Technology
X201, Technology, is a course that explores the use of technology and spreadsheet modeling in data analysis and decision making. We help students to learn about methodologies and technologies that can help us understand some types of problems, and can help us solve those problems or make a good decision. This course has an enrollment of 700 students per semester with 36 students per class. Seven experienced instructors teach the same basic content and follow a similar class structure. Due to the experience of the instructors, these instructors require the flexibility of following their own teaching styles and adding or changing specific class exercises to fit the needs of a particular class of students. Students work in groups of four to complete the projects, but take two proctored practical exams and various other assignments individually.
Frank Akaiwa, faculty, course coordinatorKaren Banks, faculty; instructional designer; Oncourse CL design, development, implementationTami Goodrich, faculty, instructional designer, teaching assistant and peer tutor coordinatorEric Kinser, faculty, instructional designer, automatic grading programmer (macro grading)Nate Stout, faculty, instructional designerJason Skocilich, faculty, exam security (programming of files to prevent academic misconduct)Gipsi Sera, facultyChris Keller, faculty
X201, Technology, is a course with an enrollment of 700 students per semester with 36 students per class and seven to nine instructors. The faculty have taught for at least five years at the university level. The classes uses around 350 files of various types, such as Microsoft Excel, podcast, HTML, Camtasia, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint , Flash files, Hot Potatoes™, Window media, and image files.All classes need some of the same structure since students take the same two proctored practical exams, complete the same five group projects, receive the same course announcements, and complete the same number of assignments, but flexible enough to allow instructors to add their own 12 individual assignments , and other class material. The site must accommodate groups since we believe that collaborative learning through groups is important. During a summer session, Ms. Banks combined three classes taught by three instructors together. After the first week, it was apparent the structure was not working. The announcements and assignments posted by each individual instructor create a list of items that was too long to manage. Ms. Banks uncombined the classes.For the fall semester, Ms. Banks combined the classes by instructor. This system gave us the flexibility that we needed but also the structure that we desired. All standardized files were uploaded to a project site and were linked by HTML pages to each combined site.The method of using a project site to contain files also created an automatic archive for each semester. Each semester Ms. Banks creates a new folder, places the new semester’s files in that folder, and re-links the HTML pages. While this method does create redundancy for some files, an archive is important. This method makes the creation of backup files relatively easy. To prevent mistakes, instructors are asked not to update files in the main folder, but all instructors have access and could update files, so the system is not reliant upon one person.Another folder contains the faculty, teaching assistant, and super session (large help session) office hours. Instructors update their office hours as needed. Mistakes made by instructors in this folder can easily be corrected.There have been several times when the Oncourse system was down or running very slowly. Because our class time is valuable, we do have a backup site running off of a university server which allows students and faculty access to files if Oncourse does have problems.
Classes are taught in a computer lab classroom twice a week with 36 students and a large lecture hall once a week with 250 students. Some of the lectures are viewed by podcast. The Site Info Url on the home page of each instructor’s combined course is used for posting course announcements. One html file changed in the project site automatically updates the course announcements on each combined site. The “Recent Announcements” area is used by each individual instructor.For the syllabus, one html file is linked to the Syllabus tool. This file contains the syllabus, faculty office hours, Teaching Assistant office hours, and Super Sessions (help sessions).The assignment tool contains the structured assignments for the class (project assignments), but since the site is combined by instructor, each individual instructor can add additional assignments.Oncourse CL does not have group functionality and we wished to have this type of collaborative learning in our classrooms. Collaborative learning helps students to master the material and to solve group problems. All five projects are worked by students in groups. We create a folder call GroupSpace in the Resource tool. In that folder, each group has a folder with its permissions change so only that group may access and use that folder. Setting up folders for up 175 groups is a very time consuming process, but it works. A group’s folder contains individual contact information, group files in progress, final work, and feedback from instructors. When students upload a group project to the assignment tool, only 1 student uploads the project. A ClassFiles folder in Resources tool contains files specific to a particular class. Instructors create other folders as needed. The Resources tool also contains a link to past X201 Course Announcements.The Original Test and Survey tool is used for student self-assessment, surveys, and quizzes. It can also be used for class discussion by having students type in short answers to questions. Answers from students are shown on the projector and students discuss the answers given by other students without knowledge of which student gave which response. Students have access to files (Microsoft Excel, podcast, HTML, Camtasia, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint , Flash files, Hot Potatoes™, and image files) through a Web Content link. This link connects to a project site. All files are stored on a project site that is limited to faculty only.
We have tried to use the Wiki, chat room, forums, and messages with limited success. We have used the forums as a place for students at the beginning of the semester to discuss past problems that they have had with teams.
Using the Site Info Url and Web Content links has enabled us to easily send course announcements to all students, lay out the course schedule and content, and to enable instructors to create a to-do list using HTML for students or a blog.
Students complete problem solving exercises in Excel files. We use Oncourse Test and Survey for class discussion, quizzes, surveys, and self-asssessment, we have online crossword puzzles using Hot Potatoes software. We post objectives for each class.
Using PhotoShop we have copied the colors used on the Oncourse CL site and used those colors to create our own HTML pages. We are planning usability testing, but this process has not been started yet. We use alt text in our HTML pages and try to follow all accessibility conventions.
Our site is set up to allow faculty the most flexibility possible in teaching their classes. Material can easily be updated in one place and those updates immediately go out to all classes. Faculty and teaching assistant contact information is easily accessible to students.
One teaching innovation is the structure of our course which allows material to be quickly updated and allows a specific structure to be used for all classes but allow experienced instructors flexibility in teaching methods and materials.A second teaching innovation is number of files and types of different files we use to convey our course information. We have 350 files of various types, such as Microsoft Excel, podcast, HTML, Camtasia, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint , Flash files, Hot Potatoes™, Window media, and image files.A third teaching innovation is the use of the Site Info Url on the home page of each instructor’s combined course for posting course announcements. One html file changed in the project site automatically updates the course announcements on each combined site. The “Recent Announcements” is now freed to be used by each individual instructor.A fourth teaching innovation is the use of the Resources tool to enable groups to share materials easily with each other. We create a folder call GroupSpace in the Resource tool. In that folder, each group has a folder with its permissions change so only that group may access and use that folder. Setting up folders for up 175 groups is a very time consuming process, but it works. A group’s folder contains individual contact information, group files in progress, final work, and feedback from instructors. When students upload a group project to the assignment tool, only 1 student uploads the project.
| Attachment | Size |
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| OncourseContent.JPG | 142.28 KB |
| OncourseHome.JPG | 142.97 KB |
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