WebCT Instructions
QuickGuide: WebCT
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WebCT is a Web-based program used primarily by the University of Maine for course content, on-line discussion, tests and surveys, and on-line resources. This short guide is an overview of the WebCT features you are most likely to see in your course.
To access the site, click on the name of the course in the course list for the current semester or go directly to the course URL (for example: http://webct.umaine.edu/public/PSY234/).
You will now see either the course's Welcome Page, where you will be able to find information about the technologies used for your course and important information about the course itself.
Follow the instructions on this page for logging on.
Login to WebCT
The Course Homepage
Once you've logged on successfully, you will see the Course Homepage. The Homepage is the starting point for all accesses to the course. The center of the Homepage shows a number of icons which will take you to the various parts of the course. The sections below describe some of the icons you will see.
Course Content
Course content can be linked to any icon that the instructor chooses. Clicking on a course content link will display a hierarchical listing of topics. Clicking on any topic will take you to the contents for that topic.
Each content page is divided into at least two frames:
1. A Button bar frame, which contains navigation icons as well as links to additional material pertaining to the current topic. The button bar may be located either at the top or side of the page.
2. A Content frame, which contains the actual content of the current topic
Optionally, the designer may include the Contents-listing in a separate frame to the left of the content frame. The Contents listing allows you to jump from topic to topic easily, without having to return to the Contents page.
Some of the icons that you might see in the Button Bar include:
The navigation button contains 6 smaller buttons. The buttons are:
home
Returns to the Course Homepage
contents
Returns to the Contents (Outline of Topics) page
retrace
WebCT allows you to follow links to other topics within the Course Notes (so that the material does not have to be traversed sequentially). The retrace button takes you back to the page of content that you visited last. Thus, if you jump to a different spot in the course by following a hyperlink, pressing retrace will take you back.
refresh
Refreshes the lower frame to display the current page of content. This button is useful if the lower frame is temporarily displaying a one of the WebCT tools, such as the glossary, index, learning goals, self-test, etc., and you wish to return back to the current page of content.
pg back
Displays the previous topic in the ordered sequence of topics. The sequence of topics is defined by the order on the Contents page.
pg fwd
Displays the next topic in the ordered sequence of topics.
The glossary icon accesses the searchable glossary. The lower frame now displays the glossary tool which allows you to access the glossary:--
By Starting Letter
Click on one of the letters from A - Z to view only those glossary keywords beginning with that letter.
As a whole
Click on the words "View Whole Glossary" to show the complete glossary in alphabetical order.
By Searching
Click on "Search" to bring up a text-entry field into which a search-word can be typed. Both the glossary keywords and definitions are searched to find a match for the word.
The Search tool allows you to search the whole course content for a particular keyword.
The My Notes icon allows you to make personal annotations for a particular topic.
Clicking on the Targets icon displays the learning goals for the current topic. If no learning goals exist for the current topic, the icon will not appear in the Button Bar.
The Self Test icon allows you to test your knowledge on the current topic. If no self-test questions exist for the current topic, the icon will not appear in the Button Bar.
The References icon allows you to view article, URL, or book references that may be relevant to the current topic. If the instructor has not added references to the current page, the icon will not appear in the Button Bar.
Clicking on the Audio icon lists the audio files the instructor has associated with the current topic. If there are none, this icon will not appear in the Button Bar.
Clicking on the Movie icon lists the video files the instructor has associated with the current topic. If there are none, this icon will not appear in the Button Bar.
As you are reading through the course notes, you may see certain words which are hyperlinked, as well as little icons in the body of the text that you can click on.
The hyperlinked words usually take you to a glossary definition of the word. Clicking on the word will pop up a small window with the glossary definition.
The little icons throughout the text will take you either to an example, additional information, a diagram, or an interactive exercise. In general, clicking on these icons brings up a new browser window. The new window will be divided into two frames, with the top frame containing "Close","Back" and "Forward" buttons. To dismiss the browser window and return to the page of content, press the "Close" button. The "Back" and "Forward" buttons navigate through the bottom frame of the new browser window, and are inactive unless you click on a link in the bottom frame of the new browser window.
The Bulletin Board serves as the main form of group communication for the course. The Bulletin Board is an effective way for students to participate in class discussions outside of the regular lecture.
Clicking on the Bulletins icon divides the window into 3 frames. The left frame contains various selection options; the top right frame contains the listing of messages; the bottom right frame is used to display an individual message.
WebCT keeps track of which messages each user has read, and by default displays only messages which have not yet been read (these messages are denoted by a "New" icon to the right of the message in the message listing). To view all messages, whether read or unread, select "All" in the "Show:" drop-down list in the left frame, and then press the "Update Listing" button.
To compose a new message, click on "New Message" in the top right frame. A composition window will appear, into which you can type in a subject and the body of the message.
The Bulletin Board allows you to perform a number of search operations to extract messages. Refer to the online help (by clicking on the Help button in the left frame) to find out about all of the bulletin board features.
The Mail tool allows you to send a private message to one or more course participants. Unlike bulletin board messages, which are readable by everyone, mail is only visible to the originator and recipient(s) of the message. The layout and functionality is very similar to the Bulletin Board.
The Chat tool allows you to have real-time conversations with users of this or any other course. There are 4 general-purpose rooms, one general forum for the course and one for all courses. To enter a room, simply click on it. The chat applet displays who is in a room at the present time. It also allows you to send private messages to selected users by clicking on their names.
The Index tool lists all the index entries in the course as well as a link to the course content page in which this entry can be found.
The My Record tool allows you to view the grades that the instructor has released. You can also view the statistics for the class by clicking on a hyperlinked column label.
The Password tool allows you to change your WebCT account's password.
Compile
The Compile tool lets you condense several or all pages on a path into one. This utility is useful when printing out the course contents.
The My Progress tool shows progress information for your account. Information and statistics graphs about which portions of the course were accessed, how many and what percentage of the pages in the course were accessed, and the history of pages visited are displayed.
The Resume Session tool brings you back to the last page of notes you accessed.
The Calendar tool allows you to view scheduled events posted by the instructor or other course participants. You can add private entries to the calendar (visible only to yourself) and, if the instructor has allowed it, public ones (visible to everyone in the course) . A list of new events pops up when you access the calendar informing you of all the new entries.
Presentations
The Presentation tool lets you view other students' presentations as well as prepare your own. Clicking on this icon divides the browser window in two frames. The top frame lists the groups and their respective presentations. Clicking on a group name lists the login ID's of the members in the lower frame while clicking on a project link spawns a new window containing the presentation. The group to which you belong will have an "Edit" image next to its name. Clicking on this image will take you to the file manager where you can upload and organize your presentation files. Note: You must name your starting file "index.html" otherwise the project name will not be hyperlinked to your presentation.
The Homepages tool allows you to create your own web page. Clicking on this icon will take you to a list of student names. You can view any user's homepage by following its hyperlink. To customize your own page, click on your name. The window will now be divided in two frames. The bottom frame provides you with the attribute options that you can set for your homepage. The top frame will display the page as you update it.
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Pictures
Clicking on the Pictures icon will bring you to the WebCT Image Database. Here, you can view, search, and retrieve images from the databases created by the instructor.
Clicking on the Quiz icon will take you to the quiz homepage. All the quizzes are listed. For each quiz, the following information is given:
• Title Click on the title to access the quiz. If the quiz is not available or has already been attempted the
maximum number of times, the title will not be hyperlinked.
• Available from ... until This shows the time period in which the quiz may be accessed.
• Duration
• Out of
• Mark This field is blank until the quiz has been marked and the grades have been released by the instructor.
• Tries This shows the number of times the quiz has been attempted along with the maximum number of tries allowed. Moreover, once you have attempted a quiz, the number of the attempt will be shown in square bracket (e.g. [1] [2] if you have attempted a quiz twice). Once an attempt has been marked and its grade released, the corresponding number will become hyperlinked; you may then follow this link to view your graded quiz.