End of Semester WebCT Functions
Once you and your students have completed using your WebCT course, it is important that you backup and re-set the course before the beginning of the next semester.
To do so, follow these steps.
1. Back up your course - click here for complete directions.
2. Download your course student database/student list/gradebook if you want to save a copy of student course grades - Click here for complete directions.
3. Compile and download any bulletin board, calendar or pivate mail messages you may wish to save for future semesters - Click here for complete directions.
4. Reset your course student database, mail, bulletin boards, etc. - Click here for complete directions.
NOTE - Once you re-set the course student database, your students will not be able to log in. All quiz scores, mail and bulletin board messages, etc. will be erased. Therefore, it is important to back up your course and save important data before you re-set the course.
1.
Creating a backup of the course:
1.Click
on the Manage Course link from the control panel visible
to designers. The Manage Course designer options display.
Figure 05-01
2.Click
on the Create backup link beneath the Backup Course heading.
The Create Backup screen displays.
Figure 05-02
3.Type
in a short description of the backup in the text box
seen in figure 05-02.
4.Click
on the Create button. The backup is created and a
success message should display as seen in
figure 05-03
Figure 05-03
5.Click
on the Continue button. The Backup Course screen
displays. See figure 05-04.
Figure 05-04
2. Downloading the Student List
1.Click on Manage Course -> Manage Students. Click the gray Download Button.
The Download Student Records screen appears.
2.Choose a field separator (Comma) from the drop-down box and click Download.
A standard Web browser dialog box appears, prompting you to save the file on your computer.
1.Click on the Discussions or Bulletin Board icon from the homepage, or an organizer page. Click on the Forum "All" to display all messages.
2.Click on the Show All and Unthreaded Options to display all messages. Click on Select All to place a check mark next to all displayed messages.
3.Click on the Download button.
A
File Download window
appears. This window may vary according to the browser you are
using. Click on the Save File option. The Save As window
appears.
4.Locate
the folder to save this message to and click on the
Save button. This file will be saved onto your computer.
You can follow the same steps to compile and download calendar and private mail messages.
The Reset Course feature
enables the designer to reset the
whole course, or specific areas in the course. The designer
may use the Reset Course feature to reset the course after the
year is complete. The course needs to be cleared of old
information, as new students will need to access the
course.
If the designer does
reset any of the areas in the Course Reset
area, the information is deleted. If there is any information the
designer may want to keep, a backup must be done before the
course is reset.
The areas that can be reset in the course are:
Student database
Teaching assistant database
Student groups/presentations
Page tracking records
Discussions
Calendar (both public and private entries)
Chat logs
Whiteboard
Student homepages
To reset the course:
1.Click
on the Manage Course link from the control panel
visible to designers. The Manage Course designer
options display.
2.Click
on the Reset Course link beneath the Course
Functions heading. The Course Reset screen displays as
seen in figure 05-24.
Figure 05-24
3.Click
on the Mark All button to mark all the areas in the course
to reset. Alternatively select the areas of the course to reset by
clicking on the check box to the left of the relevant areas.
4.Click
on the Reset button. A warning window appears as
seen in figure 05-25.
Figure 05-25
5.Click
on the OK button. The Course Reset Results screen
displays. See figure 05-26.
Figure 05-26
6.Click on the Continue button.