English 521: Composition Theory and Pedagogy

Throughout the semester we will be using WebCT for our online discussions. WebCT is a conferencing program supported by the University's computing services, and it offers us an easy web-based forum for the online discussions described elsewhere on the site.

Since we will use WebCT exclusively for conferencing and perhaps sharing texts, you won't need to use any of the other capabilities of the program. This web site will serve as the primary source of information about course assignments.

Instructions for Accessing WebCT

To access our course discussion list on WebCT, simply go to http://webct.albany.edu:8900/, the follow these steps:

• Once you are at the WebCT site, click on Course Listing. You will see a new screen with a list of different departments or disciplines. Click the link called "English." The screen will change again, and you'll see a list of English courses using WebCT. Click on "Composition Theory and Pedagogy."

• At this point you will be asked for a login id and a password. Those will be provided to you in class.

• Once you are at our course WebCT site, click on the icon labeled "bulletin board." That will take you to the discussion list. The screen will now change, and you will see several frames. The top frame will contain an index of our class discussions. The bottom frame will display the message you wish to read or a message you wish to compose.

• To post a message to the list, click the link labeled "Compose" in the frame on the left side of your screen. You will then see a new screen, and you can type your message in the box.

• Note that if you wish to respond to a message already on the list rather than post a message on an entirely new topic, click on the "Reply" button (not the "mail" button). You can also click on the "Quote" button, which will include the text of an article you wish to respond to in your own message. Once you've clicked "reply" (or "quote"), a new screen will appear, and you can type your message onto that screen.

• When you're finished typing your message, you can look it over by clicking on the "Preview" button. When you're satisfied with your message, click on the "Post" button. You will then return to the discussion list screen.

• Note that you can write your message offline using a word processing program (such as Microsoft Word) and then paste it into the box in WebCT when you're ready to post it.

• To exit the discussion forum, click on "Home" at the top of the frame on the left side of your screen. That will take you back to the WebCT home page for our course. From there you can return to our course web site or go elsewhere on the web.

For more information about WebCT, you can go to the CETL Resources Page.

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