WebCT Vista has been retired as of June 30, 2008. LATTE is now Brandeis University's only online learning environment.
Log into LATTE here.
As of Summer 2008, all courses at Brandeis now use LATTE. If you are an instructor who previously used WebCT and have questions about your WebCT course content, please contact LATTE Help at (781) 736-5883 or latte@brandeis.edu.
For those getting started in LATTE, Library & Technology Services offers regular workshops and assistance at the Faculty Resource Center.
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Best Practices for Students
Classes conducted using online course materials - such as the WebCT Vista system in use at Brandeis - present an opportunity to experience a rich learning environment that is not limited by time or location. Many students have discovered that online course components can augment what they learn and how they pick it up.
Like the traditional classroom, you and your classmates share similar goals from the course even if part, most, or even all of the work takes place online. With online course components, you are given the chance to participate at your pace and the opportunity to help create an open and friendly course. As you may expect, the freedom and flexibility of the online environment bring responsibilities for each student to be committed and disciplined to keep up with the subject matter and assignments.
Some of your peers have come to enjoy this online interaction, and they often credit the success to a few techniques:
- Giving themselves the time to think ideas through before responding.
- Participating actively in the discussions - not merely assenting to another's post, but clarifying, exploring, questioning, and/or connecting to that post on a meaningful level.
- Keeping up with the course by logging on throughout the week. Don't let too many days go by without logging on to the course; it makes it harder to catch up.
- Seeking help regarding technical difficulties or any areas of confusion so that problems can be corrected or addressed for everyone's benefit.
The material on this page includes some specific and non-specific tips for using Vista features effectively in your class.
Contents
Vista Best Practices
Navigating in Vista
- Adjust your computer and browser settings to work with Vista. (Please note that the WebCT servers at Brandeis are on Eastern time [GMT - 05:00].)
- Use the breadcrumb trail and the course menu to navigate. The back button generally will not work in Vista.
Working online in Vista
- Keep active. Vista will log you out for 30 minutes of inactivity.
- Prepare your discussion posts offline, and then paste them online. This allows you to check your spelling, and to consider what you are saying before posting it to your peers.
- Use the HTML editor to make the text easier to read online. For instance, use a sans-serif font like Arial or Verdana, set the size to "3" (which is about 14pt size), and use color and boldfacing to draw attention to key points.
- When turning in materials using the assignments tool, you need to upload the file, add it to your assignment submission page, and then submit it.
- Have a word-processing program open to take notes when reading online. Or better still, if your instructor has enabled to the Take Notes tool, use the tool and then download your notes periodically.
- Keep an electronic copy of your completed assignments on your computer. You may want to refer to it later.
Clarity
- Read the course overview, syllabus, and other materials carefully. Ask questions in case of doubt.
- Spend some time at the beginning of the session exploring your course so you can navigate around in it easily. If you have problems, contact your instructor immediately.
Communicating: Discussion boards, Chat rooms
Make sure to follow the rules of netiquette in e-mail messaging and discussion board posting:
- Get involved. In the online environment, you don't get credit just for showing up. (Refer to the course's syllabus for explicit online participation requirements.)
- Act with respect.
- Address the idea, not the person.
- Choose your words carefully in a message. It is easy to sound flippant or rude when all the other person - or perhaps even worse, your instructor - sees is a typed message. Use humor and irony sparingly.
- Proofread. The more accurate your messages, the more likely they'll be understood.
Community
The same standards of courtesy and respect are needed in the online environment as in the regular classroom. In fact, those standards might be considered even more important for online classwork because you can't rely on visual or vocal "cues" to convey your meaning or to help you interpret what others mean.
- Be polite and respectful. You may be tempted in the environment to be less guarded than perhaps in the standard classroom, but remember that there are real people reading your messages.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help.
- If you need any research help or help with any library resources, be sure to contact a Brandeis Reference Librarian.
- Finally, make sure to keep in touch with your instructor.
