Elearning:How to Get Started

From UBC Wiki

Provided below are resources and contacts that you may find useful for navigating the term with WebCT Vista. Your Faculty Support Unit Faculty Support Unit (FSU) is available throughout the cycle to offer help and training. You can request information on e-Learning workshops and training from your Faculty Support Unit using Get Help and Training web form.

Introducing the course to your students

When class begins, it is important to give your students a clear introduction to the online course. Technical skills will vary among your students, so the information you provide should cover all the bases while being concise and not overwhelming. Your hand-out should include:

  • course URL
  • overview and expectations (include how the online portion of the course is weighted against the in-class portion if the course has both components)
  • help Resources (include contact for Information Technology and the e-Learning website: https://www.vista.ubc.ca

Responding to Student problems

Throughout the first month of the course, as students become acquainted with the course they may encounter problems such as forgotten logins or pages of content that won't display. For login problems, students should contact Information Technology Help Desk in person, by phone, or using the Contact Information Technology webform.

If a problem is related to your course content, students should address their questions to you as the course designer and not ITServices. If you encounter a problem of this nature that you can't resolve, please contact your Faculty Support Unit using Help and Training webform or via WebCT Vista Contacts .

Updating content and moderating email and discussions

Periodic updates to content are important for keeping your students engaged. The Faculty Support Units are available for support as well as design ideas throughout this process.

As the term continues, you will need to budget time for responding to the discussions and email of your students. Online courses can provide a very effective environment for interaction among students and instructors and the WebCT Vista Guides and Tutorials for Instructors guides and quick tutorials provide some resources which can help you take advantage of the online learning format. Other resources include: the TAG WebCT workshop on Increasing Community in you course, and a discussion rubric.

For further reference, the Online Teaching Resources page offers articles about teaching and learning in the new paradigm of online education. This section has advice on using the tools offered by the web to their fullest in your course in order to add value to your students' experience.

Getting Started with WebCT Vista

Overview

To help you get started with using WebCT Vista, please refer to the following: