Technology
Few would argue that knowledge of computers and software are not an integral part of our students' education and even necessary for their future advancement. We feel the possibilities for teaching students to integrate technology into their writing and to adapt to new technologies is part of our responsibility as teachers of critical thinking and expression.
As educators, we are also responsible for being critical of the technology we bring into our classrooms. We must be hyper-aware of the message we send and the atmosphere we create as we employ and even emphasize various technologies. Bringing a software, program, or specific technology into the classroom must be a critical and informed choice.
Useful Features of WebCT

Posting Grades - WebCT allows for you to post grades in a manner that complies with the 1974 Educational Privacy Act.

Electronic Transmission of Papers and Comments - papers and files turned in are date and time stamped. Instructors can provide feedback on papers that the students can then access.

Peer Review Capabilities - Students can publish their papers for the entire class to view and comment on. As the instructor, you can set up bulletin boards that allow for reviewers to provide comments and feedback.

File Sharing for Collaborative Projects - a file sharing features allows students working in a group to share files, hold private discussions, and publish documents or presentations to the entire class.

File Transferability - Materials created for one course can easily be moved between sections or semesters. WebCT Vista also meets universal compatibility requirements which would allow an instructor to take course materials with them to other universities and even into other course management programs.

Assignments - It is relatively easy to post assignments, handouts, and notices to students without knowing how to create a website.

Ease of use - Many instructors find WebCT easy to use and manage as a way to bring computer interaction into the classroom.
Bringing WebCT into your classroom
Technology should be a choice for instructors that is supported by rhetorical reasoning. Because WebCT has a plethora of features, it is easy for an instructor to become overwhelmed and make choices based on the available features instead of the class' needs. Makes things so easy that we forget to ask why. This can also lead to the interface being cluttered with resources and hard to navigate.

Format and Choice - we attempt to teach our students about audience and genre, but with WebCT the content and materials must fit the format instead the format fitting the context of the classroom. As instructors, we must be aware of the messages our teaching medium is conveying. WebCT can also interfere with an instructor being able to display his/her personality through the creation of a site that can potentially set the creative tone for the course.

Public Sharing and Intellectual Growth - WebCT is password protected and therefore eliminates your course as a public forum. As an instructor, the best ways to generate ideas are by checking out what others are doing or having a space on your own site to share ideas. WebCT does not have the option of making course happenings public - one of the benefits of a simple course web site.

WebCT as Substitute - WebCT could potentially be seen as a substitute for instructor/student or student/student interaction. Without a strong theoretical foundation for using WebCT and informing students how to use WebCT, it could be mistakenly assumed by the instructor that the virtual community is automatically having the same effects as the physical classroom community. There is the question of if the technology is promoting students as learners, leachers, or lurkers. Without a theoretical foundation, WebCT can promote passive involvement.

Another software for students to learn, and another software for teachers to learn. With the move to WebCT Vista, even those instructors previously using WebCT will be under a learning curve.

Accessibility - When teaching incoming students, some do not have their email or Purdue accounts set up. This can cause difficulty with WebCT access and may interfere with their ability to access resources immediately.

Monitoring - because the course management software is "managed" by a higher authority and administrative group, there is the potential for the administration to monitor course content, use of the program, grading practices, and communications.

Management - not so necessary for smaller classes. For large classes with many students, it does offer a way to keep track of students and their assignments, but for small composition classes with a maximum of 20 students, the need to ‘manage’ students is not a high priority.
Benefits for Using WebCT
WebCT gives instructors the freedom to focus on teaching rather than the difficulties of maintaining a web site that meet class needs.

Instructors are welcome to request additional functions to be added to WebCT. Because the software is centrally supported by the MIDC at Purdue there are experts on hand to help you with all aspects of the program.

As of Spring 2004 there will be a built in function to create and access library course reserves and check their availability.

It is the University's goal that systems at Purdue will be synchronized so that grades entered into the WebCT grade book will migrated to the Registrar's office at the end of the term.