If technology is the answer,

Sir John Daniel, vice chancellor of the Open University,as quoted in “Technology in Today’s Classroom,”Academe, May/June 1998

If technology is the answer,

what was the question?

Sir John Daniel, vice chancellor of the Open University,as quoted in “Technology in Today’s Classroom,”Academe, May/June 1998

• enhance student/faculty interaction• make the most of class time• increase students’ out-of-class time

How can a course websiteimprove student learning and theundergraduate experience?

A course website can help to:

Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education

Good Practice:1. Encourages student-faculty contact.2. Encourages cooperation among students.3. Encourages active learning.4. Gives prompt feedback.5. Emphasizes time on task.6. Communicates high expectations.7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.

Seven Principles for Good Practicein Undergraduate Education

(AAHE, 1987)

SCEN103 Science Concepts Behind High Technology

Silicon, Circuits, and the Digital Revolution

http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/scen103/colloq2000/

PHYS345 Electricity and Electronics for Engineers

Electrical Engineering forMechanical Engineering Majors

http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/phys345/

PHYS208 Fundamentals of Physics II

Electricity and Magnetism for Engineering Majors

http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/phys208/

A course website can help toenhance communication witha large class by providing:

• online survey forms• an anonymous suggestion box• a repository of responses

to individuals

Gatheringpersonalinformation

Surveyingclassattitudes

Anonymoussuggestionbox

A course website can help tomake the most of class time by:

• relegating organizationaldetails to out-of-class time

• focusing attention• reducing transcription

Reduce in-class references to exams!

for active learning

Think,pair,share

Reducetranscriptiontime & errors

A course website can help toincrease students’ out-of-class time by:

• providing selected solutions• encouraging additional work• suggesting appropriate online

resources• inspiring web-based projects

Weekend posting forFriday quiz

Favoring studentsby doublingwork load

Providing relevant online resources

Encouragingstudent creationand publication

• enhance student/faculty interaction• make the most of class time• increase students’ out-of-class time

Why construct a course website?It can help to:

ghw@udel.edu