WebCT

GETTING STARTED

WebCT is short for Web Course Tools. You will have access to WebCT if you have signed up for an on-line course or if your lecture course uses WebCT as an adjunct to the classroom learning experience. At first meeting, WebCT can seem a bit intimidating; however, like a good pen or a fine medical instrument, it is only a tool and only as good as the use we can make of it.

WebCT serves as a virtual classroom. A unique advantage to this approach is availability. Whenever you have access to a computer and Internet, you will almost always be able to enter your WebCT virtual classroom, read a lesson, work on an assignment, leave a message, and perhaps even take a quiz. To begin taking advantage of the possibilities, you will need to learn a few basics about how to enter and leave the virtual classroom.

1. Logging into WebCT

Here are the two ways to get to get to our local WebCT Entry page.

(1) Put the following Internet address (URL) in the address field of your Internet browser and then hit your Return key: http://webct.wvstateu.edu

(2) Go to the WVSU Home Page at www.wvstateu.edu. Click on the WebCT in the menu bar.

That will bring up the Login to WebCT screen:

Put your WebCT ID and Password in the fields labeled for them and then click on the Log in button.

2. Getting help logging in from off campus.

If you have technical difficulties getting logged on to your WebCT class site from home, you can visit this site for help: WebCt-ID.
As a last resort you may e-mail Mr. Matt Wood (the WebCT System Administrator) at matt@wvstateu.edu. Give Matt a description of the problem and whether you would prefer to be e-mailed or called back. Leave a phone number if you wish to talk by phone.

3. Changing your Password

Once you have first successfully logged in and reached your myWebCT page, you can change your password by clicking on the Password settings link:

You will be taken to the following screen:

As you can see, changing the password is rather straight forward. Just type in the old password in the box provided, type in the new one you wish to have, and then confirm the new one by typing it in again. Then click on the update password button.

The Change Login Hint section above is used in case you forget your password. By supplying a question that only you would know the answer to, you can get into the system by clicking on the Forgot your password? link on the WebCt entry page.

If you forget your password, no one, not even the system administrator, can determine what it is. However, by providing the login hint, the system can help you set a new password.

4. Checking your browser

A browser is the program that you use to access the internet. If you have gotten this far, you have demonstrated that you can navigate your way around the internet. Microsoft Internet Explorer is a popular browser:

There are many versions of Internet Explorer, and many other browsers that are in use. Once into WebCT , you can to see if the browser you are using is compatible with the system.

To start the Check Browser Wizard, click on Check Browser near the top right of the screen.

If you see a message that looks that the following, your browser is OK.

If your browser does not validate, try the Browser Tuneup Page link in the message. If you browser fails to validate after that, you will have to update to a newer version of your browser.

5. Selecting Your Course

Once you are into WebCT, you will see a list of all the on-line courses that you have been granted access to. Simply click on the course that you wish to do work in and you will go to the appropriate site. Since each course varies in the way the various learning systems work, your instructor may need to give you further instructions as to what to do. Usually the information that you will need to take the on-line course can be found by clicking on the course introduction icon on the course homepage.

6. Logging out of WebCT

To end your webCT session, click on the Log Out link in the top menu bar.