The University of Montana - Western

WebCT Help

WebCT, web-based course software assists faculty in communication with their students and provides a resource to students for courses that they are enrolled in.

To access your account on WebCT, use your Web for Student/Faculty ID and PIN and login here.

If you have problems, call the WebCT help desk at (406)683-7007.

WebCT FAQs

How do I ensure that my Web browser works with WebCT?

WebCT provides tools to validate your browser and adjust it to allow it to function with WebCT. These tools are available at http://www.webct.com/quickstart/viewpage?name=exchange_browser_tuneup.

How do I logon to MyWebCT?

Logging in to your WebCT account is very easy. The following steps will guide you through the process:

Login to your Internet Service Provider (if off campus) or your network account (if on campus).
Start your Web Browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape usually).
Go up to the Address field and type in the Western WebCT login page at: http://webct1.umwestern.edu:8900 or go to www.umwestern.edu and click on the WebCT button.
Click on the link on the right that says "Log in to my WebCT".
Type in your WebCT ID and Password. These are the same as your Web for Student ID and pin number. Be sure to type in the information correctly.
Participate in your class. Good luck!

How do I logout of a WebCT session?

There is no explicit logout feature in WebCT. There is also no time-out function. In order to end a session you MUST close your Web browser. If you do not actually close your browser when you are finished working with your WebCT course, you will remain logged in and your account will still be active. The next person to use that computer will have full access to your account. BE SURE TO CLOSE YOUR BROWSER WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR WebCT SESSION!

How can I quickly find my course when I want to log on, without having to look for it?

When you log on to your myWebCT home page, just bookmark the page. Then you can just click on your bookmark when you want to return to your course(s). You will still have to log on if you close out your browser. (Note that this is one of the built-in security features of WebCT.) If you are not sure how to bookmark a site, check out the Help feature in your browser software for instructions.

When I try to login to WebCT, It says 'You entered an incorrect username or password'. What's wrong?

First of all, verify that you are using the correct username and password. Your Username should be your Student ID. This is the same as your User ID to access DAWGS. If you are using a generated ID ('@' symbol followed by 8 digits), your ID on WebCT has been converted to 'a' followed by the last 8 digits. Your password on WebCT is the same as your PIN on DAWGS.

Note: You cannot change your password directly on WebCT, but if you change your PIN on DAWGS, your password will synchronize to the change on WebCT.

I have forgottem my password to Banner Web for Student (DAWGS) and cannot log on to DAWGS or WebCT. What can I do?

Go to dawgs http://dawgs.umwestern.edu and click on 'Login to Secure Area'. Click on the Lock icon on the next page. On the Login page, type in your Student ID and click the 'Forgot PIN?' button. You will be prompted for an answer to a question that you previously entered. If you input the correct answer, you will be prompted for a new PIN and a confirmation of that PIN. Submit those and you will be into DAWGS. Your password on WebCT will automatically change in 35 minutes or less.

What options do I have for producing HTML-based Web content?

Depending on your personal preference, you might choose one of the following programs/methods:

Building an HTML Web page using an HTML editor (i.e. Homesite, Frontpage, Dreamweaver, etc.)
Contact ITS to install the HTML Filter plugin for Microsoft Office 2000. (For converting Word and Excel files to HTML while removing excessive Micrsoft TAGS. See "If I create HTML files..." below.)
Contact ITS to install Adobe Acrobat 6.0 to generate PDF files.

*Note that PDF files are larger than HTML files and therefore take longer to load.

I typed 'webct1.umwestern.edu:8900' into my browser. When I try to go that URL, it says: The page cannot be displayed. Why can't I get to WebCT?

You have to type 'http:// webct1.umwestern.edu:8900' to get to WebCT on Western's campus. 8900 is not recognized as an html port, so typing 'webct1.umwestern.edu:8900' won't find WebCT

If I create HTML files for my course from Word or Excel, and upload the file to WebCT, I have to re-edit the files afterwards. Why?

Word and Excel normally add Microsoft-specific tags to HTML files that they generate. To eliminate these, download and install Microsoft's HTML filter at: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=209ADBEE-3FBD-482C-83B0-96FB79B74DED&displaylang=en

What other resources are available for me to use to learn about WebCT?

There are resources available at http://workbench.webct.com/web-ct/help/en/student/student_index.html.

Ok, ok…I'm totally confused! How can I get ahold of somebody to help me?

Just call the Western WebCT Help Desk at (406)683-7007 and we'll take care of you!

Updated on: 04/17/08