SPCH 1321
The Orientation On Line

A traditional class is about interacting with people face to face. In an Internet course, the class members conduct this interaction through letters on screen or on paper. The items listed below ultimately save time and effort. They show either how to make this interaction go faster on screen or how to make paper work for you.

If this is your FIRST Internet class, please do this ONLINE ORIENTATION in ADDITION to the MANDATORY ORIENTATION for this class. This ONLINE ORIENTATION is NOT the same as the MANDATORY ORIENTATION and does NOT excuse you from attending the MANDATORY ORIENTATION.

Generally, the list below comes from the items that have caused students in this class the most grief in the past. Click on, study, print out and practice the instructions for items with which you are not familiar.

[ ] Preparing to learn online

[ ] Becoming comfortable with the Web

[ ] Accessing the electronic classroom in WebCT

[ ] Selecting, copying, pasting text, especially urls, with a minimal chances for errors

[ ] Clearing the computer cache

[ ] Bookmarking

[ ] Sending email

[ ] Using hardcopy

[ ] Accessing technical support

[ ] Contacting the instructor

[ ] Entering the class

[ ] Course-specific info

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Preparing to Learn Online
SAC provides hands-on aids to help students get ready for web classes. The Internet Skills Center in MLC 400-B offers modules to increase students' basic computer skills and web-based library research abilities. Work in these areas can help students discover how well-prepared they are to take web classes and assist them when they need to shore up weak areas. For a description of services and hours, click here and visit the Internet Skills Center site.

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Becoming Comfortable with the Web


SAC librarian John Deosdade's overview provides an excellent place to start for students who need to work a little at getting used to the web.

Basic information is also available at these sites

Learn the Net site

Netforbeginners

Webopedia offers a comprehensive glossary and hyperlinks

Those who use Netscape Communicator can find its overall orientation here. Netscape Communicator is a software package that includes Navigator, a browser; Messenger, an email and newsgroup program; and Composer, a web page editing program. This page covers browsing with Netscape.

Microsoft offers an Explorer tutorial here.

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If you have taken WebCT classes in the past, you will notice it is a different procedure now.

1. Open an Internet browser to access the World Wide Web. Internet Explorer works best.

2. Click on the ePortal link here

3. Notice the instructions just to the right of the log in boxes and follow each of the steps, which are: 

4. Click to obtain your ePortal user name.

5. When the system asks, type in the Social Security number.

6. Make a record of the ePortal user name you are given in a secure location.

7. Use this password to get in the first time. The password is the first two characters of your last name in UPPER CASE followed by the last six digits of your Social Security number. For example:

John Doe 
SSN = 123987654 
John Doe's Password = DO987654
Once you enter ePortal successfully, you should see this menu:

8. Click on the "My Courses" tab, as shown above, to see our class listed under "Courses I'm Attending." Click on our course and section number to get into WebCT 4.0. It will open in a new window and you will still be logged into the ePortal in the other window.

If you experience difficulty logging into the SAC PALS, call ACCD Information Technologies Support Central Help Desk at (210) 220-1616 and then press 1.

9. After logging in for the first time and before you log out, change the password to something you can remember, but others will not be able to guess.

  • Do not record it where it can be found by someone else.
  • DO NOT tell ANYONE the password.
  • Follow these steps to change the password:
    a. While in ePortal find the "Options" button, as seen above at the top left of the screen.
    b. Click "Options" and follow the steps given.

10. Set a schedule for changing the password again to increase security. On that day, follow the above steps.

11. The ePortal e-mail button is on the right side of the  menu. This is a regular e-mail program that you can use with fellow students, friends or as an alternate way to contact the instructor outside of WebCT.

When you finish, be sure to log out of BOTH WebCt and the PALS before leaving the computer. If you don't, others can access your personal records. Close all related browser windows.

12. As you work, be mindful of the navigation.

Important WebCT Navigation Information

Use the Gray Boxes marked Back and Forward to navigate in WebCT.

  • Do Not use the White BACK and FORWARD control arrows in the green buttons on the WebCT pages.

  • Using those will throw you out of WebCT.

(Adapted by permission and with special thanks from work by Dr. Charlotte Wolf.) 

Once in, go to the area needed to do the work assigned.

  • If you follow a link and the Back key becomes disabled, it's probably because the page has opened in a new browser window. Close it by clicking on the X-box in the top right corner, and your last page should show up.
  • Once you've done the studying for each week, click on Online Quizzes and Surveys to take the quiz or test.
  • When you have a message to post to the bulletin board or WebCT private email, click there.
  • To exit, close the browser.

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To Copy a Web Address (or Text)
and Avoid Typing Errors

To copy an address (or text) from the Web and avoid typing errors, it is necessary to have the capability to have both a word processing file and the site open, with the understanding, of course, that one is behind the other or minimized. Once both are open, go to the site.

  1. Place the cursor up in the top in the Address or Location field and click to select it. (To copy text, use the mouse to select the sentences and/or paragraphs you want to copy and follow the steps below.)
  2. In the top row, click on the Copy icon or place the cursor on Edit.
  3. From the pull down menu, select Copy and click on it.

    If using the mouse does not copy the text: select it again and on the keyboard, press the Ctrl key and the letter C at the same time, and then let them go. This step makes a copy in the clipboard which is not visible.
  4. Go to the word processing file. To minimize the Web if you need to, go to the square in the top right corner that has a line at the bottom and click on it.
  5. In the word processing file, place the cursor at the place in the document where you want the address (or text) to appear.
  6. Click on the Paste icon or, on the top row, place the cursor on Edit, and then click on Paste.
  7. From the pull down menu, select Paste. The address (or text) will appear in the word processing file.

    If using the mouse does not paste in the text: on the keyboard, press the Ctrl key and the letter V at the same time, and then let them go. The copy should appear.
  8. Save the word processing file.

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Clearing the Cache
Because the cache holds the contents of all the pages that one has visited during an online session, it can get full quickly. Clearing the cache regularly can

  • Help the browser work faster and
  • Bring up the most current version of a page.

It is best to clear the browser cache when the jumps start to feel slow, usually a few hours into a work session. These instructions cover instructions for recent versions of the two most popular browsers, Navigator and Explorer.

Netscape Navigator 7.1

To increase Navigator 7.1 performance, open the browser and follow these steps.

1. At the top of the screen, open the Edit menu and from the bottom of the list, choose Preferences. 

2. In the window that opens, look to the left side. At the bottom of the white area, click on the cross beside the word Advanced

3. In the list that opens beneath it, select Cache.

4. Go over to the right and click on Clear Cache 

5. Click OK. 

Explorer 6

To create more space for temporary Internet pages

1. On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, click Internet Options.

2. On the General tab, go down to the Temporary Internet Files section in the middle of the window.

3. Click on Delete Files.

4. To create more space to store pages, click in the middle on Settings.

5. Move the slider to the left.

6. Click on Apply, and then on OK to activate the changes and exit.

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Bookmarking

Bookmarking a site saves time and typing errors. For Netscape and Explorer, first go to the Web page you want. Then,

In Netscape

  1. Click on the word Bookmark next to the Location field near the top of the screen
  2. Click on Add to Bookmarks
  3. If a dialogue box pops up, answer it as best fits your needs

In Explorer

  1. Click on the word Favorites the top of the screen
  2. Click on Add to Bookmarks
  3. If a dialogue box pops up, answer it as best fits your needs

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Sending Email

In addition to the electronic classroom, this class uses email and to communicate and learn.

These points are important about the email accounts.

Using Hardcopy
Electronics have a way of cultivating inertia, so to prevent it from hindering progress in the course, there are checklists for the key activities. Print out the calendar and check off each task as you complete it.

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Accessing Technical Support
These two numbers and email are available to students and faculty. Hours vary by semester.

 220-1619 (ACCD)

 785-6330 (out of the Technology Center in the MLC on campus)

 If there’s time, one can also send an email message to Helpdesk@accd.edu

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Contacting the Instructor
The most efficient and reliable ways are

To turn in selected assignments, please send them as email attachments. DO NOT paste them into the body of a message. Attach the file to the email message. By the way, keep both electronic and hard copies of the major assignments where you can find them.

All of the other points of contact are available here.

 Enter the Class
If you have not already, send an email message to the address below stating that you enrolled in the class. There is no other way to establish your presence in the class.

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