WebCT news at SFU

WebCT at SFU is currently undergoing maintenance, but should be up again by noon (Monday, April 28th, 2008).

We will be installing some updates for WebCT this weekend. To accommodate these updates, WebCT at SFU is expected to be off line from 12:01AM, Saturday April 26th, until 11:59PM, Sunday, April 27th (48 hours).

You may notice some changes to some of the WebCT tools, and some previously reported issues are now resolved.

Enhancements
Import and export library items
The media library tools can be used to create glossaries or collections of images. In the BUILD tab, you can now open individual collections and import or export them. For information on formatting glossary entries in an Excel spreadsheet, use the internal Help function in WebCT and search for “Formatting Entries for Import”

Individual language settings
All WebCT users at SFU will now be able to set their language settings to either English or French. This will change only WebCT generated text.

Resolved issues
Mail forwarding
If you have set the WebCT mail tool to forward to your external email account, it will now do so consistently.

Resource item in Syllabus Tool
Items that are added to the “Resources” area can be noted as either “recommended” or “required.”

Course menu truncated titles
In the drop-down course menu, titles are no longer truncated.

Search tool
The search tool is reported to work in this new upgrade. SFU requires a patch to make this work, and the WebCT administrators here are actively working with Blackboard to implement a fix prior to our summer semester.

Non-supported browsers
Users who are on non-supported browsers or java versions should only get the warning pop-up window once (instead of each time they move to a new page in WebCT).

Request new course container
Get ready for the new semester planning: beat the early semester rush and request your Summer 2008 WebCT course container now. Use the course request form found at: http://webct.sfu.ca - please check that you have the correct section number (for example, D100, D200…) as this will ensure that your students are automatically enrolled in your WebCT course container.

A few basics
Start by uploading your syllabus into the course container so that your students have something to to refer to if they lose their paper copy. If you are going to use the Grade Book, then create the appropriate columns. As the semester unfolds, you can either enter the grades in WebCT or export the Grade Book to a spreadsheet format, and import grades as needed. You can add lecture recordings, RSS feeds and You Tube videos as well. There are instructions in SFUs wiki.

Help with WebCT tools and development
The LIDC will be hosting some WebCT workshops in early May. These are suitable for faculty, sessional instructors and TAs. Keep an eye on the LIDC calendar (http://www.lidc.sfu.ca/) and your email in box for the schedule. There are also self-help materials at http://wiki.sfu.ca/webct or you can email instructional_support@sfu.ca with specific questions or for a quick introduction to the WebCT software.

How did the semester go?
Take a moment to consider how the previous semester went. Is there anything you’d like to streamline? Use more frequently? Are there any in-class activities or information that can be transferred to the online environment? Did you link to or upload sufficient content for the students?

Use the Date rollover
Do you use the calendar tool, the assessment or assignment tools? All WebCT tools that have dates can be easily updated all at once using the date rollover function. In your new course container, go to the TEACH tab. Click on the Instructor Tool “Manage Course” and choose the option “Date Rollover.” Follow the instructions there to adjust either all dates or individual dates. Note that if you have old calendar items (from previous semesters) it can impact the calculations.

Course planning
You may wish to try something new this semester.

• Reflective practice: a “journal” topic (found in the discussion tool) may enable you to encourage weekly reflection.
• Group Work: The “group manager” tool can create custom or automatic groups, and provide a private group forum in the discussion or chat area for group members.
• Self-tests: The “assessments” tool can be used to create either quizzes or self-tests (ungraded, and for immediate feedback).
• Surveys: Why wait until the end of the semester? The “assessments” tool can also be used to survey your students at the beginning of the semester to assess their prior knowledge, or mid-semester to find out what they are thinking and for some formative feedback.