University of Wyoming Instructional Computing Services

Faculty Help: UW Frequently Asked Questions

Last update: 18 July, 2007; R. Hill

Recent Items:

WyoWeb Facilities for the Paperwork of Teaching

Displaying a Class Syllabus through WyoWeb

Where should I start, if I want to set up Course Studio for my classes?
Answer: start with the WyoWeb portal question, below.

Online Surveys

Frontpage Replacement (website alternatives to MS Frontpage)

Voice over IP, for conferences, foreign calls, and so forth

Instruction and Pedagogy with Technology in General:

What's all this about plagiarism and what help can technology offer?
How can my students set up their own class web pages?
How can I or my class give an online survey?
Where are references on good poster presentations?
How can I use audio and video in class? Put them online. Look here.
What about copyright for materials online?
How can I (and why should I) make course web pages accessible under Section 508 criteria?
Do you have general suggestions on achieving pedagogical goals with technology?

Instructional Technology Specifics:

How will the new WyoWeb portal affect my teaching?
Facilities in WyoWeb for the "Paperwork" of Teaching
How can I accomplish standard teaching tasks using Course Studio in WyoWeb?
How can I make telephone calls over the Internet with Voice over IP?
How do I use the Classroom Performance System (CPS) for student keypad response in class?
What software is available for keeping class grades?
Can I create a cross-platform CD of materials?
Answer: see http://www.uic.edu/depts/accc/newsletter/adn34/cdhowto.html
How can WebWork provide interactive mathematical and scientific exercises for students?
Can MathML help me put mathematical notation on web pages?

Websites in General and Support:

How about help with online courses?
What is an easy way to develop web sites? Answer: an HTML editor, such as Nvu.
Where are good introductions to HTML, one skeletal and one comprehensive?
Where is a simple but concise introduction to Microsoft FrontPage?
How can I replace FrontPage for my website?
Where can I find web page design tips?
How can my students set up their own class web pages?
How can my class give an online survey?
How can my students develop their own e-portfolios or web projects for my class?
How can I (and why should I) make course web pages accessible under Section 508 criteria?
Where can I get a website for my class or research group?
How can I password-protect a course website?
See above document and look under "Password Protection".
Where can I find out what type of file is given by a particular three-letter extension, or what country is indicated by the last part of a URL?
Answer: try whatis.techtarget.com/resourceCenter and click on "Every file extention in the world". Also, try www.filext.com
For ISO country codes, there is a list here.
How can I solve various browser problems, for online courses or other purposes?
See Online Course FAQ for students, which contains some helpful hints about adware, font size, and so forth.
Where can I get an online file server for a UW class?
Answer: IT offers "classfiles", described in the useful document " Campus Computing Information for New Faculty".
If I have a web server, can I put articles and papers on web pages for my students?
Where can I put audio files and video clips online?
Answer: IT provides a multimedia streaming server.
Go to http://www.uwyo.edu/ASKIT/faqs/ and scroll down to "50904: UW Multimedia Streaming Server FAQ" under Web Sites.
How can I clear copyrights for course materials I plan to offer on the web?
Answer: http://www.copyright.com.

WebCT, eCompanion and Online Course Platforms:

Should I consider using some online course facilities?
Try "How Supplemental Online Courses Can Enhance Your Teaching"
What is the best way to find out about a WebCT, eCompanion, Course Studio or Sakai online course shell?
Answer: Come to a workshop! See the notes here, and the schedule here.
How can I accomplish standard teaching tasks using Course Studio in WyoWeb?
How can I accomplish standard teaching tasks using eCompanion?
How can I accomplish standard teaching tasks using WebCT?
Show me a comparison of online course platforms so that I understand the differences for teaching.
For a WebCT instructor, what does an eCompanion course look like?
How can I accomplish standard teaching tasks using eCompanion?
How can I accomplish standard teaching tasks using WebCT?
How can my students (and I) create WebCT accounts?
Answer: go to the main supplemental online course page, http://www.uwyo.edu/ctl/Online_courses/.
Click on "Account Creation", or to see more detailed instructions first, "Student Info".
Where is that "Edutools" site with a comparison of online course software?
At www.edutools.org/course. But be aware that the reviews are based in part on the vendor's own descriptions of their products.
Also, reviews may be incomplete and/or out of date.

UW Technology Specifics

How can I set up a University of Wyoming e-mail list?
Note: soon to be superseded by WyoWeb Groups.
How do I use the Ellbogen CTLFacultyShare file server?
Why do I get the message "Network Access Denied" when I log on to the UW Wireless Gateway
(by opening a browser and then logging in with my UWYO domain account)?
Answer: We don't know! But the connection has succeeded. You browser is on the Internet. Just go to some other URL.
Why can't I see the links on your right-hand navigation bar at www.uwyo.edu/ctl?
    Answer: your monitor DPI setting is too dense.
        In Windows, right-click on the desktop to get the display Properties:
        Choose Appearance --> Settings --> Advanced --> and change DPI Setting to "Normal".

Software in General:

How should I construct PowerPoint presentations for greatest accessibility for everyone in the audience? Answer: See the suggestions from Janet Corbett of WInD in the presentation on this site at: http://www.uwyo.edu/ctl/Inst_Computing/FAQandHelp/AppropriatePresentationsJCorbett.ppt.
Where can I find out what type of file is given by a particular three-letter extension, or what country is indicated by the last part of a URL?
Answer: try http://whatis.techtarget.com/resourceCenter -- click on "Every file extention in the world". Also: try http://www.filext.com.
For country codes, there is a list.
Can those of us who still use Windows 3.1 for simple documents and dial-up communication get help?
Answer: yes. Come to the lab, or see the Windows 3.1 materials provided by Logical Sky at http://www.logicalsky.com/Windows31_FAQ.htm
How can a long-time Windows user get work done on a Mac desktop or PowerBook?
For the basic interface differences, see "PowerBooks for Windows Users" here at http://www.uwyo.edu/ctl/Equip_Checkout/PowerBookBasics.htm
Note: the "Command" key, to the left of the space bar, is labeled with an apple and a closed curve that looks like a percent sign.
How can I export messages from Microsoft Outlook (with headers)?
Answer (with no guarantee): try http://www.genusa.com/utils/pmseu.htm

Documents:

How can I add text annotations to digital photos and other image files?
Try: 1 - Adobe Photoshop Album, free from the Adobe Photoshop website, or
2 - Picasa, free from Google at picasa.google.com.
How can I save my slides and pictures as image files? See scanning information.
Where can I scan oversize materials? At present, no office on campus provides this service, but local commercial services like Kinko's do so.
Can I run my favorite WordPerfect (5.1, or 6.2...) for DOS under Windows XP?
Answer: yes; find instructions at Edward Mendelson's page, http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/index.html.

Travel:

What's the best plan for flying out of Denver?
Consider flying out of Laramie. Or drive to Ft. Collins and take an airport shuttle from a hotel or a Park-n-Ride lot. Or take Greyhound from Laramie to Denver, terminating downtown at the Denver Bus Center, 19th and Arapahoe. The SkyRide AF bus to the airport, DIA, stops there; or walk to the Market Street Station, about 3 blocks west, where the AF bus originates.
But if you have to drive to Denver, park at the old airport, Stapleton, at the Transfer Station, for FREE, indefinitely, and take the SkyRide AS bus to DIA. See the SkyRide information at the RTD-Denver web site:
http://www.rtd-denver.com/skyRide/.
Where can I find public wireless connections, in the US and abroad? See WiFiFreeSpot.com.
How can I prepare to use a computer in a foreign country?
Where can I get help planning a sabbatical overseas?
From a Chronicle Careers article, http://chronicle.com/jobs/2000/10/2000101301c.htm.You may also wish to see www.sabbaticalhomes.com.

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