The two most widely used editors at the University of Houston Victoria are Netscape Composer and Microsoft FrontPage. That is not to say that other HTML editors like Dreamweaver MX cannot be used. But for developing material for an online course, you will need to familiarize yourself with at least one or both of these HTML editors. Below is a short description of each.

Netscape Composer makes creating Web-based documents as easy as typing a letter in Microsoft Word. Like a word processor, Netscape Composer uses fonts, styles, paragraphs, and lists. But unlike a word processor, it translates your document into HTML. If you have Netscape software installed on your computer, you more than likely already have Netscape Composer. Check to see if Netscape Composer is currently on your computer by clicking 'Start' in the bottom left hand corner of your computer, then move your cursor to 'Programs' then 'Netscape 7.0'. If you have Netscape Composer, it should appear in this folder (Start -> Programs -> Netscape 7.0 -> Netscape Composer).

Microsoft FrontPage is another tool used to convert word documents into an HTML document. However, unlike Netscape Composer, FrontPage has additional features that let you create a more interactive environment. Feel free to contact Instructional Support Services if you would like to seek training in some of the more advanced features of Microsoft FrontPage.

If you require any training or assistance using either of these HTML editors, please contact Instructional Support Services at extension 287 or drop by room 272 in University West.

For your students, an effective and comprehensive syllabus is an important indicator of a course's appeal. Often, the syllabus is the first document students will explore in WebCT. Therefore it is important that your online syllabus be an example of what the students can expect from your course. It can also be a tool that can promote active, purposeful, effective learning. For more information on creating a successful learning-centered syllabus, click here.

Organizing content into modules is a fundamental concept in WebCT. WebCT Vista's Learning Modules are functionally comparable to Campus Edition's Content Modules. You may think of a learning module as a learning path - an organized set of steps that lead to accomplishing specific learning objectives.

A WebCT Vista Learning Module can bring together many interactive components and present them as a cohesive unit for your students. A typical Learning Module in Vista can include links to chat rooms, assignments, assessments, external URLs, relevant discussion threads, media library files, and content files, all within one unit. The flexibility of designing an effective learning module encourages a user-centered design that promotes positive learning outcomes.

When designing your learning modules, consider what material you want to present and what tools in WebCT will highlight the material. You may want to create a concept map of the material in sequentially arranged components that you want to add. If you need any assistance in designing your learning modules, please contact Instructional Support Services at ext. 287.

Developing appropriate assessments is an integral part of the learning experience. Modern pedagogy has identified an array of ways to assess your students. WebCT Vista is a dynamic program that can support a large variety of assessments. If you are interested in alternative forms of assessment, please contact Patrick McCormick of Instructional Support Services for more information. After determining how you want to assess your students, you can contact the online support technician for ideas on how to create your assessment in WebCT.

One of the most dynamic instructional strategies in distance education is multimedia-based learning. Multimedia represents a variety of resources for educating in an online environment: pictures, sounds, and video materials to name a few. Visual material can help organize key points, video segments can introduce the online student to real world experiences, and animation can model how different complex processes work. Audio is especially helpful for topics like music and language instruction. For assistance with ways to include multimedia into your course, feel free to contact the multimedia technician, Beverley Hoerig at 570-4282 or email her at hoerigb@uhv.edu.