My computer works, but I can't get the software
(or chat room or bulletin board) to work. What do I do?
Try the steps in the above question. If they don't
work, try the help menu in the software you are trying to use. Some software
manufacturers also provide phone help lines.
I need to contact my teacher. What is the best
way?
Normally, e-mail is the most reliable way, unless
you have an emergency that needs immediate attention. Your professor will
normally check e-mail several times per day.
I've sent an e-mail (or left a phone message
or posted a bulletin board message) to my teacher but she/he hasn't responded.
What should I do?
Unless you've sent/left your message late at night,
you can expect a response the same day. If your teacher is experiencing
hardware (or phone) problems, or has a personal emergency, there may of
course be a delay. If you don't get a same-day response, try sending/leaving
a second message. If the situation is urgent, try phoning the teacher's
secretary.
I forgot my WebCT (or GPC account, or Internet
service provider) password. What do I do?
For WebCT passwords, contact your teacher; you
can get a new password immediately.
For your GPC account, call the GPC computer lab
at
For your ISP account, contact your ISP
provider. You may not be able to get a new password immediately, depending
on your ISP's policy.
In general, you should keep your passwords in
a secure location that you will always have access to, but never
keep your password and login in the same place.
I think my computer has a virus. How do I fix
it?
If your computer has virus protection software,
try that first. Some new viruses may not be covered, particularly if you
don't have the current version of your virus protection software. If your
hardware is under warranty, try your manufacturer or the store where you
bought your computer.
Until you are sure you have eliminated the virus
(or that you don't have one), you should not use your computer for anything--otherwise,
you may further damage your files.
Hint: Never use a computer that doesn't
have good virus protection software, and be very careful using files from
other users or downloads from the Internet.
Is distance education for me?
Depending on their learning styles and work habits,
some students may need the face-to-face contact of a traditional class.
See the GPC
Distance Learning Success Guide for Online Courses for an overview
of the profile of an ideal distance learner.
Links: Is
Distance Education for Me (a self-assessment quiz from the University
of Maryland) and Are
Distance Education Courses for Me, from the Oregon Community College
Distance Education Consortium.
What are the advantages of distance education?
Most students find that the convenience of flexible
scheduling and not having to drive to school are the main benefits of distance
education. Online students often find that they spend more time
communicating with faculty and other students than they would in a traditional
class. Experience in distance education may also be helpful if you're planning
to work at a company that uses online or other forms of distance training.
What are the disadvantages of distance education?
Although you can work on most assignments any
time of the day, distance education courses actually require more planning
than traditional courses. You will need to pace yourself, rather than relying
on feedback from the teacher or other students. Research has shown that
although students who complete a distance education course learn as much
as (sometimes more than) students in traditional classes, the drop-out
rate for distance learners tends to be higher, perhaps because some students
need face-to-face motivation.
I don't have an ISP. How do I get one?
The main features you should look for (most important
first) are
How do I give credit to a web page?
How can I use listservs (mailing lists) for research?
How can I use Usenet newsgroups (bulletin boards)
for research?
Should I quote the original message when I'm replying?
What's the proper way to send e-mail to a listserv?
What's the proper way to send a posting to a Usenet
group?
How do I set up a student account?
What do I get with my student account?
What happens to my account when I leave GPC?
Can my computer get a virus from the lab (or
from the Internet, or from e-mail)?
Normally, you can't get a virus directly from
a lab computer, since they are equipped with anti-virus software, but you
could still get a virus too new to be detected. Viruses from the Internet
are relatively less common, but are growing in types and frequency. Special
Internet anti-virus software is available. Even if you have such software,
however, you should be very careful in downloading software and other files
from the Internet, especially if you don't know where it's from. Although
there are many pseudo-viruses on e-mail (messages warning of viruses that
don't exist, such as "Good Times"), it is possible to get a virus from
e-mail, particularly if you open up an attachment from e-mail.
Recently, a security problem was found in Microsoft
Outlook and Netscape Navigator e-mail programs that allows a virus to be
transmitted in the title of a message. At present (August 1998), Microsoft
has provided a patch for Windows 98 users of Outlook. Netscape also has
an upgrade to Communicator
4.06 that fixes the long
filename e-mail bug.
What's the best way to learn how to use WebCT?
WebCT has a guide
available online. You can also access this guide by clicking on the professor
icon while you're in WebCT. Other schools have provided guides for their
students as well, and WebCT has a page
linking to these manuals.
What kind of browser do I need for the WebCT
chat room?
Your browser must be capable of running
java-based applications (Java is a computer programming language). You
are safe in using the 4.0 or higher versions of Netscape or Internet Explorer.
You must also use Windows 95 or 98 as your operating system (or a recent
Mac OS).
I've got the right kind of browser, but the
chat room still doesn't work. What's wrong?
Your browser must be configured to accept Java
applications. Go to the setup (preferences) menu for your browser and
make sure that Java is enabled.
When I use the WebCT chat room, I get logged
in more than once. What am I doing wrong?
If you leave the chat room without exiting and
then click on Enter the Chat room, WebCT will create a second log-in identity
for you (normally your name plus a number). Not only does this take up
chat room space, but it also makes it difficult for someone to send a private
message to you. Sometimes simply resizing the window of the chat room may
create additional logins as well. If you see that you have two or more
sessions, click on Exit the Chat Room for each of the sessions you're in.
How can I see the transcript of the chat sessions?
Your professor will have to create a link
to the chat room session. Remember that if you want a session to be logged,
you should use rooms 1-4 (not the general chat room).
How often should I check the bulletin board?
Unless your teacher instructs you otherwise, it's
a good idea to check your WebCT bulletin board at least once per day. Your
teacher may use the bulletin board for posting assignments and updates.
If you want to create a special bulletin board (e.g. for classmates working
on a group project), your teacher can set up one for you (and can limit
access to it if you wish).
I can't find a previous message on the bulletin
board. What do I do?
After you have read a message on the WebCT bulletin
board and have left the bulletin board page, WebCT removes the message
from the screen you see the next time you click on the Bulletin Board icon.
If you don't see a previous message, click on the Show All box in the upper
left of the Bulletin Board screen.
Should I quote the previous message in my reply?
Normally you should simply respond, and let your
readers click on the original message if they have forgotten the issues
you're discussing. However, you may want to quote only parts of the
original message. If you do so, make sure you've marked which parts are
from the original message (as opposed to your reply).
Someone has offended/harassed me in a class
discussion/e-mail/message. What do I do?
Tell the person who has made the remark how you
feel. If that person doesn't explain or apologize for the remark to your
satisfaction, contact your teacher at once. If the message is available
online, forward a copy or tell your instructor how to access it.
Is it o.k. to join a class session late?
"Lateness" would apply mainly to a real-time activity,
like participation in a chat room. Your instructor will explain the course
policy, but remember that if you are late for a WebCT chat session, you
will not be able to read the previous messages, and thus may not be able
to follow the discussion, and you may disrupt the flow if others have to
fill you in.