Getting Started: a guide to online learning at Wright State

How do I use Mail?

• Reading messages
• Replying to messages
• Quoting messages
• Sending messages
• Forward messages to another user within the course

Reading messages

By default, mail messages are presented in chronological order.

Tips:

• To view both read and unread messages, click All.
• To view messages by thread, click Threaded. Threaded messages are a series of replies to the same subject. The header row of each message thread displays the following information:
  • Status: displays the number of unread messages in the thread over the total number of messages in the thread.
  • Subject: displays the subject of the first message in the thread and the magnifying glass icon. You can view the message thread by clicking the magnifying glass icon.
• To display any messages that were just sent, click Update Listing.

Note: It is recommended that you install updated anti-virus software before viewing or downloading attachments.

1. From the Mail screen, click the folder that contains the message you want to read. The Mail Messages screen appears.
2. Click the message that you want to read. The message opens in a new browser window. Note: If the message includes a file attachment, you will see a paper clip icon. For security reasons, it is recommended that you download the attachment to your own computer before you view it.
3. If your message includes a file attachment, you can do the following:
   • If you want to display the file attachment:
     1. From the Mail Messages screen or an open message, click the paper clip icon or See Attached. The Attachments screen appears.
     2. From the Attachments screen, click the file you want to view. The file is displayed.
   • If you want to download the file attachment to your computer:
     1. From the Mail Messages screen or an open message, click the paper clip icon or See Attached. The Attachments screen appears.
     2. Select the file and click Download. Your browser's file download screen appears.
     3. Follow the onscreen instructions.
     4. Click Close. The message appears.
4. When you are finished reading the message, you can:

• close the message. Click Close. The Mail Messages screen appears.
• forward the message
• reply

Replying to messages

You can reply to messages sent from other users in the course. Note: If replying to a message containing an equation, you cannot edit the equation. You can insert or edit an equation only by forwarding or quoting the message.

1. From the Mail screen, click the folder that contains the message to which you want to reply. The Mail Messages screen appears.
2. Click the subject of the message to which you want to reply. The message appears in a new browser window.
3. Click Reply or Quote. A screen appears where you can compose your reply. If you need to refer to the message to which you are replying, that message appears below the box where you type your reply.
   • Reply gives you a blank box in which to type your reply.
   • Quote puts the orginal message in the box where you type your reply so that message will be included in your reply and others can more easily tell what exactly you are replying to.
4. In the Subject text box, enter or edit the subject for your message.
5. Compose your message by doing one of the following:
   • In the Message text box, enter your message.
   • Click HTML editor. For help, see HTML Editor. Note: If you compose a message with the HTML Editor in the Discussions or Mail, the message will appear as a single line of text (even if you select word wrap). This is a bug in the program. To correct this, click on "Text Box" before posting (discussions) or sending (mail) the message.
6. If you want to attach a file:
   1. Next to Attachments, click Browse. Your computer's file browser appears.
   2. Locate and select the file you want to upload. The path and filename of your attachment appears in the Attachments text box.
   3. Click Attach file. The filename appears as a hyperlink, and the file is attached to your message.
7. If you want to preview your message before sending:
   1. Click Preview. A preview of your message appears in a new browser window.
   2. Click Close. The Compose Mail Message screen appears.
8. Click Send. The message is sent and a copy is placed in the Outbox folder.

Quoting messages

You can reply to a message and quote the original message in your reply. Note: If an equation is included in the original message, you can use the WebEQ Equation Editor to edit it.

1. From the Mail screen, click the folder that contains the message that you want to quote in your reply. The Mail Messages screen appears.
2. If the messages are threaded, click the magnifying glass icon to view the messages in the thread.
3. Click the subject of the message you want to quote. The message appears in a new browser window. Note: If the Message contains an equation, the equation is displayed.
4. Click Quote. The Compose Mail Message screen appears. The original message appears at the bottom of the screen.
5. In the Subject text box, enter or edit the subject for your message.
6. Compose your message by doing one of the following:
   • In the Message text box, enter your message.
   • Click HTML editor. For help, see HTML Editor. Note: If you compose a message with the HTML Editor in the Discussions or Mail, the message will appear as a single line of text (even if you select word wrap). This is a bug in the program. To correct this, click on "Text Box" before posting (discussions) or sending (mail) the message.
7. If you want to insert or edit an equation, use the WebEQ Equation Editor for Microsoft Windows or for Macintosh.
8. If you want to attach a file:
   1. Next to Attachments, click Browse. Your computer's file browser appears.
   2. Locate and select the file you want to upload. The path and filename of your attachment appears in the Attachments text box.
   3. Click Attach file. The filename appears as a hyperlink, and the file is attached to your message.
9. If you want to preview your message before sending:
   1. Click Preview. A preview of your message appears in a new browser window.
   2. Click Close. The Compose Mail Message screen appears.
10. Click Send. The message is sent and a copy is placed in the Outbox folder.

Sending messages

1. From the Mail or Mail Messages screen, click Compose message. The Compose Mail Message screen appears in a new browser window.
2. Complete the Send to text box by either:
   • typing the name or WebCT ID of the recipient(s). Note: Multiple recipients need to be separated by commas.
   • viewing the list of possible recipients by clicking Browse. Note: Depending on administrator settings, this option may not be available. To select a recipient, click their name. To select more than one recipient, hold the CTRL key while selecting the names. Click Done.
3. In the Subject text box, enter your subject. Note: This text box cannot be left blank.
4. Compose your message by doing one of the following:
   • In the Message text box, enter your message. The following message options are available:
     • To change the number of viewable lines in the Message text box, from the Height of edit area drop-down list, select a number and click Resize.
     • To allow text to continue horizontally beyond each visible line, select Don't wrap text.
   • Click HTML editor. For help, see HTML Editor. Note: If you compose a message with the HTML Editor in the Discussions or Mail, the message will appear as a single line of text (even if you select word wrap). This is a bug in the program. To correct this, click on "Text Box" before posting (discussions) or sending (mail) the message.
5. If you want to insert an equation, use the WebEQ Equation Editor for Microsoft Windows or for Macintosh. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the Equation Editor may not be available.
6. If you want to attach a file:
   1. Next to Attachments, click Browse. Your computer's file browser appears.
   2. Locate and select the file you want to upload. The path and filename of your attachment appears in the Attachments text box.
   3. Click Attach file. The filename appears as a hyperlink, and the file is attached to your message.
7. If you want to preview your message before sending:
   1. Click Preview. A preview of your message appears in a new browser window.
   2. Click Close. The Compose Mail Message screen appears.
8. Click Send. The message is sent and a copy is placed in the Outbox folder.

Forwarding messages to another user within the course

Note: You can forward mail to another user within the course. From within WebCT, you cannot forward a message to an external email account. To have all your WebCT mail forwarded to an external email account, see Forwarding messages to an external email account. Note: If an equation was included in the original message, you can use the WebEQ Equation Editor to edit it.

1. From the Mail screen, click the folder that contains the message you want to forward. The Mail Messages screen appears.
2. If the messages are threaded, click the magnifying glass icon to view the messages in the thread.
3. Click the subject of the message you want to forward. The message appears in a new browser window.
4. Click Forward. The Compose Mail Message screen appears.
5. Complete the Send to text box by viewing the list of possible recipients by clicking Browse. To select a recipient, click their name. To select more than one recipient, hold the CTRL key while selecting the names. Click Done.
6. In the Subject text box, enter or edit the subject for your message.
7. Compose your message by doing one of the following:
   • In the Message text box, enter your message.
   • Click HTML editor. For help, see HTML Editor. Note: If you compose a message with the HTML Editor in the Discussions or Mail, the message will appear as a single line of text (even if you select word wrap). This is a bug in the program. To correct this, click on "Text Box" before posting (discussions) or sending (mail) the message.
8. If you want to insert or edit an equation, use the WebEQ Equation Editor for Microsoft Windows or for Macintosh.
9. Click Send. The message is sent and a copy is placed in the Outbox folder.