Web Space

Some exciting news. I met with the web master and acquired a bit of PBCC web space to start my online tutoring program. Be on the lookout for updates regarding this project.

TechXplore trial

On Thursday, I assisted a speech teacher with a project exploring technological communication. Using a web-based system called TechXplore, the instructor was able to talk to his students using headsets and headphones. There's a lot of possibilities here with the web cam and the classroom set up. (It even has a "raise hand" button.) It did have some negative aspects to it that may be smoothed out over time. Not all of the students were able to communicate. Also, sometimes the option to press "talk" would vanish for no reason. Ideally, the instructor would be able to see each of his students through a web cam and talk to each one. He could hold class discussions from remote locations. Students could type and pose questions while another student talks allowing them two forms of communication at the same time. Students could record speeches in advance for their peers to review. This is very cool in concept, but so far this reminds me of free and therefore poor-quality chat rooms. In 1999, my friend Greg showed me how to set up a private chat room. We set one up and were able to talk through the computer. There was a lot of background noise and a bit of a delay (just like this program). It was actually quicker to type then to talk. I haven't been in one since, but I've heard these types of chat rooms have improved a lot. I don't know. I have a cell phone, and I have aol's instant messenger, so I didn't see the need. It definitely has potential for distance learning courses, though. PBCC is always trying to increase its distance learning programs. I'll write more as the wrinkles are ironed out. He plans to use it several more times this semester.

Accutrack

Accutrack is the system the college's libraries, student learning centers, computer labs, and media services use to track student usage. It is a flawed system because each location creates its own activities so there is no way to track college-wide data. This is a problem since a community college gets a lot of grant funding which is based on progress. If progress isn't made, the funding is pulled. In my lab, I plan to use the reports to show that we need more lab space. One of the major problems with Accutrack in just our lab is that the activities are so numerous that students don't choose the right ones. They pick whatever is automatically selected which keeps us from having an accurate record of how many Prep II Math students have visited the lab, for example. I also wanted to accurately show how much the English and reading attendance has increased since I started working here. I don't think that is truly possible, either. I have joined a committee to design a college-wide system that is based on an interface that already holds the students' records. The students' schedule will pop up and universal options will be displayed as choices. The only hang up is that each lab performs unique functions, so it will be a little tricky to design universal activities for every lab. I'm looking forward to dealing with these challenges, however. Apparently this is supposed to be a web-based interface that hopefully I can also use to track online tutoring which I would like to pilot in the fall.

Lab Surveys II

I received the last of my surveys. I did get some responses asking that we not have lab assignments, but their complaints were legitimate. This final class was an evening class. The average night student has a full-time job and a family to care for. These students do not have the time to come to the lab. Our seminars are not always convenient for them to attend. Keeping these factors in mind, I've decided that I want to keep the computer assignments despite their complications. I will continue working on simplifying the process.