Online learning requires certain skills, behavior, study habits, computer equipment, and discipline in order to be successful. Therefore, students enrolled in online courses through RODP/ROCE are encouraged to complete an Online Mastery Test each semester and e-mail the Proof of Completion to all their online instructors using the WebCT e-mail attachment in each class.

The RODP StudentTechnical Support Help Desk offers phone and email technical assistance to students regarding various computer-related tasks and applications, such as WebCT, passwords, student email, and Microsoft Office. This team is dedicated to providing timely, quality service to students to ensure they have the technology assistance necessary to be successful during their academic careers.

Technical Topics

I can log in, but I can't get into my class.

I can't seem to post anything to the class discussion.

I'm having trouble downloading and/or opening a file.

I was booted out of a test and WebCT will not let me take it again!

The timer is not visible during a quiz or exam.

I did not get a one minute warning that time was nearly up on my assessment.

I've tried and tried to contact them, but I'm not getting any email from my instructor or my classmates.

I'm having trouble getting into the "virtual classroom" chat.

I'm having trouble getting into my Campus Cruiser email account.

Contact information for RODP Technical Support

The text is too small to read on my computer screen.

Chat will not work on my Macintosh.

I'm using AOL, despite all the warnings about doing so.

Setting WebCT as an approved and secure web site.

The web site seems to be down (I get a "page not found" or similar error).

There are two possible reasons for this happening: either you are not connected to the Internet or there are problems on our end of things. To troubleshoot this error perform the following test. Are you able to gain access to http://www.amazon.com or http://cnn.com? If so, there may be problems on our end; please call or email us right away. If you cannot reach Amazon or CNN then your connection to the Internet is not operating. Contact your Internet Service Provider.

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I can't log in.
*Remember that you will not be able to enter your online course until the first day of classes!

Your default user name and password are set up automatically at the beginning of every semester. This means that even if you took online courses from RODP in the past, your user name and password will return to their default values at the beginning of EVERY semester.

User Name: The first letter of your first name + your last name + your birthday month and date (mmdd).

Example: John Doe would be: jdoe0109 (must include a zero if your birthday month and/or date is a single number)

Password: Your initial password is your six-digit birthdate (mmddyy).

*For Technical Help call:  866-550-7637  (the RODP Technical Support Help Desk)

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I can log in, but I can't get into my class.

If your user name and password work fine, but you do not see your class listed on the welcome screen or you cannot access your course for any reason, follow this procedure:

• Contact your Campus Contact immediately. A list of contacts is available at http://www.rodp.org/campus/default.htm.

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I can't seem to post anything to the class discussion.

This probably means that your browser is out of date and cannot properly read the coding language in which our online courses are written. To determine whether your browser might be the problem, please see the Browser section of Basic Skills & Requirements.

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My professor wants files in RTF- what's that?

RTF stands for Rich Text Format; it is a universal word processing format. You can open an RTF file using most word processing programs (like Microsoft Word) and on any platform (PC or Macintosh). To save your work in RTF format, go to the File menu in your word processing software and choose "Save As." Use the drop down menu under the text box with the file name to select "Rich Text Format (RTF)." RTF files that contain images can get quite large. Saving the file as a Word file will actually make it smaller in size.

NOTE: If you're using a Mac, follow these steps and then add .rtf to the end of the file name. This is necessary so that users on PCs will be able to open the file.

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I'm having trouble getting into the "virtual classroom" chat.

Try the following remedies:

1. Make sure your browser is the latest version available. If you need to upgrade your browser go to http://www.microsoft.com or http://www.apple.com/safari
2. Make sure your browser allows Java to run:
   IE: Tools-->Internet Options-->Advanced-->Check all under Microsoft VM.
3. Your computer may not have the necessary run time software. Do not worry if this is Greek to you; these steps should fix things:
   Windows: click here and download the Sun Java 2 runtime environment. Install the application, then restart your machine.
   Macintosh (Internet Explorer): Go to http://www.apple.com/java and download the Apple Java 2 runtime environment. Install the application, then restart your machine.
4. If these remedies are not successful, call your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to find out if you are behind a firewall. If so, please ask them to open outgoing access to TCP packets on port 7755 and http packets on port 8081. Your ISP will know what this means and this will usually resolve the problem.

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I'm having trouble downloading/opening a file.

There are a couple of different ways to open or download files. If you are having trouble downloading files through WebCT, please contact Technical Support (866-550-7637) for assistance.

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I was booted out of a test and WebCT will not let me take it again!

When you start an assessment or test in WebCTit is very important that you finish it by clicking on Submit. You may see Save buttons next to questions or at the end. It is okay to click on these throughout the test. WebCT will save your answers to individual questions. HOWEVER, to complete the assessment you must finish by clicking on SUBMIT. After clicking Submit, the next screen will give you a receipt. If you did not see a receipt (it should say something like "This assessment was submitted successfully"), then your attempt was not recorded by the software.

During the assessment DO NOT click on Reload, another link in the Course Menu, or close the window. This will boot you out of the assessment and you will NOT be able to get back into the test.

You can also be booted out of an assessment if you lose your Internet connection. This can be due to many reasons, but the most common is that your Internet connection "timed out" while you were taking the assessment. Many ISPs automatically log users off after twenty or so minutes of "inactivity," which is usually defined as not opening new web pages every five minutes or so.

Most ISPs open a warning dialog box to tell you that your connection is about to be terminated, but some do not (including AOL and many of the free ISPs like Freei.net and NetZero). If your Internet connection has gone dead suddenly in the past, a solution to the problem is to open a second Internet browser window while you are taking assessments. Click on Internet Explorer twice or open a second window by choosing File, New, Window. In the first window go to WebCT and in the second window go another web site. While you are taking the assessment, choose the other window periodically (every five minutes or so), and click on any link that will load a new page. This way, your ISP thinks that you are actively browsing and your connection to the Internet will remain live. This feature will also keep your Dial Up connection active.

If your instructor has not received a record of your assessment or if you do get bumped out of an assessment, contact your instructor IMMEDIATELY and he or she can reset the assessment to allow you to re-take it. It is up to your instructor whether to allow you to re-take an assessment online or to ask that you re-take the test in person.

Return to Index of Topics Return to WebCT

I'm using AOL, despite all the warnings about doing so.

You are very brave. It is certainly possible to use AOL as your Internet Service provider and to have success in connecting to our WebCT web site, but keep in mind two very powerful arguments against doing so:

• AOL doesn't warn you before it drops your Internet connection. If you log on during a busy time when many people in your area are also trying to log on, your Internet connection might "go dark" without any warning.
• AOL's own Internet browser is not compatible with WebCT's software. Fortunately, you can download one of the browsers that will work properly from http://www.microsoft.com or http://www.netscape.com. Further, most computers sold today come pre-loaded with Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE). To use AOL with one of these browsers, log on as usual, and then minimize the AOL window to keep your connection running. Then open Internet Explorer.

Return to Index of Topics Return to WebCT

I've tried and tried to contact them, but I'm not getting any email from my instructor or my classmates.

Remember that when your user name and password are created your email address is listed automatically as your RODP account. Go to the WebCT E-mail Tutorial for more information.

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I'm having trouble getting into my RODP email account.

Remember that when your user name and password are created your email address is listed automatically as your RODP account. Go to the WebCT E-mail Tutorial for more information. If you require additional assistance, please contact Technical Support at 1-866-550-7637.

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Contact information for RODP Technical Support

There are two ways to contact us regarding technical problems: send an email to rodphelpdesk@tbr.edu or telephone us at 1-866-550-7637.

If your question regards course content, please contact your instructor.

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"The text is too small to read on my computer screen.

If the text is too small to read on the computer screen then try this.

Windows Users

In the Menu Bar click on View and then select Text Size. From the sub-menu that appears choose Normal or Medium to reset the text size.

Mac Users

In the Menu Bar click onView and then Make Text Bigger.

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Chat will not work on my Macintosh.

The Chat Room will not work in Internet Explorer on a Macintosh system. We recommend the use of the Safari browser. Click here to visit the Apple download site for version 2.0.1 of Safari.

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The timer is not visible during a quiz or exam.

The timer appears in the status bar.  If the status bar is not visible then try this.

Windows Users

In the Menu Bar click on View, Status Bar.

Mac Users

In the Menu Bar click on View, Show Status Bar

Take a look at the FAQ on Assessment Strategies for tips on taking quizzes and exams online.

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Setting WebCT as an approved and secure web site.

In Internet Explorer go to Tools, Internet Options and then choose the Security tab. Click on Trusted Sites (green circle with a checkmark) and then click on the Sites button just below Trusted Sites. Enter the text below in the first text box and then click Add

http://webct.rodp.org

Finish by clicking on Okay and Okay.

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I did not get a one minute warning that time was nearly up on my assessment.

The one minute warning uses a pop up window. Check your browser to see if pop ups are blocked.

Take a look at the FAQ on Assessment Strategies for tips on taking quizzes and exams online.

Return to Index of Topics Return to WebCT

How does the Student Help Desk provide assistance?

The Student Help Desk answers students' technical questions, or "help requests," via phone and email. They record each student's help request in a searchable database to monitor pending help requests. They also record the answers to students' questions to keep the team aware of student technical issues and solutions.

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What software does the Student Help Desk support?

The Student Help Desk provides assistance with various software applications, including WebCT, Microsoft Office, Internet browsers, Windows and Mac OS, web development software, and virus protection programs.

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What hardware does the Student Help Desk support?

The Student Help Desk mainly provides assistance with software questions. However, the Student Help Desk will provide general information or pointers if students have questions about hardware, usually directing students to an individual or entity that can assist them with their hardware questions.

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Does the Student Help Desk have a toll-free phone number?

Yes, the Student Help Desk's toll-free phone number is 1-866-550-7637.

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Is the Student Help Desk available 24-7?

Yes, the student Technical Support Help Desk is available 24/7 to help meet your needs .

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Who staffs the Student Help Desk?

A team of student employees staffs the Student Help Desk. They are all well-trained to provide assistance with WebCT, Microsoft Office, and other applications. The Student Technology Services Coordinators work closely with the Student Help Desk to ensure accurate and timely responses to students.