Pertinent Participant Info
Common Course Questions and Answers
Below are some of the most common questions that often come during the duration of the class. Take a look to see if these answer any of your own questions.
I would like to register to take the course in the Spring 2008 semester. Is it too late?
Unfortunately, yes. Registration for the Spring 2008 semester ended on Friday, January 4, 2008 at 5 pm EST. The course will be offered again in the Summer 2008 semester and registration will begin on March 3, 2008. For up to date information on registration, please visit our website at http://forpd.ucf.edu.
I did not receive my course login information or am unable to login with the information I was provided. I don’t want to get behind – What can I do?
Please contact the FOR-PD Help Desk ASAP. The Help Desk can be reached via email, phone, AOL Instant Messenger, or live chat. For Help Desk hours and contact information, please visit http://forpd.ucf.edu/helpdesk/index.html.
Why can’t I access the lesson 1 quiz?
The quizzes are conditional, so each quiz must be taken and passed (80% score) before the next one will become available. For the lesson 1 quiz, you need to complete the Pre-Course survey before the lesson 1 quiz can be accessed.
I took the quiz for lesson 1, but the lesson 2 quiz is still not available. What is the problem?
The quizzes are conditional, so each quiz must be taken and passed (80% score) before the next one will become available. In most cases, the problem is that your quiz was not graded. You will need to contact your facilitator so that he/she can force-grade your quiz.
In the future, to ensure that your quiz is properly submitted and graded, please follow the following quiz procedure:
Make sure that you click on the "Save Answer" button after each question and then click on "Finish" at the bottom of the entire quiz. This way each answer is submitted and the entire quiz is submitted. Please also be sure that you wait for the confirmation screen that says "Quiz Submitted" after clicking on Finish; this way the quiz will be properly processed and will be graded. Once the quiz is graded, the next quiz will become available. If you do not see a message stating "Quiz Submitted", your quiz has not been graded and the next quiz will not be available.
I have come across some links in the course that are inactive or do not work. What should I do?
A lot of the resources used throughout the course come from outside organizations. If these organizations choose to modify their webpage and/or move content around, it is possible that the link provided in the course will become outdated. If you run into this problem, first check the Resources page within each lesson. The Resources page is a list of all the links used throughout the lesson and can be found on the last page of each lesson. It will contain the most up to date resource information and links. If the link is still inactive on the resources page, then please notify our FOR-PD Help Desk. The Help Desk will notify our Reading Specialist, who will look into updating the link or finding a new resource to replace it.
How do I insert a hyperlink into my discussion?
In your "Compose Discussion Message" window, you will see a button that says "HTML editor". Click on this button and you will then see a Formatting Bar at the top of your message area. You will need to click on the button that looks like a chain (Insert Hyperlink). A pop-up window will appear asking you to "Enter the URL" (website). You can enter the website address in this window and it will be inserted into your message.
How can I attach a file to my discussion message?
To attach a file to your discussion message, you will need to click on the Browse button in the Attachments section while in Compose Message mode. After finding the file on your computer you wish to attach, you will need to click on the Attach File button. It’s very important that you complete this step; otherwise the file will not actually be attached to the message. There is a mini-tutorial included in Lesson 1 Section 9 “Discussions” that details the steps for attaching a file and includes screen shots. You can also view the discussion tutorial in the Tutorials section of the course.
I took a quiz and the answers were marked incorrect even though I answered them correctly! It happened more than once. Am I doing something wrong?
The quizzes are set up to be automatically graded by the WebCT system. If you find yourself to be in such a situation, please follow these steps:
- First, review your answers from the first attempt and compare them to your second (or third) attempt. Many times, we find that participants have chosen the same incorrect answers a second time around.
- Second, review the feedback provided on your first or second attempt. The quiz results provide valuable feedback on the answers you chose with explanations for both the correct and incorrect answers. You can even print out a previous attempt and use it to help you in re-taking the quiz.
- Finally, if you have indeed chosen the correct answers and they have been marked as incorrect by WebCT, please contact your facilitator with the issue.
If you have questions and/or need clarification regarding the course content, feel free to contact your facilitator for further discussion. For help with reviewing your quiz results, please visit the Quizzes section in Lesson 1. It provides a mini-tutorial on the Quiz Tool and includes step-by-step instructions as well as screenshots.
Remember that although the quizzes are not timed, you will only be able to take each quiz three times. If you do not earn an 80% within the three tries you will need to contact your facilitator. (Note: This does not apply to students taking the course for graduate credit.)
Why have I been denied access to the course?
FOR-PD has a strict policy for participants that have fallen behind in their course work. As stated in the FOR-PD Participant Expectations document, if any participant falls behind by seven or more lessons, the facilitator will notify the participant and the FOR-PD office. The participant will be denied access to the course and given the option to enroll in FOR-PD in a future semester. Clearly the participants have missed much learning in the course, the interaction of the course, and a great deal of the communication within the discussion board.
Will I be able to complete course work after the course ends?
You will be denied access to the course the day after the course ends as of 9 am EST. After that time, you will not be able to complete any assignments or course work.
How can I access the course resources after the course ends?
All of the resources used in the course can be found on the FOR-PD website at http://forpd.ucf.edu/resources/.
When will I receive a certificate of completion for the course?
On average, it can take about a month before FOR-PD emails the course completion certificates to participants who successfully completed the course. If you have not received your certificate via email, please call the FOR-PD office at 866-227-7261.
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About the Literacy Newsletter
FOR-PD's Literacy newsletter deals specifically with literacy and learning for K-12 teachers of Florida's public schools. As you read and review our newsletter you will find information on local, state, and federal literacy news, upcoming conferences, celebrations, sources of funding, resources on the World Wide Web, and resources you can use with your students. The participant section answers pertinent questions participants have about the course and provides helpful tips for successful completion. We hope that this newsletter will provide educators with useful information to support their literacy development and the work they do with Florida students.
We welcome your feedback on how we can better support you and help you grow professionally. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments.
Florida Online Reading Professional Development
12443 Research Parkway
Suite 402
Orlando, FL 32826
866-227-7261
407-207-4965 (Fax)
forpd@mail.ucf.edu
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Last Updated:
April 10, 2008
