1998 Paper Presentations

WHEN THE MEDIUM IS THE CONTENT: TEACHING INTRODUCTORY COMPUTER COURSES ONLINE OR TEACHING ONLINE ONLINE!

Pat Tyrer, Computer Science Department, Texas Tech University <ptyrer@coe.ttu.edu>

INTRODUCTION
This paper outlines a pilot project to effect changes in the delivery of a beginning level computer science end-user course (CS 1300) for non-CS majors by changing the current lecture/lab format into a directed, lectureless, semi-self-paced course, and by making the course available to all students who request it. The paper outlines (I) purpose, (II) goal, (III) the course delivery restructure, (IV) examinations and grading criteria, (V) course directives and timelines, and (VI) resources. The paper gives specific information and directives for establishing such a course.

I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this proposed change is to improve the means by which students entering Texas Tech are given access to basic computer instruction needed in pursuit of their studies, regardless of their major course of study. The secondary purpose is to provide an introductory end-user course to all Texas Tech students, who desire such a course, in support of a campus-wide effort to raise the level of computer literacy among Texas Tech students. The result will be that students graduating from Texas Tech will not only be educated in their field, but will also be prepared to take their places in an increasingly technological society. Because the course will be sponsored by the Computer Science department, the integrity of the course will be maintained, even though the ultimate goal is to have the course directed by several campus departments working in cooperation.

II. GOAL
The goal of this project is to offer this course to all incoming freshmen, regardless of major. Additionally, this offering will ensure that all Texas Tech students are given the opportunity to become computer literate at the beginning of the college experience thereby preparing students for the ever-growing number of computer-based courses offered campus-wide across the disciplines.

III. COURSE DELIVERY & STRUCTURE
Computers and Modern Society (CS1300) will be structured so that students can complete each of the five units of the course in a modified self-directed, self-paced method. Course materials will be available online for viewing with any browser (graphical or nongraphical). A timeline for online discussions, virtual office hours, and project deadlines will be presented online, as well as given to students via hard copy at the beginning of the semester.

A. Course Introduction
Students will meet face-to-face with the instructor the first two weeks of the semester for 2 lecture sessions and 2 lab sessions in which the course structure, policies, and grading criteria will be explained. Additionally, the lab sessions will be devoted to demonstrating and assisting students in the use of email, MOOs, ftp, and Internet browsers. Students will also be directed to campus computing services and additional campus resources such as short courses offered by the ATLC, free email and web page access for students, optional fee-paid dial-in services, open-use computer labs directed by ACS, and dorm facilities.

As a back-up, video recordings of orientation sessions will be available for student check-out through the Library Reserve room. Students may check videos out for a number of online presentations throughout the semester as a back-up to those students wishing a more lecture-oriented presentation.

B. Course Delivery
With the exception of textbooks and exams, all course materials will be available online via the WWW. These materials include course syllabus, course policies, grading criteria, project and examination due dates, project reading assignments, online discussion schedule, and instructor’s office hours, both onsite in the Computer Science Department and online via the use of web chat freeware from DynamIP.

C. Course Structure
The course will be divided into five units. Each unit will require students to complete assigned readings, participate in online discussions, complete a hands-on project, and unit examination. Students may work at their own pace (within the unit dates designated) in reading the required material and in completing the course project. Online discussions will be conducted via synchronous (MOO) and asynchronous (The Forum) discussions over the assigned readings. At the end of each unit, students will be required to satisfactorily pass a written examination over the material covered in each unit. The examination will be given at a designated time and place. Students will additionally meet to complete both a mid-term and final exam. The course is divided into five units:

Unit I. Overview of Computers & Society

• History & Development of Computers
• DOS, Windows 95, MacOS
• Email, MOOs, Internet Software

Unit II. Software Applications

• Word Processing
• Desktop Publishing
• Spreadsheets & Accounting Applications
• Multimedia
• File and Database Management

Unit III Computer Hardware

• Processing hardware
• Input/Output Hardware
• Storage and Communication Hardware

Unit IV. Networks and Information Systems

• Internet Exploration
• World Wide Web
• Newsgroups, IRC’s, MOOs, MUDs

Unit V. Technological Trends

• Buying a Personal Computer
• PC’s versus Macintosh
• Keeping up with Change
• Computers Use in Specific Disciplines

D. Required Texts

• Computers! Fifth Edition by Timothy Trainor and Diane Krasnewich. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.
• Computers! Student Study Guide. Fifth Edition by Timothy Trainor and Diane Krasnewich. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.
• Casting Your Net, A Student’s Guide to Research on the Internet , H. Eric Branscomb. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.

E. Course Objectives

• The objectives of CS1300 are to provide a survey of computers, their uses, and their impact on society and to develop the fundamental skills students require to succeed academically. Specifically, this course is designed to:
• Provide a survey of computers, their uses, and their impact on society
• Learn how to operate the personal computer in Windows, DOS, and MacOS environments
• Utilize the Internet as a communications and research tool
• Understand and use a variety of software and hardware

F. Instructor Support
The instructor will provide support and intervention for students via email, online MOO discussions, virtual office hours, and face-to-face assistance as needed. The instructor will be available for all students via email on a daily basis, and during virtual office hours held weekly. Instructor’s office hours will be expanded to four hours onsite and an additional four virtual office hours. Office hours will be staggered to include both morning and evening hours to better meet the needs of all students.

IV. EXAMINATIONS AND GRADING
There will be seven examinations given over the course of the semester which will include five unit exams, a mid-term, and final exam. Additional grades will be given for online participation (via email, MOOs, webchat) and for unit projects.

A. Major Assignments
Online Participation via email, MOO, webchat, the Forum (5%) CS 1300 is both a discussion and a lab class in which active participation is required both in online synchronous discussions and in asynchronous electronic mail discussions. Each class member will be required to apply for a free University email account for use during the semester and will be required to read and respond to mail messages and discussion prompts posted by the instructor.

Unit Examinations (25%) Five examinations will be given over the course of the semester covering materials from the textbooks as well as the online discussions. The majority of examination materials will be taken directly from the textbooks. To prepare for the examinations, you should closely study terms and study questions given at the end of each chapter.

Unit Projects (50%) Each of the five units covered in the course will require the completion of a number of hands-on tasks. Students will be required to FTP materials to an assigned destination prior to the due date for each project.

Mid-Term Exam (10%) The Mid-Term exam will cover material presented in the first half of the semester. A mid-term review session will be held online prior to the scheduled exam.

Final Exam (10%) The final exam will cover material presented in the second half of the semester. A final-exam review session will be held online prior to the scheduled exam.

B. Grading Scale (points)
Online Participation 50 pts Unit Examinations 250 pts Unit Projects 500 pts Mid-Term Exam 100 pts Final Exam 100 pts Total 1000 pts

A=900-1000 B=800-899 C=700-799 D=600-699 F=599 or below

V. COURSE DIRECTIVES AND TIMELINES
Course materials as outlined above will be available to students via a variety of linked web pages. The information listed below is an example of one of the web pages showing the directions and timelines for a sample unit project.

Hot Links lead to an additional web page which will give additional details and directions. Students may access as much or as little information as they need.

•   Computers and Modern Society   

  Unit I. Introduction to Computers and Modern Society

  PROJECT	EXAM
  REQUIRED READINGS	REQUIRED STUDY GUIDE ASSIGNMENTS

Project, Unit I:

1. Acquire an email account.
2. Set your personal name or establish a signature file for your email account.
3. Send an initial email to your instructor outlining your personal computer experience history.
4. Request a Character on DaMOO.
5. Report the name of your DaMOO character to your instructor via email.
6. Establish a Group Distribution List or Address Book on your email account.
7. Meet with your group on DaMOO.
8. Send a brief report of your group's MOO meeting to your instructor via email. Report who, when, and where you met on the MOO.
9. Complete Appendix C in Computers!  (Windows 95 Tutorial); report outcome to your instructor via email.
10. Respond, via email, to the weekly Discussion Prompts posted by your instructor.

OVERVIEW: Introduction to the University’s email system to assist you in becoming familiar with the (VAX) by learning to send, read, respond, and delete email, to create distribution lists; to explore Newsgroups and the World Wide Web using a graphical and nongraphical browser; to transfer files from one computer to another using FTP software; to create a character and space on the CompSci MOO for class discussion purposes.

VI. RESOURCES

A. Pilot Project
A pilot project will be conducted during the two 1998 summer sessions wherein enrollment is generally one-third as large as the full semester enrollment. This smaller group will provide a good testing ground for use of online materials by students unaccustomed to this type of course delivery, a ferreting out of potential problems with computer access, hardware, and software problems, and an assessment of the amount of instructor hours required to satisfactorily delivery the course.

B. Resources Needed
1. MOO Database - A very basic MOO can be downloaded from Lambda MOO (original MOO database created by Stephen White and Pavel Curtis). There are also several advantages to patterning the MOO after current educational MOOS which are web-interfaced such as DaMOO (http:damoo.csun.edu:8888) and Diversity University (http://du.org). There are several advantages and disadvantages to each type of MOO core, the chief advantage being that both DaMOO and DU use a web-based MOO (WOO) which allows users to incorporate html text within the MOO to link to documents on the WWW. The MOO would be used for class meetings/discussions throughout the semester. The use of the MOO would not be limited to members of any one course, as several “rooms” can be created on the MOO with access to certain areas allowed to only members of a specific class.

2. WebChat Software - is freeware available from DynamIP at Stanford University. This software would need to be downloaded on the instructor’s machine only and would allow students to use a type of IRC through any graphical browser. This would facilitate ease of access to the instructor for virtual office hours. Students do not need any additional software other than a graphical browser to access WebChat.

3. Technical Support - a SysOps will be needed to ensure server support for both support of the web site and the establishment of a Forum using Cold Fushion software. Although the instructor will be responsible for establishing and building the web pages specific to the course, the support of the Distance Ed SysOp will ensure the integrity of the course offered once the course is delegated to select campus schools.

 

For Additional Information, please contact: Pat Tyrer, Lecturer ptyrer@coe.ttu.edu Computer Science Department Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas 79409 (806) 742-3527 ext. 220

Comments on this presentation or topic can be sent via email to factrn-l@hawaii.edu

 

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