August 29, 2008

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Not your father's classroom: Technology transforms the college experience

(Oct. 20, 2004)--College campuses are overflowing with students packing iPods, Blackberries, notebook computers and cell phones.

For a generation obsessed with gadgets, the latest technology -- whatever it may be -- draws a crowd. For college classrooms, the latest technology captures an audience. With gaining the fickle attention of today's 20-year-old student in mind, UTSA doctoral student Johnny Flores got together with Cheryl Schrader, then a UTSA electrical engineering professor, and created a graduate-level WebCT course, Linear Systems and Controls, which earned national recognition for its design. (WebCT is a computer conferencing and course management software tool used for online course delivery.)

Schrader and Flores spent hours determining the best way to present complex information through WebCT. Between Schrader's engineering expertise and Flores' background in mass communication and multimedia the two were able to develop a course showcasing the possibilities technology brings to the classroom.

"If you do it right, you wind up with a (WebCT class) that augments

the lecture," says Flores. "It allows students to go back over the notes that were talked about in class. It allows students to discuss problems and proofs without being in the same place at the same time."

Between work and class schedules, it is often difficult for students to find common time to collaborate on coursework. Through WebCT courses like the one Flores and Schrader created, students can work from home either interactively through a chat room or in a discussion group. They can post messages on message boards and get the help they need at their convenience.

"We were just a few clicks away from the major aspects of the course," says Flores. "The graphic elements were exciting. We tried to make it creative. We softened it up."

Appearance was just one of many components that impressed last year's annual WebCT user conference, which honored the UTSA course as an "Exemplary Course." The judges looked for courses that modeled best practices in design, interaction, assessment and learner support. According to Flores, a good WebCT course should make the best use of technology, supporting the student while not getting bogged down in too much technology. "You don't want it to be technology just for the sake of technology," he says.

The architecture of the course combined with unique additions such as advice on WebCT etiquette impressed the judges who singled out only six courses from more than 80 international nominated courses.

"These courses illustrate our 'learning without limits' philosophy by effectively conveying a wide variety of knowledge and abilities, from the power to be creative in an 'open thinking' course to collaborating online in 'lear systems and control,'" said Carol Vallone, WebCT president and CEO. "We applaud and thank the schools and faculty responsible for these achievements, which showcase the flexibility of our software in the most demanding learning contexts."

The award-winning course can be found online at http://www.webct.com/exemplary/viewpage?name=exemplary_2003_schrader.

--Leigh Anne Gullett