Developing an Online WebCT Student Support Module

Conference Registration WebCT Homepage

Thursday, July 13, 2006
This presentation is part of 3: Poster Sessions
Developing an Online WebCT Student Support Module

Description: Providing high-quality training to students is important to faculty success teaching with WebCT. Approximately 74% of Mississippi State University students use WebCT Vista. To meet their support needs, a WebCT support module was created for faculty to integrate into their courses. Learn more about this module and how it has provided students with convenient online support in their use of WebCT.
Presentation Format: Poster
Topic: Enabling learning: Effective instructional practices and student support models
Target Audience: Course Designers, Faculty and Other Instructors, System Administrators, Senior Administrators, E-learning Managers, K-12 Educational Staff
Appropriate Audience Level: Beginning or new users of WebCT, Experienced WebCT users
WebCT Version:
Abstract Text: WebCT at Mississippi State University currently averages a 9.5% increase in course usage, 14.0% faculty usage and 41.2% student usage each semester. Approximately 74% of MSU students and 33% of teaching faculty are using WebCT. With MSU's ever increasing WebCT community, student support is a concern. Providing high quality training to students is important to faculty success teaching with WebCT. It is critical that faculty can focus on course content and not on teaching students how to use WebCT.
MSU has tried many methods to provide student support in addition to the phone support offered at the ITS Help Desk. Come and go sessions were offered with minimal participation. Sessions were offered with refreshments and door prizes. While deemed a success, it was a desire to find a way to reach more students. Focus groups were held prior to onCampus powered by SCT Luminis going live. Students were asked how they wanted to receive help and nearly all of them indicated they wanted self paced online help.
To meet the support needs a WebCT student support module was created that faculty members can integrate into their course. A WebCT single page was developed in HTML format which consists of pdf factsheets, and video tutorials is kept on the server to be added into any course. Consultants used Camtasia to capture the online video and brought them into Flash to edit. The videos were saved in High and Low bandwidth version. Adobe InDesign and Photoshop were used to create the factsheets to accompany the videos. Finally a factsheet of instructions was created to teach the faculty how to incorporate into their courses.
The module was rolled out in Fall 2005 with 67 courses incorporating it into their site. MSU plans to continue developing such modules and promoting them for further adoption.

See more of Poster Sessions
See more of The 8th Annual WebCT User Conference

Description:	Providing high-quality training to students is important to faculty success teaching with WebCT. Approximately 74% of Mississippi State University students use WebCT Vista. To meet their support needs, a WebCT support module was created for faculty to integrate into their courses. Learn more about this module and how it has provided students with convenient online support in their use of WebCT.
Presentation Format:	Poster
Topic:	Enabling learning: Effective instructional practices and student support models
Target Audience:	Course Designers, Faculty and Other Instructors, System Administrators, Senior Administrators, E-learning Managers, K-12 Educational Staff
Appropriate Audience Level:	Beginning or new users of WebCT, Experienced WebCT users
WebCT Version:
Abstract Text:	WebCT at Mississippi State University currently averages a 9.5% increase in course usage, 14.0% faculty usage and 41.2% student usage each semester. Approximately 74% of MSU students and 33% of teaching faculty are using WebCT. With MSU's ever increasing WebCT community, student support is a concern. Providing high quality training to students is important to faculty success teaching with WebCT. It is critical that faculty can focus on course content and not on teaching students how to use WebCT. MSU has tried many methods to provide student support in addition to the phone support offered at the ITS Help Desk. Come and go sessions were offered with minimal participation. Sessions were offered with refreshments and door prizes. While deemed a success, it was a desire to find a way to reach more students. Focus groups were held prior to onCampus powered by SCT Luminis going live. Students were asked how they wanted to receive help and nearly all of them indicated they wanted self paced online help. To meet the support needs a WebCT student support module was created that faculty members can integrate into their course. A WebCT single page was developed in HTML format which consists of pdf factsheets, and video tutorials is kept on the server to be added into any course. Consultants used Camtasia to capture the online video and brought them into Flash to edit. The videos were saved in High and Low bandwidth version. Adobe InDesign and Photoshop were used to create the factsheets to accompany the videos. Finally a factsheet of instructions was created to teach the faculty how to incorporate into their courses. The module was rolled out in Fall 2005 with 67 courses incorporating it into their site. MSU plans to continue developing such modules and promoting them for further adoption.