Students, welcome to the WebCT part of General Biology! This is the information / entry page to the STC WebCT for all General Biology classes taught by Dr. Nilsson. All introductions and instructions to WebCT activities will be displayed here -- not on the WebCT pages. You probably reached this page by clicking on the turquoise WebCT button on the General Biology Hub, the button that looks exactly like the one above. However, the button above takes you to the STC WebCT server. You can also enter the STC WebCT server over the STC homepage, but doing so you will miss the introductions and useful instructions on this page. You will use WebCT for on-line discussions, part of projects called Internet Activities, and for semester project class communications. Also, the ability to communicate with me, and even more importantly, with other students is available through web postings on the various WebCT Bulletin Boards. When I need to communicate with you, such as tips on the assignments, announcements, or news for the class, the communication will come to all students via the Internet. For more information about webCT class communications you may want to read the "welcome page" and the web enhanced courses explanation page. To continue for more instructions, or click on the WebCT link above to get to the STC WebCT server.

The posting rules (below) will always be posted on this page in this box with the same color as the link button to STC WebCT. The posting rules are important because if you post incorrectly you will not receive points for your posting! ----- Rules for posting to the WebCT bulletin boards Using the REPLY or the COMPOSE features: 1. There are two ways you can post your messages on the bulletin boards. You can either REPLY to a message or COMPOSE a new message. The REPLY button will only be visible when you are reading someone's message. The COMPOSE button will always be visible. (The compose button should only be used by someone starting a new discussion. Do not start a new discussion, at least not in the bulletin boards used for official class discussions, unless told you can do so.) 2. Unless you are starting a new message string (also called thread or discussion subject) always use the REPLY button when you reply to a message in a particular discussion. Do NOT use the compose button. (Again, the compose button should only be used by someone starting a new discussion. Do not start a new discussion, at least not in the bulletin boards used for official class discussions, unless told you can do so.) 3. It is much harder to read messages in a mess of new strings. If everyone use the REPLY the answers will become a HIERARCHY, which is easy to follow. You do not necessarily need to answer the last message in the string, BUT most of the time you should, UNLESS you specifically want to address something someone said earlier in the string. (It is a dumb idea to compose if you are replying to someone's message. There is a reason why there is a REPLY and a COMPOSE -- be smart and use these two features correctly! Since I am the designer of the WebCT part of this class I have the ability to delete messages. I will delete messages not posted according to the rules ...and then you have wasted your time since none can read what you said.) 4. You have the option to change the subject inside the discussion thread, however, messages in one and the same discussion thread usually should have the same subject. When you press REPLY the correct subject title will automatically be the one from the previous message. Do NOT change the subject unless you are REALLY modifying what is discussed into a new, but related, subject. Unnecessarily changing the subject will cause confusion.

Copyright 2005, Jan A. Nilsson. Web page layout and design © and intellectual property Jan A. Nilsson . All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Page created 20.III.2005, last modified 30.XI.2005, most likely during the wee hours of the morning on a G3 PowerBook owned by Jan A. Nilsson. -- Disclaimer: "Dr. Nilsson's CyberOffice", at the time of writing located as a file under the South Texas College's (STC) web server with the general URL http://southtexascollege.edu/, is the intellectual property of Dr. Jan A. Nilsson, member of STC biology faculty. The content of Dr. Nilsson's CyberOffice does not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of the STC faculty, staff, administration, and Board of Trustees. Photo Copyright 2005, Jan A. Nilsson.