Use an on-screen recorder to capture web pages as they come up on the monitor. As you turn the page in the Internet browser to read your classroom text and complete your assignments, you can record your actions. This is similar to video taping the screen, but the difference is that the result is comprised of still images. Microsoft includes the "Problem Steps Recorder" in Windows which is geared toward making visual documentation for troubleshooting. However, you can use it to archive your WebCT courses. Begin by clicking "Start," then type "Problems Steps Recorder" in the search box. Press "Enter" to open the application.
Install a page-copying add-on in the Internet browser. Add-ons, sometimes called "add-ins" or "plug-ins," create additional functions in an Internet browser beyond what developers designed them to do. These add-ons do the basics of helping you capture web pages. They also help you organize saved pages in a manner that suits your needs. For Mozilla's Firefox browser, the "ScrapBook" add-on captures web pages upon your command. You can then create folders, separators and notes to customize your "collection" of web pages. If you want to save an online textbook, for example, use the folders for chapters and the separators for sections. You can also perform a quick keyword search throughout all of your saved web pages.
Utilize the default "Save" features in the Internet browser to copy a web page. This function saves individual web pages as a single file to the hard drive. Double-clicking the file will re-open the web page into the Internet browser, but take note that it comes from your "local" computer, not from the Web. In Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, you can find these saving functions using the "File" menu or the "Page" button.
Obtain a standalone page-copying application. Unlike screen recorders, you have to initiate saving functions using these applications. After you capture the page, you can create an organizational file structure. Additionally, you can attach notes to your saved web pages in a process similar to taking paper-based notes while you read through a text book. The "OneNote" program is offered singularly from Microsoft, but it is also available in a Office productivity suite which includes Word and Excel.
Take a traditional screen shot. This is normally achieved on a Windows PC by pressing the "Control" and "Print Screen" keys on the keyboard. Then the copied screen image in pasted into a document such as WordPad. Additionally, Microsoft includes the "Snipping Tool" in the latest versions of Windows (March 2011). This application takes snippets of the entire screen, or you can change around the area to be captured.