Print

RSU ONLINE

Faculty FAQs

  1. How do I login to WebCT?
    Faculty may contact the Center for Teaching and Learning for login instructions at 918-343-7849 or email rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu.
  2. How do I reset my password in WebCT?
    • Log into your WebCT account.
    • On the MyWebCT page (the one that lists all your classes), click on Password Settings in the top menu.
    • Enter your old password, your new password, and then confirm your new password (type it in again, exactly the same way).
    • Click Update Password.
    • If resetting your password does not work, contact 918-343-7849 or email rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu.
  3. How do I logout of WebCT?
    • WebCT has a logout button located at the top right of every window within WebCT.
    • Click the Logout button to exit your courses.
  4. How do I get a WebCT class?
    • Online: WebCT shells for online classes are automatically generated based on the upcoming semester schedule.
    • Supplements:
      • Requests for WebCT shells used to supplement any course other than an online course should first be made through the faculty member’s respective department using the coursework file during the time of schedule development. (This shall be noted with a “Y” in the WebCT column.)
      • Any courses that need WebCT shells that were not marked on the course file will need to be submitted through the course schedule change process so that it can be flagged properly for enrollment.
      • All course changes regarding WebCT are not made until they have been approved and released from Enrollment Management and Academic Affairs
  5. How do I add students to my WebCT class?
    • With the integration of WebCT and SIS, students are automatically added to courses as they register.
    • When a student adds a class they will be added to the WebCT course.
    • When a student drops or withdraws a class they will be made inactive in the WebCT course and will be denied access so they can't login to the class any longer.
    • Students will not appear in the Manage Students area of WebCT but will be listed in any submissions area of the course with a "~".
    • If your WebCT class is missing a student(s) that is in your class contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at 918-343-7849 or email rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu.
  6. What if a student is missing from my class?
    • Students are added to courses as they register.
    • If a student is registered in your course but is NOT showing up in your WebCT course (Control Panel --> Manage Course --> Manage Students) contact the Center for teaching and Learning immediately at 918-343-7849 or email rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu.
  7. What if a class is missing?
    • WebCT classes are no longer automatically generated.
    • To use WebCT, you must now "activate" any course in which you want a WebCT presence. (See How to Obtain a WebCT Class.)
    • If you have activated your class but still don't see it in WebCT contact the Center for Teaching and Learning immediately at 918-343-7849 or email rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu.
  8. How do I move content from an old class?
    • Online course content is automatically copied from one semester to the next.
    • Content for supplements and blended courses will not be copied unless requested.
    • Faculty members do have the ability to copy course content themselves by utilizing the Backup/Restore feature in the Course Functions area.
    • Step-by-step instructions are in Moving Content Between Courses.
  9. Can I have a GUEST login?
    • WebCT is password protected so only those students registered in the course have access.
    • Occasionally, you may have need of a guest account to allow a guest speaker to enter the course or to allow someone else to observe the content.
    • If you would like a guest account for your course please contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at 918-343-7849 or email rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu.
  10. What is a "Fake Student" account?
    • A fake student is a student created for you by the WebCT Administrator.
    • Having one allows you to login as a student and view/troubleshoot your class as a student would.
    • There are several areas of WebCT that behave differently when logged in as a student, such as content modules, private discussion, quizzes and assignments.
    • The fake student allows the faculty member to experience these areas as the student would.
  11. How do I get a "Fake Student" in my WebCT class?
    • A fake student must be created and added to your classes manually by the WebCT administrator.
    • You can request that a fake student account be created for you by contacting the Center for Teaching and Learning at 918-343-7849 or email rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu.
  12. Can I combine multiple course sections into one WebCT shell?
    • Only WebCT shells used as supplements will be cross-listed.
    • If you are teaching multiple sections of the same course you can request that they be combined, or "cross-listed", into one course.
    • You will only need to upload one set of content however, be advised that all your students will appear in one gradebook with their individual class listing next to their name.
    • If you'd like your course to be "cross-listed" contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at 918-343-7849 or email rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu two weeks prior to semester starting.
  13. How long will my courses be available on the WebCT server?
    • Courses will be available to students for the current semester only.
    • Courses will be available to faculty back through the previous academic year.
    • If you need a student to be allowed to see a past semester in order to complete coursework you will need to contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at 918-343-7849 or email rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu.
  14. Can I hide my old courses from my view?
    • Unfortunately you can't.
    • You can request that the WebCT administrator move them into an area that you cannot see by emailing rsuonlinehelp@student.rsu.edu.
  15. Why do my html or text documents contain odd characters or is full of question marks?
    • WebCT 4.0 allows for multi-language capabilities by using the UTF-8 character set.
    • This character set allows more graphic languages, such as Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic, and Japanese, to be displayed on the web without the use of a special plugin.
    • Because WebCT 4.0 uses this character set as the default, .html and text files should be converted to UTF-8 to be properly displayed.
    • For more information on converting files to UTF-8 see the Saving HTML Files with UTF-8 Encoding instructions.
  16. When I click on an icon in WebCT nothing happens?
    • Normally this occurs when clicking on a quiz, email or chat because they are set to open in a new window.
    • Check to make sure that pop-up blockers are turned off. How to do this varies depending upon the browser you are using.
    • Pop-up blockers are heavily integrated into the browsers Internet Explorer. Other browsers are available such as Firefox, Mozilla and Opera that do not utilize pop-up blockers so heavily.
  17. Can I add an attachment in WebCT's email program?
  18. Can I have my WebCT email forwarded to my regular email
    • No you cannot. All WebCT mail is internal to the WebCT system.
    • Faculty and students must log into their class in order to check mail.
  19. What are the supported web browsers for WebCT 4.1?
  20. My browser says I need a plugin in order to view some content. Where do I go to get plugins?
  21. When I click on a file in WebCT, I sometimes get a blank screen. Can I make Windows Internet Explorer stop blocking my WebCT files?
    • Yes, by changing the Internet Options within the browser to make WebCT a Trusted Site.
    • For step-by-step instructions see Downloading Documents in WebCT.
    • All .pdfs require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.