Home > Faculty-Staff Resources > Learning Technologies Center > Important Announcements > WebCT Vista Update - May 12, 2005

WebCT Vista Update - May 12, 2005

The Information Technology staff have been working with WebCT and SCT to move the Vista project along. We are close but still have to clean up some Banner data (which is happening as I write this) before we can move forward.

  • WebCT Vista is different from WebCT Campus Edition.
    WebCT Vista, unlike campus edition, is not "tool-based" but rather is more "learning module" based with assignments, discussions, chats, etc., being part of the learning module. The assignment tool, quiz tool, etc., are no longer tools that the students access from the course homepage.
  • Oldwebct (i.e., version 3.7 at http://oldwebct.fairmontstate.edu) will no longer be available after June 30.
    If you haven't already done so, please backup any courses on that server that you will need as we move forward to Vista. If you need help with this do not hesitate to contact me, the LTC, or one of the mentors (/facstaffresources/ltc/mentoring/default.asp).
  • Content modules from courses in WebCT Campus Edition 3.7 cannot be imported directly into Vista.
    You cannot simply backup and restore a WebCT Campus Edition 3.7 or 4.1 (oldwebct.fairmontstate.edu and webct.fairmontstate.edu, respectively) course into Vista the way you could from one version of Campus Edition to another. However, Campus Edition 4.1 has an export tool, which allows you to export content modules, your questions database, and quizzes for import into Vista. Therefore, if you have content from WebCT Campus Edition 3.7, you must first restore it into 4.1 and then "export" it in order to subsequently import it into Vista. Unfortunately, there isn't an import tool for the syllabus, gradebook, assignment tool, calendar, etc. You will have to rebuild these in Vista. However, Vista does offer several new features to create calendar and gradebook entries. If you have a WebCT 3.7 course and you need space in WebCT 4.1 in order to export content into Vista, please send an email to ltc@fairmontstate.edu, and we will create development space for you to do this.
  • The LTC will be hosting three Vista "boot camps" this summer.
    All faculty who will be teaching online in the fall are encouraged to attend one of three five-day Vista boot camps this summer (The June class is already full). It is our goal to end the week with your course ready for fall. These sessions are open to anyone who has attended grant training, a WebCT academy, or a previous boot camp. In addition, faculty who have taught a course in WebCT that was 85-100% online and who do not fit in the previous categories are encouraged to attend. Those new to WebCT are discouraged from attending these boot camps as they will focus on how to get materials from WebCT Campus Edition to Vista. If you do not already have content in WebCT Campus Edition you will not benefit very much from these sessions. For more information, visit the LTC training page.
  • Faculty who have never used WebCT but would like to use Vista.
    The LTC is putting together a series of fall classes for faculty who have never used WebCT but would like to use Vista in some capacity.
  • We are still accepting online course development grant applications for fall.
    To learn more about the grant for online course development (for courses to be taught in Spring, Summer, or Fall 2006), visit the web page at /facstaffresources/ltc/grant/default.asp
  • Availability of Vista course space.
    As soon as I know when course space will be available for Fall, I will send out an email.

In the meantime, please direct any questions or concerns to my attention.

Roxann Humbert, Ed.D.
Associate Professor/Director of Learning Technologies
Fairmont State University
Fairmont, WV 26554
rhumbert@fairmontstate.edu
(304)367-4160