Activity

Traditional Approach

(meaning only a "chalk and talk" classroom)

In-Class Computer-Aided Instruction 

(a computer classroom with access to local networks only)

Out-of-class CAI

(not necessarily a CAI classroom; rather, a class that takes advantage of  internets and intranets)

Communication with students

In-class announcement; handouts; phonecalls to students' homes.

Announcements dropped off in class pick-up folder on classroom fileserver (a drive shared by all networked computers).

E-mail; postings on web-page; Yahoo Groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/) offers a calendar function.

Synchronous Communication/ Collaboration

(See http://usabilityfirst.com/groupware/
intro.html for definitions and explanations of unknown "groupware" terms)

Exchanged paper documents (e.g., drafts) in class draft workshops; conversations; group-work.

Daedalus Interchange (a program that allows real-time conversations over a local network -- see http://www.daedalus.com/info/interchange_info.html); drafts exchanged using drop-off and pick-up folders; Apple Network Assistant.

Web-Chat (UCD community can try out this program at http://webtools.ucdavis.edu/; Internet Relay Chat (find definitions and help at http://www.irchelp.org/); Instant messaging (for example, using AOL Instant Messenger).

Asynchronous Communication/  Collaboration

Study questions; Professor asks and/or answers questions about earlier class topics; comments upon journal entries; some instructors use cork and paper bulletin boards.

Folder set aside for anonymous comments and suggestions for the instructor; quarter-long Daedalus interchange; "track changes" in a Microsoft Word document.

E-mail; automated class mailing list; postings and responses on class webpage; threaded bulletin boards; YahooGroup (formerly eGroups) list for the class (visit http://groups.yahoo.com/).

In-Class Writing/ Word Processing

Writing on student-provided paper and bluebooks; freewriting on paper; index cards for organizing ideas.

Typing often allows for much faster writing than is possible with pen and paper; Microsoft Word and other word-processing programs; freewriting with monitors turned off to discourage self-censorship/ editing.

Word Processing done at home or office with common applications; documents written in Word Perfect and older versions of Word can be translated and printed from on-campus computer labs.

Presentations

Chalkboard; overheads; posters; gestures.

Microsoft PowerPoint available in all UCD computer labs; remote-control available for iMacs; some instructors prefer in-class use of HTML for flexible presentations; projection hardware (to present text, images, audio--CDs and MP3s--and video), CAI classrooms also offer video playback.

PowerPoint presentations saved as HTML for web presentations; Presentations created in PowerPoint for Windows can be shown easily in Macintosh classrooms; some instructors prefer to create presentations directly with web-authoring software.

Web Authoring

Not Applicable

Code HTML in Simpletext or any other simple text editor (obviously requires an understanding of HTML); Microsoft Word documents can be saved as HTML; Netscape Composer; computer classrooms in Hart Hall have Dreamweaver 3, Photoshop.

Popular Web-Authoring Programs include Netscape Composer, Dreamweaver, GoLive, Microsoft FrontPage.  The Teaching Resources Center will host any course-related web page.

Disseminating Handouts

(Remember that printing multiple copies is always more wasteful than making  Xeroxed copies.)

Xeroxed copies.

Copies of handouts (in Microsoft Word or RTF format) copied to Pickup folder on classroom fileserver.

Attachments to e-mail sent to Automated Class Mailing List; copies posted to class web-page.

Quizzes and Exercises

Paper copies to be group-graded (best for formative or learning-centered evaluation) or graded at home (best for summative or grade-centered evluation).

Quizzes sorted by ID number and submitted to the drop-off folder can be graded by classmates; Apple Network Assistant allows instructor to monitor student progress and guard against cheating. New database and evaluation programs allow instructor to decide (or randomly assign) order or weight of multiple-choice questions.

Guided quizzes and exercises using WebCT (http://www.webct.com) and other web-based programs; scores can be learned upon completion, with explanations of (and offered links to a web site with) correct answers and relevant class concepts.

Reading Assignments

Found in syllabus; sometimes augmented in-class.

Syllabus can be a dynamic document; new articles on class subjects can be copied into class pickup folder; student-written texts can be easily shared with classmates, future classes.

Many primary texts (e.g., all well-known texts from 1922 and before) can be found with search engines in web-based databases (e.g., The Bartleby Project at www.bartleby.com): additional readings can be posted on course webpage.

Office Hours

Held in office at announced times.

From any Macintosh on campus (e.g., one's office computer), instructor can pick up or drop off essays, assignments, and exercises that have been dropped off in class folders.

Additional office hours can be held from home using synchronous communication/ collaboration tools at a time announced in class or via e-mail.

Addressing Plagiarism

Read and provide copies of department policies; exemplify proper citation procedures; refer all suspected plagiarism cases to Student Judicial Affairs.

Read and provide copies of department policies; exemplify proper citation procedures; refer all suspected plagiarism cases to SJA.

From course webpage, link to Student Judicial Affairs (http://sja.ucdavis.edu) and other authorities on academic integrity; Share awareness of Plagiarism.Org and other cheating-detection databases (see http://directory.google.com/Top/Reference/Education/Educators/Higher_Education/Plagiarism/).

Library Research

Tour UCD's Shields Library with a reference librarian. Call Shields Librarian Sandy Vella at to arrange a tour.

Tour Shields from classroom computers http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/); invite reference librarian to speak to class about virtual and paper holdings.

From course webpage, link to Shields Library databases; link to classes offered at Shields; link to non-UCD resources and indexes, such as the Librarians' Index to the Internet (www.lii.org); link to holdings of other libraries.

Reference Works

Bring a dictionary to class.

Use dictionary /thesaurus function on Microsoft Word.

Link to the Oxford English Dictionary (http://dictionary.oed.com/), Dictionary.com, and other online references specific to the subjects covered in class.

Computing Grades

Use a pencil, gradebook, and calculator.

Use Microsoft Excel from office or classroom.  See the CAI Site tutorial at http://cai/caihandouts/excelgrading.html.

Use Microsoft Excel; UCD instructors can download rosters from http://registrar.ucdavis.edu/html/rosters_info.html ; grades can be posted according to portion of ID# on class website.

Support

Contact Instructional Media or Playback center for help with audio and video (http://trc.ucdavis.edu/TP/media.html)

Computer Room Consultant either in the classroom or down the hall; contact Andy Jones with questions about CAI.  See Computer Room Policies at http://lm.ucdavis.edu/rooms/policies.html.

Dial 754-HELP  or visit http://it.ucdavis.edu/instruct/index.html to reach IT-Help; contact Andy Jones at aojones@ucdavis.edu; visit the Computer-Aided Instruction Site at http://cai.ucdavis.edu.