Students should know the basics of web etiquette, particularly regarding e-mail. 

E-mails should be brief. Few people want to read a lengthy discourse in e-mail. 

Don't assume the person knows who you are. 

Be careful about forwarding messages, especially without the originator's permission. 

When replying to e-mail, know whether you are replying to an entire list of people or one person. This will make a difference when you think you are sending an e-mail to one person and you are really responding to 1000 people (as with the PSTCC Staff/Faculty mail list). 

Never assume that e-mail is private. 

When you use all uppercase letters, this is the same as shouting. 

Send junk mail sparingly. Some people get hundreds of e-mails a day. 

Be careful sending attachments. If won't do you any good to send an attachment with an e-mail if the receiver doesn't have the software to open it. 

Using Computers in the Lab

Students should understand how to use the computer equipment during lab time. 

• Students should be cautioned that surfing the net during class time, especially lecture time, is noticeable. The same goes for playing games during class. There is a feature on each web browser that provides information on web pages you have been accessing and the times you have been doing so. 
• There should be no food or drink in the lab. 
• Tell the instructor if something doesn't work. For instance, if the computer doesn't connect to the Internet or if you can't print. 
• There is audit software on the lab computers that will automatically erase any unauthorized software, games, or files that are loaded onto a computer during the day. Be forewarned that the audit software will erase files that you save on the hard drive. You should save work on a disk if you plan to keep it. 

The following shortcuts are on the desktop: 

• Reading Program Web Page 
• Paradigm 
• Online Courses 
• Home Page Builder 

Search Engines, Meta-Search Engines, Directories

Search engines search a large database from a term you have supplied, directories are a hierarchical listing of subject terms from which you conduct a search, and meta-search engines search several search engines at once. Google is an example of a search engine, Yahoo is an example of a directory, and Mamma is an example of a meta-search engine. 

If you have a very specific term, use a search engine. If you have a more general term, use a directory. Meta-search engine queries lack some of the detail that search engine queries possess but cover a much broader range. 

Students should understand search engines (Google), directories (Yahoo), and meta-search engines (Mamma), their significant differences, and situations in which one type of search technique is preferable over another. 

Resource: Searching the World Wide Web

Evaluating Web Pages

Students should know how to evaluate the appropriateness and accuracy of a resource on the web (web page). 

A link to Web Evaluation: Criteria is provided as a resource. It was accessed from the library web page, Searching the World Wide Web. There are other articles listed on the library web page that deal with this topic if you are interested in reviewing them. There are examples linked to from Web Evaluation: Criteria that you could use for classroom discussion. 

Resource: Web Evaluation: Criteria

Reading Lab Web Page

Students should know how to find the Reading Lab web page, understand the resources on the page, and the relationship of the resources to the course. 

Resource: Reading Lab Web Page

WebCT in the Curriculum

The Reading Program uses WebCT to complement classroom-based courses. WebCT software resides on a server, allowing you and your students to access it via a web browser, such as Netscape. It also allows you to make changes to your course easily and to make these changes available to your students immediately. 

The Reading Interest Survey Pretest and Posttest are available in WebCT for all faculty to use in their classes. The vocabulary tests for Building and Improving Vocabulary are also on-line in WebCT. It is mandatory that faculty gives these tests on-line during the semester. If you are interested in putting other materials on-line in the WebCT course for your section, the Reading Lab Coordinator is available to assist you.