GETTING STARTED

This is an example of a getting started guide used by one instructor.

By Andrew A. Pfeifer
School of  Education
Andrews University
 

This guide will be given to you with your tapes and textbooks when your register for a Distance Learning Center course in hardcopy form and is also found on your course's webCT site.

To access your course's webCT site follow these instructions:
1. Enter http://www.andrews.edu:8900 into your webbrowser
2. Click on "Course Listing"
3. Click on "School of Education"
4. Click on your class
5. Enter your User Name
6. Enter your Password
7. You're in! Use this "Getting Started" guide to help you use the site.
 

On this site's homepage there should be several icons. These icons should include:
1. Getting Started
2. Course Outline
3. Student Guide
4. Course Calendar
5. Discussion Site
6. Interactive Sessions
7. webCT Mail
8. Gradebook
9. Internet Links
 

Getting Started
You are in this site right now. The first thing we suggest you do is change your password. You
can change your password by clicking here on Change Your Password and following these
instructions:
1. Type in your new password in the box for "New Password." Be sure to choose something you
will remember. Only you will know this password.
2. Retype your new password in the box marked "New Password Varification."
3. Click on the "Update" button.
 

Course Outline
1. To gain access, click on the "Course Outline" icon
2. Click on "Course Outline" and carefully read the document
3. Click on "Back"
4. Click on "Course Requirements" and carefully read the document
5. Click on "Home" (The "Home" within this webpage, NOT the "Home" in your web-browser)
 

Student Guide
1. To gain access, click on the "Student Guide" icon
2. Use this example for all the units. For Unit 1, click on the "Unit 1" icon and carefully read the document
3. Click on "Close"
4. Click on this webpage's "Home"
 

Course Calendar
1. To gain access to the Calender, click on the "Course Calender" icon.
2. When you are finished, click on this webpage's "Home"
 

Discussion Site
1. To gain access, click on the "Discussion Site" icon
2. There are two approved types of comments you may post here. They are self-generated and reply comments. The following are instructions for how to post each:
 

To post your own SELF-GENERATED comment-

1. click on "Instructor" directly underneath the appropriate topic title

2. click on the blue "Reply" button

3. click within the large white box

4. type in your comments

5. click on "Post."

 

To post a REPLY comment to what someone else has said-

1. click on the person's name

2. click on the blue "Reply" button

3. click within the large box

4. type in your comments

5. click on "Post."

NOTE: In order to read all the comments posted, click on the "Show All" button in the upper left corner. Another button that is very helpful is "Update Listing," this one will allow you to see if your comments posted correctly.
3. When finished in the "Discussion Site," click on this webpage's "Home"
 

Interactive Sessions
1. To gain access, click on the "Interactive Sessions" icon
2. To gain access to your assigned room, click on the appropriate "Room"
3. You will see a large white box, a thin white box underneath, and a tall slender white box to the left. The large white box is where you will read all the discussion comments, the thin box underneath is where you type in your comments (you send then by hitting the "Enter/Return" key on your keyboard), and the tall slender box shows you who is in the chat room with you.
4. When you are finished click on "Quit"
5. Then click on this webpage's "Home"
 

webCT Mail
1. To gain access, click on the "webCT Mail" icon
2. You have three options here: compose and send a message, read a message, and reply to a message.
 

To COMPOSE a message:

1. Click on "Compose"

2. Next to where it says "Send to" there is a "Browse" button, click on it

3. Select the person you want to send your message to by clicking on their name and the "OK" button.

4. Type your subject heading in the "Subject" box

5. Type your message inside the big white box

6. Click "Send"

7. When finished, click this webpage's "Home"

 

To READ a message:

1. Click on the message and read

2. Click on this webpage's "Home"

 

To read and REPLY to a message:

1. Click on the message

2. Click on the blue "Reply" button

3. Click in the large white box

4. Type in your comments

5. Click on "Send"

6. When finished, click this webpage's "Home"

NOTE: In order to read all the comments posted, click on the "Show All" button in the upper left corner. Another button that is very helpful is "Update Listing," this one will allow you to see if your comments posted correctly.
 

Gradebook
1. To gain access, click on the "Gradebook" icon
2. When finished, click on this webpage's "Home"
 

Internet Links
1. To gain access, click on the "Internet Links" icon
2. Click on the appropriate title and read the document
3. Click on "Close"
4. When finished, click on this webpage's "Home"