WebTycho Technology from UMUC
Posted by Jen Zeman on February 11th, 2009
The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) utilizes a technology called WebTycho for their online courses. One of the things I found to be an asset with UMUC and WebTycho was every class was set up the same way (i.e. instructors didn’t create individualized layouts for each of their classes) so it made it easy to find course information in each class. WebTycho is also easy to navigate with each course set up in the following manner:
- Once you log in and click on the particular class you are registered for, on the left side of the screen is a list of options. The top left corner lists your instructor, their bio, and a link to class announcements.
- Below this is a list of course-related links: Syllabus, Course Content (links to specific assignments), Conferences (discussion area for students on weekly discussion topics), Assignments Folder (where you submit your assignments), Portfolio (where all your graded work will appear), and Class Members (links to individual students’ email).
- The top right of the first screen gives you access to your account preferences, your biography, an online orientation, as well as a link to library services. It also offers a direct link to tech support if it is needed.
UMUC offers the opportunity for potential students to “test drive” a UMUC online course. It’s free of charge and I believe beneficial in order for first time online students to become acquainted with the online format. For more information, go to http://www.umuc.edu/spotlight/411.html. UMUC’s tech support for WebTycho is outstanding. I have found representatives manning the help desk were always quick to respond and very helpful in resolving any issues you may encounter. When I was registered almost four years ago, I never experienced any downtime with WebTcho which was reassuring.
So go ahead! Take a test drive at UMUC and enjoy the ride!
Tags: online class, Online Course, technology, umuc, WebTycho
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 at 10:11 am and is filed under Student Voices, The Online Learning Experience. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
