheme in WebCT does not match
the Carleton recommended letter
grade scheme. WebCT’s scheme
must be changed. Luckily this is
fairly easy to do.
1. In your Grade Book, find your
letter grade column, click the
Action Link next to it and pick
Edit Column Letter Grade
Scheme.
2. Carleton uses a 13-point grade
scale and it must be entered into
WebCT.
3. First change the Range for “A+”
from 100 to 90.
4. Change the Range for “A” from
90 to 85.
5. Replace B with A- and leave the
You can edit the grade scheme to match Carleton’s recommended grade scheme.
Range as is.
6. Replace C with B+ and change
the Range to 77.
7. Replace D with B and change the Range to 73.
A+
90–100
B+
8. Replace E with B- and change the value to 70.
9. Click on the small bubble next to the letter
A
85–89
B
grade “F”, then click Add Grade. This will
A–
80–84
B–
insert a blank grading space above F.
10. Type in C+ and 67 for the range
11. Click again on the bubble next to the grade F
and click Add Grade.
C+
67–69
D+
12. Type in C and 63.
C
63–66
D
C –
60–62
D–
14. Type in C- and 60.
F
16. Type in D+ and 57.
Carleton’s recommended grade scheme.
18. Type in D and 53.
19. One last time: Click again on the bubble next to the grade F and click Add Grade.
20. Type in D- and 50.
21. Click Save and Set as Default.
77–79
73–76
70–72
57–59
53–56
50–52
0–49
26
Chapter 10: E-grades & WebCT
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Exporting to Excel
Altering Excel Spreadsheet to fit E-grade Requirements
Copy and Paste from Excel into E-grades
Important: The E-Grades system at Carleton is used to submit final letter grades only to the Registrars.
If you have used WebCT 6’s Grade Book to track student grades and calculated a final letter grade there is a relatively
simple process to move letter grades from WebCT to E-Grades.
If you have not yet calculated a final letter grade in WebCT, please see Chapter 9 to create a letter grade column
in WebCT.
There are four steps:
1. Export your Grade Book from WebCT.
2. Open the exported Grade Book in Excel.
3. Format the Excel file to match E-grades’ requirements.
4. Copy and paste the spreadsheet into E-grades.
Step 1: Export Grade Book
1. Select the Teach tab, and then click Grade Book.
2. Click Export to Spreadsheet.
3. A screen will prompt you to format the spreadsheet. Leave all the settings at the default except change the Export
Format to Tab-delimitated. This is very important. The format MUST be Tab-delimitated, otherwise E-grades will
not accept the grades.
4. Click Export. This will export all the columns that are not hidden.
5. Save your file to your computer. This will be saved as a text file (.txt)
Step 2: Open the Exported Grade Book .txt file in Excel
1. Start Microsoft Excel.
2. Go under the File menu and select Open.
3. Change Types of Files: from All Microsoft Office Excel Files to All Files.
4. Find the .txt file that you exported from WebCT (it’s likely on your desktop) and open it.
5. The Text Import Wizard window will open.
6. Pick Delimited, then click Next.
7. Place a check mark next to Tab (it may already be checked). Click Next.
8. Click Finished.
The text file will now be opened in Excel with the data from your Grade Book columns placed in columns in Excel.
Step 3: Organize the columns in Excel for E-grades
E-grades is very particular about which columns and the order of columns it will accept. It will only accept the following
columns in this order: Student ID, Last Name, First Name and Final Letter Grade. Any other columns in the Excel file
must be deleted or moved.
27
Chapter 10 | E-grades & WebCT
1. Either delete unused columns (select an entire column by clicking on the column letter) they select (Edit > Delete) or
move the unused columns by copying and pasting.
You must have an Excel spreadsheet that looks like this:
Sample of what format your spreadsheet should be in.
Note: Ensure that all final letter grades are single letter. If the failure grade of F is written as “F(fail)”, you will need to
remove “(fail).”
Step 4: Copying and Pasting Grades in E-Grades
1. Log into E-Grades (see http://www.carleton.ca/registrar/egrades/ for instructions) and select the class you would like
to submit grades.
2. Copy the data from Excel into WebCT. Copy only the data from the columns Student ID, Last Name, First Name,
and Grade. Do not copy the headings.
Do not copy
heading row
When copying grades out of Excel, do not copy the heading row.
28
3. In E-Grades, place your cursor in the large white text field. Right click and select paste. The data from the columns
in Excel will appear.
Sample view of pasted grades in E-grades.
4. Remember to save the grades, by clicking on the Save Grades button. You will be able to review the grades that have
been saved in E-Grades by clicking Exit in the top right part of the window and you will be returned to Roster and
Grade Submission Menu.
5. Click Refresh Page to review your grades. Only once you are satisfied with your grades in E-Grades, click Submit
Grades for Approval.
Part 3 | Assignments & Assessments
Chapter 11 | Assignments
Chapter 12 | Assessments
Chapter 13 | Surveys and Self-tests
30
Chapter 11: Assignments
In this Chapter:
•
•
Adding the Assignment tool to the Course
Creating an Assignment
Assignments
With this tool you can release assignments with attached files to students online and let them submit their assignment
file(s) to a digital drop box within WebCT.
Since it is difficult to mark up the digital copy of an assignment, some professors ask the students to submit both a paper
copy, which will be graded and returned, and a digital copy using the online drop box, which can be kept on record as a
back-up, and allows for much easier plagiarism checking.
Note: This tool is meant for the digital submission of assignment files and should not be used if the students are to be
handing in a paper copy only.
Adding the Assignments Tool to the Course
The Assignment tool must first be added before individual assignments can be created.
1. While In the Build tab, click Manage Course and then click Tools.
2. Under the Student Learning Activities heading, select the check box next to Assessments. Click Save. The
Assessment tool button will now be visible under the Course Tools menu on the left.
Creating an Assignment:
1. To create an assignment you must be under the Build tab with the Assignments tool
The Create Assignment button
added.
2. Click the Assignments tool from the menu on the left.
3. You will now see a screen listing all the existing assignments (if any). Click Create Assignment, at the top of the
screen.
4. Enter a Title (required) for the assignment as well as description, instructions, and an attached file if desired.
5. Next, in the fields below enter information regarding the assignments properties. You will be asked to specify settings
regarding Submission Format, Assignment Recipients, Dates, and Grading.
Submission Format
Text – Allows students to submit assignments as text alone, or with an attachment
Web Site – Allows students to submit assignments as ZIP file containing a Web site composed of files and links.
Assignment Recipients
You can choose to save the assignment and choose recipients at a later date, select All Students, or select specific
groups of students to receive the assignment.
Due Dates
Create a due date for the assignment as well as a cut-off date. Submissions are allowed after the due date but will
be marked as being late. The cut-off date is the last date submissions can be received by.
Grading
You can choose to make the assignment graded and create a corresponding Grade Book column. You can also
select the column type to be either Numeric, Alphanumeric, or by Grading Form.
6. To view more options, click the More Options title. You will then be given several different submission options.
7. Click Save. The assignment will be now appear in the list of assignments.
31
Chapter 12: Assessments
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Types of Assessments
Adding Assessments to the Course
Creating an Assessment
•
•
Editing Assessment Properties
Adding Questions to Assessments
Types of Assessments
There are three types of assessments that you can create in WebCT 6.
1. Quizzes – Tests which students complete, submit for marks and are
automatically graded.
2. Surveys – An anonymous form of testing. Grades are not tracked, but the
instructor is provided result statistics. One way it can be used is to collect student
feedback.
3. Self-Tests – Intended to be used as a study tool for students, self-tests have
no grades associated with them. You can create full course self-tests, for exam
studying, or chapter self-tests for more specific studying. You can also add
feedback to each question, allowing the student to get hints on what to study if
they get the question wrong.
Adding the Assessment tool to the Course
1. While In the Build tab, click Manage Course and then
click Tools.
2. Under the Student Learning Activities heading, select the check box next to
Assessments. Click Save. The Assessment tool button will now be visible under
the Course Tools menu on the left.
Creating an Assessment and Modifying Settings:
1. To create an assessment you must be in the Build tab with the Assessments tool
added.
2. Click the Assessments tool from the menu on the left.
3. You will now see a screen listing all the existing assessments. Click Create
Assessment at the top.
4. Enter the Title (required) and a Description (optional) of the new assessment.
The title entered will automatically appear in the “Grade Book column name”
text box where it can be edited. This will automatically create a Grade Book
column with that title.
5. Select the assessment type from the three choices listed.
6. Next, specify whether you would like to base your Quiz/Survey/Self-test off of a
previously created assessment’s properties or questions. Select the option under
Template.
7. Click Save to finish.
Your assessment will now appear as a (Hidden) item in the main assessments list. At
this point it is a blank assessment with only basic criteria and has no questions added.
Clicking on Create Assessment brings
up this menu
32
Chapter 12 | Assessments
The assessment will remain hidden until at least one question has been added to it. Once questions have been added, you
can reveal the assessment by clicking the Action Link icon to the left, and then click Show Item.
Edit Assessment Properties:
1. Click the Action Link icon next to the assessment title and then select Edit Properties.
2. You will then be taken to the Edit Assessment Properties page. Here you will be able to edit properties such
as availability date, question delivery method, duration, number of attempts, score release method, as well
as other options.
To Add Questions to Your Assessment:
1. Click on the title of the assessment you want to add questions to.
Multiple Choice
A question is posed to which there are multiple answers listed; the student must
select the correct one.
True / False
Students select either true or false in response to a question.
Short Answer
Requires students to write a word or short phrase as their answer to a posed
question.
Calculated
Allows you to create a question using randomly generated variables within a
formula. This allows for students to have the same question, but with different
numbers and answers. This can reduce the possibility of students sharing
answers.
Fill in the Blanks
Allows you to create a sentence and leave words blank for the student to fill in.
Matching
Requires students to match items on a list to items on another list.
Paragraph
Requires students to answer a given question in a text box in full paragraph
form.
Jumbled
Allows you to create a sentence with blanks for which the student must find the
correct word.
Combination Multiple
Choice
Similar to multiple choice format, a question is posed to which there are
multiple single answers. The student must then select the correct combination
of answers from a list.
2. To create a new Question, click Create Questions. You will be given a list of different question types, all of which are
described below, listed from most common to least.
3. If you have previously created questions stored in the Question Database that you would like to add to the assessment,
click Add to Assessments. You are then given the choice of selecting Existing Questions or Question Set.
Existing Questions – Lets you select multiple questions to be added to the quiz.
Question Set – Lets you select multiple questions from the Question Database and add them as a set of questions to your
assessment. WebCT then randomly selects a question from this set for each quiz, reducing the risk of students sharing
answers.
Hint: Many textbook publishers have test banks which can be put directly into your WebCT 6 course.
33
Chapter 13: Creating Surveys and Self-tests
In this Chapter:
•
•
Self-test
Survey
WebCT 6 has two types of tools that help you provide feedback to students on their progress on the course, as well as
receive feedback from students on your progress in teaching the course.
The first tool is the self-test. In WebCT 6, the self-test allows you to create an online test. The results from the self-test are
only made available to the student and not saved in the Grade Book. The construction of the self-test is nearly identical to
creating a quiz.
The self-test is a useful study aid for students to judge their understanding.
The second tool is the survey tool. The survey tool is a powerful way for you to collect anonymous information from
students.
A great way to use the survey tool is to conduct semi-regular (perhaps twice during the term) surveys of your students
through out the course to solicit feedback on your teaching and their understanding of the course material.
The key advantage of conducting anonymous surveys while you are teaching the course as compared to the official end of
course teaching evaluation, is that you are able to:
1. Ask your own questions
2. Receive feedback that will you to adjust the course to the needs of the students
3. Better understand the class mindset
Examples of questions to ask include:
1. How is my teaching?
2. Is the pace too fast , to slow, or just right?
3. Are you finding my lecture notes hopeful?
4. Name one thing you like so far about the course.
5. Name one thing that you dislike.
6. Do you find my WebCT site useful?
You do not need to ask many questions to get a sense of what is going in students’ minds, nor commit to survey your
students particular frequently (twice a term is usually fine).
Creating a Survey or Self-test:
First, you must add the Assessment tool to your course:
Make sure you are in the Build tab > click Manage Course then > click Tools. Under the Student Learning Activities
heading, select the check box next to Assessments. Click Save. The Assessment tool button will now be visible under the
Course Tools menu on the left.
1. Click on the Assessments tool, found in the menu on the left.
2. You will now see a screen listing all the existing assessments. Click Create Assessment at the top.
3. Enter the Title (required) and a Description (optional) of the new assessment. The title entered will automatically
34
Chapter 13 | Creating Surveys & Self-tests
appear in the “Grade Book column name” text box where it can be edited. This will automatically create a Grade
Book column with that title.
Your Assessment can be based on existing ones.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Select the assessment type from the three choices listed.
Next, specify whether you would like to base your assessment on a previously created assessment.
Click Save to finish.
Your assessment will now appear as a (Hidden) item in the main list of assessments. At this stage it is blank
assessment with only basic criteria and no questions added.
8. To further edit assessment properties such as score release, question delivery, date availability, and other options.
Click the Action Link icon next to the assessment title and then select Edit Properties.
Important: Students cannot see an assessment until at least one question has been added to it. To reveal the assessment
click the Action Link icon, then click Show Item.
Adding Questions:
1. Click on the Assessment you want to add questions to.
2. To create a new question, click Create Questions. You will be given a list of different question types.
3. If you have previously created questions stored in the Question Database that you would like to add to the
assessment, click Add to Assessments. You are given the choice of selecting Existing Questions or Question Set.
Part 4 | Organizing Content &
Customizing Appearance
Chapter 14 | Adding and Moving Files, Tools, and Folders
Chapter 15 | Learning Modules
Chapter 16 | Copyright
Chapter 17 | Changing Course Layout and Appearance
36
Part 4 | Organizing Content & Customizing Appearance
Chapter 14: Adding & Moving Files, Tools & Folders
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Adding a Syllabus
Creating a Folder
•
•
•
Moving Icons
Creating a Learning Module
Adding Content to a Learning Module
Depending on the nature of your course, you can choose between posting single files on the homepage, grouping similar
items together into folders, or using Learning Modules which allow you to develop an organized sequence in which
students are able to view the learning materials of a particular topic.
To Quickly Add a File
1.
2.
3.
4.
From Course Content Home, click Add File. The Add File menu appears.
Choose Browse for Files. The Content Browser appears.
Click My Computer (in the left-hand side of the box). Your computer’s file browser appears.
Double-click the desired file (or select the file and click Open). The file automatically uploads and appears as a link
on Course Content Home.
1.
2.
3.
4.
From the Build tab, select Manage Course, then select Tools.
This brings up the Tools page where you select and de-select the boxes of the tools you wish to add to your course.
When you are finished adding/removing tools, click Save.
Once tools are added to your course, they will be displayed under the Course
Tools Menu viewable from all three tabs (Build, Teach and Student View).
To Add a Syllabus or other Content Links
Ensure you are under the Build tab under Course Content Home.
1. From the top menu bar, select Add Content Link.
2. Then click Syllabus, or on the other Content Link that you would like to add.
3. From here, you can press Select to upload a syllabus file, or Create Syllabus
to create a custom electronic version.
After clicking Add File, you can choose to
create or browse for a file.
Moving Icons
1. Click the Action Link icon to the right of the file. This will produce a drop down options menu.
2. To move the file icon in a certain direction, click the corresponding arrow. This will switch the position of the icon
in that direction with the one you selected.
To Create a Folder (icon-based display)
1. From Course Content Home, click Create Folder.
2. Enter a title and optional description on the Create Folder screen.
3. Click Save. The folder is added to Course Content Home.
Note: To add content to a folder you must first enter the folder, then follow the above steps on adding content.
The folder
icon
37
Chapter 14 | Adding & Organizing Content
Create a Learning Module (list based display)
Ensure you are in the Build tab and under Course Content Home. Also check that you have added the
Learning Module tool to your toolbar.
1.
From the top menu bar, select Add Content Link. Then click Create Learning Module.
2.
Enter a Title (required) and a description of what will be placed here (optional). Then click Save.
Note: To add content to a Learning Module you must first enter the Learning Module, then follow the
above steps.
For a comparison on Folders and Learning Modules, please see Chapter 15.
The Learning
Module icon
Adding Content (files) to a Learning Module:
1. In Build tab, select the Learning Module to which you would like to add content.
2. Now select Add Files and then Browse for Files.
3. Click My Computer (on the left-hand side of the box) and locate the file that you want to post and double-click it.
38
Chapter 15: Learning Modules
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
What is a Learning Module?
Comparison of Learning Modules and Folders
Creating and Modifying Learning Modules
•
•
Exporting and Importing Learning Modules
Guidelines for Learning Modules
What is a Learning Module?
A Learning Module is a space where you can place lecture notes or reading material. It also allows you to add Content
Links, such as discussion topics, assignments, and assessments, media library collections, and web links. Your course
materials will be arranged sequentially and structured by a table of Contents. A learning module can bring together many
different types of learning items and present them as a cohesive unit.
Comparison of Learning Modules and Folders
Learning modules are similar to folders, with a few key differences.
Both learning modules and folders allow you to gather together files, links, and assignments into one spot. Both gather
course material into a visual and conceptual structure which can greatly benefit students. Both let you organize material
around any concept you choose: themes, weeks, type of work, et cetera.
Learning modules and folders vary in two main regards: the method used to create them, and their visual structure.
In the WebCT student view, the learning module contents are numbered and presented in a ‘tree’ structure, visually
connected by a line. This can help students work through the material in a systematic way. Folders present their elements
loosely gathered on the screen.
The instructions for creating folders were given in the last chapter, and instructions for creating learning modules follow
on the next page.
Folder contents are presented loosely on screen.
Learning Module contents are numbered and joined in an outline.
39
Creating and Modifying Learning Modules
Adding a Learning Module to a Course
Before you can build a Learning Module, you need to add the Learning
Module tool to your course menu. To do this:
1. In the Build or Teach tab, select Manage Course.
2. Click on Tools.
3. Click the check box beside the Learning Module tool.
4. Click Save. The Learning Module tool will now appear in your course
menu.
Once the Learning Module tool is selected, you can now create your learning
module:
1. In Build tab, go the Course Content homepage.
2. From the top menu bar, select Add Content Link. Then click Learning
Module > Create Learning Module.
3. Enter a Title (required) and a description (optional) of what will be placed
here. Then click Save.
Adding Content (files) to a Learning Module:
Adding a Learning Module to your course
1. In Build tab, select Learning Modules from the Course Tools list on the
with an icon on the homepage.
left. Next select the Learning Module you want to add files to.
2. Now select Add Files and then Browse for Files
3. Click My Computer (on the left-hand side of the box) and then browse to locate the file that you want to post and
click Open, then OK.
The file will then be added to the bottom of the learning module. To
rearrange this file, select the check box to the left of it, then click the move
icon beside the row you would like to move the file above.
Adding Content Links to a Learning Module (like Web Links and Media
Libraries):
1. While under the Build tab, click the Learning Module tool from the
menu on the left. Next click on the module to which you want to add a
Content Link.
2. A drop down menu will then appear listing the tools to which you can
add content links. This menu will differ depending on the tools that you
have enabled.
3. To add a link to an external website, first make sure the Web Links tool
is added, then click Add Content Link and select Web Link.
4. You now have the option to select an existing link or to create a new
link. To add an existing link, select the title and click Add Selected.
5. To create a new link, click Create Web Link and enter the Title and
Web Address (URL). Click Save.
Learning Modules can include links to
various items.
40
Adding Headings to a Learning Module:
Adding headings to your Learning Modules provides a better structure and organization of your course content. It can be
used to separate lecture notes into sections, making locating specific course information easier and much faster.
1. In Build tab, select Learning Modules from the Course Tools list on the left. Next select the Learning Module you
want create a heading in.
2. Click Create Heading from the top menu. Enter your desired heading in the Heading Text box and click Save.
The heading will now appear in the list of Titles in your learning module.
Headings on Learning Modules help students locate information.
3. To move the heading in the list, select the box to the left of the heading and then click the move icon beside the row
you would like to move the heading above.
Changing the order of headings.
To add files under a heading:
1. Select the check boxes to the left of the desired files.
2. Click the Indent button along the bottom menu.
Files can be indented to help structure the Learning Module.
41
Removing items from a Learning Module:
1. Enter the Learning Module you want to edit.
2. You will see a list of the learning module contents. Click the Action Link button to the right of the file you would like
to remove and select Remove.
Exporting and Importing a Learning Module:
Exporting a learning module compresses all the module files into one .zip file which can then be imported into other
WebCT 6 courses.
To Export:
1. While in the Build tab click the Learning Module tool from the menu on the left.
2. Next, select the check box next to the title of the module you wish to export and click the Export button.
3. You will then be prompted to save the File. Choose a location and click OK. The file will then begin to export.
To Import:
1. While in the Build tab, click Manage Course from the Designer Tools menu on the left.
2. Next, select Import from the Manage Course page. This will open the Get Files menu.
3. Browse and locate the .zip file you wish to Import, then click OK.
Guidelines for learning modules
•
•
•
•
•
Instead of making one very large module, create several modules that are organized by weeks or topics. This will help
students learn the material. It will also avoid technical difficulties associated with displaying a long table of Contents
in a single module.
Make modules the same length, if possible. This provides a sense of unity and continuity.
For longer modules, add headings and subheadings to organize the material.
Learning modules can contain more than text files. Take advantage of the chance to add web links, discussion topics,
quizzes and/or self-tests.
Add the Action Menu to your module, to help your students make notes or print course materials.
42
Chapter 16: Copyright
In this Chapter:
•
Copyright Issues
Copyright guidelines
Copyright issues and practices can be complicated. Useful explanations of copyright law can be found on the “Policies”
link on the Instructional Media Services web page (www.carleton.ca/ims), and on the Coursepacks page of the Graphic
Services site.
Briefly, Carleton University has signed a license agreement with Access Copyright that allows professors, students, and
staff to make the photocopies necessary for teaching, studying, and administration. For example:
•
•
Professors can make incidental multiple photocopies of a periodical article or up to a chapter of a book, enough for
every student in the class. They can also make slides and transparencies for use in the classroom
Librarians can make multiple copies of a work to put on reserve.
Are electronic copies allowed?
The Act permits electronic copies for the purpose of display within the classroom. If you wish to make electronic copies
of material that will be used outside the classroom--for example, posted on a website or through WebCT-- you must obtain
permission from the copyright holder. Some textbooks and web material do explicitly grant permission for electronic
copies to be made--this information is usually posted on the copyright page.
If you have any questions regarding copyright for class materials, please contact Ross Mutton at Instructional Media
Services (613.520.3814, or [email protected]).
43
Chapter 17: Changing Course Layout & Appearance
In this Chapter:
•
•
Layout of the Course Tools Menu
Course Map
•
•
Icons
Edit Header or Footer
WebCT 6 has many options for customizing the appearance of your course. This chapter covers basic changes including
layout of the course tools menu, course content icons, and page headers and footers. Customizing course appearance can
help both instructors and students distinguish between their many courses.
Layout of the Course Tools Menu
The course menu is the list of tools which you have added to your course. You can alter the course menu orientation, the
order of tools, which tools and icons are shown.
Course Menu Orientation
The Course Menu Orientation allows you to position the bar of tools to the side of the content (vertical) (this is the
default) or on top of the content (horizontal).
1. Changes are made by selecting Manage Course from the course menu on the left, while under the Teach or Build
tabs then selecting Course Menu.
2. Under the heading General Settings select the new orientation you want using the bubble beside the name.
3. Click Apply Settings.
Course Menu with Text, Icons, or Both
The Course Menu (the list of tools on the left) can appear, (a) as text and icons (this is the default) (b) as only text or (c)
just as icons.
1. Changes are made by selecting Manage Course from the course menu on the left, while under the Teach or Build
tabs then selecting Course Menu.
2. Under the heading General
Settings.
3. Select the new course menu
display you want using the bubble
beside the name.
44
Chapter 17 | Changing Course Layout & Appearance
Display of the Course-Content Map
The Course Content Map is the list of the course content pages.
By default, it is displayed as an expandable tab in the course menu under course content.
This can be changed to be a drop-down menu under the three tabs (Build, Teach, and Student
View) but above the content and course menu. You can also choose not to display the
Content Map at all by selecting the Do not display choice.
Note: If your content titles become to long the course content map will become unreadable
and hard to navigate through.
1. Changes are made by selecting Manage Course from the course menu on the left, while
under the Teach or Build tabs then selecting Course Menu.
2. Under the heading General Settings select the new course content map display you
want using the bubble beside the name.
The Order and Visibility of Tools
You can choose how to display
the course content map.
Change the order of each tool on the Course Menu
2. To do this, select the tool you want to move.
3. Then Click the move icon to the left of the tool you want to move the selected tool above or below.
4. A menu will appear asking if you want to put the selected tool above or below the tool whose move icon you are
using. Click the one you wish to choose.
You can also decide which tools will appear to the students.
2. Click the Hide Link button beside the tool you wish to hide. Click it again to make the
tool reappear.
Note: The tool will appear to people who have access to the Build and Teach tab, but will
appear with a (H) beside it, to show this tool is hidden to the students.
Add Custom Links
2. Click the Add Custom Link button, a new window will appear.
3. In the Add Custom Link window that has appeared, enter a title and a website address.
You can also add an icon for the new link by clicking the browse button.
Switch the order of Course Tools and My Tools
1. Click the green arrow to the left of the menu you want to move.
You can change the order of
your course tools.
45
Icons
The icons in a course are the image links associated with your course material on the homepage and in folders.
One Icon
1. Making sure the Teach or Build tab is selected, click the Action Link beside the name of the file or folder you want
to change and select Edit Properties.
2. Click Replace Icon.
3. Click Apply when you have chosen the new icon.
Select New Content Icon Set button
Course Icon Style
1. Making sure the Teach or Build tab is selected, choose Manage Course, then select Course Content Icons link.
2. Here you can change icons of tools in two ways: one icon at a time or all icons simultaneously.
3. On the Course Content Icons page, click the button Select New Content Icon Set.
4. In the new window Select Icon Set there are 6 sets of icons. Select the one you want using the bubbles and then click
Select.
5. The new icon set will appear beside the tools, then click Apply.
Edit Header / Footer
1. Making sure the Build tab is selected, and you are on the Course Content homepage.
2. Click on Page Options button in the top right-hand corner, then Edit Header
3. In the new window you can create a header if you don’t want plain unformatted text
you should Enable HTML Creator by clicking on the Enable HTML Creator button
in the top right hand corner. Once it is turned on, you can do most things you can do in
a word document, such as type in different fonts and sizes, insert images, and create a
background colour for your header.
a. To create a background colour for your header, click the insert table button. In the table
Properties window, create a table with one row and one column. Then under the heading Colour Properties
click the square beside table Background Colour. This will open the window called Colours and here you can
choose a Standard Colour or click More Colours where you can choose a colour.
b. To change your font colour, select the text you want to change. right click and select Format and then Font
Colour. This will open the window called Font Colour and here you can choose a Standard Colour or click
More Colours where you can choose a colour.
c. To insert an image click the Insert Image button. In the Insert Image window that will appear you can
upload a file using the Browse button or by using a web link to an image to get the image by entering it web
address (URL). Here you can also change the Display Properties of the image you upload by entering the
width and height.
4. In the Create or Edit Header window you can choose to use the header you created as the default for the entire course,
which means that all the Course Content pages will have the header you created.
Footer
Creating or editing a Footer is the same as creating or editing a Header except the footer will appear below the page
content rather than above the content.
1. Click on Edit Footer from the Page Option menu. See Edit Header above.
Part 5 | Communication Tools in WebCT 6
Chapter 18 | Announcements
Chapter 19 | Discussions
Chapter 20 | Mail
Chapter 21 | Chat / Whiteboard
Chapter 22 | Calendar
Chapter 18: Announcements
In this Chapter:
•
•
Add the Announcement Tool
How to Create an Announcement
When important, time-sensitive course changes need to be
communicated to students, consider using the Announcements
Tool. Announcements can be created in advance and set to
emerge as a pop-up window the next time students log into
the course, and are archived for easy viewing by clicking on
the Announcements heading in the Course Menu toolbar on
the left hand side.
Adding the Announcement Tool
Before you can begin to use the announcement tool, you need
Announcements can appear in a pop-up window.
to first add it to the course.
1. From the Build or Teach tab, click Manage Course in
the bottom left hand menu. Then select Tools.
2. Make sure the check box beside the tool you wish to add is selected
and click Save at the bottom of the page.
3. The tool is now added to your course and ready to use. Click on the
tool in the left menu to begin modifying it.
How to Create an Announcement
To create and customize Announcements:
1. Once you have selected the Announcements tool from the Course
Menu, select Create Announcement.
2. Enter a Title and Message for your Announcement.
3. Select who you would like to be the recipients of the announcement
by selecting the square beside their role.
4. Select Delivery Dates to start and stop displaying the announcement.
This feature, lets you set up announcements in advance! If you
keep the end date for the announcement to Unlimited, you can
later view a chronological list of announcements by clicking on the
announcements tool. Otherwise, announcements will disappear from
the site on the date you indicate.
5. If you want students to see the announcement in a pop-up window
when they log into your course, select the box beside Also deliver as
a pop-up message.
6. When your announcement is complete, click Send.
Announcements can be created ahead of time.
47
48
Chapter 19: Discussions, Blogs, and Journals
In this Chapter:
•
•
Adding Tools
Discussion Types
•
•
Creating a Discussion Topic
Why use Discussions
Discussions are asynchronous communication tools. Participants post
messages to a permanent page where they are preserved for others to read
and comment at their convenience like leaving a message on a public
bulletin board.
Adding Tools
Before you can begin using any of these tools, you need to first add them.
1. From the Build or Teach tab, click Manage Course in the bottom left
hand menu. Then select Tools.
2. Make sure the check box beside the tool you wish to add is selected and
click Save at the bottom of the page.
3. The tool is now added to your course and ready to use. Click on the
tool in the left menu to begin modifying it.
The discussion tool offers 3 options.
Discussion Types
Discussions in WebCT 6 provide spaces in which students can
respond to the course, pose questions pertaining to course material,
or collaborate with their peers. There are three types of discussion
formats:
Threaded: The traditional format for discussion where users
can post questions or ideas and other users can reply. These
conversations are grouped together so that message groupings can be
expanded or collapsed.
Blog: Personal Space Viewable by all Students
The blog format allows participants to post chronological entries
pertaining to a particular topic. The emphasis is on the individual
writer’s entry. Replies by other users only appear as comments
attached to the entry.
Journal: Private space for Student and Instructor
Gives students a space for more extensive personal responses. Their
writing can be maintained as private between Instructor and Student,
or made public to be viewed by the class.
•
•
Once created, the Discussion topics can be sorted by category
for easy organization.
Individual topics can also be added as icons to the Course
Content Homepage or to individual folders and learning modules
for more seamless integration with other course material.
Journals can be viewed by either the instructor alone, or by
the whole class.
49
•
•
Chapter 19 | Discussions, Blogs, and Journals
Discussion topics and threads can also be locked
to prevent students from posting new messages.
All discussions can be made gradable to
encourage participation.
To Create a Discussion Topic:
1. Once you have selected Discussions, click
Create Topic.
2. Select the type of discussion topic you would like
to create, then select Next.
3. Enter a title and description for the Topic.
4. Specify any extra desired settings:
a. Grading: When you make a topic gradable, a column is automatically added to
the Grade Book.
b. Peer Review: Allows you to open up the Discussion messages can include attachments.
ability for students to rate each others’
entries based on either a simple scale or
grading form you specify.
c. Topic Behaviour options: Advanced settings for behaviour in the topic allows you to control how students’
names are shown, the settings for posting, and the option to close or lock a discussion topic from further posting.
5. Select Save.
To Create a new Message:
1. From within the desired topic, click Create Message.
2. Enter a Subject and Message in the available spaces.
3. Specify whether you would like to Add Attachments or Preview your message before posting, then click Post to
publish the entry.
Why use Discussions
•
•
•
•
Discussions promote anytime-anywhere interactivity – students can interact with each other and the instructor even
when they are not on-line at the same time.
Discussions create a sense of community, which is essential for the learning process.
Discussions allow for better management of faculty time – by using the discussion tool often students will answer
each other’s questions – especially those related to where content is found and how to do certain tasks.
The learners can take control of their own learning process and work to become life-long learners.
Pros
• No scheduling is necessary.
• Good for shy students or students whose first
language is not English.
• Gives flexibility to students.
• Replies/postings can be well articulated since
time is not an issue.
Cons
• Large amounts of text are generated which can
make grading for participation extremely time
consuming. – It can be time consuming for
students, too.
• Students may be overwhelmed.
• Students can become bored if there is only one
topic during the whole term.
50
General Rules:
•
•
•
•
Clear expectations – Make sure your students know your expectations for their participation. Include a sample post
and/or your expectations in the syllabus. (You may want to prepare evaluation rubrics for online discussion).
Added value – Give some points for postings. If your discussion topics do not have a point value, your presence
needs to be felt – paraphrase and praise interesting postings.
Too much/too little – The instructor should not dominate the discussion, nor should s/he be absent from the
discussion. The discussion is an extension of the classroom and needs to be monitored.
Avoid the endless discussion – It is a good idea to include start and end dates for each discussion topic.
A Few Ideas:
Weekly Discussion Question
You can require weekly class participation in the form of responding to a weekly discussion topic or question. Students
read the discussion question of the week, add their own response, and reply to any comments posted so far. You need to
respond to selected posts periodically helping to guide the discussion. Required weekly discussions with a large class
can be overwhelming and result in long conversations, perhaps too long to maintain interest or focus. You may want
to consider breaking a large class into smaller discussion groups, require a 500-word limit, or have a teaching assistant
manage it.
Combine Discussions within Content
You can place a discuss/comment box link in the midst of other course content, enabling students to enter and submit their
post from within the context of that lesson. This integrates participation with content, helps the course feel interactive and
engages the student with the material. Embedded discussions can be the equivalent of asking a question during a lecture,
with the benefit that all students can participate rather than just the vocal ones.
Synthesize, Summarize, and Peer Review
Ask students to summarize, synthesize and elaborate on a selection of individual posts. They can also be asked to review
or critique the other students’ works. This requires careful reading and reflection by the students. You can also attach
marks for this process.
‘Lounge’
A discussion need not necessarily focus on the course content. Set up an online ‘Student Lounge’ to give students a space
for informally chatting with each other or to post resources.
Feedback and Help
Allow students to discuss technical problems or confusion over content. Students can feed off each other’s knowledge
even before you get to their emails. The commonly asked questions can also be extracted for a list of Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ) in subsequent terms. This may reduce your email volume.
51
Chapter 20: Mail
In this Chapter:
•
•
Adding the Mail Tool
How to Send an Email
The Mail tool allows for you to communicate with students via an internal email system. There are no WebCT email
addresses, you address letters by selecting a student(s) from a course list. The mail for each course can be viewed from
the universal mail tool in MyWebCT, but each course and section retains separate email directories. It is easy to send
messages to individuals, groups, or selectively to different types of course members. You can also forward messages and
organize them into folders.
Adding the Mail tool
Before you can begin this tool, you need to first add it to your course.
1. From the Build or Teach tab, click Manage Course in the bottom left hand menu. Then select Tools.
2. Make sure the check box beside the tool you wish to add is selected and click Save at the bottom of the page
3. The tool is now added to your course and ready to use. Click on the tool in the left menu to begin modifying it.
Note: This email system is separate from your @carleton.ca or @connect.carleton.ca emails accounts and is internal to
each course.
How to Send an Email
1. Once you have selected Mail, you can view all new messages by simply selecting them. To create a new message,
select Create Message.
2. To specify group recipients, select Browse for Recipients. From this window, you can select types of course members
who will receive the message.
3. Fill in the Subject and Message area. If you have attachments select the Add attachments button.
4. Select Send.
Mail can be sent to individules, the whole class, groups, or role members.
52
Chapter 21: Chat / Whiteboard
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
Adding the Chat/Whiteboard Tool
Creating a Chat or Whiteboard Room
Using Chat
•
•
•
Managing Room Setttings
Using Whiteboard for Drawing Slides
View Chat Log
Chat can be used for live interaction with course members. Possibilities for its use include virtual office hours, class
discussions, guest lecturer question periods, or exam review study group spaces. Consider setting clear guidelines and
expectations for chat room behaviour in advance to ensure a productive and appropriate learning space.
You can create multiple types of rooms for specific individuals or groups, integrate Whiteboard features such and slides
and slideshows, and manage chat rooms through the use of the hand raise mode and the ability to mute and deny access to
chat room members. A script of each chat will be saved in a chat folder in My Files.
Adding the Chat/Whiteboard Tool
Before you can begin this tool, you need to first add it to your course.
1. From the Build or Teach tab, click Manage Course in the bottom left hand menu. Then select Tools.
2. Make sure the check box beside the tool you wish to add is selected and click Save at the bottom of the page
3. The tool is now added to your course and ready to use. Click on the tool in the left Menu to begin modifying it.
Creating a Chat or Whiteboard Room
1. Once you have selected Chat, click Create Chat or Whiteboard Room.
2. Enter a title and description for the room, as well as identifying the number of maximum users entitled to be in the
room.
3. Select which type of room you would like to create. If you select Chat only, none of the Whiteboard imaging options
will be available.
4. Further settings, such as enabling the ability to send private messages, can be adjusted by clicking More options.
Using Chat
1. Once you have created a Chat Room, click on the Title to open the Chat Room window.
2. In this window there will be a big space for people to read posted comments, and a space below that to write
comments to be posted.
3. To post a comment, simply write it into the blank space provided and click Send. Your comment will appear along
with other participants in chronological order of when they were sent.
Managing Room Settings
Once the room is created, you can manage discussion through the use of hand raise mode, and the ability to mute and deny
access within the chat room.
Handraise Mode
Hand raise mode allows people to talk one at a time when the person moderating the chat designates them. People who
have access to the Build or Teach tab have the ability to enable Hand Raise mode and moderate the chat.
1. Once you have entered the chat room select the Start Handraise Mode.
2. You will still have the power to talk in the chat room, but now no one else will.
3. Students in the chat room can now raise their hand if they want to talk. You will see a little hand icon beside
53
Chapter 21 | Chat / Whiteboard
their name. When you wish to let someone else talk select their name from the Participant List and click Pass
Microphone/Pen button.
Muting a Participant
1. Once you have entered the chat room select the person’s name from the list of participants on the left.
2. Then click the Mute button. The student will be able to view the chat, but will no longer be able to contribute text.
Denying People Access
1. Once you have entered the chat room select the person’s name from the list of participants on the left.
2. Then click the Deny Access button. This will prevent the student from entering the chat room entirely.
Using Whiteboard for Drawing Slides
1. Select the tool you wish to use from the options in the top right hand corner. The most common and useful tools are
those for colour and line width.
2. Using your mouse, draw on the blank space labeled whiteboard.
3. To undo the last mark you made click the undo button or to erase the entire board click the eraser button.
To use the Whiteboard for Slides and Slideshows:
1. Click Slide Shows and then create a slide show by clicking the Create Slide Show button.
2. Give the slide show a name and then upload images to be slides using the Add Slides button.
Note: You can only upload files with .wbd, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg endings. A Power Point slide show can be exported from
Microsoft Power Point as individual images and then used on the Whiteboard.
3. You can move the uploaded images into a different order by selecting the file in the list and using the up or down
arrows.
4. When you are done click Save Slide Show. You can use this slide show whenever you want.
5. To use this slide show, select its title and then click Load Selected Slide Show. It will appear on the whiteboard.
To view the Chat Log (history of chat for a particular room):
1. Making sure you are under the Teach tab, Click the Action Link beside the Chat Room whose history you
want to view.
2. Select View Log and the log of the activities in the chat room will appear.
54
Chapter 22: Calendar
In this Chapter:
•
•
Adding the Calendar Tool
The Calendar Tool
•
•
Create and Customize a New Calendar Entry
Enable Students to Create Entries
The calendar tool allows course members to exchange scheduling information quickly and effectively. You can create
private entries viewable only to yourself or certain types of course members, or public entries for the entire course to
view. Consider adding in class cancellations, assignment and exam due dates, announcements you have already put into
the Announcements tool, guest lecturer dates, or even local community events. You can also add a link to course content
items such as learning modules and external web links. Through Calendar Settings, you can enable students to create
public entries in the course calendar that the rest of the class can see.
Adding the Calendar Tool
Before you can begin the calendar tool, you need to first add it to your course.
1. From the Build or Teach tab, click Manage Course in the
bottom left hand menu. Then select Tools.
2. Make sure the check box beside the tool you wish to add is
selected and click Save at the bottom of the page
3. The tool is now added to your course and ready to use. Click on
the tool in the left Menu to begin modifying it.
To Create and Customize a New Calendar Entry:
1. To create a new entry, click Add Entry.
2. Enter a Title and Description for the entry, then select the date
and/or time for when the event is set to occur.
3. Enter a Start Date for your entry.
4. Specify the type of entry, and thus the level of access, under
Entry Type.
5. You can also attach a specific file or content link for review by
selecting Add File or Add Content Link. When attached, the
entry in the calendar will appear as a clickable link to course
members.
6. When the entry is completed, select Save.
To Enable Students to Create Public Entries:
1. From the Calendar view, select Calendar Settings from the top
toolbar.
2. Simply select the box which specifies Allow Student public
entries.
3. (From this window, you can also specify the courses you would
like to see in your calendar.)
4. Once you have made your selections, click Save.
The Calendar offers a choice in scheduling and entry types.
Part 6 | Course Management with WebCT 6
Chapter 23 | My WebCT
Chapter 24 | WebCT for Large Classes
Chapter 25 | Tracking Student Performance
Chapter 26 | Managing your Teaching Assistants
Chapter 27 | When the Term is Over
Chapter 28 | Group Manager
Chapter 29 | Selective Release of Course Content
56
Chapter 23 : My WebCT
In this Chapter:
•
•
•
My Settings
Channels
Editing my WebCT
MyWebCT provides you with a single point of access to your courses.
When you first log into WebCT 6, you are brought to your MyWebCT homepage. The information on this page covers
all of the classes you teach. For example, your mail and calendar are grouped together, showing all course information in
one location. This page is fully customizable: courses in your course list can be hidden, channels can be changed and/or
hidden, and both colours and layout can be changed.
My Settings
•
•
•
My Profile My Tool Options My Roles
– This tab shows your Username, your First Name, your Last Name, and allows you to
enter an e–mail.
– Allows you to edit the default settings of different aspects of your WebCT courses, such
as Discussion tool, Mail tool, and HTML Creator tool.
– Shows all your courses and the WebCT role that you have in each of the courses.
Channels
Main Channels
• Course List - This channel contains links to courses in which you are currently enrolled.
• Calendar Day or Calendar Week - Use these channels and the Calendar icon on the My WebCT toolbar to access the
Calendar tool for all courses.
Other Channels
• To Do List - Use this channel to create a personal to-do-list.
• My Grades - This channel displays grades that have been
These links let you change the appearance of your my WebCT
released if you are enrolled as a Student.
page.
• Personal Bookmarks - Use this channel to add bookmarks to
your favorite web pages.
• Campus Bookmarks - Web pages that have been provided by your institution.
• External Courses - Use this channel to create links to other (non-WebCT) online courses in which you are enrolled.
To Edit Channels and My WebCT Layout use the Following Links on the Top Toolbar
•
•
•
Channels - allows you to hide and reveal channels. You can hide all of the channels except the Course List channel.
Color - customizes background and table colors.
Layout - changes the order and location of the channels.
How to Hide the My Grades Channel
1. Click Channels from the top toolbar.
2. Deselect My Grades by clicking the checkmark beside My Grades.
3. To finish hiding My Grades click Save.
57
Chapter 24: WebCT for Large Classes
In this Chapter:
•
•
Tracking and Releasing Grades
Communicating with Students
•
Organizing Group Work
Instructors who teach large classes often find that they spend significant time simply taking care of class administration
issues: answering email, managing grades, office hours, and dealing with student requests.
The sheer number of students in a large class can also make it difficult to engage students in learning activities other
than traditional lecture. Organizing group work, class discussion, and student presentations may seem taunting or even
impossible.
WebCT can help with both the administrative duties of a large class as well as enabling communication and active types of
teaching and learning.
Tracking and Releasing Grades
Use the Grade Book (Chapter 6) to track your grades and regularly release grades to students. This will help student
anxiety about the performance. This should also reduce email volume relating to questions about how to check grades.
Teaching assistants can also use the Grade Book to enter grades, which can save significant time. WebCT maintains an
audit trail of change grades, as well giving the ability to leave comments about an individual’s performance or reason for
grade change.
Communicating with Students
Mail
If you choose to use WebCT’s internal mail system, (Chapter 20) you will know immediately which student in which class
sent you a message. No longer do you need to worry about who [email protected] actually is.
The downside is that you must remember to regularly check you WebCT inbox as message sent via WebCT’s Mail tool
stay within WebCT.
Discussions
Use WebCT’s Discussion Board (Chapter 19) to answer administrative type questions to allow other students to see
the answers. Require students to post administrative type questions to the discussion board by refusing to answer email
questions relating to course administrative matters.
The Discussion tool is also a good way to establish community and open lines of communication between students.
Consider positing a new discussion question after each lecture, topic or module and encourage its use by incorporating
student comments into your in class teaching. The most successful discussion boards do require either the instructor and/
or teaching assistant to participate in the discussion.
In the first week of class, it can be a good idea to have students introduce themselves by asking a simple introductory
question (What’s your favorite restaurant and why?) via the Discussion board.
58
Chapter 24 | WebCT for Large Classes
Chat
The WebCT Chat tool (see Chapter 21) has been improved and can be a good way to host online office hours. Instruct your
teaching assistants to hold special office hours before tests and exams.
Calendar
Students always like to be reminded of important dates and deadlines. Use WebCT’s Calendar (Chapter 22) and
Announcement (Chapter 18) tools to place due dates and exam dates. Yes, students could check their course outline, but
the more sources of information the better and it will cut down on unnecessary e-mails.
If you have any policies regarding missed exams due to illness or communication policy (respond to email with 24 hours),
place the policy information in a prominent spot inside your course.
Organizing Group Work
You can use WebCT’s Group Manager to assign students to groups when using assigning a group assignment. Students
can either be assigned randomly or by your choice. You can also create an online sign up sheet, which allows students to
pick their own groups.
Another useful way to use the Group Manager is to create groups passed on discussion groups, tutorial or lab sections.
Teaching assistants can then grade within that specific group, send WebCT mail to the students in their group through an
easy member selection option, participate with them in custom chat rooms and/or discussion topics.
59
Chapter 25: Tracking Student Performance
In this Chapter:
•
•
Tracking Tool
Other Ways to Track Students
Tracking provides an administrative overview of student activity in the course. From this window you can view reports on
different aspects of student usage of your WebCT 6 course, and from this information make informed decisions on how
to improve or develop the course for future applications. While tracking student performance can be done through the
Tracking tool, it can also be done through Peoplelinks and the Grade Book settings.
Using the Tracking Tool:
1. Under the Teach tab, click on Tracking under the Instructor Tools menu. You will be presented with a list of seven
Report Types you can use to run tailored usage reports.
Summary of Activity
Tracks overall statistics on how students have used the course, including
the number of times they have accessed the course, the average length of
time they spend using it, and the most active days of the week.
Tool Usage
Provides statistics about which tools the students are using the most or
least frequently.
Course Item Usage
Provides data on how often each course content item has been used by
students, such as chat rooms, discussion topics and web links. Data on
the amount of time they spend per visit to the course is also presented
here.
Entry Page or Tool
Provides an overview of the pages and tools students most frequently use
as entry points into the course. The four possible entry points are tracked
from their MyWebCT page, and consist of: the course name in their
course listing, the My Grades or Who’s Online channel, the Calendar
icon, or an icon indicating new content located under the course title.
Exit Page or Tool
Provides an overview of the pages and tools students most frequently
use as exit points from the course.
File Usage
Tracks data on how students have used files in the course – which file
has been used and how often.
Student Tracking
Provides an overview of all student performance and participation
aspects in the course including all elements of participation in tool
and content use. After this report is run, you can click on an individual
student’s name to see a more detailed tracking record for that student.
2. To run the report, simply select the bubble beside the report you would like to run, specify a date range to measure in,
and click Run Report.
60
Chapter 25 | Tracking Student Performance
3. You can also choose to view the statistics in a visual graph, depending on the nature of the report. You can graph the
following reports: Tool Usage, Course Item Usage, Entry Page or Tool, Exit Page or Tool, and File Usage. To do
this, simply select Graph to view the graph, and Hide Graph when you are finished viewing it. You can also select
Export to save the report to an external file.
4. Other ways to track performance:
Peoplelinks
Anywhere within the course you see a student’s name including the Grade Book, that name is a hyperlink. Called a
Peoplelink, it allows you to simply click on it or use the Action Links menu beside the name to see a detailed student
performance report as well as a direct way to email that particular student if you are using the WebCT mail tool.
Column Statistics
To view statistics for a column of grades, click on the Action Links menu of each column title and select Column
Statistics. Here you can view a comprehensive histogram of that particular grading element.
61
Chapter 26: Managing Your TAs
In this Chapter:
•
•
Enrolling Teaching Assitants
TA Settings
•
Un-enrolling Teaching Assitants
Enrolling Teaching Assistants
If you have teaching assistants for your course you will have to enroll them into your course manually. TAs have access to
the Teach tab and are able to view and contribute to all aspects of interacting and grading students.
1. In the Teach tab, select the Grade Book.
2. Now that you are in the Grade Book click Enroll Members (a button near the top
of the screen).
3. Enter the TAs WebCT ID or User Name (same as their connect login ID).
Enroll member button
4. Select their role by checking the appropriate box. Usually you will just select
Teaching Assistant, but if you want to allow them to add content to the course you
must add them as a course designer as well.
– Student: Equivalent to student view – can participate in all learning activities
and discussion tools.
– Teaching Assistant: Can see anything under the Teach and Student View tab
Are able to access all aspects of grading and interaction with students.
– Auditor: Can access everything just as the student can, but is exempt from
only grading.
– Section Designer: Can see anything under the Build tab, can only create
content, organize course materials and settings inside the learning space;
unable to access Grade Book or any exclusive Teach tab settings. They are
Each role carries different access
able to see the Student View.
rights
5. Click Enroll and then click Save.
TA Settings
TAs can access and modify all aspects of the Teach
and Student tab by default. Most people will stick
to the default settings, but you can restrict access to
things like the Grade Book.
1. Select Manage Course from the side menu under
either the Build or Teach tab.
2. Now click on Settings.
3. Under the Administration heading, click on
Teaching Assistant Settings. Please note TAs
cannot see this link.
Note: There are more settings under the Tools heading
and the Discussion tool. These settings are only for
access and editing discussions.
You can alter TA access to certain functions
62
Chapter 26 | Managing Your TAs
4. Here you can see the tools you can use to control TA’s access. They include:
Grade Book – this removes the whole tool from their menu
Selective Release – this removes the ability from their menu
Tracking – this removes the tool from their menu
Assessments – this removes the tool from their menu so they cannot grade.
Assignment Dropbox – this removes the tool from their menu so they cannot grade.
SCORM – this removes the tool from their menu
Grade Book audit history – this removes all the buttons that allow access to the audit history within the
Grade Book. They can still see and edit the Grade Book.
Settings – this removes the settings link with in mange course, which stops them from changing any tool features.
Grading forms – Removes the button to create grading forms and stops them from editing any
aspect of the grading forms.
5. To restrict or allow access to a tool select the corresponding bubble false or true respectively and select Save Values.
Note: To allow access to a tool click the bubble beside true.
Un-enrolling a TA at the End of the Course
At the end of a course the WebCT course remains open. Your students will be able to see the course and your TAs will
have access to it as well. To remove to TAs from your course, you must un-enroll them.
1. Under the Teach tab, select the Grade Book tool
2. In the Grade Book select the TAs you wish to un-enroll by clicking on the check box to the left of their name. A green
check mark will appear beside their name.
3. Click the Unenroll button at the bottom page.
4. Click OK on the pop-up window asking you if you are sure you want to un-enroll the selected member(s).
5. The Grade Book will reload and the TAs will not appear and they will no longer be able to view or access your course.
63
Chapter 27: When the Term is Over
In this Chapter:
•
•
Denying Access
Hiding Content
•
Un-enrolling Teaching Assitants
When the academic term is complete, WebCT courses remain fully open to students and instructors: for a year and a half.
This allows you to easily copy content or transfer entire courses to future terms.
If you wish to restrict access to your course after it is over, you have two alternatives:
1. You can deny access to members of your course.
2. You can hide all of your content and tools, leaving mail open if you wish.
To Deny Access (includes Students and TAs)
1. From the Teach tab, select Grade Book from Instructor Tools.
2. Here you can see the full list of all members of your course. To
deny access to all members, select the box to the left of the Last
Name column at the top of the list. (To select only individual
members, simply select the boxes beside individual names).
3. Click the Deny Access button.
4. There will be several errors – you cannot unenroll yourself as
Master Designer, or the Demo Student that allows you access to
the Student View tab. All members with access denied will have a
red X beside their names.
To Hide all Course Content Homepage Items
The Selective Release tool, found under both the Build and Teach tabs,
allows you to see an overview course content map, and control when
an item can be accessed and who can see it.
To deny access to the whole class select the box in the top
left corner.
To access Selective Release and specify release criteria
1. Select the Selective Release tool from the bottom left-hand toolbar in either the Build or Teach tabs. To view items
within a folder or learning module, simply click on the plus symbol beside the item. You will then be able to view and
hide the contents of each unit.
2. To hide course content items from view of students simply click Hide Item. The button will change from “Hide Item”
to “Show Item,” indicating that it has been hidden.
To Un-enroll Teaching Assistants
1. Under the Teach tab, select the Grade Book tool.
2. In the Grade Book select the TAs you wish to un-enroll by clicking on the small box to the left of their name. A green
check mark will appear beside their name.
3. Click the Unenroll button at the bottom page.
4. Click OK on the pop-up window asking you if you are sure you want to unenroll the selected member(s).
5. The Grade Book will reload and the names of those TAs will no longer appear, meaning they no longer have access to
your course.
Note: If you decide to hide the course content, TAs may still have access to settings via the Teach tab. Also, if you hide all
content, you will have to go back into the course to then show all content if it is migrated to another term.
64
Chapter 28: Group Manager
In this Chapter:
•
•
Benefits of Group Manager
Creating a Group
A new feature in WebCT 6 is the Group Manager tool, which lets you create and edit groups of students within WebCT.
A key benefit to using groups is your ability to communicate and apply assessments to groups rather than selecting large
numbers of individual students. This can be a significant time-saver..
Benefits of Group Manager
Groups can allow you to create mail, discussions topics, and chat rooms, as well as set selective release criteria for specific
groups of students. The groups must be created before you can use them in with other course tools.
• Mail - You can choose to send mail to a group. Each group will appear as an individual recipient. Select the check box
beside the group and the e-mail message will be sent to all the people in the group.
• Discussion and Chat – You can create topics or rooms for each group. To allow only the specific groups to have
access to these topics or rooms you will have to put a content link in the course content page. This will allow these
topics or rooms to appear in the course content list. Then use the selective release too (Chapter 29) to allow only
specific groups to see the topic or room.
• Selective Release – You can change when a course content item can be accessed and who can access it. Once you
have added an item to the course content page, either through a content link or through uploading, it will appear in the
selective tool course content map. From the selective release tool select the option to set the release criteria and then
choose to set by group criteria. You will then be able to choose the group to associate with the item. This will then
make the item only available to that group.
• TAs and Grading - We recommend creating groups of students according to the grading and management of TAs in
your course. TAs can then grade within that specific group, send email to them through a member selection option
and, participate with them in custom chat rooms or discussion topics.
To create a group:
There are three group types available, each
having different functions and properties.
1. In the Teach tab, click Group Manager from
the tools menu on the left.
2. You will now be shown a list of the groups
already created, click Create Groups.
3. The next screen will list the three group types
and their description.
Custom Group – A custom group allows
you to create a single group and add
selected students from the class list to it.
This is useful if you have specific set of
people you wish to put into a group.
Multiple Groups – Allows you to create
any number of groups and randomly
distribute, or manually add, students to
Group Manager lets you organize discussions, mail, and deadlines for different
groups.
65
Chapter 28 | Group Manager
the group.This is useful if you need to randomly assign students to a group of a set size or to a set number
of groups.
Groups with sign-up sheets – Sign-up sheets allow you to create a number of groups and let students add
themselves to the groups. You can also manually add or remove students from groups. This is useful if you want
to allow students to choose their own group, but still restrict the size and number of groups. It is similar to posting
a sign up sheet on your door for group project topics.
4. Select the type of group you would like to create and click Continue.
5. You will now be taken to a list of properties for the groups. Here you can edit and add criteria such as the number of
groups, group size, group members and sign-up sheets.
66
Chapter 29: Selective Release
In this Chapter:
•
•
Viewing Selective Release Map
Hiding Items
•
Setting Release Criteria
This tool allows you to see the course content map, and to control when an item can be accessed and who can access it.
You can hide items or set Release Criteria which specify under which conditions content can be released to students –
based on date, individuals or groups of students, or by a Grade Book column. You can also combine release criteria for
more specific control.
Viewing the Selective Release Map
To see the selective release map click Selective Release on either the Designer or Instructor tools menus.
Note: If not all item do not appear you can view all items within the course content by simply clicking on the plus symbol
beside the item.
The Selective Release Map lets you show or hide items, and choose release criteria
Hiding Items
To hide course content items from view of students simply click on Hide Item. The button will change from “Hide Item”
to “Show Item,” indicating that it has been hidden. Click again to show item.
67
Chapter 29 | Selective Release
Setting Release Criteria
If you wish to add specific settings for release of an item, simply click Set Release Criteria. In this window you can set
up a list of conditions which must be met before the item will become visible to particular students or all course members.
Add Date Criteria: Specify the date and time when you would like the item to be released to the student(s). You can also
set an expiry date for a particular length of time that item can be visible.
Add Member Criteria: Select the individual student or multiple students to receive this item by selecting the box beside
their names.
Add Group Criteria: If you would rather send it to a specific student group, you must first have a group created under
Group Manager. When you click on Add Group Criteria, the groups you have created will be visible.
Add Grade Book Criteria: The Grade Book criterion offers you a myriad of options to release content to students based
on grades book criteria like marks, or if a student has finished an assignment.
Note:
• You can also develop complex expressions with criteria, using multiple types of criteria to specify the release of a
particular item.
• You can also set Selective Release criteria for an item while you are within the tool. For example, while in the
Discussions Tool you can specify that a certain topic can only be released under specific conditions, or to a specific
group of students. Simply click on the Action Links drop down menu beside the item, and select Set Release Criteria.
Appendix A: Differences between
WebCT 4 and WebCT 6
69
Appendix A | Differences Between WebCT 4 and WebCT 6
Appendix A: Differences Between WebCT 4 and WebCT 6
Highlights:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Announcements get noticed! The new announcement tool can be customized so that the announcement will greet
the student in a pop-up window when they log into WebCT 6.
Easier Group Sign-ups Online signup sheets allow you to create the spaces for students to choose groups
electronically for their course projects, class events, or event equipment sign-ups.
Customizing your course can allow you to personalize everything from colours, icons, and even the removing,
changing or adding of custom links in the left hand course menu.
Discussions Tool allows you to structure peer-to-peer interaction in traditional Threaded format or the new Blog and
Journal style formats.
Chat enables live and dynamic interaction controlled by the instructor through the new hand raise mode: hold virtual
office hours, class discussions, guest lecturer question periods or exam review study groups.
Quicker uploading. You are now able to upload more than one file simultaneously making the process much easier.
Create your own Media Library. Collections of images or glossaries which can be organized and categorized, as
well as integrated within learning modules and folders for easy integration with course content.
Learning Modules allow you to package content such as assessments, readings, and discussion spaces into one easy
listing for students to navigate through.
Help Students get Organized! Customize your Calendar tool by adding in details such as announcements, quizzes,
guest speakers, group presentations, and even attach learning content to specific dates.
WebCT 4 becomes WebCT 6:
Some tools were dropped and others were renamed
WebCT 4
WebCT 6
WebCT 4
WebCT 6
Assignments Tool
Assignments (expanded)
Organizer Page
Folder
Calendar
Calendar (expanded)
Quizzes/Surveys Tool
Assessments Tool
CD ROM Utility
Local Content Tool
Search Utility
Search Tool
Chat Tool
Chat Tool (expanded)
Self-test Tool
Assessments Tool
Content Module Tool
Learning Module Tool
Single Pages
Files in the File Manager
Control Panel
No longer exists
Student Homepages
An Assignment
Discussions Tool
Discussions Tool
(expanded)
Student Presentations Tool
An Assignment
Glossary Tool
Media Library Tool
(collection)
Student Tips Tool
No longer exists (use
Announcements)
Homepage
Course Content Home
Textboxes
Header and Footer
70
WebCT 4
WebCT 6
WebCT 4
WebCT 6
Image Database Tool
Media Library Tool
(collection)
Whiteboard Tool
No longer exists
independently – integrated
with Chat tool
Manage Course
Manage Course
(functionality
substantially changed)
URL Tool
Web Links Tool
Manage Files
File Manager Tool
Selected List of Enhancements (adapted from Melane McCuller/OIT Copyright 2006)
New Features
Description
Assessments
Types of questions:
• Calculated
• Combination
• Fill-in-the-blank
• Jumbled sentence
• Matching
• Multiple choice
• Paragraph
• Short answer with one correct answer
• Short answer with several correct answers
• Short answer with several correct answers (bonus
marks for the correct order)
• Short answer with several answers in order
• True/false
•
•
•
Quizzes
Self-tests
Surveys
A new option is to enter designer notes about the question
that only the designer and instructor can see.
Assignments
•
•
•
•
•
Choose text-based or web-based assignments
Choose individual or group assignments
Choose gradable or not-graded assignments
Control take-back and edit permission
New option such as Anonymous Grading and
Iterative Assignment review
Grade Book
Course management tool
• View, enter, and manage grades for students
• Enroll, grant or deny access for all members
• Freeze column feature facilitates matching grades to
names
• View Audit history of all grade changes
• Input comments about grades for TA and Instructor
Viewing only
• Direct access to student Performance Records
Role-specific tabs and Tools
1. Designer tools (Section Designers), BUILD tab:
–– Manage Course
–– File Manager
–– Selective Release
2. Instructor tools (Instructors, TAs), TEACH tab:
–– Manage Course
–– Assessment Manager
–– Assignment Dropbox
–– Grade Book
–– Group Manager
–– Tracking
–– Notes
–– Selective Release
3. My Tools (Students, Auditors), Student view tab:
–– My Grades
–– File Manager
–– My Progress
–– Notes
•
•
•
Designer Tools
Instructor Tools
My Tools
Each role remains distinct and maintains an identity, even
multiple designers or instructors. The student tab that the
designer or instructor sees offers a true student view, the
Demo Student even being allowed to take quizzes and
submit any assignment without affecting course statistics.
Selective Release
Grid/tree that shows how one content tool is linked to
another for all items in course and from which selective
release of information based on date, members, groups,
or Grade Book can be set.
71
Appendix B: Frequently Asked Questions
Appendix B | Frequently Asked Questions
Appendix B: FAQ
General WebCT
1. How can I add teaching assistants (TA) or other individuals (designers, instructors, students, auditors) to my course
section?
2. Can I still use WebCT 4? What will happen to my old WebCT 4 courses now that WebCT 6 is the default?
3. Can I still access a course I taught some years ago?
4. How can I forward mail from WebCT?
5. How do I back up content from my courses?
6. My Course is not showing in WebCT 6.
7. What’s that green asterisk I sometimes see in the Course Menu?
8. What’s that little arrow icon to the immediate right of each course component?
9. What are the differences between the roles (Student, Teaching Assistant, Auditor and Section Designer)?
10. What is the purpose of the announcement tool in WebCT 6?
11. What is SCORM?
12. What is the Local Content tool used for?
Logging In and Browsers
13. What browser do I need?
14. What is Java? Why does WebCT want me to check my Java?
15. Why should I turn off my IE7 pop-up blocker?
16. Why and How should I add WebCT 6 to my Windows Trusted Zone?
17. I can’t download a Word, Power Point or PDF document.
18. How do I change my WebCT password?
19. I forgot my user name or password. What do I do?
20. What are the technical requirements for my computer to use WebCT 6?
Adding and Moving Content
21. How can I change the order of items on the home page or within folders?
22. How can I change the order of items within a learning module?
23. What is the difference between folders and learning modules?
24. How many items can go into a WebCT 6 Learning Module?
25. How can I change the order of announcements?
26. Can students use the Search function to locate text within documents?
Student Interaction
27. How can I release grades to students for a particular assignment?
28. How can I control when course components are released to students, and who can see them?
29. What can students do with Notes?
30. What if my students have difficulties accessing aspects of WebCT?
31. Who is the Demo Student in my course?
32. How do I get my students to participate in the online discussions?
33. Should I post my lecture notes on WebCT 6? Will students stop coming to my lectures?
34. How do I Stop Cheating?
73
74
Migrating, Importing and Exporting Content
35. Migrating Content from WebCT 4 to WebCT 6
36. How do I import quiz questions from one of my WebCT courses into another?
37. How do I import a list of Important Academic Dates and/or Holidays Days into my WebCT course’s calendar?
Appearance of Course
38. My tools menu just disappeared… where did it go?
39. How do I hide or reveal content from the Student View?
40. There are many courses listed on MyWebCT page and some I have completed already, can I hide or remove some of
them?
41. I have hidden some courses that I have access to on the myWebCT page, how can I see these courses and access them
again?
42. How can I create a banner for my home page?
43. How do I change the instructor name displayed on myWebCT page and within my WebCT course?
General WebCT
1. How can I add Teaching Assistants (TA) or other individuals (designers, instructors, students,
auditors) to my course section?
Members can be added to the course through assigning them four different roles which denote different levels of access.
Student: Teaching Assistant: Auditor: Section Designer: Can only see the student view - can participate in all learning activities and discussion tools.
Can only see anything under the Teach tab and is able to have access to all grading aspects and
interaction with students.
Can access everything just as the student can, but is exempt from final grades.
Under the Build tab, can only create content, organize course materials and settings inside the
learning space; unable to access Grade Book or any exclusive Teach tab settings.
To assign a new course member and role:
1. While in the Teach tab, Click Grade Book.
2. Click Enroll Members (a button near the top of the screen).
3. Enter the User Name, the member’s connect login ID.
4. Select their role by checking the appropriate box. You may select more than one role.
5. Click Enroll.
6. Click Save.
2. Can I still use WebCT 4? What will happen to my old WebCT 4 courses now that WebCT 6 is the
default?
You can still access your old WebCT 4 courses by using the Link to CE 4 courses just below your course list in
MyWebCT. You can also still change and edit these courses, but no new courses will be made in WebCT 4. This link will
be available for about a year. Your old courses in WebCT 4 are always available even once they do not appear on the
myWebCT page. This is also true for old WebCT 6 courses. To get your old courses that you do not have access to, call
CCS at ext. 3700.
75
3. Can I still access a course I taught some years ago?
Yes. Your recent WebCT 4 courses can be reached through a link on your MyWebCT page, reading Link to CE 4 Courses.
(This is the page you first see upon logging in to WebCT 6; you can also access myWebCT through a link in the upperright hand corner of your course page). To access older courses not visible on this page, please contact CCS at extension
3700, or by e-mail: [email protected].
4. How can I forward mail from WebCT?
Unfortunately, the ability to set the mail forwarding from within an individual course is no longer available. There is now
only a global setting for all your WebCT 6 courses. To set mail forwarding:
1. Log into WebCT 6 (http://webct6.carleton.ca).
2. Click the My Settings link (top right).
3. Under My Profile, click the Edit Profile button.
4. Enter your e-mail and click the Save button.
5. Click the My Tool Options tab.
6. Scroll down to the Mail forwarding setting.
7. Select Forward all mail messages to the e-mail address in my profile.
8. Click the Save button (bottom).
5. How do I back up content from my courses?
Fortunately, Carleton Computing Services (CCS) makes frequent backups to all WebCT 6 courses, at least once per day.
If you experience any outages or losses of information, CCS can be contacted for an archived backup. However, if you
would like to make a backup for extra assurance, you can certainly do so:
1. Under the Build or Teach tabs, click Manage Course in the bottom left hand toolbar.
2. Click Backup.
3. Select Back Up Course. It will begin to save a backup of the course – while it is developing this backup, it may
indicate “Pending” or “In the Queue.”
Simply wait about a minute. When the status bar reads Complete, click the Action Link drop down menu next to the
file name and select Save as File. You can then save the file to “My Computer” to have a copy of the course content
for a backup.
6. My Course is not showing in WebCT 6.
1. First, make sure that you are logged into WebCT 6 and not WebCT 4.
2. If your course is not showing in WebCT 6, please verify with your Departmental Administrator that you have been
associated to your course in Banner.
If you have been associated to your course in Banner and you still do not see your course listed in WebCT 6, please
contact the CCS Service Desk at 520-3700, or by e-mail: [email protected].
You can also use this form to request that your course be added: http://www.carleton.ca/webctform
76
7. What’s that green asterisk I sometimes see in the Course Menu?
The green asterisk indicates that new content has been posted under that heading. It is a cue for the students, TA’s, etc to
click on that section to see what has been added.
8. What’s that little arrow icon to the immediate right of each course component?
That’s the very useful Action Link drop down menu. Clicking on it will produce a list of all possible actions associated
with that item. For example, clicking on the action menu link beside a file name gives you the options to preview the file,
edit its properties, copy it, etc. But clicking on the action menu link beside “Create Column” within the Grade Book lists
all the grade types you can assign to a grade column.
9. What are the differences between the roles (Student, Teaching Assistant, Auditor and
Section Designer)?
Student: Teaching Assistant: Auditor: Section Designer: Can only see the student view - can participate in all learning activities and discussion tools.
Can only see anything under the Teach tab and Student View and is able to have access to all
grading aspects and interaction with students.
Can access everything just as the student can, but is exempt from final grades.
Under the Build tab, can only create content, organize course materials and settings inside the
learning space; unable to access Grade Book or any exclusive Teach tab settings. They are
able to see the Student View.
10. What is the purpose of the announcement tool in WebCT 6?
In WebCT 4, many instructors posted announcements to students by placing banner text on the main course page. WebCT
6 provides a specific tool for creating announcements (although the banner function is still available).
The Announcement tool offers some advantages over banner announcements.
1. All announcements are listed in one spot, allowing students to refer to past announcements.
2. The announcement function is very simple to use.
3. Instructors can add a start and end date for posting announcements. This allows them to post announcements ahead of
time, to be published on a certain date.
4. Instructors can also set announcements to ‘pop-up’ when the students open the course. Of course, this could also be
considered a disadvantage, if it contributes to ‘pop-up’ litter! To view an announcement that does not pop-up, the
student must click on the announcement tab.
5. They will be notified of new announcements by a green asterisk by the tab.
Announcements can be a useful way to set the tone for communication with students. Instructors use announcements to
remind students of upcoming deadlines, to post helpful suggestions, or to send a brief note outlining the main themes and
work of the upcoming week(s).
77
11. What is SCORM?
SCORM is an acronym representing Shareable Content Object Reference Model. It serves as a standardized tool which
allows you to package and transfer reusable learning objects between learning management systems.
For more detailed explanations, see these useful online articles:
http://osytn.com/standards/docs/scorm2004
http://islearninggroup.com/whitepapers/what-is-scorm.htm
12. What is the Local Content tool used for?
If your course textbook utilizes an accompanying CD ROM, you can use the Local Content tool to flag important
documents and files on that CD ROM. Instead of having to upload the entire file to WebCT 6, it allows you to draw
attention to the files, which students can only access if they have the CD in their CD ROM drive.
Logging In and Browsers
13. What browser do I need?
Supported browsers:
PC
Mac
Internet Explorer 6.0
Service Pack 1
Internet Explorer 6.0
Service Pack 2
Internet Explorer 7
Netscape 7.2
AOL 9
Mozilla 1.7
Firefox 1.0
Firefox 1.5
Firefox 2.0 (SP1 Hotfix 2)
Mozilla 1.7
Firefox 1.0
Safari 1.2
Safari 1.3
Safari 2.0
Safari 2.0 for Intel x86 platform
Support for new browsers are added regularly.
14. What is Java? Why does WebCT want me to check my Java?
Java is a programming language which enables certain functions within WebCT 6. If your computer is running an older
version of Java, you may encounter problems with WebCT e-mail, chat, discussions, HTML editing, uploading files, and
testing functions.
To check if your version of Java is supported by WebCT 6, use the Check Browser link located on the upper right of the
MyWebCT page. (“MyWebCT” is the first page you encounter after you log into WebCT 6.)
If your version of Java is not fully supported, you can install a fully supported version of Java. CCS recommends Java
1.4.2.
If you decide to install the fully supported version of Java, you must uninstall any old versions of Java first. To uninstall
78
any old versions of Java, do this:
1. Click the Windows Start button and go into the Control Panel
2. Click Add/Remove Programs
3. Find all instances of Java and remove them
Install a supported version of Java. CCS recommends Java 1.4.2. To install Java:
1. Go to www.google.com,
2. Search for “Java 1.4.2”
3. Download and install the latest Java Runtime Environment (JRE) ‘J2SE JRE’ for your operating system (Windows,
Mac OS, Linux).
Make sure to turn off automatic updates after you have installed Java. To do this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click the Windows Start button and go into the Control Panel
Double click the Java plug-in icon
Click the Update tab
Remove the checkmark beside “Check for Updates Automatically”
Click the Apply button
Contact the CCS Service Desk if you require help, at extension 3700 or via email at [email protected].
15. Why should I turn off my IE7 pop-up blocker?
If your computer uses Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 (IE7), we recommend that you turn off your pop-up blocker. WebCT
6 makes extensive use of pop-up windows; if your browser prevents access to these windows you will not be able to see
all material.
To turn off the pop-up blocker,
1. Open Internet Explorer 7.
2. From the upper menu bar, click Tools.
3. Click Pop-up Blocker and then select, Turn Off Pop-up Blocker.
Note: It is also recommended that you turn off any toolbar pop-up blockers, such as the one in the Google tool bar. CCS
has even had cases where the Google toolbar needed to be completely uninstalled. You can uninstall your toolbar from
your computer’s control panel.
16. Why and How should I add WebCT 6 to my Windows Trusted Zone?
CCS recommends that you add WebCT 6 to the Windows Security Trusted Zone, in order to have the ability to access
WebCT 6 for development of your course. When the site is added to the Trusted Zone, it will prevent Windows from
continuing to send pop-up messages requesting you to trust the site.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
From your computer’s desktop, locate the Internet Explorer icon.
Right click on the icon and select Properties.
Click the Security tab.
Click once on the Trusted Sites icon (highlighting it).
Click the Sites button.
79
6. In the Add this web site to zone box, type “https://webct6.carleton.ca/” and click the Add button.
7. Click OK.
17. I can’t download a Word, PowerPoint or PDF document.
If you or your students are having difficulties downloading files from within your WebCT course sections using Internet
Explorer 6 or 7 (i.e. yellow pop-up Information Bar keeps appearing) and are using Windows XP, you will need to change
your Security Settings for downloads. In addition, with Internet Explorer 7, a similar bar appears when trying to access
information that opens in a new window. To allow these windows to open, you will need to enable scripted windows.
To turn off the information bar for file downloads (this procedure allows Web sites to automatically ask you if you would
like to download files and software, removing the Information Bar) and enable scripted windows:
1. In Internet Explorer, click Tools and then click Internet Options.
2. Click the Security tab, ensure that Internet zone is selected, and then click Custom Level.
3. In the Downloads section of the list, under Automatic prompting for file downloads, click Enable.
Internet Explorer 7 only:
In the Scripting section of the list, under Allow websites to prompt for information using scripted windows, click Enable.
4. Click OK.
5. In the Warning dialog box, click Yes.
6. To close Internet Options, click OK.
18. How do I change my WebCT password?
Go to http://connect.carleton.ca/secure-cgi/passwd.cgi, fill out the appropriate form, and click Submit. Then simply reload
the WebCT 6 log in page and re-enter the new password.
19. I forgot my user name or password. What do I do?
On http://webct6.carleton.ca (the WebCT login page). Click the WebCT Help link on the right hand side.
20. What are the technical requirements for my computer to use WebCT 6?
The minimum system requirements for using WebCT are:
PC
Minimum
Mac
Minimum
Processor
Pentium 75
Processor
Power PC
Hard Drive
Minimum 50 MB of
free space*
Platform
OS X
Memory
32 MB of RAM
Memory
32 MB of RAM
Modem
56 kb or higher
Modem
56 kb or higher
* You will not be downloading any software unless specified in course materials. The 50 MB of free Hard Disk space is
for the computer to have room to run Java and support your Internet browser.
80
A system with these minimum requirements will be able to access WebCT, but courses that include multimedia
components and third-party software may require higher standards. Typically the only software required is a supported
Internet browser, but additional software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or a multimedia player maybe required.
Adding and Moving Content
21. How can I change the order of items on the home page or within folders?
To move around items on the home page or within a folder:
1. Under Build tab, click Course Content.
2. Click on the Action Link drop down menu beside the item you want to move.
3. Click the up or down arrow at the bottom of the action menu until the item is in the correct location.
22. How can I change the order of items within a learning module?
To change the order of items within a learning module:
1. Under Build tab, click the Learning module you want to change.
2. Locate the title you want to move. Select the box beside the title.
3. Click the move icon beside the desired new location for the item. The selected column title will appear above the item
you selected the move icon for.
23. What is the difference between folders and learning modules?
Folders and learning modules both offer a means of grouping course material into cohesive units. If each of your lectures
is a separate topic of learning, you can have a separate package for each. Or if your course does not lend itself well
to chunking in this way, it is also useful to group by tool, with separate folders or learning modules for assignments,
readings, lecture notes, web links, or discussion group topics.
Folder: Acts as a space within which to store content files – arranges them in a non-hierarchical fashion, visible as larger
icons to be manually clicked separately by the user.
Learning Module: Provides a way to sequentially and hierarchically order content on a particular subject or unit for
a more structured list style delivery. All content links are visible within the same window (lecture notes, readings,
discussions and other materials), and it is possible to customize the sequence of links (the order in which the student views
the content) as well as incorporate organization through the use of headers.
24. How many items can go into a WebCT 6 Learning Module?
Learning modules work best with fewer than 20 items (including the indented items). More items than that may cause a
System error. If you have a large number of items, group them into several smaller modules (for example, the readings for
each week).
25. How can I change the order of announcements?
Here’s how to change the order in which announcements appear in the announcement list.
1. Under Build tab, click Announcements.
81
2. Locate the announcement you want to move. Click the small box to the left of the announcement title.
3. Then click the move icon to the left of the announcement you want to move the selected tool above or below.
4. A menu will appear asking if you want to put the selected announcement above or below the announcement whose
move icon you are using. Click the one you wish to choose.
26. Can students use the Search function to locate text within documents?
The Search function is very useful for searching the titles of text components but it can only locate text within files that
are saved in html format. In other words, it cannot locate text inside Word or PowerPoint files.
Student Interaction
27. How can I release grades to students for a particular assignment?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Go into your course.
Make sure that you are on the Teach tab (upper left).
Click the Grade Book link (lower left-hand frame).
Click the Grade Book Options button (upper right) and select Column Settings.
Put a checkmark at the top of the column you want released and click the Release button (lower left) OR
(A quicker alternative to 5) Once you have clicked Grade Book Options, locate the row title Release Grade. Under the
column you want to release and in the Release Grade row, it will say either Yes (for release that grade) or No. Simply
click on the Yes or No to change it to the opposite.
28. How can I control when course components are released to students and who can see them?
There are two ways to control access over which files the students see.
1. Click on the Action Link beside the file you want to hide (or show).
2. Select Hide item (or Show item). In the Build and Teach modes, the item will appear shaded. In the student view, it
cannot be seen.
3. To allow access, simply click on the Action Link for the file, and click Show item.
You can also set criteria for when (or to whom) to display an item:
1. Under Build tab, select Selective Release. A list of all your course contents will be displayed.
2. Select the item and click Set Release Criteria. You will see the options to change the release date, and to choose which
students or groups will see the item.
3. Click on the desired type of criteria, set your parameters, and click Save.
29. What can students do with Notes?
Notes provide a space within which students are able to save notes for themselves related to a specific course. There can
be general notes which are related to the course as a whole and stored generally in My Notes or they can be specifically
added when within a Learning Module on a particular page and are then stored under that section’s title in the Learning
Module under My Notes.
30. What if my students have difficulties accessing aspects of WebCT?
If your students encounter difficulties using WebCT 6, please direct them to the CCS Service Desk available on the main
82
floor of the MacOdrum Library in person, via phone at extension 3700, and via email at [email protected].
31. Who is the Demo Student in my course?
The Demo Student is the simulated student which allows the instructors and TA’s view the course as a student when they
enter the Student View tab. It allows for a 100% accurate view of the course exactly as the student experiences it, which
permits immediate testing of course components developed. While the Demo Student has a space in the Grade Book, this
in no way affect the statistics of grading.
32. How do I get my students to participate in the online discussions?
(adopted from http://www.ualberta.ca/WEBCT/faculty/faq.html)
Make it worth something - Students may not perceive the value of participating in discussions, so it can be a good idea
to attach certain value to their online interaction by making it part of the course grade. One benefit from this is that you
will actually be able to read what students are thinking about and the depth to which they understand the course content.
Be present - The easiest way to ensure that a discussion space fails is for the instructor to be absent. By posting new
messages and responding to students’ questions and points, you model the type of behaviour you expect from them. You
also help to create an atmosphere that will keep students coming back to read and post.
Set some limits - It’s a good idea to encourage students to keep their messages within some kind of limits. Generally, a
good, concise, well-thought post needs one or two screens of text. Any more than that and people won’t read it or will
become frustrated with all the extra work it takes to wade through all the information. This strategy also keeps the amount
of work you have to do at a manageable level.
Be vigilant - If individuals are not participating, it is a good idea to send them a private e-mail message to find out why.
They may be having trouble getting online, or they aren’t comfortable posting messages to the group.”
33. Should I post my lecture notes on WebCT 6? Will students stop coming to my lectures?
(adopted from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/learningtechnology/concerns/personal.html#concernAttendance)
“When first faced with the prospect of putting their slides, handouts or lecture notes onto the web, most academics wonder
what effect this will have on student attendance:
1. “Will students stop coming to sessions?”
2. “Will they still take notes in lectures?”
3. “Will the benefits of having these materials online (such as not having to make and distribute copies, not having to
make additional copies for students who missed the section, being easy to find and update in future years, and so on)
be outweighed by associated problems?”
“These are good questions, to which there are no simple answers. The reason for this is that although most people assume
they know what terms like “lecture” mean, in fact, people lecture in very different ways. In addition, students develop
quite varied expectations about what ‘ought’ to happen in lectures. So how students will respond to lecture notes being put
online will depend largely on the specifics of the course. However, some general conclusions can be drawn:
•
•
If students believe that the sole purpose of lectures is to convey information (a “transmission” model), and if they also
believe that the online materials cover all the content from a lecture, it makes sense for them to save time and effort by
not attending.
If students think that lectures are about transmitting information but believe that the information contained in the
•
83
online materials is only partial, they will probably still attend in order to get the missing information.
If students recognize that a lecture is more than just transmission (for example, that it is supplemented by illustrations
and anecdotes that the lecturer hasn’t included, that it involves interaction with peers, that an opportunity is provided
to ask questions, etc.) then they are still likely to attend.
In summary, research in this area has shown that students are pragmatic and sensible: if a lecture is really so bad that it can
be replaced by an online handout, they will take the easy option. However, lecturers who ensure their classes are varied,
stimulating and richer than the handouts have reported no problems with declining attendance.
“What can I do to ensure that attendance does not drop?”
As explained above, student attendance is helped by making lectures active, engaging and rich. Several things can be done
to support this, including:
•
•
•
•
Being clear that lectures are about more than just presenting information - explain this to students, so that their
expectations match yours.
Using a varied lecturing style which might include (where appropriate) use of different media (such as video), use of a
range of technologies (such as PowerPoint or electronic voting systems), invitation to students to question the lecturer
at various points during the session, and so on.
Inviting students to discuss concepts or examples in small groups for short periods during the lecture and then feed
back to the entire class.
Putting ‘partial’ handouts online - for example, containing diagrams without labels - and expecting students to
complete these in lectures.”
(adopted from http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~murdockj/teaching/)
“Understandably, students really … want the lecture notes posted. However, to make sure that students attend lectures
and keep up with the course in-between assessments, lectures have to have “value added.” Each instructor can use some
creativity to figure out a way to ensure lectures have “value added” even if all the lecture notes are posted before lecture
such that students can print them out and bring them to lecture. In my case, I have found that peppering the lecture notes
with questions that are only answered during lecture helps ensure high attendance and makes it clear to students that
they are expected to take notes even though they have the slides in front of them. I call these “red questions” as they are
always in red font to highlight them. Here’s an example from my ECO220 course. There are many possibilities. For an
econometrics course you may present a table of estimation results and discuss the interpretation in class (rather than write
out the interpretation in the slides). … Of course there are more direct means of ensuring class attendance such as having
a TA pass around a sign-in sheet to take attendance, including “class participation” in the marking scheme, pop quizzes or
other short in-class exercises. Make it very clear to your students that you expect them to take notes and attend class.”
Other excellent sources on this issue:
http://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_2005/TC_Spring_2005_Smith.htm
http://drexel-coas-elearning.blogspot.com/2005/10/beyond-lecture-podcasting.html
http://jutlp.uow.edu.au/2006_v03_i02/pdf/massingham_008.pdf
34. How do I Stop Cheating?
If you are using the WebCT Assessment and Assignments there are many ways to prevent cheating.
•
Using calculated question with randomly generated variables within a formula. This allows for students to have the
same question, but with different numbers and answers.
84
•
•
•
•
•
•
Using a Question Set where a number of question of similar difficulty are created for one question in an assessment.
WebCT will choose randomly from the set of questions when creating the students quiz. This will allow students to
have different questions on the assessments.
Setting the assessment time to a restricted time frame such as an hour will not allow students the opportunity to cheat.
Delivering the question one at a time compared to all at once also helps to stop students from cheating. For quizzes
you can add an invigilator password to the quiz and then give it out at the time of quizzing. It is possible to book
computer labs to hold these assessments.
For quizzes you can also require students to take the quiz from a certain computer or set of computers (e.g. ones on
campus) by setting the IP address or IP address mark.
Getting your student to submit a digital copy (through use of the Assignment tool) as well as a hard copy so that you
can use the digital copy to check for plagiarism.
With the digitally submitted copies of student assignments, create an assignment database to check new submissions
against old ones for instances of plagiarism.
Migrating, Importing and Exporting Content
35. Migrating Content from WebCT 4 to WebCT 6
Migrating content is a two-step process. First, you export the old content from WebCT 4. Then, you import the exported
file into WebCT 6.
See Chapter 5 for a detailed explanation of the steps required.
If you need further assistance in migrating content, ask staff at the EDC to do it for you! Please call the EDC at extension
4433 to request this service.
Contact CCS support ([email protected] or 520-2700) if you have any concerns or questions about any error
messages.
36. How do I import quiz questions from one of my WebCT courses into another?
Before you are able to import questions into your course, you must first export questions from another WebCT course. To
do this, you must be in the course you want to export from and also in the Build tab.
In the Course Tools menu, click Assessments then click Go to Question Database…
In the question database, select the check boxes to the left of the questions you want to export. Then click Export
Questions.
WebCT will then create a .zip file of the questions and ask you to save the file. In the save menu, select the My Files tab
and save the file there. This will allow you to access the file from other WebCT courses.
Next, go into the course you want to import questions to. Under the Build tab, click Manage Course, and then
click Import. Browse the My Files tab for the .zip file created earlier, select the file and click OK. WebCT will then
automatically add the questions to the Question Database.
85
37. How do I import a list of Important Academic Dates and/or Holidays Days into my WebCT
course’s calendar?
You can find all the academic dates at http://www2.carleton.ca/academics/schedules.php on the Carleton University
website.
There will be a WebCT calendar with all the academic dates soon. This will be called the institutional calendar. When you
are in the calendar tool in WebCT you can choose to view the institutional calendar from a drop down menu.
Appearance of Course
38. My tools menu just disappeared… where did it go?
The tools menu is still there, but it has been reduced in size to show only the tool icons—look for the column of icons on
the far left-hand side of your screen. WebCT sometimes reduces the tools menu to give you an enlarged view of the main
page.
To restore the full tools menu:
1. Click on the Expand or Collapse toggle (two arrows above and below two vertical lines), which is beside the tool
icons.
39. How do I hide or reveal tools or content for Student viewing in the course?
This feature is called Selective Release, allowing you to hide and reveal content from Student view. See Chapter 29 for
more information.
40. There are many courses listed on MyWebCT page and some I have completed already, can I hide or
remove some of them?
To hide courses in your Course List Channel on the MyWebCT homepage:
1. Log on to WebCT.
2. On the myWebCT page, under the heading Course List, click on the Edit icon:
3. You will then be taken to the Edit Course List screen:
86
4. Either click Hide Link or select the boxes beside the course(s) you wish to hide and click the Hide button at the
bottom. You will then be taken back to your MyWebCT page where the courses you have selected to hide will no
longer be visible in your Course List.
41. I have hidden some courses that I have access to on the myWebCT page, how can I see these courses
and access them again?
To reveal hidden courses in the Course List Channel on the MyWebCT homepage:
1. Log on to WebCT.
2. On the myWebCT page, under the heading Course List, click on the Edit icon:
3. You will then be taken to the Edit Course List screen:
4. Either click Show Link or select the boxes beside the course(s) you wish to reveal and click the Show button at the
bottom. You will then be taken back to your myWebCT page where the courses you have selected to show will now be
visible in your Course List.
42. How can I create a banner for my home page?
Under the Build tab, select Course Content (the course home page).
1. Click on Page Options (on the right-hand side of the screen).
2. Select Edit Header (or Edit Footer, if you want your banner to appear at the bottom of the home page).
3. Write your message in the text box. If you want to use different fonts or insert an image, click the Enable HTML
creator button.
4. When your text is complete, Click Save.
43. How do I change the instructor name displayed on myWebCT page and within my WebCT course?
From within the course, there is no way to change your name. However, in the case of a need to change this due to
marriage or some other arrangement, feel free to contact CCS at extension 3700.

Part 2 | Grading in WebCT 6 - Educational Development Centre

Transcription

Similar documents

David Andrew Poyton - Cadair Home

Battista`s Hole in the Wall

09-09-16 Newsletter - Luverne Public Schools

Logging in to the System Please go to the following URL to begin

QuickGuide to EOS Live View Features

Contents - Vu Televisions

Contents - Vu Televisions

Table of contents

Samsung SPH-a680

Sapphire Community Portal for Parents/Students

INSTEP Course Listing Manual Data Insert