Mail - Reading & Sending Messages

Index for Mail



What do you want to do?

Reading messages | Top

You can read message sent by other users in the course. By default, mail messages are presented in chronological order. This is referred to as Unthreaded.

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 View thread icon.
  • To expand a thread, click the green arrow in the Status column. To collapse the thread, click the green arrow again.
  • To view the message thread, click the View thread icon next to the thread.
  • To view messages in chronological order, click Unthreaded.
  • To display any messages that were just received in your Inbox, click Update Listing.
  • To move to the Actions menu at the bottom of the screen, click Message options.
  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Folder table, click the folder that contains the messages that you want to read, or to view all messages, click All. The Mail Messages screen appears.
  3. In the header row, click Unread, and then expand all of the threads by clicking Unthreaded. All unread messages appear. A paper clip icon appears if the message has attachments.
  4. Click the message that you want to read. The Subject screen appears in a new browser window.
    • If the message includes a file attachment, click See Attached next to the paper clip icon. The Attachments screen appears. Note: It is recommended that you install updated anti-virus software before viewing or downloading attachments.
      • To view the file attachment, click the file name. The file opens in the view frame.
      • To download the file attachment:
        1. Select the file, and click Download. Your browser's file download dialog box appears.
        2. Follow the on-screen instructions.
        3. From the Attachments screen, click Close. The Subject screen appears and you are returned to the message.
  5. When you have finished reading the message, you can:
    • close the message. Click Close. The Mail Messages screen appears.
    • read the previous or next message in the thread. Click the icon.

Sending messages | Top

You can send messages to other users in the course.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. Click Compose message. The Compose Mail Message screen appears in a new browser window.
  3. Complete the Send to text box by doing one of the following:
    • Enter the name of each recipient, separated by commas.
    • To see a list of possible recipients:
      1. Click Browse. The Select Recipients screen appears.
      2. To select a recipient, click their name. To select multiple recipients, hold down the CTRL key (Windows) or the Apple key (Macintosh) and click each name.
      3. Click Select. The Compose Mail Message screen appears and the selected recipients appear in the Send to text box.
    • To paste a list of recipients from the clipboard, click Paste Records. For more information, see Copying and Pasting Student Records.
  4. In the Subject text box, enter a subject for your message.
  5. 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.
    • To enter and format the text using an editor, click HTML editor. For more information, see HTML editor. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the HTML editor may not be available.
  6. To create or import an equation, use the WebEQ Equation Editor for Windows or for Macintosh. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the Equation editor may not be available.
  7. To attach a file:
    1. Next to the Attachments text box, click Browse. Your computer's file browser appears. Select the file you want to upload. The path and filename you selected is displayed in the Attachments text box.
    2. Click Attach file. The file is attached to your message.
  8. 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.
  9. Click Send. The message is sent and a copy is placed in the Outbox folder.

Replying to messages | Top

You can reply to messages that were 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 Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Folder table, click the folder that contains the message to which you want to reply. The Mail Messages screen appears.
  3. Click the message that you want to reply to. The message appears in a new browser window.
  4. Choose the format for your reply:

    The Reply to Message screen appears. The original message appears at the bottom of the screen.

  1. In the Subject text box, enter or edit the subject for your message.
  2. 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.
    • To enter and format the text using an editor, click HTML editor. For more information, see HTML editor. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the HTML editor may not be available.
  3. To attach a file:
    1. Next to the Attachments text box, click Browse. Your computer's file browser appears. Select the file you want to upload. The path and filename you selected is displayed in the Attachments text box.
    2. Click Attach file. The file is attached to your message.
  4. To preview your message before sending:
    1. Click Preview. A preview of your message appears in a new browser window.
    2. Click Close. The Reply to Message screen appears.
  5. Click Send. The message is sent and a copy is placed in the Outbox folder.

Quoting messages | Top

You can reply to a message and quote the original message in your reply.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Folder table, click the folder that contains the messages that you want to quote in your reply. The Mail Messages screen appears.
  3. Click the message that you want to quote. The message appears in a new browser window.
  4. Click Quote. The Reply to and Quote 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. 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.
    • To enter and format the text using an editor, click HTML editor. For more information, see HTML editor. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the HTML editor may not be available.
  7. If you want to create, import, edit, or export an equation, use the WebEQ Equation Editor for Windows or for Macintosh. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the Equation editor may not be available.
  8. To attach a file:
    1. Next to the Attachments text box, click Browse. Your computer's file browser appears. Select the file you want to upload. The path and filename you selected is displayed in the Attachments text box.
    2. Click Attach file. The file is attached to your message.
  9. To preview your message before sending:
    1. Click Preview. A preview of your message appears in a new browser window.
    2. Click Close. The Reply to and Quote Message screen appears.
  10. Click Send. The message is sent and a copy is placed in the Outbox folder.

Forwarding messages to another user within the course | Top

You can forward messages to another user in the course. To forward your WebCT messages to an external email account, see Forwarding messages to an external email account.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Folder table, click the folder that contains the messages that you want to forward. The Mail Messages screen appears.
  3. Click the message that 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 doing one of the following:
    • Enter the name(s) of the recipient(s), separated by commas.
    • To see a list of possible recipients, click Browse.
    • To paste a list of recipients from the clipboard, click Paste records. For more information, see Copying and Pasting Student Records.
  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. 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.
    • To enter and format the text using an editor, click HTML editor. For more information, see HTML editor. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the HTML editor may not be available.
  8. To create, import, edit, or export an equation, use the WebEQ Equation Editor for Windows or for Macintosh. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the Equation editor may not be available.
  9. To attach a file:
    1. Next to the Attachments text box, click Browse. Your computer's file browser appears. Select the file you want to upload. The path and filename you selected is displayed in the Attachments text box.
    2. Click Attach file. The file is attached to your message.
  10. 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.
  11. Click Send. The message is sent and a copy is placed in the Outbox folder.

Marking all messages as read | Top

Note: Threaded messages, whether collapsed or expanded, will be marked as read.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Folder table, click the folder that contains the messages that you want to mark as read. The Mail Messages screen appears.
  3. Display the messages that you want to mark. By default, only unread messages are listed. To view all messages, click All.
  4. Click Mark All As Read. A confirmation message appears.
  5. Click OK. All messages are marked as read.

Marking selected messages as read | Top

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Folder table, click the folder that contains the messages that you want to mark as read. The Mail Messages screen appears.
  3. Display the messages that you want to mark. By default, only unread messages are listed. To view all messages, click All.
  4. Select the messages that you want to mark as read. To mark all messages in a thread as read, select the thread.
  5. Under Apply to message(s) selected above, click Mark as read. A warning message appears.
  6. Click OK. The selected messages are marked as read.

Marking selected messages as unread | Top

You may want to mark read messages as unread to remind you that a further action on the message is required. Unread messages appear in bold.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Folder table, click the folder that contains the messages that you want to mark. The Mail Messages screen appears.
  3. Display the messages that you want to mark. By default, only unread messages are listed. To view all messages, click All.
  4. Select the messages that you want to mark as unread. To mark all messages in a thread as unread, select the thread.
  5. Under Apply to message(s) selected above, click Mark as unread. A warning message appears.
  6. Click OK. The selected messages are marked as unread.

Saving a message as a draft | Top

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. Click Compose message. The Compose Mail Message screen appears.
  3. Complete the Send to text box by doing one of the following:
    • Enter the name of each recipient, separated by commas.
    • To see a list of possible recipients:
      1. Click Browse. The Select Recipients screen appears.
      2. To select a recipient, click their name. To select multiple recipients, hold down the CTRL key (Windows) or the Apple key (Macintosh) and click each name.
      3. Click Select. The Compose Mail Message screen appears and the selected recipients appear in the Send to text box.
  4. In the Subject text box, enter the subject for your message.
  5. 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.
    • To enter and format the text using an editor, click HTML editor. For more information, see HTML editor. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the HTML editor may not be available.
  6. To create, import, export or edit an equation, use the WebEQ Equation Editor for Windows or for Macintosh. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the Equation editor may not be available.
  7. To attach a file:
    1. Next to the Attachments text box, click Browse. Your computer's file browser appears. Select the file you want to upload. The path and filename you selected is displayed in the Attachments text box.
    2. Click Attach file. The file is attached to your message.
  8. Click Save Draft. The message is placed in the Draft folder.

Sending a message that was saved as a draft | Top

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Folder table, click the Draft folder. The Mail Messages: Draft screen appears.
  3. Click the message that you want to send. The message appears in a new browser window.
  4. Click Edit. The Compose Mail Message screen appears.
  5. Edit your message and click Send. The message is sent and a copy is placed in the Outbox folder.

Downloading messages | Top

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Folder table, click the folder that contains the messages that you want to download. The Mail Messages screen appears.
  3. Click the message that you want to download. The message appears in a new browser window.
  4. Click Download. Your browser's file download window appears. Follow the on-screen instructions.
  5. When the download is complete, click Close. The message browser window appears.
  6. Click Close. The Mail Messages screen appears.

Compiling and downloading messages | Top

You can compile mail messages into one file and download the file.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. From the Mail Folders table, click the folder that contains the messages that you want to compile and download. The Mail Messages screen appears.
  3. From the list of messages, select the messages to be compiled. To compile all messages in a thread, select the thread.
  4. Under Apply to message(s) selected above, click Compile. The Compiled Messages screen appears.
  5. Click Download. Your browser's file download window appears. Follow the on-screen instructions.
  6. When the download is complete, click Close. The Compiled Messages screen appears.
  7. Click Close. The Mail Messages screen appears.

Searching messages | Top

  1. From the Course Menu, click Mail. The Mail screen appears.
  2. Click Search. The Search Mail screen appears.
  3. Choose your search parameters:
    1. From the Search drop-down list, select to search All messages or only Unread messages.
    2. From the Folder drop-down list, select the folder to search.
    3. From the Criteria drop-down list, select from the following filters:

    Filter Description
    None No filter
    First name First name of the message author
    Last name Last name of the message author
    UserID User name of the message author
    Subject The message subject
    Message No. The unique message number assigned to each message
    Date The date that the message was sent
    Message Any of the words in the text of a message

  4. From the Comparison drop-down list, select how the information entered in the Value text box will be compared with the search Criteria.

    Comparison Term
    		Description
    Contains Retrieves messages containing the letters or numbers entered in the Value text box.
    After In combination with the Date or Number filter, retrieves all messages after the date or number entered in the Value text box. In combination with a text filter (Name, Subject, Message), retrieves all messages containing letters that occur alphabetically after the word entered in the Value text box.
    Before In combination with the Date or Number filter, retrieves all messages before the date or number entered in the Value text box. In combination with a text filter (Name, Subject, Message) retrieves all messages containing letters that occur alphabetically before the word entered in the Value text box.
    Equals Retrieves messages that match exactly the letters or numbers entered in the Value text box.
    Starts with In combination with a text filter (Name, Subject, Message) retrieves messages with words that begin with the letter entered in the Value text box.
    Ends with In combination with a text filter (Name, Subject, Message) retrieves words that end with the letter entered in the Value text box.

  5. In the Value text box, enter the words or numbers to be searched. If you have selected the Date filter, use the following date format: dd,mm,yyyy. Include the commas.
  6. Click Search, and then click Close. The Mail Messages screen appears listing all messages that satisfy your search requirements.

Note: After you have searched your messages, you can compile and download them.

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