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IN THIS ISSUE Hat Trick Choreographing a Romance Evolution of a Biology Professor Sweet Rewards Academic Stepping Stone Chancellor's Column Development News Factoids Newsmakers Accomplishments by faculty and staff… |
Web Pioneers Their covered wagons were computers, and the wheels that pushed them forward, the software systems within. While the San Diego Community College District as a whole is in the midst of rigorous training in instructional technology, a few folks in the San Diego Community College District qualify as pioneers of using web technology in their teaching and seminars. These faculty and staff members forged ahead before the big push began, learning from their successes and mistakes, and helping establish the future. Fred
Garces “I
realized immediately how it helped students, because it gave them access
to material that was otherwise tedious to access,” Garces said. “Before,
I had a resource binder in the library that had lecture notes and handouts.” Once
Garces learned how to use Netscape Composer, he was able to transfer those
materials to his digital library, now using web-based teaching in his
five chemistry prep classes. “I can organize my lecture notes for them, offer sample exams, provide online handouts,” Garces said. “The students have been very receptive. They feed off each other as they explore and discuss.” “Many
of the younger professors are very open to web-based teaching, while others
are not,” Garces said. “My take is that we are here for the
students, and whatever helps them have greater access can only be seen
as a positive.” Mary
Gross “I
started teaching the students basic skills for Microsoft Word, and started
incorporating e-mail projects into the assignments,” Gross said.
“It was also kind of a training ground for threaded discussion.”
Gross would eventually begin involving the creation of web pages and web
based searches, using these to advantage in her English as a second language
(ESL) classes. “By the time I came to Miramar College and started using online teaching, I was using Blackboard then WebCT,” Gross said. “I took some classes at UCLA to get my online teaching certificate, then last fall I taught my basic composition class online.” Her
methods must have worked. Gross saw her students
show off a 100 percent pass rate on the English 56 exit exam. “Normally
we’re lucky to get 75-80 percent,” she said. “I attribute
the perfect pass rate to online teaching. There is mandatory participation,
no hiding in the background.” Gross
has found similar success with her ESL students, who after two to three
weeks in Microsoft Word lessons and computer basics are not only swimming
along nicely, but also sit side-by-side working together. “The
goal is to get them writing and using the computer,” Gross said.
“They love the fact they can express themselves freely without being
embarrassed.” Gross
says she has more frequent contact with students than ever before because
of e-mail. “I like the fact they can go home and re-listen to the
lectures,” Gross said. “Online teaching extends the classroom.
It doesn’t need to be used in all of our classes, but we need to
recognize the Internet is a permanent part of our lives.”
Shirley Orsinelli “We have a discussion board, questions and answers, postings,” Orsinelli said. “It’s an open-entry, open-exit course, so the more self-motivated students are really prospering.” Orsinelli and her Mesa College students meet during the week to get to know each other better and discuss issues. “Then I post a topic,” she said. “The use of linking completely changes a way a student learns, because there is instant access a student never had before.” Orsinelli’s department has nine online courses, with plans for a multimedia online class in the fall, including PhotoShop and other programs. “I know the students better now than I did in the classroom,” Orsinelli said. “When I was a student, I was extremely shy and never raised my hand. Now I communicate with shy students, who have a different way to raise their hands and learn how things work. I love this.” Theresa
Savarese “It’s a natural progression,” Savarese said of her first-time efforts this semester. “In structure, set-up and materials, it’s working great,” she said. “About half of the students are actively working online.” Savarese says she is trying to make the online teaching as independent as possible, with students proceeding at their own pace. “This is the type of course that doesn’t lend itself as well to discussion and group meetings,” Savarese said. “But this method does teach the online student to think.” Savarese says she is a strong advocate of more applications and programs classes moving to fully online. “It’s another delivery method, and a sound one,” she said. “It’s good for students who have other commitments, great for people who are home a lot or can’t find a babysitter. Many students and subjects need a classroom structure, but online provides flexibility.” Gary
Gleckman Using closed-circuit technology, Gary Gleckman’s video-conferencing classes broadcast between the Educational Cultural Complex and North City Center, as part of the Continuing Education high school completion program. The classes allow students to visit one site while watching half of the class televised from the other. “Our retention rate at these classes has almost doubled,” Gleckman said. “Students are excited by the technology, and the idea of being on TV. Each class has its own personality.” Gleckman goes on the air at 10:30 a.m. on class day s following his colleague who starts teaching on-air at 8:30. “It’s a lot of fun and the frontline of experience as far as video technology in teaching classes,” Gleckman said. “It’s also brought students from two different socio-economic backgrounds together, as far as location of campuses. There is tremendous interaction. It’s not just television with talking heads. The students write and act out their own commercials in the economics class.” There’s even an advantage over computer-based teaching. “Not everybody has a computer,” Gleckman said. “I’m not sure you can say that about television.”
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