Planning Education at a Distance: FAQ

Frequently Asked Technical Questions

You are now registered for an online course. You start getting anxious about the new learning environment. What can you do?
Based on the literature, computer anxiety occurs when the individual is not comfortable or familiar with the mental model of the information system, which is the way the system functions. In other words, experience can play a vital role in this case. What you can do is familiarize yourself with WebCT. Secondly, you can learn by playing. Practice makes perfect.

You are taking an exam using the AOL or MSN browser and experience a problem.
Go ahead and connect to the Internet using AOL or MSN then minimize the browser window and open Internet Explorer (version 6.0 is preferred).

You are taking a exam and for some reason your browser is loading an old page.
Set your browser to check for a new version of the page each time it visits the page. If you are using Internet Explorer click on Tools in the menu bar and then click Internet Options. On the resulting screen click the Settings button under Temporary Internet Files. Set it to “Every visit to the page” and click OK. Click OK again. Now reload the page.

You get disconnected from the Internet while taking a exam.
Remain calm. Try to reconnect to the Internet. Once reconnected log into the course and begin the exam again. WebCT will remember the answers to the questions you had already answered and saved. Finish the exam and submit it for grading. To help avoid this problem try to use a stable Internet connection such as Cable, DSL, or a campus computer lab. These connections are usually more stable than dial-up modems, resulting in fewer dropped Internet connections.

You changed an answer while taking a exam and WebCT did not record the new answer.
If you change an answer, make sure you click the Save Answer button again. If you are ever unsure if you saved an answer, click the Save Answer button again.

You had a problem during the exam and need to contact your professor. What should you tell them?
Give your professor a detailed description of what happened (computer type, operating system, browser and version (ex. Internet Explorer 6), time you where taking the exam, the exact problem, and the steps you took to try and resolve the problem). Send an e-mail to ped@knowlton.osu.edu and the problem will be examined.

You are reviewing your exam results and there is a blue arrow next to your answer choice, but the computer is saying you answered the question incorrectly.
The blue arrow indicates your answer choice, not the correct answer. If there are multiple answers, there may be multiple answer choices with a percentage of correctness next to them.

While in the Discussion area of the course, you find that you have accidentally entered your posting in the wrong discussion topic or you accidentally posted before you were ready. What can you do?
WebCT features Discussions, where both the instructor and learners can communicate asynchronously. Once the posting has been sent or posted, no one but the instructor may remove the message. As a result, look before you leap. Be sure to use the Preview function to check your writing for clarity, spelling and grammar. If your message is incorrect or incomplete just retype and repost the message.

You have been using your computer at home for some time, and you know the browser has been getting along with WebCT. All of a sudden, error messages occur and you have tried all possible troubleshooting means. And guess what. It does not work.

If you have tried everything that you can think of, see if upgrading the browser will work. To do this you can go to the homepage of the software dealer and download the new version. You could also try to use a different browser. If the problem continues, refer it to ped@knowlton.osu.edu The PED Director can resolve this or report it to the WebCT Help Desk.

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