WebBoard: A Teaching and Learning, and Faculty Committee Communications Tool

WebBoard Conference� was made available to the Xavier community in spring 1998 through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. WebBoard is a Web-based communications software that provides an organized means for accessing, submitting, and retrieving electronic messages. Several Xavier faculty members have used WebBoard in courses for on-line discussions and "virtual" office hours via WebBoard's live "chat" feature. Some faculty members have also used WebBoard for committees as an effective way to communicate with committee members. You can learn more about WebBoard at the Center's website.

All Xavier faculty members are welcomed to use WebBoard. If you have not seen the board, we invite you to preview the site. Just point your Web browser to http://doe.xula.edu:8081/~CAT and log on as "New User." Feel free to post a test message to the "CAT Demo" conference. If you would like a board for your course, complete the application on our website.

If you decide to use WebBoard in, for example, a class, we suggest that you:

Set a minimum student participation requirement
Encourage (require?) students to read all messages
Participate in discussions with your students
Post a mini-lecture or PowerPoint presentation to focus the discussion
Provide a handout with your board address and access directions
Allow students to access your board before you make the conference private
Remind students that usernames and passwords should not include spaces or symbols
Make sure your conference attachment settings allow students to post assignments
Archive messages to avoid a cluttered look
Customize your board with color

For more information about WebBoard, contact the Center's Instructional Designer, Ms. Gayna Stevens Credle at ext. 5070 or gcredle@xula.edu.

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