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UMass WebCT Frequently Asked Questions

I need help with WebCT, where do I find it?
Where can I find out about WebCT Workshops?
What is myWebCT?
Why should I use WebCT?
Can I view the list of courses?
How do I find my course's Welcome Page?
How do I create the indents in the Course Menu?
How can I add a PDF file directly into a content module?
How do I zip files?
How do I organize my course files in WebCT?
Does it matter how I name my files and folders for use in WebCT?
How do I download gradebook information from WebCT?
How do I link from my other web pages directly to a page in WebCT?
How can I include a Powerpoint presentation in WebCT?
How can I convert my files to html?
How can I control the displayed # of characters in a discussion messages' subject?
Why am I having problems using Mac PowerPoint 2001 files converted to html in WebCT?
How can I prevent students from printing hard copy of quiz?

Q: I need help with WebCT, where do I find it?

A: See UMass WebCT help

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Q: Where can I find out about WebCT Workshops?

A: Check UMass WebCT Workshops for descriptions of workshops offered and online registration.

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Q: What is myWebCT?

A: myWebCT is the first page you see after you enter your user name and password. myWebCT contains links to ALL the courses that you are teaching or taking, along with announcements, bookmarks, and other information. At the top of all of your WebCT pages, you will see a myWebCT icon that takes you back to your myWebCT.

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Q: Why should I use WebCT?

A: Please see ' WebCT Overview '

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Q: Can I view the list of courses?

A: Yes. Select the option to Login to myWebCT on the WebCT WebCT at UMasspage
Click on the option See courses on this server.
Select the category with the semester and year that you are offering your course.

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Q: How do I find my course's Welcome Page?

A: Follow the instructions in the question above to see the list of WebCT courses
Find your course. Click on the Welcome Page icon to the left of your course's name

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Q: How do I create the indents in the Course Menu?

A: Click Change Settings on the Navigation Bar on the left of your screen
Under Course Menu, Edit Course Menu, select Go
Enter a space, hyphen, and another space between the item you want indented. Update text

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Q: How can I add a PDF file directly into a content module?

A: Upload your file to WebCT by going to Manage Files/ Upload File.
Be sure you are on the Table of Contents page in your content module and in the Designer View. You can then add your PDF file to the content module as you would an HTML file. If items already exist in your content module, click in the radio button to the left of the item that will be listed immediately before the one you want to add. Select Add file and Go. Since only HTML files show up in the list of files, you will need to Browse to find your file. Select your pdf file and Go. If you want to change the title of your file, click in its radio button and then choose Edit titles.

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Q: How do I zip files?

A: See Using Zip Files

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Q: How do I organize my course files in WebCT?

A: See WebCT Course Files Location and Organization

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Q: Does it matter how I name my files and folders for use in WebCT?

A: See File & Folder Naming Conventions

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Q: How do I download gradebook information from WebCT?

A: See Sharing Gradebook Info between WebCT and Excel

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Q: How do I link from my other web pages directly to a page in WebCT.

A: The easiest method for creating links to a given WebCT page is to:

open WebCT as a student,
go to the desired page,
copy the URL from the location box in the browser,
paste the URL into your editor for the link.

Note: Do not copy the URLs from the designer view, as this means the link can only be reached with the designer password.

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Q: How can I include a Powerpoint presentation in WebCT?

A: See Powerpoint Presentations and WebCT

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Q: How can I convert my files to html?

A: See Tips on converting files to html

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Q: How can I control the displayed # of characters in a discussion messages subject?

A: You may control the # of characters displayed for a messages subject (long subjects sometimes don’t allow you to see other important message information):
From the "discussions" screen, select topic settings and enter the desired # of characters of subject to be displayed.

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Q: Why am I having problems using Mac PowerPoint 2001 files converted to html in WebCT?

A: A bug was discovered when Mac PowerPoint 2001 files are converted to web pages and uploaded to WebCT. When these HTML files are linked as a single page, black frames and an error message reading "Open the default .htm file to view this Web presentation" are displayed. There is not an easy fix to this problem, but there are several recommendations for workarounds:

PowerPoint 2000 users have not experienced this problem, so you can use PowerPoint 2000 to convert files to HTML for use with WebCT.
Upload the entire .ppt presentation to WebCT. Students can then download the presentation to their hard drives or use the Microsoft Viewer in Internet Explorer 5.x to view the slides.
Convert the PowerPoint 2001 file to HTML and put it on an external server other than the WebCT server. These files work fine when they are not uploaded to WebCT and inserted as a single page. You can then add a URL to a page in your WebCT course and link to the presentation on a different server.
If you are comfortable working with HTML code, there is a fix to the problem that allows you to link to converted PowerPoint 2001 files as a single page in WebCT. View the help file on the Ask Dr. C page at webct.com for specific directions.

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Q: How can I prevent students from printing hard copy of quiz?

A: While a fail safe method of keeping students from keeping a record of quizzes does not exist, you can make it much more difficult (see Prevent Students from Printing Hard Copy of Quiz)

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