Reclaiming The Third Dimension

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• Reclaiming The Third Dimension
• From Telecourse to Blended Course

MERLOT Eighth International Conference Minneapolis
, Minnesota Friday, 8 August 2008
Joseph J. Hughes, Ph.D. Modern and Classical
Languages Missouri State University http//cicero
.missouristate.edu
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Abstract

• This paper will treat my redesign of a Classical
  Mythology telecourse taped live (and
  unscripted) in 1996 and originally broadcast over
  local cable TV. For pedagogical reasons and
  institutional objectives, the telecourse is being
  restructured as part of a blended learning
  experience.
• The presenters main challenge is retaining the
  performance art aspect of the original 1996
  cable TV lectures, while utilizing successfully
  adopted technologies, such as dedicated Web and
  Wiki servers. Another challenge will be working
  in scripted review segments developed along the
  lines of the presenters 2007 interactive DVD
  course on ancient and modern superpowers.

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Developing the Myth Telecourse - 1996

• Institutional objectives
• University had a cable channel on the local
  network, and time on local PBS
• Not an awful lot else to run except for
  telecourses
• Perceived need for distance learning classes at
  off-campus locations
• Continuing Education was allowed to keep all
  tuition fees
• Pedagogical objectives
• Classical Mythology is a feeder to Latin majors
  and Antiquities majors
• Higher enrollments might justify additional
  staffing
• Drop-off in pedagogical quality was not expected
  to be that great
• Production and deployment
• Decision made and contracts signed (Spring 1996)
• Filming done on analog equipment, (Fall 1996)
• Editing done on a 100 MHz Power Macintosh (Fall
  1996-Summer 1997)
• Offered via cable channel, PBS, and rented VHS
  tapes (Fall 1997)

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Turning Two-Dimensional

• Students had almost no contact with me
• Tended not to be on campus during my office hour
• Email was still somewhat of a novelty to students
  in 1997
• No offense meant, but there is an awful lot of
  you
• Main visual aid was the fat bald guy with the red
  beard
• Some of my lousy two-dimensional chalkboard art
• Very little in the way of graphical reinforcement
• Students had very low expectations of distance
  learning
• Sit down, shut up, take notes was still the
  prevalent paradigm
• Most attractive feature was zero formal class
  time
• Enrollments steadily increased

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So Odysseus tells the Cyclops

• The telecourses performance-art aspect was
  enjoyable
• Classical Mythology is, at times, a great big
  soap opera
• Thrilling drama, absurd comedy
• Some genuinely funny interaction with students
• Achieved a certain amount of notoriety
• Ran on and off on Universitys cable station (due
  to lack of programming)
• Even ran on public television for a while
• Raised the profile of the Latin program and
  Antiquities program
• Nagging questions about pedagogical objectives
• Ultimately I was as two dimensional as my
  chalkboard drawings
• Could not persuade, cajole, intimidate, whatever
• This is not why I got into college teaching

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What about the students?

• Myth Telecourse was meeting institutional goals
• Drew in lots of students, making program look
  good
• Public notoriety due to exposure on cable tv and
  local PBS station
• Good for Continuing Education 80 tuition fees
  (per University incentive)
• Good for MCL Department 20 tuition fees
• Spawned a second block variant which reeled in
  more students
• What about the pedagogical goals? What about the
  students?
• Students getting very little personal feedback
• From the start, students did more poorly on essay
  questions
• Ultimately I was as two dimensional as my
  chalkboard drawings
• What could I do to enhance the experience?
• Pedagogical enhancement through technology
• Website with study guides and multimedia
• Communication via email and WebBoard

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Trying to blaze a trail

• Post study guides to the Internet
• Lecture transcripts
• QT audio movies
• JavaScript applets
• Encourage students to use email
• Email not so widespread in 1998
• Required a campus shell account and a client like
  PINE
• If you were clever enough to use email, you
  likely didnt need help
• Encourage students to set up a virtual community
• WebBoard 2.0 was nice, but a killer app it wasnt
• Again, students were far less tech savvy a decade
  ago
• I used to be particularly keen on this one even
  presented at conventions

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Building Virtual Communities

• Web Boards at gracie.smsu.edu (1998-2003)
• First tried out on 1998 Presidential Pre-College
  students (HS juniors)
• Offered to Freshman Honors, Mythology and Latin
  students
• Originally operated on a crash-prone Pentium I
  box under my desk
• Presentation at TechEd 99 (April 1999)
• Web Portal at katabasis.org (2003-2004)
• Discussion venue for both Mythology and Latin
  students
• Intended to foster Public Affairs discussions
• Splashier than OReilly Web Boards perhaps too
  advanced
• Wikis at eefy.editme.com and yongy.editme.com
  (2004-2006)
• Collaborative exercise in building Wikipedia
  clone for Capstone course
• Developed community home pages, quote board
• Made obsolete by Facebook/Xanga/MySpace

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Another Opportunity Intervenes

• I was ready to put the parts together to fix
  the Myth Telecourse
• Myth Telecourse had basically settled into
  grading and customer service
• Discussion portal was expiation - and pilot for
  use in Capstone Telecourse
• Capstone Telecourse was a deal I couldnt refuse
• Usual 80-20 tuition sharing arrangement would
  be in force
• Finally, a chance to incorporate my ideas about
  multimedia
• Finally, a chance to teach Roman, Russian, and
  American history
• An all expenses paid eight day research trip to
  Russia!
• Capstone Challenges
• Capstone class, established 1996, supported MSUs
  Public Affairs Mission
• Mandatory for ALL students therefore a tougher
  audience
• Not everyone finds Roman, Russian, and American
  history as riveting as I do
• Live lectures (in front of a class), or scripted?

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Is it Live or is it Scripted?

• Scripted lectures pros and cons
• Pro unlike myth, history does not lend itself so
  well to mere storytelling
• Pro names, dates, and important terms are easier
  to keep straight
• Pro digressions often more confusing than
  helpful
• Con fat bald guy just standing there lecturing
  about history
• Con no childish doodles, no bad jokes, no
  spontaneity
• Con nothing you cant get by just reading the
  texts
• Scripted approach won out
• Script ran to 270 single spaced pages
• Composed on the Wiki at eefy.editme.com
• Silly on-camera tricks included
• Occasional silly graphics thrown in
• Digressions and bad jokes written into script

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The Best (or Worst) of Both Worlds

• Why the blended script-live Capstone Telecourse
  worked
• Strong administrative support and sufficient
  funding
• Effective, motivated three-member core team
• Generous amount of candid student feedback
• Ability to reassess and innovate
• Patience
• Thank you, thank you, thank you
• Steve Robinette Assistant Provost for Distance
  Learning/Continuing Ed
• Dr. Madeleine Kernen Head, Modern and Classical
  Languages Dept
• Lahna Mueller Telecourse Coordinator
• Rich Schuldt Videographer, Editor, Programmer,
  Slavedriver
• Jen Carson Art Minion, Fontographer, Assistant
  Dawdler
• Lisa Gray Hughes Tolerant and long-suffering
  wife

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Moving The Project Forward

• Assets
• Entire semesters worth of canned lectures
• Experience in fostering online communities
• Certain level of information fluency blogs,
  Wiki, Facebook
• Quick Hits for Fall 2008
• Festina lente (Hurry slowly) sustainability
  takes time and preparation
• Incorporation of written discussion/reflection
  via Blackboard
• Some testing done via Blackboard testing modules
  (possibly later)
• Long Term Goals
• Comply with institutional imperatives (distance
  learning, Public Affairs)
• Build enrollment for MCL Department and Classics
  imperatives
• MW (no Friday) schedule enticement for
  students, incentive for teacher
• Good, clean, sustainable fun for everyone