WebCT

Introduction for Course Developers CSU San Marcos

Overview of this lecture

• Is there anything you see that has been neglected or omitted from this lecture?

What this introduction is not:

• A workshop where you will create a full fledged course.

Having said that: This course *is* a hands on introduction to this application; at the end of the two hours you will have seen some powerful examples of what WebCT courses may look like, and you will have made some modification to the course template I created for you (you may even have placed your syllabus online, within the structure of WebCT).

What WebCT is not:

An HTML Editor.

• It is a structure in which you may insert HTML pages/resources that allows the instructor to conveniently track student progress.

A magical time saving device.

• You will still need to do all the course development and pedagogical structure for the course (in fact, you will have to think of your course in terms on online instruction (which may be new to you) and this may add time to your preparation).
• You may need to hire a student assistant to help you create some of aspects of your course (video, audio, scanned images, etc.).

A replacement for traditional instruction.

• WebCT will never replace instructors.  It needs them to mediate the curriculum that it merely delivers.  It *does* allow for a great extension of traditional instruction time and techniques (chat, online evaluation, distance learning, etc.).

What your students will see:

Sample Course:
http://homebrew.cs.ubc.ca/webct/try/

• Go to this page, pick "Sample Course 2" and set up a guest account so you can see what it would be like to take the course.

While we are "enrolled" we will:

1. Take a quiz and see how we did.
   • Click on "Quizzes"  to take the quiz, then back to the home page, then on "Administrative Tools" to see your class progress.
2. Read some class notes (and gloss them... show them other tools).
   • Click on "Course Content" and see the sorts of "Button Bar" tools that you can allow your students.
3. Take part in an Online Chat.
   • Click on "Course Tools" and then on "Online Chat" to enter the "chat room."
4. Use the BBS (Bulletin Board System).
   • Click on "Bulletin Board" and use the menu in the left frame of the new window to post and/or respond to messages.  Ask about features you are unfamiliar with.
5. Check out the calendar.
   • Click on "Calendar" and consider the usefulness of this tool.
6. Use the Private Email system.
   • Click on "Course Tools" and then on "Private Email" to use the class email for this WebCT course (this is not a *real* email account).

What you will see as the course designer:

Distribute courses for this lecture. http://cougar.csusm.edu/

1. Talk about what we will accomplish today, on these courses.
   • Overview of the designer tools/menus.
   • Add a URL, an image, upload a file and link to it (this is how you would add a syllabus or some lecture notes to your course).
   • Ask for additions to this list of things to cover/accomplish.
2. Logging in.
   • Course name + password (all this is case sensitive).
   • Don't forget to log out (quit Netscape) after you are done.
3. Open a second browser window right off so that you can "develop" in one and search for cool content with the other.

A few stylistic considerations:

• Create a student account in your course for yourself--so you can log on and see what your students will see.
• White background
• Readability (blinking text, proliferation of images, type of content).
• What you should do as opposed to what you can do.
  • Consider what the web is good at, what parts of your course it will present best (how your course may need to change to be taught completely online).
    • Discuss pedagogical changes for a few minutes. 
    • What part(s) of your course do you intend to add to WebCT--why?  What challenges do you foresee?

Modifying the "template" (using the course designer tools in the bottom frame of the page):

1. WebCT QuickStart.
   • Details each design tool and facilitates course modification (cannot modify banner and header with QuickStart... use the tools themselves).
   • Retains a memory of what you have done so you need not restart from the beginning each time you use QuickStart (but you may if you like).
2. Add a URL reference to an existing page/image/etc.  From the main tools menu, click:
   • Add..., URL, Type in "title", choose an icon with "Browse", provide the URL.
3. Add an image.  From the main tools menu, click:
   • Customize Homepage, Banner, provide the URL for the image (or the filename if you uploaded it).
4. Add a link to an uploaded file (your syllabus).
   1. Upload the file.  From the main tools menu, click:
      • File Manager, Upload, Browse (to find the file on your local computer), select the file to upload and click on "Continue" (you should now see it in your "COURSE FILES" list, Click "Continue" again, Back (to return to the home page.
   2. Link to the newly uploaded file from your course home page (from the main tools menu):
      • In the upper frame click on the "Course Content" icon (this is where I want to link to create the link to my newly uploaded file.
      • You will be presented with the WebCT "Path Editor" page.  Click on "Add Existing File"; in the right frame, click on your newly uploaded file to select it; Click on the "Add Selected" button; in the left frame, click on the file in the order that you would like your new file to follow.  You will see your new file added to the order in the left frame (it will appear to your students under the "Course Content" icon on the main course homepage).

Q&A:

FrontPage, licensing, etc.

Maintained by Garrett Collins (garrett@mailhost1.csusm.edu), last updated 05/22/04

as of 5/3/99