Filenaming in WebCT

MAF's Rules for Naming Files in ELC, WebCT,
and other Dropbox hints

9-7-09

WebCT is old. Its ways of handling files date back to the dim early days of personal computers. So, unfortunately, we must work with it in order to keep our hard drives organized and to make your assignments behave properly. ELC is better - but there can still be problems. Here are some critical pointers.

1. Read the assignment carefully -
especially the "Submission Format" section. I will often specify a pattern for naming the file. Some general formatting rules are listed below.

2. Use the minimum number of files.
Each file requires multiple clicks on my side. This has improved little in ELC.

3. How to name a file (in general):

Start the filename with your given name. Why? Because I always file by first name of students - and I always look for your file by your first name first. If everyone names their file "pdep" they all look the same, and may even overwrite each other.
Use hyphens to separate words, but no punctuation. Why? Because other kinds of punctuation besides hyphens cause old computer systems to behave badly.
Do not use any spaces! Why? because WebCT only recognizes the first part of the filename, and it might not then make any sense. This problem has been solved (mostly) in ELC.
Here is a pattern for filenames:

maryann-selection-policy.doc (for an individual assignment)
maryann-sally-joe-selection-policy.doc (for a group assignment)

4. In team situations, all members should submit something in their dropbox, but the major project should be submitted by only one person.
One team member should submit the majority of the files. Other team members should upload their private reflections only in their dropbox. Private reflections should always be separate files (it's ok to break rule no. 2 for this purpose).
Don't forget the rubric! Submit it at the end of the major project file.

In ELC, continue to follow this practice until I figure out the ins-outs of group assignment submission.

5. General formatting preferences for your documents:

Use a sans serif font (like Verdana or Arial) for ease of reading.
Use plenty of headings to organize your work. Number pages.
Use your spell checker!

6. Handling different formats:

Avoid .docx if at all possible - I can't upgrade to this powerful software using the old equipment that I have. The easiest solution is to "save down" when you "Save As," or try .rtf. (I now know several workarounds for this problem - but they all involve lots of extra clicks.)
If your submission is a URL: upload a .doc or .txt file that contains the URL. (This is a silly workaround but the best we can invent.) ELC does not seem to have solved this problem.
If your submission is a Googledoc: upload a .doc or .txt file that contains the Googledoc URL. Don't forget to "share" it with me, using my GMail identity: maryannfitz@gmail.com.
Powerpoint: If you can, use Google Presentations (a type of GoogleDoc). Why? because Powerpoint makes huge files that burden our servers and hard drives. Reserve its use for when it really enhances what you want to do. Most presentations (without lots of special effects) are fine in Google Presentations. Some prefer SlideShare - and there are other nice 2.0 tools out there, too.

Thank you for working with these picky rules. They save much time for me!

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