Welcome to

BCcampus Online Courses

Dear Online Student,

Re: ENG 091

Welcome to Technical and Professional English. It is always exciting to start a new course and rewarding when you successfully complete it. To help you get started, the following information will help you to set up your computer, access the course, and help you get underway with your online learning experience:

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Your instructor’s name is Jan Harkess. If you have any questions, please contact Jan by e-mail ator by phone at (250) 489 2751 (toll-free at 1-877 489-2687), local 463.

PREREQUISITES

Prior to starting ENGL 091, you will be required to take a short, approximately 15-hour Online Learning Success course (OLS). This course is designed to introduce you to and help you navigate the features of WebCT, the platform that is used to deliver ENGL 091. If you cannot access this course as you work through this information bulletin, please contact either your instructor (see above) or Nancy Janisch by e-mail at or by phone at (250) 489 2751 (toll-free at 1-877 489-2687), local 219.

SCHEDULE

This course will begin the week of January 12, 2004,and will conclude the week of April 19, 2004. You will be able to access the course online on Friday, January 9, 2004. If you are unable to do so by Tuesday, January 13, 2004, please contact your instructor (as above).

EXAMS

Cranbrook students will be required to write the final exam at the Cranbrook campus of the College of the Rockies (CoTR). If you cannot access this campus, you will be required to write the exam in person at another approved institution; therefore, you should inform your instructor of the centre that is nearest to you as soon as possible so that the necessary arrangements can be made for you. Around the middle of the semester, the Final Exam Schedule is posted on the College of the Rockies’ website.

CoTR WEBSITE

As well as the Final Exam Schedule, on the College’s website you will also find the College’s exam policy and other information that may affect you as a student; for example, you can access online registrations or the Library and its online databases from this site. Therefore, you should check this website regularly, particularly the Student Portal to stay informed of events and policies that may affect you. The College of the Rockies’ website is located at . You will need your CoTR student ID to access this site, not the one you will use to log on to the English 091 course. Your student I.D. at CoTR will be on your Registration form. Your login screen will be something like the following:

User Name004-1234

Password004-1234*

Domaincotrnet

* You should follow the prompts to change your password when you are directed to do so. Your new password should not be more than 10 or less than six letters or numbers. Do not use symbols or spaces in your password.

STARTING YOUR COURSE:

Your first task is to visit your course web site. You may log-in to your course the Friday previous to your course start date to have a look around, as you would look at a textbook.

LOGGING IN:

a.Access the course by starting your internet browser (Internet Explorer is recommended). Enter the following address (URL): .

b.Click the Login to Coursesbutton on the top navigation bar. (You may want to read or print this page for directions).

c.Click onLogin Now on the left side of the screen. You will then go to another screen. This screen provides you direct access to the course/s you are registered in. Therefore, it is a good idea to “bookmark” or add this page to your “Favorites” so that you can access the course directly from here in the future.

d.Click on the Log in to myWebCT link. Here you will be asked for your User Name and Password.

e.Enter the User Name and Password that you have been provided, which is your first name and last name as in the following example. (Note: use lowercase with no spaces for your user name and password)

User Namefirstnamelastname

Passwordfirstnamelastname*

Example: if your name is Jane Smith

User Namejanesmith

Password janesmith*

6.Click the OK button.

* Please note that if you have taken an online course from BCcampus before, your password will be the same as it was for your previous course.

You will now be looking at your myWebCT page, with your name near the top of the screen.

CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD:

  1. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you change your password after logging in for the first time. If you do not change your password, someone could access your online course files, alter your information (inadvertently or purposely), and adversely affect your grade.
  1. Click on Change Password near the top right corner of your screen. You will be asked to enter your old passwordfollowedby a new PRIVATE password. Choose a password with at leastfour letters or numbers with no spaces. Use something you can easily remember.
  1. Enter it a second time to confirm it is correct.
  1. When you complete this process, the system will tell you if you have been successful. As soon as you move on, it will ask you to re-enter your USER ID and your NEW password, before you will be allowed to continue.
  1. Do NOT tell anyone else your password!

LEARNING MORE ABOUT YOUR COURSE:

  1. Click on the link Online Learner Successto access the OLS course that is a pre- or co-requisite to ENGL 091. Follow the directions in this course to familiarize yourself with the WebCT online learning environment before, or as you begin, ENGL 091.
    Then click on the link to ABE English Provincial (Technical_Professional) to access ENGL 091, or click on Jan Harkess to access your instructor’s homepage* from your myWebCT.

Example:

* Students registered in ABE and ABT online courses will see both Homepages and courses in their myWebCT page. Other programs list courses only.

  1. Be sure to read the course outlines, introductory information, communications, etc. in your online course and/or Instructor’s homepage.
  1. To learn more about the ENGL 091 course, click on the course ABE English Provincial (Technical)on the myWebCT page.
    Click on the Getting Started button to get further instructions about completing the course.
  2. First click on the Course Overview button, following the links and using your “Back” button to return to the Course Overview page. When you have finished reading the Course Overview, click on the “Getting Started” in small print at the top to return to the Getting Started page.
  1. Now click on the Instructor Contact button to learn more about accessing the course and your instructor. Now click on the “Home” link in small print at the top of the page to return to the opening screen of the course.
  1. Now check out the course content by clicking on the Course Content button. Then

f.First, click on the Table of Contents button and follow the links to each unit. Use the “Back” button to return to the page your started or the “Close” button, if a new window has opened. After you have explored the content, click on the “Course Content” link in small print at the top to return to the Course Content page.

g.Now click on the Course Schedule button. This is a very important link! It provides you with an outline of the course that includes the weekly readings and the assignments with their due dates. You should now click on the Print button at the top of your screen to print this Schedule to refer to throughout the course. That way, you will be able to manage your time and meet the deadline set for each assignment. After you have reviewed the Schedule and printed a copy, click on the “Home” link in small print at the top to return to the opening screen of the course.

h.Now click on the Learning Tools button. Here you will find extra Language Resources to help you review your basic grammar and writing skills. It is important that you use these resources, as your assignments will be marked for spelling, grammar, and punctuation (mechanics) as well as content, organization, style, and design. Under the Language Resources button, you will find two buttons: One is a link to Language Resources that provide exercises specifically related to the grammar rules listed. The other is a link to Unit Specific Resources that help you complete the assignments in each unit as you work through the course. When you have reviewed these links, click on the “Learning Tools” link in small print at the top to return to the Learning Tools page.

i.Now click on the Technical Help button. When you do so, another window will open with links that enable you to contact the online Help Desk, when you are having difficulty accessing the course. Click on the “Close” button to close that window. Now click on the “MYWEBCT” link in the mauve navigation bar at the top left of the page to return to the opening screen of the course.

  1. On the opening screen of the WebCT course page, you will now see a link to
    Jan Harkess. This link will take you to your instructor and to your “virtual” classroom. Click on Jan Harkess and then on Jan’s office door to meet Jan, your instructor. You can use the links from Jan’s page to access the course as described above. The Jan Harkess page is where any communications for the class take place. You will see in the mauve navigation bar on the left links to the following:
  1. The Calendar is where you will find readings, assignments, and other key events listed on their due dates.
  2. WebCT has its own e-mail program; therefore your will send and receive any e-mail for the course through the E-mail link. When you start the course your first assignment is to send me an e-mail to let me know that you have been able to access the course.
  3. The Discussions link is where the “classroom” discussions take place. When you start the course, you should also post a message to the Welcome discussion to introduce yourself to your classmates.
  4. The Chat feature is available for you to chat with your classmates and/or your instructor when feasible.
  5. The Whiteboardcan be used for extra help when needed.
  6. The Homepages link will be used in Unit 5: Designing documents.
  7. The My Grades link is the one that you will be most interested in for the duration of the course, as you will be able to keep track of your marks as they are posted here on the online grade sheet.
  8. The final link is the Technical and Professional English course, which is another link to the course and its contents, which you visited earlier.

Keep in mind that regular interaction with your instructor and fellow students is critical to your success; therefore, it is important that you check your e-mail and the discussions on a daily basis.

  1. You should now ‘bookmark’ (add to your ‘Favorites’ list) the following sites to ensure quick access to the course. The address to bookmark is You can also ‘bookmark’ the BCcampus site. The address to bookmark is You may use either of these URLs to get to your course.
  1. Keep in mind that regular interaction with your instructor and fellow students is critical to your success.
  1. If you have any questions about your online course material, please contact your online instructor, Jan Harkess, at or phone (250) 489-2751 (toll-free at 1-877 489 2687), local 463.If you have questions about logging in to your online course, contact the technical support helpdesk by email () or by toll-free phone line at 1-866-443-4447.

FOR ADDITIONAL ONLINE LEARNING HELP…

While you’re waiting for your course to get underway, you may wish to spend a little time learning about our online delivery system, called WebCT. You’ll find WebCT to be very easy and straightforward to use – it works just like many internet sites you may have already used. To assist new online learners, College of the Rockies has developed a number of short, optional online tutorials to help you.

  1. To access these tutorials, open your internet browser and go to
  1. Click on WebCT Online Tutorials, and check out the short “Viewlets” listed near the bottom of this page WebCT Online Tutorials page.
  1. If you need help with other aspects of your learning, go back to the COTR Online homepage, where you’ll find links to online assistance with educational advising, financial aid, Learning Resource Centre (library) assistance and Bookstore requests.
  1. Keep in mind that you can access your course anywhere with an internet connection. If you’re away from your home computer, just start at the BCcampus homepage and login to your online course as usual.

Good luck with your online learning experience!

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS AND SOFTWARE SETTINGS FOR ONLINE COURSES USING WEBCT:

Computer Requirements:

PC USERS:

  • Pentium or faster
  • 32MB of RAM
  • Windows 95/98/NT/ME/XP, O/S 2 Warp
  • Minimum 50 MB free disk space
  • Modem/internet access: Minimum connection of 28.8kps – 56kps or faster is recommended.

Software:

The only software you need to access the online course is an internet browser – either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4 or higher. (Please avoid using Netscape Versions 4.0, 4.08, 6.x – as it may cause problems.) The preferred browser is Internet Explorer 5.0 as it supports XML.

Browsers are available free from the following sites:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Netscape Navigator: This link will download a WebCT-friendly Netscape version. Click on the Save As dialog box to begin the download:

ftp://archive.netscape.com/archive/communicator/english/4.7/windows/windows95_or_nt/base_install/cb32d47.exe

You should also have virus protection software loaded on your computer.

Browser set up:

You need to ensure that your browser is JavaScript and Java enabled.

a) Internet Explorer

To enable Java and JavaScript in Internet Explorer 4.x, follow these steps:

  • Click Tools
  • Click Internet Options
  • Click Advanced Tab and scroll down the screen to Java VM
  • Check Java console enabled, Java JIT compiler and Java logging enabled

To set the cache settings for Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

  • Click Tools
  • Click Internet Options
  • Click General Tab
  • Click Settings button
  • Click Every visit to the page button.

In Internet Explorer 5.X access this from the Tools pull down menu.

b) Netscape Settings

To enable Java and JavaScript in Netscape 4.X, follow these steps:

  • Click Edit
  • Click Preferences
  • Click Advanced
  • Ensure all buttons for Java and JavaScript are checked

To set the cache settings for Netscape, follow these steps:

  • Click Edit
  • Click Preferences
  • Click Advanced
  • Click Cache
  • Click the Every time option
  • Click OK

Remember, if you have questions about logging in to your online course, contact the BCcampus technical support helpdesk by email () or by toll-free phone line(1-866-443-4447).

For other technical problems getting your online course up-and-running, you can also call Gord Walsh, our COTR Student Help Desk technician. You can call Gord at 1-877-489-2687 extension 295 (toll free), or at (250) 489-2751 ext. 295. Or you can reach Gord by email at .

Keep this document available for further reference.

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