WebCT Orientation: How to Use the Discussion Tool

(WebCT Version 3.8)

Step 1:             Open your internet browser software (e.g., Internet Explorer), then enter
the following web address:

                                                            http://www.cccoclasses.cccs.edu

You will see the CCCOnline “Log in to myWebCT” page as shown below.

Step 2:             Click on the words Log in to myWebCT and you will see the “log in”
                        screen shown below.

Step 3:             Enter your...     (a) WebCT ID:   (your Social Security number without dashes),
                                                (b) Password:    (your 4-digit PIN number from MCC’s Student Services)
                                                (c) and click on the Log in button

Step 4:            You will see your Astronomy 101 class listed on your myWebCT page as shown below.

                        Next, click on the name of your class as follows:

AST101 3A1_04F_MCC - T. Schneider - Astronomy I

Step 5:            You will see the Homepage for your Astronomy 101 class as shown below.

To navigate to the Discussion area: click on the Discussions icon near the center
of the screen, or on the word Discussion in the navigation bar on the left-hand
side of the screen.

Step 6:             This will take you to the Discussion tool as shown below, where you will see
a list of the current discussion topics (i.e., folders) created by your instructor.

                        For your first discussion assignment, click on Main .

Step 7:             This will bring up the current “discussion threads” in the Main folder.

                        Next, click on the blue “twisty” arrow (►) next to the discussion topic you
want to see, so that it changes to ▼, and reveals the discussion threads under
the topic (see the illustration under Step 8).

Step 8:            You should begin by opening the first message on the list, by clicking on the
message title (underlined in blue). This message is from your instructor
and it contains the discussion question you will need to answer.

Step 9:             After reading your instructor’s message, click on the Reply button to bring up
the Reply to Message window (shown in Step 10 below).

Step 10:           To enter your message, click in the Message box, then type in your message.
When you are done, click on the Post button (several rows below the message window).

Step 11:           To read the other messages that have been posted, you can either click on the
message title (underlined in blue) as shown in the discussion threads window
(the first illustration below), or if you are in a particular message window,
by using the Previous Message or Next Message  hot links as shown on the
second illustration below.

Step 12:           You can use the steps outlined above to reply to the messages from your
classmates as well. Remember the best way to become comfortable using the
Discussion tool is to simply try it out by clicking on the various buttons and hot
links to see what happens.

Step 13:          When you have finished reading and replying to the messages in the Discussion

                        area, you will want to log out of WebCT by clicking on the LOGOUT hot link
in the dark blue WebCT navigation bar near the top of the window.