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UAB Student Computing Guide
Email
Software
Other
E-Learning
Accessing & Using Your Online
Courses
At UAB, your courses may use instructional
technologies to enhance your learning and
supplement your instruction. The traditional face-to-
face instruction may be augmented with UAB's official
learning management system WebCT Vista.
Faculty may use online technology to post syllabi,
create learning modules with course materials
(e.g. power point presentations, class notes), use
assignment submission tools, and post grades in
the grade book with WebCT Vista. Faculty may also
communicate with you through announcements,
discussion boards, chat/whiteboards, and course
mail. You may also be asked to access quizzes or
exams in WebCT Vista.
If your instructor is using WebCT Vista for your
course, you will go to
http://www.uab.edu/academiccourses
. This is the
UAB support site for WebCT Vista which contains
student tutorials and guides, and frequently asked
questions. This is also where you log on to your
Online course. Use your BlazerID and password to
log on.
Setting up your Computer if Your
Course Uses WebCT
As a student using WebCT Vista, the first thing you
need to do is make sure your computer is set up
properly. Once you have done that, you can begin
working in your course(s). Since WebCT Vista is
a browser-based system, most of the technical
requirements are related to your Web browser.
You must use a Web browser that is validated for
use with WebCT Vista, and that browser must be
configured correctly.
Click on the "Students" button and locate and click
on the browser check. If your browser is configured
correctly, you will see a series of green check marks.
If there are areas that need to be updated, you will
see a red `x.'
Assignments often require the use of Microsoft Word,
Excel, Access, or PowerPoint.
You may need to adjust certain settings on your
firewall software to allow access to your WebCT
Vista course. Some firewall software includes pop-up
blocking as a feature, or you may have separate pop-
up blocking software on your machine. WebCT Vista
uses pop-up windows extensively, so you must
disable pop-up blockers altogether or at least
allow pop-up windows on the WebCT Vista site.
Electronic Learning at UAB: Online Resources and Courses