WebCT Tips

From SPSU Wiki

Corrupted Zip files (CE 3.8)

I upgraded the software on my computer over the summer. When I downloaded the first set of assignments from WebCT, I found that WinZip 9.0 would not open the downloaded file. Neither would ZipGenius or the Windows XP built-in zip extractor. New: It turns out that Zip Genius 5.5 will open these files. You can download it here: http://downloads.zipgenius.it/ (Note that 5.5 is not the current version, but it is still available.)

The problem is that zip files created by WebCT Campus Edition 3.8, which is used for most distance classes at SPSU, are not in a valid zip format. The difference is small, and older unzipping programs ignored the error; newer programs do not. This problem will go away when the University System upgrades WebCT because the WebCT folks fixed it in WebCT 4.1.1 CE. In the mean time, we have to deal with it. The following instructions apply to users of MS Windows XP.

One way is to download (and pay the $49.95 license fee for) WinZip 10.0 Professional from http://www.winzip.com. Then download and install the WinZip command Line Support Add-On from here: http://www.winzip.com/prodpagecl.htm?wzhcli The add-on is free for licensed users of WinZip Pro. The add-on will allow you to repair damaged or wrong-format zip files.

Once you've done that, you can click the "Start" button, then click "Run" and in the "Open" box type

  wzzip  -yf c:\path\to\webctfile.zip

Replace the "\path\to\" part with the path to the WebCT zip file, and "webctfile.zip" with the actual name of the file from WebCT. It will be something like "spsuSWE2642rlb_assignments_aug30.zip."

WinZip will create a new zip file of the same name, but with the word FIXED appended to it, like this: "spsuSWE2642rlb_assignments_aug30FIXED.zip." You will be able to open the "FIXED" file with the GUI version of WinZip and extract your students' work. The original file will not be changed, and you can erase it as soon as you're sure you have everyone's work.

Because the command is so long, typing it is error-prone. I've typed it into Windows Notepad and saved it. When I need to run it, I change the directory and file name, then copy-and-paste it into the "Run" box. For my directory structure, the saved command looks like this:

  c:\"program files"\winzip\wzzip  -yf C:\"Documents and Settings"\bbrown
  \Desktop\Classes\swe2642\F05_Online\final\spsuSWE2642rlb_assignments_Dec13.zip

It is shown on two lines here, but it's really all one long line.

Thanks to Cathy Shea at WinZip Technical Support, who provided most of this information.

Downloading Assignments as Zip Files (Vista 3)

It is easy to download student assignments in WebCT Campus Edition, but it wasn't clear to me how to do it in Vista. Barbara Thompson at Clayton State provided these instructions for downloading all assignments as a single zip:

1. Log into the course section and switch to the Teach tab if necessary.
2. Navigate to the assignment and click "View Submissions"
3. If more than one assignment is showing, you can use the dropdown box in the upper right corner to filter the display. Select the assignments you wish to download. Click the checkbox at the top of the list to select all.
4. Click the "Create Printable View" button at the bottom of the screen.
5. On the next screen, click "Save to File"
6. Vista will show you the name of a zip file. Click on that file name to download the file. Then click OK to return to the assignments display.

The zip file will contain a folder for each student. The folder will have an HTML file that shows anything the student typed in the Submission text box as well as any files the student attached.

Missing Student Work (CE 3.8)

At grading time, WebCT 3.8 will not allow access to an assignment that is marked "Not Submitted." There are several ways this can happen (more below) but the solution is the same in every case. Go to Manage Course --> Manage Students and click the Edit link for the appropriate assignment. Enter a zero (or any other grade) in the row for the problem student. The status of the assignment changes to "Graded" and you can work with it normally.

The most usual cause is that the student didn't do the work. I've always thought I should "close the loop" by adding a comment that the work was not received, and I can't do that without first changing the grade.

In some cases, the work is submitted via a mechanism other than WebCT. In one class, students put all their work on a Web server, for example. I ask them to upload a "marker" file, but sometimes they forget.

Finally, very rarely, a student actually does submit work to WebCT, but in CE 3.8, the status fails to change from "Not Submitted" to "Not Graded." In that case, the student's work will be in the downloaded zip file, but you won't be able to assign a grade other than as described above.