Web.Edu Agenda 6 for October 18, 2003

Last Updated: 10/16/03
Link back to course Welcome...

Web.Edu Agenda 6
for class on October 18, 2003

Startup
1. New computers, new User Name, new Password. Other faculty have told me that the new computers are much faster and do't lock up. Logging in:
  1. Make sure that Logon To: says GUPLAB
  2. User Name is tomclass
  3. Password: environment with e changed to 3 (two places), i changed to 1 (one), o changed to 0 (zero), first and last letters capitalized, all other letters lower case
2. Reminder to sign in during the class, using the online signin form on the course web site
Announcements:
1. Starting October 20 this year, Pipeline will require a current-version or recent-version web browser. You can get free downloads of Netscape 7.1 and Internet Explorer 6 SP1 (Service Pack or Update 1) from support.wayne.edu/allwsu/software/support/index.php (live link on course web site).
2. Online grade reports are working. Notice the dates for the assignments - work completed after that date is not reflected yet.
3. Reminder about regular online work: conference postings, online weekly course reports
4. After next class on October 25 we skip the week of November 1 and meet again November 8. - work online instead. I will be posting "lectures" on the course web site.
5. Review assignments - Review of essay form from syllabus. This essay form requires analysis before you start writing. You should have points that you want to make in the essay, and a plan for how you will make the. You may want to use the Essay Planning Sheet (handout), although this is not an assignment, it does not count for extra credit, and it should not be turned in.

Technical problems in online courses - continue from Agenda 5

Review on Internet connection problems

Step	Possible problems
User types in URL or uses link or favorite
Client sends Domain Name to DNS and gets back the server IP address	Domain Name misspelled Internet connection broken DNS down
Client requests file from server	Server down
Server sends file to client	File path misspelled File has been moved Access forbidden
Client displays file for user

Email systems.
1. Maximum amount of storage for each user; fill this up and any further incoming email will be "bounced back" without any notification to you. Hotmail seems to particularly susceptible to this problem, because of the large amount of junk email sent there.
2. Large files can be refused by your Instructor's email system (beware of graphics). If you get an error message that your Instructor's email is full, let him/her know right away (don't use email, of course!).
File format compatibility.
1. Can be the most vexing. You exchange files with the Instructor, must find compatible format. Can go wrong, especially with "off brand" word processor. Generally, the two "standard" word processors are Microsoft Word and WordPerfect (e.g. Lotus Notes). WSU bookstore has great software prices.

Email: one method of transferring files, but there are alternates: (1) Web upload, (2)FTP.

Managing files - this is and will be an issue in any online course. Can you find your files, in order to upload them, and can you find them once you have downloaded them? Unlike the other technical problems, this one is strictly up to you.

How to find your files - the path to the file, or the file path

C:\My Documents\WebEduF03\dtbEssay1.doc
C:\ My Documents\WebEduF03\ dtbEssay1 .doc
C:\	The drive (A: for floppy drive, C: for hard drive, may have others also)	You have no choice over the available drives
My Documents\WebEduF03\	Folders (two here, "My Documents" and "WebEduF03"	You can name and rename folders. Folder names should make sense to you (describe the contents of the folder).
dtbEssay1	File name	You can name and rename file names. File names should make sense to you (describe the contents of the file).
.doc	Extension (indicates type and also determines which files will be visible when you look for files)	In Windows, file extensions (technically they part part of the name) are very important. By default, Windows hides them from you.

When you save a file, almost all of the path is shown to you.

Use file names to identify what is in the file for you

Use folders to organize your work, for example one folder for each course. Make new folder with the icon

Do not change the extension or you may have trouble opening the file from within Word (unless you change the file types to look for), or if you are used to opening a file by double-clicking on it, this will not work if you change the extension.

Getting help. (At the present time, many Instructors may not be aware of all problems).
1. Server Monitor http://server.monitor.wayne.edu
2. Other faculty, me for example.
  1. d.r.bowen@wayne.edu
  2. 313-577-1498 on campus (generally Mon, Wed, Thu during the academic year)
  3. 248-549-8518 at home
  4. 313-390-2155 at Ford Motor Company during the Summer, and Tue and Thu during the academic year
3. WSU Computer Help Desk 313-577-4778 Mon - Fri 8 AM - 8 PM. Patient, experienced with helping.
4. WSU Network Operations Center (NOC) 313-577-4746.
5. The system administrator. Web Server administrators often have "mail to."
6. Collect information on the problem (what happened, the exact error message if any, what was on the blue bar above the error message, what program (name and version) were you using, and what were you doing at the time).
  1. Screen shots are convincing - on Windows, tap <Print Screen> then open Word, switch to landscape view and Edit > Paste. Can be saved, printed, emailed, etc.
Computer crash, computer virus, computer worm, network down
Very rarely these problems may threaten to affect your grade, and if your Instructor is not supportive or understanding, you may need help to avoid being penalized for technical problems. Two normal methods of this type of non-technical help are:
1. Most Universities require academic departments to have a grade appeal process. These processes must be accessible to students; see the literature or ask a counselor.
2. Most Universities also have an Ombudsman(person). An Ombudsman(person) is a designated person to assist students with academic problems.

Alternate systems #1 - Blackboard

Blackboard is a commercial (proprietary) web teaching and learning tool supported by WSU at the University level, and is used for many grounded and online courses
1. There are many alternate systems in use at WSU. In particular, Medicine, Engineering, Nursing and Science have well-supported online course systems in place
2. Our online conference will switch to BlackBoard
3. One of the benefits that the University hopes for using Blackboard is that students will only have to learn it once. However, the Instructor for each course has a great deal of flexibility in configuring the course, so this may not be the case. Also, Blackboard does not always do things consistently
There is a link to Blackboard from the course web site, or it is at http://blackboard.wayne.edu
Many such systems, including WebBoard and the online course reports, make it easy to set up a second account (or even more). You need to be careful about this. On Blackboard and WebBoard, your accounts are persistent from course to course - you should not establish a new account for each course (no matter what the Instructor says to do!)
1. If you have multiple accounts in BlackBoard, email the administrator (bbadmin@wayne.edu) listing the accounts and your WSU Student ID # (on your OneCard, starts with "P").
  1. Duplicate accounts that are not being used will be deleted
  2. Accounts that are linked to a course will not be (may not be) deleted
Blackboard opening screen
1. Login - your password
Blackboard welcome screen - shows all of your courses, and more (view)
1. There are several options for getting included in a course - Instructor option
  1. If you have already registered, you are most likely already a member. There are some delays.
  2. Course might be open to the public (unusual)
  3. You might self-register if that is allowed
  4. You might need to request that the Instructor admit you, especially if you have just registered.

Welcome page for a course - Announcements and buttons on the left for course features

Button	Sub-menus
Announcements	None. This is normally where you enter the course
Course Information	Documents posted by Instructor, e.g. course description, syllabus
Staff Information	Information for Instructor / Co-Instructor(s) and any Teaching Assistants
Course Documents	Similar to Course Information; what the Instructor wants to post
Assignments	Descriptions of assignments posted by Instructor
Communication	Send email. Send an email to Instructors and Students, or to a selection from these, using WSU email addresses Discussion Board. The online computer conference. Virtual Classroom. A "whiteboard' for online group work Roster. Request a list of those in the course Group Pages. Pages for any small groups that have been established for assignments or discussions
External Links	Course links to non-BlackBoard web sites, created by the Instructor
Tools	Digital Drop Box. A method of turning in homework and getting it back. Edit Your Homepage. Students and Instructors can create simple simple home pages, may be a course requirement. Personal Information. Edit personal information, change your BlackBoard password, set up CD-ROM drive for supplemental information, as organized by Instructor Set privacy options, which personal information is veiwable.
Resources	General web sites arranged by discipline
Course Map	All of above laid out by topic and sub-topic

Tools page - online help
1. Digital Drop Box - can be used for turning in and turning back homework files

Communication

Discussion Board
Viewing Threads
Replying

Threaded discussion system	WebBoard	BlackBoard
Logo
A top-level message	A "Post"	A "Forum" (Students cannot create new forums)
To reply to a top-level message	"Reply" or "Reply/Quote"	"Add New Thread" (Instructor can allow or forbid students to create threads)
To reply to a lower-level message	Same as above	"Reply":

Virtual classroom (chat), can also do drawings

Always log out of BlackBoard (and Pipeline), especially in a lab or public setting. If there is no logout (e.g. WebBoard) always shut down your Browser completely before leaving the computer, especially in a lab or public setting. It is not enough to just leave that web site; there is always the Back button, and the server may take a half hour or so to time you out.

Assignments due next class (from the assignment schedule on the Syllabus - get used to reviewing that)

You should have read Chapter 2 (The Types of Distance Learning) for last week and 3 (How the Types of Distance Learning Work) for this week. For next week, read Chapter 5 (What's in Line for Me).

Catch up on your WebBoard postings from the past and start posting on BlackBoard.

Messages for Discussion Forums
Dates	Discussion forum	Weeks	Messages	Contact
9/20 through 10/18	WebBoard	4	8 min	Link from course web site
10/19 through 11/22	BlackBoard	4	8 min	blackboard.wayne.edu
11/23 through 12/13	ListServ	4	8 min	webeduf03@lists.wayne.edu
Semester	All three	12	26 min

Do two BlackBoard postings for the next class
Weekly course report.
Draft for Essay is due in two weeks on March 7
Start "The Email Test". Your message in each case should say whether it is 1, 2 or 3 (see numbers below)
1. Send an email to at least two different people, with me being one of them.
2. Send an email to someone else, with me as a cc
3. Forward an email from someone else to me.

Potential exam questions (handout)
Turning off the lab computers
1. Click the "Start" button (if you computer has a "Windows" key you can press that instead)
2. Point to or click on "Shut Down..."
3. Make sure that "Shut Down" is selected
4. Click the "OK" button or press the <Enter> key
5. Wait until your computer turns off or displays a message that it is now OK to shut down your computer
6. Turn off the computer but leave the monitor on - it will go into sleep mode.