Frequently Asked WebCT Questions by Online Faculty or WebCT Faculty Users
Discussions
1. I use same discussion questions with minor revision every semester. Is there a way to keep the questions in WebCT without posting the questions every semester?
Yes. For weekly discussion questions, you create a discussion topic for the week. Then enter the discussion questions in the Topic Description box. For some online courses, the weekly topics are already created. You then only need to enter the questions in the Description box. This way, when the course is copied over to the following semester, the questions stay in the description box. Should you need to revise the questions, just need to update the questions in the Description box.
Click here for instruction.
2. My students asked class related questions in WebCT Mail. I had to respond to them with the same questions a few times. Is there a way to answer the same question once to all?
Yes. You can use the Discussion Board for students to post class related questions. With a question posted, you respond to the question once. Others with the same question are able to read the question and your response.
Click here for instruction.
3. I would like to link the discussions grading column with the Gradebook, what should I do?
You need to set up the discussion topic such as Week 1 Discussions as Gradable topic. Click here for instruction.
4. How should I grade discussions and enter the grade in the Gradebook at the same time?
After a discussion topic is set up as gradable, the discussion grading can be done in Discussions page and the score entered will be shown in the Gradebook. Click here for instruction.
5. I spent a lot of time grading discussions by reading over 100 messages and responses weekly. Is there an easy way to grade the discussions?
The best way to grade the discussions is to go to the Grade Discussions page. See the instruction for the question 4 to setup the discussion topic as Gradable first. Then you can access the Gradable Discussions page from Discussions page where you can view all postings by a student and which messages the student responds to. Click here for instruction.
6. There are a lot discussion topics in Discussions page. How can I group them such as one group has ungraded topics and the other has graded topics?
You can create a category serving as a group and put the related discussion topics such as gradable discussions in the category. Click here for instruction.
7. I would like to see all the messages in a discussion topic in one window and print them out, how should I do that?
You are able to display all messages posted in a discussion topic area in a window using Create Printable View button. Click here for instruction.
1. I would like to have the WebCT mails forwarded to my college account. How should I do that?
If you don't log on to WebCT Vista often but don't want to miss out emails sent from your students in WebCT site, you can set up to forward the emails to an external email address such as your college address.
Click here for instruction.
File Management
1. My course taught from the previous semester has been copied to the current semester. How should I revise the file in WebCT?
You can revise the .html file off line with MS word and then upload it to WebCT. Before you can overwrite the old file, you need to break the file link first. Click here for how to break a file link. After the file link is broken, you can upload the revised file. In Build tab, click File Manager. Click Upload File. Click Browse button, locate the file, and double click on the file. Click Save button. Check Replace the file and file link and click Save.
2. For the current course that is copied from the previous semester, I need to delete some files in File Manager but it would not let me. What should I do?
Before deleting a file that carried over from the previous course, you need to break the file link first. Click here for instruction.
3. I have images in my MS Word syllabus. How can I include the images in my syllabus after I convert it to a web page in MS word?
Click here for instruction. Make sure to upload the images and the web syllabus file to WebCT.
Online Exams/Quizzes
1. I have online quizzes, exams, and tests built in WebCT. What should I do to allow students to see the correct answers after the exam?
Usually the correct answers are turned off during the exam time period. After students finish the exam, you can turn the answers on. Click here for instruction.
2. A student has started the exam but experienced technical difficulty and was not able to submit the exam, what should I do to get the exam answers or have the student retake the exam?
You reopen the exam by changing the available dates in Edit Setting and Selective Release. Click here for instruction.
3. After the exam has closed, a student requests to take the missed exam due to technical difficulty, illness, family emergency, etc. How should I reopen the exam only for the student not others who have not taken the exam?
You reopen the exam to a request student by changing the available dates in Edit Setting and Selective Release. Click here for instruction.
4. A student with disability needs more time than others to take an exam. How should I set up the exam to accommodate the student?
You need to duplicate the same exam and set up the duplicated the exam with extended time. Click here for instruction.
Assignments
1. I am using the Assignments tool for students to submit their homework such as a paper of a .doc file. How do I grade the homework and send the file back with my comments?
You need to download the assignment file first in Teach tab. Grade the assignments in MS Word with your comments and save the file. Them go back to the assignment page in Teach tab and give student a grade and upload the file with your comments.
Click here for step-by-step instruction.
2. My student submitted a wrong file in the Assignments, how should I reset, so he or she can resubmit the assignment with the correct file?
You need to go to the student Assignments page from Teach tab. Check Return to student for further editing and click Save.
Click here for step-by-step instruction.
My WebCT
1. There are many courses listed in MyWebCT. Is there a way to list the current semester's courses?
Yes. You can hide the courses offered from the previous semesters or will be offered in the upcoming semester. Click here for instruction.
2. I have a course hidden from MyWebCT. How can I bring it back to MyWebCT?
You can redisplay a hidden course in MyWebCT by going to Show/Hide page. Click here for instruction.