Welcome to the

Briefing session on WebCT 4.1

An introduction to WebCT 4.1 features and our eLearning support services.

By ITS eLearning Support TeamBy ITS eLearning Support Team

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WebCT 4.1 @ PolyU

This version includes a number of new tools and features and improvements of previous version.

PolyU WebCT server login page:

http://webct2.polyu.edu.hk

PolyU WebCT Support site:

http://www.polyu.edu.hk/elearning

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WebCT Login Page

WebCT ID and password are the same as your NetID and Netpassword.

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eLearning Support site

Contains FAQ/WebCT account creation information for staff and students.

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WebCT tools & features

Course Content• Syllabus • Upload/Manage Course materials• Backup/Restore Course• Setup URL• Glossary• Image Database

Communication Tools• E-Mail• Chat • Discussion Boards• Whiteboard• Calendar

Evaluation & Assessment• My Grades• My Progress• Assignments• Quizzes and Surveys• Self Test• Student Tracking

Study Tools• Student Groups• Student Homepages• Student Presentation• E-Mail

Version 4 Key features:http://www.webct.com/products/viewpage?name=products_ce_4.1

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Advantages of using WebCT

For InstructorsCreate, upload, update course materials

interactively through the Web.Tracking student performance at any time.Conduct online quiz and survey.Quick feedback to students’ questions using

WebCT mail or discussion forum.Using Calendar to plan class event and

inform assignment due date.Instructors can combine different WebCT tools in an online course according to their teaching styles and learning objective.

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Advantages of using WebCT

For StudentsAccess the course materials at any time.Check grades and track course progress.Communicate with other students using

WebCT mail or Project Group members using discussion group.

Submit assignment online on time.

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myWebCT

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myWebCT

5 major areas: Courses - access to a list of your WebCT courses

and your role in the course. Announcements - Important announcements/events

that you should not miss. Bookmarks - a easy way to locate related URLs. WebDAV – where to upload your course materials

(drag & drop). Global calendar – mark quiz date, assignment due

date and course activities for students.

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Your role in WebCT

Primary Designer – you are the owner of the course (usually Instructor). You have complete control over the course content and course administration.

Co-designer – your colleague(s) who assist you in teaching the course. He/she has the same access rights as you.

Teaching Assistant – your colleague(s) who assist you with grading assignments and quizzes.

Student – those enrolled in your course, can read the course content, involve in course activities but cannot modify the course. (student access to the course can be control by the Designer).

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As a Designer

Designer Options -allows designer to customize the courseControl Panel - allows easy access to designer functionsActions menu - allows easy access to functions related to current page

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Control Panel

The Control Panel is now similar to the “Designer Map” and is divided into “Basic View” and “Extended View”.

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Control panel – Basic View

This is the default view showing buttons to the 5 tools. This default view reduces search time when you know what set of tools you need to use.

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Control panel – Extended View

It displays all available options on a single page. You can click the “Set as default view” to make this the first view displayed when the “Control Panel” is clicked.

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How are courses build in WebCT?

Modules: You can build your courses into modules

(chapters).

Selective release Make those modules visible to the student

whenever you decide (based on chosen students, selective date) or according to their learning proficiency (the assignment/quiz grade).

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Course Design Wizards

Course Design wizards provide step-by-step instructions on using many WebCT tools. Wizards can be used anytime, and will return you to the point where you left off if you exit before the end.

Wizards are available for these tools: Homepage Organizer page Syllabus Content Module Discussions Mail Calendar Chat

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Course Design Wizards

Wizards Video Demo can be find in here:

http://booboo.webct.com/demo/CE4/FINAL_DiscussionsWizard.htm

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Course Content and materials

•Syllabus•Calendar•Content Module•Glossary•Search•Compile

Demo: Building Syllabus, Add entry to calendar and setup of table of content

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Syllabus

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Calendar

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Content Module

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HTML Editor

The HTML Editor provides word-processor-like features that display text and graphics the same as they will appear in a browser for both students and instructors. The HTML Editor is available from:

Content Module Discussions Mail Manage Files Organizer Pages Student Homepage Student presentations

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HTML Editor

HTML Editor Video Demo can be find in here:

http://booboo.webct.com/demo/CE4/FINAL_HomepageCustomization_HTML1.htm

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Equation Editor

The WebEQ Equation Editor allows users to create, view, and edit mathematical equations and include them in WebCT content.

The Equation Editor is available from Content Module, Discussions, Mail, Manage Files, and Quiz

User can Import/Export questions in MathML

(.mml) format from other equation editing software.

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Equation Editor

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Selective release of content

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Manage course materials

Upload/download single fileUpload/download multiple files using

WebDAV Web folder Upload and Synchronize course pages

using Dreamweaver

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Manage single file

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Manage files using Web Folder

WebDAV is Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning allows you to use a remote web server as though it were a local file server.

This technology allows you to drag and drop files from your PC to WebCT and vice versa. Simply setup Web folder in your PC and multiple files can be uploaded at one time.

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Setup Web folder

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Web Folder (drag & drop for file uploading)

Setup Web folder in your PC, drag and drop multiple files to your WebCT course file area.

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Upload and Synchronize course pages using Dreamweaver

WebCT 4.1 can integrate with Dreamweaver MX (support Webdav). This makes it possible for designer to make a website in Dreamweaver that will directly access your Manage Files area in your WebCT course with few clicks.

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Integrate with Dreamweaver

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Content file types and naming convention

What file types can be displayed in WebCT? Text files (.txt), Rich Text Format files (.rtf) Documents created by MS Word, Powerpoint,

Excel, PDF (required application installed in your PC) HTML files Graphic files eg. GIF , JPEG

Multimedia files eg. audio/video files, streamed videos or flash files (required plug-in or players)

WebCT is capable of reading multimedia files from a CD on your PC.

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Content file types and naming convention

What file name can be used in WebCT? It is recommended that the filename used in WebCT

has to be in web standards. Use letters ([a..z][A..Z]), numbers ([0..9]).

NO space should be contained in the file name, (instead of space please use underscore "_" eg. Module_1.doc)

For the length of the filenames, it is a good practice to keep it less than 64 characters which is more readable in the File Manager and the file list boxes.

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Communication tools

•Mail•Discussions•Chat•Whiteboard

Demo: Compose mail, set mail forwarding, discussions, online chat and whiteboard

Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese characters are supported in these tools.

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Mail

Compose/Send/Reply/Delete Email Setup Mail folder Search mail by date/subject/keywords/sender Set mail forwarding address

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Mail (Chinese input)

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Discussion

Compose/Send/Reply/Delete discussion Setup Discussion topic Search discussion by date/subject/keywords/sender

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Discussion (Chinese input)

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Chat

Real-time chatting area Can send messages to all users in the Chat room or private

message to a user.

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Chat (Chinese input)

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Assessment/Evaluation tools

•Assignment•Self Test•Quiz•My Grades

Demo: Assignment, Quiz tools

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Assignment tool

The Assignment tool in WebCT 4.1 provides detail assignment information to Student. Instructor can create and distribute assignment to student, download, evaluate and grade the student assignments.

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Setup assignment

Instructor can attach assignment-related files such as image, spreadsheet, articles for student to to the assignment.

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Student View of assignment

Maximum Grade, assignment instructions and attachment are displayed

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Assignment submission report

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Electronic Quiz tool

WebCT Quiz tools can be of 5 types: Multiple choice, matching, calculated, short answer and

essay. The MC, matching and calculated can be marked

automatically while short answer and essay should be graded by Instructor.

For MC type questions, designers can randomize the display of answers and use letters or numbers as indices for question choices.

For calculated questions, designer can use WebCT Equation Editor to enter Mathematical and scientific notations.

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Electronic Quiz tool

Randomize questions and answers

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Electronic Quiz tool

Designer can set selective release criteria of a Chapter according to the grade of a quiz.

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Manage students

Manage Students is a powerful tool for maintainingstudent information and grades in WebCT: Allow/Deny student access update student records calculate grades access the Quiz and Mail features for a particular

student add statistical information to student records change how student records are displayed release quiz results and assignment grades to

students

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Manage students

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Track student’s performance

Track Students allows you to monitor which areas of the course students are accessing and how they are progressing through the course material.

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Track student’s performance

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Track pages

You can see how many times the pages have been visited, and the amount of time spent on each page.

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Backup your course

You can back up your course at any stage of development. After you create a backup, we recommend that you download it to your computer for safekeeping.

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Backup your course

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Logout

Remember to logout after your have finished using WebCT.

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eLearning support website

www.polyu.edu.hk/elearningResources for teachersResources for studentsProcedures to request for WebCT accountFAQs

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Request for WebCT account

WebCT accounts are created for: “LEC” and “LTL” components (according to the TTS

Time Tabling System of AS) Additional request from departments/lecturers

You need more than 1 online subject website (for a single subject)

You need several new subject websites to conduct to different groups of students.

You need new subject website for several colleagues take part in team teaching

You need to add your colleague or assistant to your subject website as TAs or Co-designer.

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Request for WebCT account

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WebCT CE 6 is coming…

The new version of WebCT CE provides more functions and features (eg. eLearning objects)

ITS is working with departmental coordinators to work out their upgrade plan.  It is desirable to arrange upgrade for the whole department to avoid confusion to students. 

CE 4.1 will still be available next year.

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Support Team Hotline

Please contact WebCT Support team @4948 Or you can send Groupwise E-mail to itwebct eLearning Support website:

http://www.polyu.edu.hk/elearning

WebCT server:http://webct2.polyu.edu.hk

Thank You

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SMILE