What to put on the home page. You might also include a site map and a search field. Casual viewers should have free access to this page, but you can restrict access to the rest of the site by requiring an ID and password. Once these design issues are addressed, the next step is to decide how to deliver the course. Such systems are usually licensed and maintained by the institution, which may make the platform mandatory for its telecampus.
CMSs have their limitations.
I created the course in FrontPage, which is no more difficult than using Word or Word Perfect. In fact, learning FrontPage on my own took less time than learning WebCT in my university's formal training program. Even without a CMS, I found I was able to incorporate necessary functions into my course Web site. Automated registration and grade books. Most CMSs allow students to register for courses online, and to be entered automatically in the grading spreadsheet.