University of Wyoming
Instructional Computing Services

How can I save pages of my course website?

Last update 18 September 2009; RKH

An online course shell or worksite, in eCompanion or WyoSakai, is a website, with a hierarchy of pages and processes linked to each other, rendered when the viewer clicks on links.  Instructors, from time to time, want to save what they see on a particular screen, and can do so by copying the screen content and pasting it into an HTML editor.

Here are some examples of course website pages that you might want to save (showing the greater picture only, not the specific text).

Threaded Discussion page in eCompanion	Resource list in WyoSakai	Announcement headers in WyoSakai

Background:  Web pages displayed on a screen are written (in the source code) in plain text with HTML tags and perhaps script functions.  Sophisticated authoring software that provides graphical interfaces with many options and enhancements, such as Microsoft FrontPage and Macromedia Dreamweaver, are intended for large managed commercial websites.  HTML editors are simpler version of authoring software; they include the old Netscape Composer and the modern Kompozer (formerly Nvu), from Mozilla.  Download Kompozer free at http://kompozer.net/download.php.  Word processors such as Microsoft Word can also serve as HTML editors, but their complex treatment and interpretation of such material can lead to complications.  Plain text editors such as Notepad will capture just the text itself (no formatting, macros, or other controls), which may be exactly what is needed.

Procedure: 

1. Select or highlight, with the mouse (or menu or keyboard commands), the part of the page that you want, and save it with menu or keyboard commands.
2. Paste it into an open HTML editor (or Microsoft Word or Notepad) window.
3. Save that file, using your own system, for future reference or for use as a source of future course website material.

Examples (showing Step 1):

Threaded Discussion page in eCompanion, selected with a right-click and "Select All"	Resource list in WyoSakai, selected by sweeping mouse over	Announcement headers in WyoSakai, selected in one way or another

Examples (showing the resulting saved file, Step 3):

Threaded Discussion page in eCompanion, pasted into MS Word document	Resource list in WyoSakai, pasted into Kompozer edit window	Announcement headers in WyoSakai, pasted into Notepad text file

Each file can be edited for more efficient storage of the material you need, or for further development. 

Example (showing the Resources in WyoSakai, after deleting extraneous columns of the table with Kompozer commands):

Nota bene: 

• The procedure above uses the browser application, not the course platform, and the commands are therefore dependent on your browser.  They cannot be given here in detail, but we could help you figure them out.
• Sometimes a "Save Page As..." command is available on right-click in your browser window, but this may not capture all of the visible contents.
• Of course, this works for most any web page, not just course website pages.

Back to:
  Faculty Help
  Instructional Computing Services
  Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning