Re: Teaching over the Internet

[kowalskil <kowalskil@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>]

Rick Tarara wrote:
> I've talked to teachers at meetings who have tried Web or CD based texts and
> they say that students are even more resistant to using these than their
> printed books (and we all know how well those are read).   One would think
> that with all the enhancements--integrated animations, simulations,
> video--that these would really be attractive to students, but from my small
> and unscientific sampling, that doesn't seem to be the case.

I am also very reluctant to start using the content
provided by publishers. So far I was using Blackboard
(and WebCT last year) for quizzes and the course list.
In other words, I was using empty courses and developed
my own textbook-based multiple choice quizzes, as needed.
They are of the open-book nature and students take
them over the Internet. A quiz must be taken during a
specified time period, for example, before the next
class. My quizzes are very easy; this semester they
will contribute 20% to the final grade. That is
sufficient to provide motivation for learning on time.
Quizzes help to synchronize personal studying with
what is going in a class, or in a lab. A class list
is like phys-L; every student is a subscriber.
Ludwik Kowalski