27 Little Things that Make a Big Difference Karen Kral WebCT 3.7

University of Delaware  21,000 students / 3,400 faculty and staff  using WebCT since Fall 2000  currently version 3.7, upgrading to 4.0  Fall WebCT courses 735 WebCT courses 15,516 student seats 15,516 student seats

Tips and Tricks for Faculty and IT Support Staff  Hints from the hallways  Cues and clues over coffee  Words to the wise from the water cooler  Maneuvers from meeting in the mail room 27 items

Administration 1. maintain departmental info for faculty 2. create two accounts for co-instructors or teaching assistants who edit content and participate in discussions

DEPT_EDUC

POSC211-TA designer “youdee” posted this primary designer posted this

Support 3. create a help site for students create a WebCT course for semester info for all students in one department or college create a WebCT course for semester info for all students in one department or college 4. customize error messages, especially to direct students to instructor 5. create a WebCT course with faculty as students

student help

foot.shtml [ install_dir ]/webct/server/errordocs/foot.shtml The requested URL was not found on this server: /NURS411_010_03S/Syllabus/Fall02.html If the indicated error looks like a misconfiguration, please inform webct.udel.edu's webmaster. The requested URL was not found on this server: /NURS411_010_03S/Syllabus/Fall02.html If you are a student, please report this problem to your professor. If you are a course designer, please remember that spaces in file names can be problematic. Course designers may contact if additional assistance is necessary.

WebCT Depot

Training 6. provide an online WebCT overview 7. require an orientation session for faculty 8. present a class for faculty led by a veteran WebCT faculty member

WebCT overview

required req

comm tools

Templates 9. hide links by default in course template use either Navigation Bar or Homepage, not both use either Navigation Bar or Homepage, not both 10. create guest student account for faculty to check actual student view

template

guest account

Student Groups 11. create templates for Student Presentations 12. create team accounts for submitting group projects other than web pages 13. use Student Presentations to store files for peer review 14. create private discussions for each student for personal journals

pres template

team accounts Members of a team can log on using the team account to see if the assignment has been submitted and graded. Each student still has his or her own WebCT ID and access to the course.

peer review file naming scheme to identify reviewer } all students are in all groups files can be of any type

group of one

Content 15. create PDF files from PPT handouts with several slides per page 16. identify links to other files within course using _COURSEID_ field 17. release My Grades after last quiz is passed to print hardcopy for certification

PPT-PDF

courseid

grades after quiz

Layout 18. rely on the Navigation Bar and do away with Homepage icons use symbols to simulate indentation use symbols to simulate indentation 19. open new windows for non-HTML based content 20. use a little HTML in titles

NavBar

new window

HTML Course Schedule Revised 4/29

Tools: Calendar 21. include pictures using IMG tag 22. simulate ordered lists using spacing

calendar

calendar detail

Tools: Quizzes 23. use “Not blank” condition to check whether student visited quiz regardless of score 24. use feedback on each question to direct students what to do next 25. use quizzes to direct students sequentially to existing URLs

quiz

quiz for URL

Tools: Gradebook 26. set extra credit column “Out of” value to zero or leave blank 27. use creative formulas Total = SUM{other columns} – ((MAX{2,[Absences]}-2)*3) Total = SUM{other columns} – ((MAX{2,[Absences]}-2)*3)

gradebook SUM{[Project],[Paper],[Exam]} – ((MAX{2,Absences}-2)*3) + [Extra credit]

WebCT Tips What’s in your bag of tricks?