Using WebCT for a Computer Literacy Course: Making the Beginning Learning Experience a Good One

Judy A. Serwatka

April 23, 2003, 1700 GMT

<tcc_staff> Judy, have a great chat session
< JudyS> This session is "Using WEBCT for a Computer Literacy Class"
< MaryAnn> Hi, Judy. I've not used WebCT, but anticipate that it may happen in the next year. Tell me what you think of it.
< JudyS> Thans, tcc_staff
< tcc_staff> it is ready and will be logged
< JudyS> MaryAnn: I just started using WebCT this year. I used Blackboard in the past
< JudyS> We will be moving to WebCT Vista in the summer!
< JudyS> I like it. Very robust, gives you lots of options and is easy for the students to use!
< JudyS> MaryAnn, what course management software do you currently use?
< MaryAnn> My part is to develop an online resource center for the school of ed -- seems that they have a fairly good set of resources collected from numerous sites.
< JudyS> So, do you have a web site already established?
< MaryAnn> The software is homegrown and has been used for about the last 5 years for all the SOE online classes. It's worked fairly well, but we're outgrowing it. It's on the George Fox University site.
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< JudyS> I see. WebCT was purchased by our University, so all campuses will use it in the furture.
< MaryAnn> The seminary affilicated with GFU uses it now and that is the connection.
< JudyS> I previously worked at another campus in our system, and they outgrew Blackboard because so many faculty used it in on-campus and on-line courses.
< MaryAnn> How helpful have you found the WebCT resources for students?
< JudyS> Well, right now, the resources we have are a mix of those provided by WebCT and some homegrown ones. In the future, our helpdesk will answer student questions about WebCT.
< MaryAnn> Is that mostly for the technical aspects or do they also support how to learn online?
< JudyS> My experience is that the instructor is one of the most important resources for the students. The instructor MUST be well-versed in the software in order to help the students.
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< JudyS> How to learn on-line is not something that has been addressed yet, except by individual faculty.
< JudyS> I expect we will have links to various sites to help students with this in the near future.
< JudyS> That's probably one of the biggest issues with students is the misconception that learning on-line is easy!
< JudyS> Hi Chris)
< ChrisO> Hello!
< MaryAnn> My experience at several universities is that faculty are still trying to figure out how all of this works as well and are swamped. We hope to have a place that they can direct their students for the most basic questions -- and yes, what a misconception
< JudyS> ChrisO, do you have experience with WebCT?
< ChrisO> Sorry I'm late. Computer "problems"
< ChrisO> We use Blackboard.
< MaryAnn> Hi, Chris.
< MaryAnn> Chris, does
< JudyS> We have a faculty member that has discovered several links at universities around our state that help students with the idea of studying on-line.
< JudyS> ChrisO, I used Blackboard up until a year ago.
< JudyS> MaryAnn, our state has something called the Indiana College Network. Many of the universities involved in that have sites to help students.
< MaryAnn> Chris, what kinds of student support resources does Blackboard offer?
< JudyS> My firm conviction is that we should not continually re-invent the wheel.
< JudyS> I know what you mean about being swamped. I started a new position last fall, taught myself WebCT and am updating to a fourth edition of my textbook!
< MaryAnn> Judy, is the Network available online to anyone? Does it address online specifically within the program?
< JudyS> The Indiana College Network (ICN) is part of the IHETS organization. You can reach them at www.ihets.org and click on the ICN link. From there you can find additional information.
< ChrisO> What kind of support resources are you thinking of? Native Blackboard tools or things we've done ourselves?
< JudyS> ChrisO, the support we are talking about is helping students know how to learn through on-line courses. Mary Ann asked about resources from WebCT. I think external sources are better.
< MaryAnn> I'm looking at the gamut from the technical aspects to learning online -- community, time management, etc.
< ChrisO> Agreed. Blackboard's tools are weak. We have a preliminary training session required and a help desk available to students online and by phone.
< JudyS> MaryAnn, Time management is always a problem for students. It's hard for both on-line and on-campus students to get into the right mindset!
< JudyS> ChrisO, I tried on-campus training in the past, and found that very few students came. How is the attendance at your sessions?
< MaryAnn> Judy, tell us a little about the course you teach.
< JudyS> The course presented in the paper, is an intro course in computer technology, with Computer Literacy concepts and projects in Microsoft Office.
< ChrisO> JudyS, The computer 101 course is required, and my onground classes tend to lose about one third of the students by mid semester
< ChrisO> Our 101 course is very similar.
< JudyS> I've taught this course for the first time this semester on-line. This campus has not had many on-line courses in the past, and I'm trying to change that.
< JudyS> The biggest problem I see is that the students do not come in for help. This course is for non-computer majors.
< ChrisO> Judy, Any experiences to add since you've written the paper?
< MaryAnn> Judy, tell me a little about the demographics of your students -- age, distance to campus, etc.
< JudyS> ChrisO, I think I would add more on-line help, and add the examples that came with the Shelly Cashman text for Microsoft Office.
< JudyS> MaryAnn, The students are a mix of traditional and older students. They are all local students (within 40 miles) and they come to campus to take tests.
< JudyS> MaryAnn, Our Learning Center does a great job getting them in for the tests.
< JudyS> My past experience was that I allowed students to take the tests off-campus, but my current Dept. Chair is not comfortable with that.
< JudyS> ChrisO, how do your students take tests?
< MaryAnn> Does WebCT have an option for secure testing?
< JudyS> MaryAnn, yes it does. I add a password that the students must get from the Learning Center. You can also restrict it to certain IP addresses if you like. And time/date restrictions.
< MaryAnn> So, it could be used for long distance students fairly easily?
< JudyS> The issue is that my Dept. Chair doesn't want to worry that someone else is taking the test for the students. So, we make them bring a picture ID to the test.
< ChrisO> We have been offering the online version of the introductory course for several semesters now. I have not done one myself, sticking to the more advanced courses for online instruction. No guts I guess!
< JudyS> Mary Ann, yes, definitely!
< JudyS> ChrisO, I prefer the more advanced courses as well :-) All of these courses are strictly an experiment for this campus, although I have about 7 years experience teaching on-line.
< JudyS> I have taught lower level and upper level networking courses on-line for several years. In those classes, I use projects rather than tests to assess the students!
< JudyS> Not only to we have the change the paradigm of teaching on-line, but we have to reduce the paranoia that exists with testing.
< MaryAnn> There is a real challenge for administration to shift gears or even fully understand online and testing seems to be one of the hot buttons for control.
< ChrisO> The concepts tests are taken via the Blackboard assessment facility (multiple choice). The MS Office work is submitted to the instuctor via email or the Blackboard Drop Box.
< MaryAnn> Does WebCT have a good support system for faculty since as you mentioned time is such an important issue?
< JudyS> Sorry, the telephone guy just came to my door!
< JudyS> MaryAnn, the WebCT support is an unknown to me! My university provides the best support!
< MaryAnn> Never, ever ignore the telephone guy!!
< JudyS> MaryAnn, For sure! At least he didn't disconnect my computer line!
< MaryAnn> What do they offer for you?
< JudyS> Mary Ann, they have documentation that can be downloaded, and there is always on-line help through e-mail or telephone from our WebCT support group on campus.
< MaryAnn> Chris, what about faculty support for your online faculty/
< JudyS> MaryAnn, I am in the process of negotiating a quarter=time release with my current campus to be our on-campus faculty support person!
< JudyS> That is the position I had at my previous position for 7 years.
< ChrisO> MaryAnn, We've been fortunate as far a our administration's support of online classes. They've successfully pushed to get accreditation for a couple online AA degrees.
< JudyS> ChrisO, at my previous campus, we got our AS computer technology degree accredited.
< JudyS> ChrisO, I mean the on-line version.
< MaryAnn> I certainly hope that is granted -- what I hear from so many is that they need help not only in learning the system, but developing curriculum.
< ChrisO> Faculty support is growing. We now have a couple full time support people as well as regular training sessions.
< JudyS> MaryAnn, yes, once again, the pedagogy is different. You cannot simply put your on-campus course into a digital form. There are different ways to learn on-line!
< MaryAnn> Chris, what do your training sessions include?
< ChrisO> I have ported my online course to onground, using the online exercises but lecturing in place of some of the presentations. There are considerations, but it seemed to work.
< ChrisO> MaryAnn, the training is mostly about how to utilize Blackboard. Online instructors are also required to take an online course from Michigan Virtual University.
< JudyS> MaryAnn, Here's what I like to do for training. I do some general pedagogy things, then show successful courses that are on-line, and stress that the key to good on-line courses is communication, communication, communication!
< JudyS> I took an on-line certificate program in Distance Learning last summer. It was a perfect example of how NOT to do an on-line course. Having faculty take an on-line course is an excellent idea!
< MaryAnn> Oh, how true! I can't imagine teaching online without the experience. It's just too different. Perhaps all administration should take a short course as well!
< JudyS> MaryAnn, excellent idea! Sometimes they just don't get the concept!
< ChrisO> MaryAnn, I may have missed it, but what is your experience in online instruction.
< MaryAnn> Have you ever seen a demonstration website where people could interact to see how it all works?
< JudyS> MaryAnn, do you mean a demonstration of a class? We have a demonstration course going on right now where faculty can set up "dummy" courses to test out the new software.
< JudyS> MaryAnn, if you are talking about a web site created by someone else, I'm not familiar with any.
< ChrisO> We have a sample course site available for potential student view, but there is no interaction involved.
< MaryAnn> ChrisO, when we moved in the mid-90s I took a certificate program to get my state teaching credential -- Teaching, Learning, and Technology. Then I did my MEd online in the last few years and now work as a consultant developing resources for online lear
< JudyS> MaryAnn, So, you are very familiar with the process. You've probably seen the good and the bad in on-line learning.
< MaryAnn> Indeed, in fact we have a paper this afternoon about what we would like to tell our professors -- actually suggested by my academic advisor -- the best online instructor I've encountered.
< ChrisO> General question.... How much personal contact (f2f or telephone) have you had with students during an online course?
< JudyS> ChrisO, I have an on-line chat set up every Monday from 6PM to 9PM, and NO ONE ever logs in! I am contacted primarily by e-mail. No one comes to my office!
< JudyS> It's almost like they think they are not allowed to come to a f2f meeting, although I tell them it is ok!
< MaryAnn> Seldom to never as a student at two schools
< JudyS> ChrisO, what is your experience with that?
< MaryAnn> I've done everything by email, although one class required a f2f each term which was very difficult from some very long distance learners
< ChrisO> That has been my experience with chats too. I don't have office hours (adjunct) but have had telephone conversations with students that just couldn't get a problem resolve via email.
< JudyS> MaryAnn, f2f meetings need to be explained early in the semester so students at a distance can make arrangements or drop the class.
< JudyS> I've enjoyed chatting with you two during this conference!
< MaryAnn> Part of the certicate program was a required class that had the f2f. One student drove 5-6 hours each way to participate -- the only option. It was certainly a priority for him to complete .
< JudyS> Wow!
< ChrisO> Need to run! Thank you both. And nice job on the paper Judy!
< MaryAnn> Thanks for all the helpful information.
< JudyS> ChrisO, thanks!
< JudyS> MaryAnn, thanks for attending.
< MaryAnn> Judy, can you give me the network URL again?
< JudyS> See you both at other sessions!
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< JudyS> MaryAnn, the ICN url is www.ihets.org, and click on Indiana College Network.
< MaryAnn> Thanks a bunch. See you again, I hope.
< JudyS> Thanks!
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