Preparing the Ingredients: First Steps in Developing a New Web Course

1. Preparing the Ingredients: First Steps in Developing a New Web Course Allison Smith, Louisiana Tech University

2. Prepare: • Time • Released course • Commitment to early preparation • Funding • Internal • External • Technical Support • Technology assistant (student) • CITDL

3. Consider Technological Equipment Available: • Blackboard or other web-support system • Class website • Digital videocamera • Digital camera • Scanner • Digitizing software • Voice-recognition software

4. Be clear on syllabus: • Contact information • Office, fax, email, phone, dept. phone, virtual classroom office hours • Minimal hardware requirements • Necessary software requirements • Word processor, RealPlayer, Internet access • Cautions about taking a web course

5. Use Blackboard: • Announcements • Syllabus and other Course Documents • Handouts • Video Clips • Assignments • Discussion Board • Course Statistics • Online Grade Book

6. Organize at Multiple Levels: • By day • Daily schedule • Announcements • Email • Discussion Board • Consistent deadlines

7. Organize at Multiple Levels: • By week • Weekly schedule • Lectures • Video clips • Handouts • Student presentations

8. Organize at Multiple Levels: • By Blackboard module • Assignments and answers • Course documents • Updated syllabus and schedule each day • Lectures • Video clips • Handouts • Student presentations • Communication • Email • Discussion Board • Virtual Classroom

9. Use E-mail (with Attachments): • For class distribution lists • To deal with absent students • For reminders (what’s due, what to read,…) • For students to contact each other (for revision, editing, group work)

10. Use MS Power Point: • For lecture material in class • To post lectures on web sites or Blackboard • To email missed materials to absent students • To highlight important information • To provide handouts • For student presentations

11. Use the Discussion Board: • For student discussion with each other • For answers to posted questions (and subsequent discussion) • For student feedback on student presentations • For shared journals, informal writing, and other class assignments

12. Use Scanning: • For handouts from supplemental texts • For samples of assignments from previous classes • To send back a graded paper (when the student gives you one in non-digital form)

13. Use Web Sites: • Create your own (http://www2.latech.edu/~asmith/Engl575/575atoc.html) • Link to others • Have students create their own for assignments

14. Vary presentation of information: • In print: lectures, syllabus, handouts • In charts, tables, pictures: handouts • In audio: lectures, student samples & presentations • In video: lectures, video clips, web camera • In “person”: virtual class, lecture/discussions, question/answer periods, office hours • In person: first-day meeting, office hours

15. Get Students Involved: • Before semester begins: • Registration by Instructor permission only (email or in office) • Email welcome to registered students • Optional in-person introduction to class • As semester progresses: • First day intro and response assignments • Multiple student presentations • Daily discussion questions • Student feedback on all student reports • Daily participation points

16. Check on Students Often: • Daily discussion questions • Daily email to non-participants • Random use of Course Statistics • Did they read lecture materials? • Did they view video clips? • Did they read all discussion responses? • Did they view student presentations? • Did they view handouts?

17. Benefits of Digitally-Based Classes: • Less to carry around • Can be in France! • Can utilize plagiarism programs (like http://www.turnitin.com) • Can use over-write software programs for grading (like Word, Word Perfect, …) • Saves paper • Saves time (spent making copies) • Saves money

18. Contact me: • Allison Smith, English Department • asmith@garts.latech.edu • Phone: 318.257.2707 • Address: Box 3162, Ruston, LA 71272 • Office hours (spring 2002): • M/W/F: 7:30 to 8:00 am; 9:15 to 11:00 am • T: 8 to 12 noon

19. Preparing the Ingredients: Creating a Recipe for Success Daniel Shockley Technology Assistant Louisiana Tech University

20. Creating Transparent Technology from Scratch • Challenges: • Lectures • Handouts • Video clips • Considerations: • Am I using a variety of presentation formats? • How much time do I need (or have) to prepare? • Is the material accessible to students • technologically? (by accommodating those with limited computer equipment and/or skills whenever possible) • intellectually? (by providing familiar elements of a traditional classroom and a structured course design)

21. Creating Lectures • Choices: • Audio clips / transcripts • Video lectures using a web cam • PowerPoint • Lecture notes in a word processor • Considerations: • What is the availability and usability of choices? • What other modes of presentation am I using?

22. Creating Handouts • Choices: • Scan as a text file • Scan as an image file • Considerations: • How reliable is the OCR software? • Is maintaining page design and layout crucial? • Is prep time or file size more important?

23. Creating Video Clips • Choices: • QuickTime • RealProducer / RealPlayer • (Others) • Considerations: • How do I balance video quality and file size? • How long should my video clips be?

24. Contact Information • Daniel Shockley, English Department • shockley@garts.latech.edu