A new computer kiosk for the Counseling Center has been
set up in the Student Services building. Using Filemaker
Pro, Emma Walters designed a multimedia database system
that includes QuickTime movies to introduce the counselors,
show a calendar of upcoming workshops, and provide a sign-in
system for students. This system tracks important data for
the center.
After a year of experimenting with graphing calculators,
the mathematics department in the Fall of 1993 began
requiring students to use these devices for College Algebra
(MAT 154/155) and higher level courses. According to John
Losse, the goal is "a seamless integration of technology
without sacrificing traditional skills and methods." Texas
Instruments has donated projection devices for the
calculators and other equipment for faculty use. Keith
Worth reports that many textbooks now include exercises
tailored to solution by graphing calculator. Worth believes
that while the newer approach may be harder to teach, it
encourages students to experiment and to take risks in
solving problems. Alan Jacobs looks forward to the new
collaborative learning classroom that will feature graphing
calculators that can link to Macintosh computers. Students
will use software such as Maple to analyze and visualize
mathematical concepts as well as using spreadsheet,
graphing, and word processing programs to generate reports.
Bernie Combs received a District Instructional
Technology grant to create Research Methods in Social and
Natural Sciences. Developed in Hypercard 2.2, this computer
program is an interactive environment in which students
practice the basic knowledge and conceptual aspects of
scientific research while discussing methods common to the
sciences. Along with examples from his field of psychology,
Combs includes examples from actual research studies
supplied by content experts in sociology (Pat Bradley,
SCC), biology (Donna Rebadow, PVCC and Michael Farabee,
EMCCC), and geology (Alan Levine, MCLI).
In Chemistry, Douglas Sawyer is pursuing the use of
the Texas Instruments Calculator Based Labs (CBL). In these
labs, students collect data (temperature, velocity, light
absorbance), record and analyze them with a graphing
calculator, and then upload the results to a personal
computer to prepare reports and presentations. Sawyer has
submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation to
outfit a lab with CBL equipment.
The Writing Center has a networked lab of new
Macintosh computers with word processing tools,
collaborative writing applications, and software to navigate
the Internet. The Writing Center will be an open lab, but
may also be scheduled by faculty for hands-on labs or
lectures using a new projection system.
Sharon Blanton will use World Wide Web tools such as
NetScape to quickly teach a new course,
Internet I (CIS 133AA),
a one-credit introductory class. The two Spring
sections filled and a three-credit course is planned for the
fall.
Emma Walters is building a Hypercard-based Jeopardy
game for Charles Pflanz to use as a test review in his
economics classes. The stack is being designed so
instructors in any discipline can customize the questions
and answers.