As these links go up, some individual or group could organize these links in
sets or categories. This would be a valuable resource for anyone starting a
web-based course, and eventually would lead to a greater level of
sophistication among ourselves on evaluating, assessing courses. I suspect
someone will write a short essay pointing to interesting features on varied
pages.
With this kind of data available, certainly someone is going to make a study
pulling together assessments and offering tips for more "successful"
efforts. One step at a time might lead this to become a valuable
organization.
Money--well, is it possible to ask universities to pay a membership fee and
yet keep control over the site in the hands of educators? Maybe a sliding
scale depending on how many faculty "should" be in it? Start out small and
raise the fee over time? Because eventually, there might be a way to
establish a reasonable fee to be paid to those who would assess an online
course. (I know I'm reaching here, and haven't thought through all the
problems.) [Making a face as she realizes what others might be reading into
such a proposal.] Parts of this proposal need a lot of work.
You know, the next conference might be a good place to try out this
idea--show others how a web site thus described might be of use to all of
us. Wouldn't have to be a real big web page the first time, but would have
a variety of offerings, plus chat rooms or MOOing for software, and for a
series of issues, from software and retention and motivation, etc. Could get
this up and running earlier, and display it then.
Good idea Jennifer. Would you be willing to be on a committee to "do it?"
Should we ask for volunteers? Beg Steve? Do we ask Jim and Bert to take
over? I'd be willing to help, but as yet I don't have a course online.
Would be nice to have this kind of organization/web page available.
Angela S. Burger, Prof., Political Science
Univ. of Wis. Center: Marathon
518 S. 7th Ave. Wausau, WI 54403
aburger@mail.uwc.edu
Phone: 715-261-6278 Fax: 715-261-6333