Integrating Technology and the Classroom

Tom Kelliher

Jun. 4, 1997

Outline:

1. The ubiquity of communications.

2. Communication forms.

3. The future.

4. Students and Web pages.

5. Conclusion.

The Ubiquity of Communications

• Constant connectedness: pagers, cell phones, air-LANs, voice mail, faxes.

• access.

Communication Forms

E-mail

• Flexible 1-1, 1-many communications.

• Hassle of To-lists (many-many)

• Attachments.

• Uses: questions, assignment turn-in, assignment return, etc.

Bulletin Boards/Newsgroups

Flexible many-many communications.

USENET server, CGI programs; easier with GroupWise 5.

Password protection to restrict access.

Uses: Asynchronous on-line discussions.

Shared Network Drives

Share documents, work.

Uses: Distribute electronic assignments, turn-in assignments, facilitate group work.

Psychology of the Internet workdir: 60MB across 1,500 files.

Chat/Unix Talk

1. Synchronous on-line discussions (many-many, 1-1)

2. Interruptions.

3. Uses: Fight fires.

Web Pages

1. Your own personal printing press.

2. Uses: course materials, pointers to other materials.

3. Is it fundamentally different from filing course materials in the Library?

The Future

1. Long fat pipes --- cheap, plentiful bandwidth.

2. Still images.

3. Audio.

4. Video.

5. Distance learning.

Students and Web Pages

1. Responsibility.

2. Ease:
   1. Netscape Gold.

   2. HTML converters in MS Word, PowerPoint, etc.

3. Evaluation criteria:

   Team 1:  User Friendly Tutorial on Geek Speak
   Team 2:  User Friendly Tutorial on Small Group Effectiveness
   Team 3:  Tutorial on Creative Problems Solving with and about the Net
   Team 4:   Guidelines for Ethics of Advertising on the Net
   
   Evaluation
        Utility : Addresses the needs of a novice to the area. (20%)
        Esthetics:  Looks good, appropriate applications of perceptual 
        psychology (10%)
        Organization:  Clear, coherent, logical structure.(10%)
        Accuracy:  Correct information, appropriate inclusion (30%)
        Intellectual Integrity:  Correct referencing to source of
        information, ideas, etc. (15%)
        Human Factors:  Addresses how people will interact with tutorial
        or guidelines.(15%)
        Creativity:  BONUS (10%)
   

Conclusion

• Constant connectedness, access.

• Partnerships between content providers and technology ``liberators.''

• Place students in multi-disciplinary work groups. Mix them up.