Web.Edu Agenda 3 for January 24, 2002

Last Updated: 1/24/02
Link back to course Welcome...

Web.Edu Agenda 3
for class on January 24, 2002

Startup
1. Reminder to sign in during the class, using the online signin form on the course web site
2. Turn your computer on and go to the course web site
  1. Turn the red power switch on
  2. The User Name is "labuser" and leave the password blank
  3. Start the web browser of your choice (Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator or Communicator) by double-clicking on the icon
  4. Go to the course web site - http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp/drbowen/webeduw02
3. Pictures for a class photo album - this is not a course requirement
4. Reminder about conference postings
  1. Average of two per week, 26 for the semester
  2. Introduce yourself: Susan needs to do this one
  3. Second posting on reading for last week: no one did this
5. Internet tips
  1. Single Vs double clicking. On the web, everything is single clicks. Double-clicking sometimes causes trouble - that second click can do something unpleasant.
  2. Connection problems, especially if writing a long message. Don't change anything, don't leave and start over, just redial and reconnect and pretend nothing happened.
  3. Pushed the wrong button and "lost everything"? - use your Browser's "back" button
  4. Online writing and grammar guide at http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp, then click on "Special Projects" button, then scroll down and click on link "Online Writing and Grammar Tutor". Also an Online Math Tutor has a link at the same place.
  5. Online course information page. Please let me know if there are any problems. You can double-check your course information and update it. To view or update your course information, you will need the password that you gave yourself when filling out the form the first time. This will also be your password for online grade reports. To view your information, click on the link to change it - just don't make any changes.
Review
1. Parts of Internet Courses
  1. Fairly common
    1. Textbook
    2. Web Site for course documents and information distribution
    3. Electronic discussion forum
    4. Electronic method for submitting and receiving homework
  2. May or may not be present
    1. Online web-based tests, reports and/or forms
    2. "Real" (in-person) tests and/or exams
    3. Student web pages
    4. Online reading
    5. Online workgroups
    6. Online Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET)
    7. Internet multimedia (video and audio)
    8. Required course meetings
    9. (New) Optional course meetings
    10. (New) Online chats, optional or required, for which everyone must sign on at the same time. As far as your schedule is concerned, this is like a required class meeting.
    11. Workgroup software letting everybody work on the same thing onscreen, for example with a word processor
2. Syllabus
  1. Assignments
Reading - questions or comments. My comments
1. Computer requirements. Good. The advice I hear is to stay away from XP Home edition, which is unfortunately what comes installed on many computers today. See if there is an option for Windows 2000 or for XP Professional. Consider 256 MB RAM. Hard to get a hard drive less than 20 gigabytes today.
2. Buying software - check the WSU bookstore for special student prices. For most online courses, you will not need spreadsheet, database or presentation software. only a word processor. A "Works" program includes word processing, spreadsheet and other functions, and is usually more than enough for online classes. Do not assume that your Instructor will have the most recent version of this software.
  1. The biggest problem is likely to be software version incompatibility between you and the Instructor. Today, word processors and works programs can open each others' files. The most likely problem is version incompatibility. Whichever one of you has the most recent version, that one will probably have to "Save As" as earlier version. I recommend a test early in the semester.
  2. (Computer files will probably be sent both ways - I grade files on the screen and return them electronically.)
  3. (impolite to include large graphics in your homework - it can clog up the Instructor's email, and it takes a lo-o-o-o-n-g time to download - will the Instructor be happy that you did this?)
  If your course requires you to make web pages, you may want to consider buying a WYSIWYG HTML (web page) editor such as MS FrontPage or HoTMetaL Pro.
3. Probably a good idea to configure your web browser with your return email address. Web links to send email will not work unless you do this. While the exact methods differ for different versions, here is some help on how to do that:
  1. Netscape - Edit > Preferences > Mail & Newsgroups > Identity
  2. Internet Explorer: Check your e-mail server settings. You can change e-mail server settings for POP3 and IMAP accounts.
    1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
    2. Click the Mail tab.
    3. In the Account box, click the account you want to change.
    4. Click Properties.
    5. On the Servers, Connection, and Advanced tabs, check the settings against those given to you by your Internet service provider (ISP).
      If everything matches, contact your ISP to verify that you have the correct settings and that their servers are operating correctly. Also, make sure your ISP supports the protocol you are using, such as PPP, SMTP, POP3, or IMAP.
      
      But this does not work for me - no "Accounts" on Tools menu
Review of essay form from syllabus
1. Online writing and grammar guide at http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp, then click on "Special Projects" button, then scroll down and click on link "Online Writing and Grammar Tutor"
Living online at WSU
1. WSU as an Internet Service Provider
  1. Internet access - Access ID and Password
  2. Finding the number that is a local call for you - http://support.wayne.edu/allwsu/dialin/dialsearch.php
2. Web-based email at WSU
3. Online courses
  1. Finding online courses. First, what does online mean?
  2. What do you need to know about an online course
    1. Before classes start
      1. Are there required meetings? How many? When?
      2. Often the syllabus is available online before the course starts
      3. Is special software required beyond email and a web browser (usually not, but for example Business Schools often use Lotus Notes)
    2. During the semester
      1. Bookmark the important course sites
      2. How will changes be announced?
      3. If files are to be turned in electronically, is your software (for example Word Processor, Spreadsheet) compatible with the Instructor's?
  3. Finding out if a course you have registered for is online
  4. If a course is online, what do you do to get started?
    1. Find the course web site, which may mean finding the Instructor
  5. Finding the Instructor
    1. WSU online directory at www.wayne.edu > button "WSU People" > link "WSU Electronic Directory"
    2. Call Department
  6. Can the Instructor find you?
    1. Changes in your email address
  7. Check email, web site and conference at least weekly
  8. Getting technical support
    1. http://support.wayne.edu
    2. 313-577-4778, 8 - 8 weekdays
    3. software - CD-ROM
    4. Network operations: wait for this until we go over the Internet
  9. What happens if your Internet connection is broken in the middle of a session? Most likely with a modem (not cable or network connection from a lab). A message box will pop up on your screen.
    1. On the systems for this course, you do nothing with your program - do not send, do not close, do nothing. Redial your modem and continue as if nothing had happened.
    2. On other systems, you may have to restart the software. When you restart the software, you will lose any work such as a message that hasn't been sent yet. One way to save such work is to select it and paste it into Notepad, Word Pad, Word or some other editor, then paste it back after the software is restarted.
Assignments due next class (from the assignment schedule on the Syllabus - get used to reviewing that)
1. Read Chapter 4 pages 81 - 89
2. On the course computer conference, enter one comment on the textbook from the reading for last week or this coming week. (Active learning - it's not enough just to read it, you have to think of something to say about it.) Your comment should refer to a specific part of the textbook, and be a minimum of five lines on the screen after posting. (If it doesn't come out to be five lines after posting, you can edit it to add more material.)
3. Enter a second comment under the topic "Online courses are different because..."
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 and monitor using the red key under the tabletop