Make it play nicely http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/ learning online and elsewhere en Copyright 2009 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:05:36 +1000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss WebCT Semester 2 Application to Activate DEADLINE 27th June 2007 a2a deadline reminder email went out to all designers this morning.... (note to self: we need to stop calling the system WebCT!)

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To ensure that your students have access to your WebCT site from the first day of semester you will need to complete preparation of your site and submit an Application to Activate by June 27th, 2007.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2007/06/webct_semester_2_application_t.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2007/06/webct_semester_2_application_t.shtml Administration Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:05:36 +1000 Application to Activate (a2a) date for Semester 2, 2007 Would you believe we've already started getting a2as for Semester 2 sites? Not many, but they're starting.
So-- the a2a deadline for Sem 2 sites is a month before lectures start:

Monday 25th June, 2007

Remember, if you get it in earlier than that, your site will be checked & ready well before start of semester. :)

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2007/03/application_to_activate_a2a_da_1.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2007/03/application_to_activate_a2a_da_1.shtml WebCT Tue, 13 Mar 2007 11:23:57 +1000 WebDAV, WebCT CE6.1, and Dreamweaver Quite a few of our designers, especially the faculty designers who have many many sites, have been asking whether they'll be able to continue connecting directly to the WebCT server using WebDAV, as they have been with CE 4.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/11/webdav_webct_ce61_and_dreamwea.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/11/webdav_webct_ce61_and_dreamwea.shtml Tue, 14 Nov 2006 14:44:54 +1000 Recording a narrated slideshow of your lecture: Equipped theatres Interested in recording a narrated slideshow of your lecture while you give it? Facilities Management has put Camtasia software in many of the lecture threatre computers. If you're using an MS Powerpoint slideshow for your lecture, you can launch this software and it will record your narration and slideshow as you lecture, then give you an AVI movie file at the end. You can then upload the movie to your WebCT or other teaching site and allow your students to download your lecture and relive the happy hours you've spent together as they revise (or catch up on the lectures they missed).

Read on for more info, a list of eqipped theatres, and details about our WebCT site "Using Multimedia in Online Teaching & Learning".

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/11/recording_a_narrated_slideshow.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/11/recording_a_narrated_slideshow.shtml usyd Tue, 14 Nov 2006 11:47:40 +1000 WebCT CE6.1 is picky about browsers We're finding CE 6.1 to be pretty picky about which browsers it will cooperate with, and that many browsers are a bit crashy with it. Unfortunately, this goes for a number of browsers that are validated for use with CE 6.1 according to the WebCT / Blackboard themselves.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/10/webct_ce61_is_picky_about_brow.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/10/webct_ce61_is_picky_about_brow.shtml Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:24:39 +1000 Application to Activate (a2a) dates for Summer School & Sem 1, 2007 People have started to ask about Application to Activate dates for the upcoming semesters:

* Summer School 2006-7 (sessions 42, 43, 44, 45)
* Semester 1, 2007 (sessions 1, 6, 7)

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/10/application_to_activate_a2a_da.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/10/application_to_activate_a2a_da.shtml Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:07:06 +1000 ce6.1 migration checklist (for sites migrated from ce4.1) ce6.1 migration checklist (for sites migrated from ce4.1)

I have made a checklist for our team to use when checking webct ce 4.1 sites migrated to ce6.1:
http://www.usyd.edu.au/webct/form/ce6upgrade/ce6-migration-checklist.html
It ain't perfect, but it highlights the issues we suspect we're going to find in many of the sites we need to migrate.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/10/ce61_migration_checklist_for_s.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/10/ce61_migration_checklist_for_s.shtml WebCT Wed, 11 Oct 2006 16:00:00 +1000 webct ce6: things to mention, cont'd.webct ce6: things to mention, cont'd. More things to mention in (or investigate before) the ce4->6 FD session.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/08/webct_ce6_things_to_mention_co.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/08/webct_ce6_things_to_mention_co.shtml WebCT Thu, 31 Aug 2006 12:36:38 +1000 webct ce6: things to mention in faculty designer preview session We've got a lot of info sessions planned for our designers as part of the move from WebCT CE 4.1 to WebCT CE 6.1. The first session will be for our faculty designers and heavy users; those who look after a large number of courses and/or other designers (say 10-50 sites rather than the more usual 1-5).

Part of preparing for this session is having a look at what other institutions who've made the same switch have written in the doco they've made available online. I'm making notes of things to follow up & check out myself, and of things to mention.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/08/webct_ce6_things_to_mention_in.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/08/webct_ce6_things_to_mention_in.shtml WebCT Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:36:28 +1000 WebCT Wishlist: selective release in all areas WebCT Wishlist: selective release in all areas

In WebCT ce 4, "content module" (henceforth CM) pages are often used to present lecture materials. This means the files are presented as a simple hierarchicial list.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/08/webct_wishlist_selective_relea.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/08/webct_wishlist_selective_relea.shtml WebCT Thu, 03 Aug 2006 11:59:15 +1000 webct wishlist: better site notification / visibility for students Another one for my webct wishlist: better site notification / visibility for students.

One of our most common student enquiries at this time of year (start of semester) is "Where are my sites?". Students often expect that there will be a site in WebCT for each of the units of study they're enrolled in. This isn't currently the case.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/07/webct_wishlist_better_site_not.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/07/webct_wishlist_better_site_not.shtml WebCT Thu, 27 Jul 2006 14:49:03 +1000 webct wishlist: persistent student records webct wishlist: persistent student records

Another thing missing from WebCT 4.1 is persistent student records. E.g.: A student can't make a homepage in one course and use it in another course (unless they make another copy in the second course, but that's not the same thing at all), or use it the following semester. Because courses get archived, a student can't check back on their previous material, work, posts or marks within the system-- even across semesters.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/07/webct_wishlist_persistent_stud.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/07/webct_wishlist_persistent_stud.shtml WebCT Fri, 14 Jul 2006 10:57:47 +1000 wct wishlist: heterogeneous content modules wct wishlist (possibly to be fulfilled with upcoming upg to ce 6.1)
includes
heterogeneous content modules

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/07/wct_wishlist_heterogeneous_con.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/07/wct_wishlist_heterogeneous_con.shtml WebCT Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:22:33 +1000 Technical problems on WebCT development server Dear Rebecca,

We are currently experiencing technical problems with our development server.

We anticipate that it will be back online by 5pm this afternoon.

The live server and student access are not affected by these technical problems.

Kind regards,

The WebCT Helpdesk

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/06/technical_problems_on_webct_de.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/06/technical_problems_on_webct_de.shtml WebCT Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:19:47 +1000 WebCT archiving and application to activate deadlines Dear Rebecca,


This email has been sent to all staff members listed as WebCT designers in one or more currently live WebCT sites. Please read this email only if you are personally responsible for the creation, activation and/or restoration of sites. If your WebCT site(s) are created and/or managed by another designer or by a faculty or department administrator then please ignore this advice as these deadlines will be dealt with by your designer or administrator.

]]> http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/06/webct_archiving_and_applicatio.shtml http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/makeitplaynicely/2006/06/webct_archiving_and_applicatio.shtml WebCT Mon, 05 Jun 2006 11:52:15 +1000