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Report on Adoption of WebCT 
as Instructional Management System 
at the University of Delaware
September 2000
Leila Lyons
Director 
Director, IT- User Services
University of Delaware

What is an instructional management system (IMS)?

  • Facilitates the creation of Web-based teaching and learning.
  • Includes many functions already available but within one framework
  • Students and faculty log onto one common space reserved for that course.
  • All functions available from a menu.

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How the University selected WebCT

  • Spring semester 2000 – Teaching Learning and Technology Roundtable reconvened.
  • Charged to determine future needs for online course management software and development programs to keep faculty up-to-date in technology-assisted instruction.

Selection process

  • Process to evaluate course management systems (May)
    • Demos and discussions with faculty who used:
      • WebCT - Univ. of Maryland
      • Blackboard's CourseInfo -- Georgetown University
      • Prometheus -- George Washington University
      • SERF -- University of Delaware
  • TLTR recommended we obtain Beta version of WebCT 3.0  (end of May)
  • WebCT 3.0 released on July 9

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What WebCT provides and how it is being used

WebCT provides a set of tools

  • for communication (discussion groups, chats, e-mail),
  • for collaboration (common web space, discussion groups and chats for smaller
  • groups),
  • for putting content on-line and for testing (especially useful for self-testing)
  • a standard course creation interface (easy to navigate)
  • course administrative tools (rostering, submitting assignments,
  • grading, tracking which pages students visit most often)

How is WebCT being used

  • Can be used to design entire online courses
  • We recommend incrementally adopting WebCT as a supplement to classroom instruction.
  • The staff of the PRESENT help faculty select those features that will help them achieve their teaching goals.
  • We have designed a UD template to give faculty the most useful tools and links to the UD library.

Features we have added

  • Integration with SIS+ rosters
    • Enables clear separation of real classes from those under development
    • Shows clearly which students are really enrolled
  • Web pages to assist faculty and students accessed fromwww.udel.edu/webct
    • a description of WebCT
    • links to training
    • form to request a course and a roster
    • instructions for students
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Introducing the faculty to WebCT

 
Class Description July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Jan.
Introduction to WebCT (3 hrs.)
  • Overview of WebCT features
  • Using these features to further learning goals
  • Hands-on work with WebCT basic features.
    		•  26th 9th 
    24th    		     11th    
    WebCT Student Management 
    (2.5 hrs hands-on)
  • WebCT on-line discussions 
  • Basics of on-line grading
    		•  28th 11th,
    25th    		     13th    
    WebCT Overview 
    (1 hr.)    		 For the merely curious! 31st       9th    
    Grading
  • Linking grades to learning goals
  • Posting grades and comments 
  • Computing grades using the calculation editor.
    		•      27th      
    Course Content
  • Using the Content Module to organize course material
  • Structuring information for ease of access and maintenance. 
  • Indexes and glossaries.
    		•          15th  
    Collaboration Tools              X
    Testing and Quizzing             X

    Requests for custom training by departments

    Winter 2001 Faculty Institute -- A WebCT week

    1.  Introductory training

    2.  Choice of modules faculty are interested in

    3.  Afternoon workshops to apply the tools just learned to their courses
        and where expert assistance is available.

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    Fall 2000 usage statistics for WebCT


    Approximately 70 individuals attended the classes in July and August.
     
     
    Agriculture and Natural Resources 
    (Animal and Food Sciences, Bioresources Engineering)    		 15 
    Arts and Science
    (Art, Biological Sciences, Communication, English, Foreign Languages and Literature, Geography, Mathematical Sciences, Philosopy, Physics, Political Science, Sociology    		 42
    Business and Economics 
    (Business Administration, Economics)    		  4
    Engineering 
    (Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering)    		  3
    Health and Nursing Sciences 
    (Nursing, Medical Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics)    		 13
    Human Resources, Education and Public Policy
    (Consumer Studies, Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management,
     Human Development and Family Studies, Education)    		 25
    Center for Teaching Effectiveness, Continuing Education, Library, University Media Services 24
    Honors Program, International Programs and Special Sessions, Occupational Health and Safety, Parallel Program-Wilmington, 
    Special Programs    		 14

    • 39 classes from 21 different departments currently using WebCT.
    • 2472 unique students participating in WebCT enhanced courses
    • 2603 students total as a few students have more than 1 WebCT class (a few have 3!)

     
    Agriculture and 
    Natural Resources    		 AGED 380 ANSC 467/
    ANSC 667    		 EGTE 321 FOSC 102 FREC 135
    FREC 335
    Arts and Science BISC 103 
      (2 instr.)
    BISC 105
    BISC 110
    BISC 106
    BISC 208     		 ENGL 110
    ENGL 480    		 FLLT 623 GEOG 672 MATH 114
    PHIL 241
    PHIL 448
    PHIL 102    		 POSC 150
    POSC 467    		 SCEN 491  SOCI  305
    SOCI  435    		 CRJU 110
    CRJU 467
    CRJU 495
    Business and Economics ECON 340        
    Engineering  MEEG 630        
    Health and Nursing 
    Sciences    		 NTDT 200
    (2 instr.)
    NTDT 305
    NTDT 435    		        
    Human Resources, Education and Public
    Policy    		 CNST 418 HRIM 140
    HRIM 382    		 HDFS 467    
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    Fall 2000 usage statistics for SERF

    • 9 Departments -- 12 instructor led classes, 16 student classes
    • UD Online: 15 Departments, 28 classes of which 11 are streamed
    • Total enrollment = 884

     
    Agriculture and Natural Resources        
    Arts and Science COMM 250 ENGL 110  HIST 206 ITAL 107
    Business and Economics        
    Engineering MEEG 101       
    Health and Nursing Sciences        
     Human Resources, Education and Public Policy CNST 442 HRIM 480
    HRIM 488 + 16 student classes
    HRIM 481    		 HDFS 450 NTDT 650
    NTDT 445
    UD Online ANSC 101      
      CHEM 100  CSCC 355 ENGL 110 MATH 115
      MUSC 101      
      BUAD 306 ECON 151
    ECON 152    		    
      ELEG 622      
      HESC 214 NTDT 350 NURS 442
    NURS 411 
    (3 instr.)
    NURS 446    NURS 819
    NURS 443  NURS 667    		 NURS 803
    NURS 810
    NURS 340
    NURS 342
    NURS 344
    NURS 314
      EDUC 632 HRIM 180
    HRIM 280    		 HDFS 201  

    Classes in red are video streamed.  SERF is used as a delivery shell so that these courses could easily be converted to WebCT.

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    Other faculty projects

    • We did a small scale call for proposals this summer and advertised to current
    • ITUE participants and alumni.
    • Java programming so that Chris Kydd can have a maximum as well as a minimum point for her sensitivity analysis.
    • Belinda Orzado pages are quite impressive using authorware and flash.
    • New web pages for Ann Bowler, Araya Debassay, and Dene Klinzing.
    • Converting Pika/Begleiter to  WebCT for their "watches."
    • Programmed a body/mass calculator for William Rose
    • A flash presentation on circuits for George Watson's course.
    • 250 Cable kits distributed to faculty in return for data on how people were
    • using computers in the classroom. Most people were happy with their computers!


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    Please address questions about the content of the report to Leila C. Lyons
    Last Modified 9/26/00