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WebCT Vista has been retired as of June 30, 2008.LATTE is now Brandeis University's only online learning environment. |
...the next generation of WebCT here at Brandeis University.
Brandeis University has begun testing the next generation of WebCT (Web Course Tools), which is known by the name of Vista. To read more about WebCT Vista, please follow this link: http://webct.com/service/ViewContent?contentID=21110737
The class you are currently taking is using this new system - we'd like to introduce you to some of Library & Technology Services features and provide a brief overview of how to participate online in your class.
You should make sure that your Internet Web Browser (e.g., Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Netscape's Navigator, Mozilla's Firefox) is configured to work inside WebCT Vista. Check your web browser here to see whether WebCT supports it.
| Please note: We have scheduled WebCT Vista system downtime every week on Monday morning, from 6am to 8am in order to update and patch the server. |
WebCT Vista looks a bit different, but works very much the same way. In both versions, you can read the syllabus, reading assignments, discussion boards, practice quizzes and other content organized by your professor. To get there, just log into myCourses, and click on the "Visit WebCT course" (if your class uses Vista).
When you log into myCourses, and click on the "Visit WebCT course" link, you will be automatically brought into WebCT Vista (if your class will use Vista).
The first page you land on is called the home page; on this starting page, you are able to get to all of the materials relatively quickly.
Vista's layout is slightly different than our current version of WebCT. Some of the features that help you navigate inside the course, however, are the same. Here are some of the common features used for navigation: the course menu, the return to homepage icon, the breadcrumb trail, and the course toolbar.
The course menu appears on the left hand side of the page, directly below the WebCT Vista logo.
You can either set the course menu to appear as a dropdown selection:
or as a left navigation bar:
To toggle between one and the other, press on the Display Course Menu as Dropdown 
or the Display Course Menu as Left Navigation Bar 
icons.
The return to homepage icon 
makes it easy to get back to the home page no matter where you are in the course.
The breadcrumb trail
is a series of links that shows you what links you clicked on to get where you are. In the above example, the person clicked on "Week 1 Work" from the "Homepage." All text that appears in the breadcrumb trail is linked so you can go back one step because Vista, like the older version of WebCT, doesn't play well with your browser's back button.
A new feature to Vista is the Course Toolbar, located underneath the name of the course in the upper right-hand corner.
The course toolbar is usually where professors will place links to see your grades, access assignments, participate in online discussion boards or chatrooms, and other important online class components. The course toolbar will always be available to you, no matter where you are currently inside the WebCT class.
Please note that, when there is new material posted inside a discussion board or an assignment area, the icon will have a small green check box.
A page on how to get the most out of online courses, including some tips specific to using WebCT Vista is available online here.
Besides going from a link in the course toolbar to access the discussion board, your professor may also decide that he or she wants you to respond directly to a certain topic.
In this example, the professor has grouped readings by week and has set up a discussion topic related to these readings. Rather than having to figure out which topic is the correct one and what assignment is due after reading this material, the links have been placed inside a folder called "Week 1 Work" for ease of use.
Your instructor may have you submit assignments through WebCT (particularly useful for distance learning courses).
When submitting your assignment you have the option to save it as a draft. This is useful if you want to work more on it later without showing what you've done to the instructor.
Screenshot of the Save as Draft feature.
When you are ready to submit the assignment, click "Submit". For more detailed instructions, please read about how to use WebCT Vista's Assignment Dropbox to Submit Files.
Your instructor may have set the assignment so that you can manipulate it even after you have submitted it.
After you have submitted an assignment, go to the "Assignment" tool. The link is located in the top right.
You will now see the assignment "Inbox." This is a listing of all the assignments that have not been submitted.
Screenshot of the Assignment Inbox.
To see the submitted assignments, click on the submitted tab. You will now see the assignments that have been submitted.
Screenshot of the Assignment Submitted tab.
If there is an link under "action" you may be able to take back your assignment to make changes. You cannot take back an assignment after the due date. Click on the link to take back your assignment.
You will notice that the assignment has moved from your Submitted list to your Inbox. The assignment will not be submitted for the instructor to grade until you resubmit it.
The HTML Creator is a Java-based applet that allows you to create content in HTML without entering HTML tags. Similar to a word processor, you can
The HTML Creator is available is available from the following tools:
There is a known issue opening PDFs in Acrobat Reader. If you are having trouble and receive an error message that a pdf is not found, save the file locally to view. (Here's a page that includes more information on downloading and configuring your web browser to open these files.)
For more information about WebCT, please contact the
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Brandeis Library & Technology Services |
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