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Copy
or print this set of instructions and keep
them handy until you're familiar with
WebCT (which won't take long). The
first thing to do is set up your
myWebCT account: If you
have any problems getting
started in WebCT, call the SSU
web support line: 707-664-2339,
or email them: web.support@sonoma.edu
Tell them you're in this course
and they'll know exactly what
you're talking about. They're
very good about getting back to
people promptly (M thru
F). 1.
Click on the WebCT button. You'll
find the WebCT link in the navigation bar
at the top and bottom of each page in the
course. The navigation bar looks like
this: Home
Contents
Syllabus
Intro
1
2
3
4
5
6
Group
Summary
Assignments
WebCT
Instructors You'll
also find a WebCT link on the second row
of buttons on the course syllabus
page. 2.
Enter your name and password (initial of
first name followed by last name, as
listed above). This
will take you to the WebCT home page for
our course. You will see the following
WebCT logo in the top left of the page
There
are 5 photo icons on the page. For the
moment, just to get started with WebCT, I
want you to confine yourself to the first
two icons: Let's
take each one of these
separately. If
you've successfully sent an email
message in WebCT, you're now
ready to learn how to post an
assignment and to
discuss. If
there are New messages,
you will see a flashing icon with
"New" on it; 1.
Click on the Assignments and
Discussion icon on the WebCT home
page. This will take you to a
list of "forums" that have been
created--one for each assignment
in the course. 2.
As you scroll down, you can see
what you have not read by looking
at the number of messages in the
"unread" column. It's always a
good idea to scroll down this
entire list to make sure
you've noted all new entries.
3.
Click on the forum where there
are messages you want to read.
You will see a list of all the
messages posted in the forum. A
little red "NEW"
will appear after each message
that you haven't read. 4.
To read a message, simply click
on it. This will open up a window
with the text of the message in
it. 5.
If you want to comment on the
message, or reply to the sender
(i.e., discuss the message),
click on the "Reply" button.
Another window will open and you
can type in your message. When
finished, click on the "Post"
button at the bottom. (Although
it's always a good idea to sign
messages with your name, WebCT
automatically attaches your name
to a message when you post it.)
Note: Once you've posted
something, you cannot
"un"post it. A
tip: Let's
say you want to do one of your
assignments ("learning
activities"). It's a good idea to
write/type the assignment in your
Word Processor (e.g.,MS Word or
whatever you use). While you are
in your Word Processor you can
spell check (you can't in WebCT),
and you should SAVE your work
(you can't save in WebCT until
you've posted it). When
you're satisfied with what you've
written and saved it in your Word
Processor, highlight the text,
copy it, and paste it into the
message window in the appropriate
WebCT forum. (Your
computer can handle two things at
once: you can have WebCT
open--with the message window
ready and waiting, while at the
same time you're working in your
Word Processor.) Please
use this email function to send
email to the members of your
instructional team and to your
classmates. If
you have unopened, new email
waiting for you, instead of the
green education postage stamp,
you'll see this icon: 1.
Click on the email icon on the
WebCT home page. 2.
This will bring you to a table.
If you want to READ email
that you've received, click on
the inbox. If you click on the
outbox, you can see messages that
you've sent. If
you want to SEND email to
someone in the course, click on
the Compose Mail Message
in the light blue bar at the top
of the table. This
will take you to the "Compose
Message" window. (You may need to
extend the window so that it's
completely open. Point your
curser in the little box in the
lower right corner of the window
and drag it toward the lower left
corner of your
monitor.) To
send "to" someone, click on the
Browse button. Wait a second or
two and you'll see a window open
to the left with all of the names
of your classmates in this
course. Use your cursor to
highlight the name of the person
to whom you want to send a
message, and click on
"Done." Enter
a title or subject into the
Subject line. Type
your message. Finally,
click on the "Send" button at the
bottom of the screen. If you
don't see "Send," you need to
extend the email window so that
it's completely open, as
explained above. I
want you to try this function
now. Go into email and send me
(Thomas Nolan) a message to let
me know you know how to do this.
When you Browse and click on my
name, you'll see IT501 instead of
my name in the "Send to"
line. To
get back to the WebCT home page,
click on the "Back" button on
your browser bar at the top of
your screen, or click on "Home"
in light blue letters on the
WebCT email page, under:
IT
501: Introduction to Online
Teaching and
Learning. These
are just the basic essentials for working
in WebCT. When you're comfortable with the
email and assignments/discussion
functions, you can explore WebCT's many
other capabilities. Just start clicking
around on the various links. Don't worry:
you can't destroy anything. Home Contents Syllabus Intro 1 2 3 4 5 6 Group Summary Assignments WebCT Instructors |
.
You'll see a header with IT 501
Introduction to Online Teaching and
Learning. Below that is a statement in
red about using these tools. 
Assignments and Discussion, and 
Course email for IT 501.
If there are no new messages
posted, you will see the cartoon
icon above of one person sitting
in front of another inside the
monitor.