Maximizing Teaching

1
Maximizing Teaching Learning

• For the Short Course

2
Short Course Problem Overview

• Inherently have problems getting students to
  learn required material due to their limited
  duration
• Compounded when there are clear distinctions in
  the skill levels of the students taking the class

3
Two main questions arise

• How can course content delivery be maximized?
• How can you keep more advanced students
  interested while still maintaining an appropriate
  course content level?

4
Class Information

• CST 135, Introduction to the Internet World
  Wide Web
• Five-week course taught at Broome Community
  College
• Content includes
• How to use email search the Web
• Discussion of ethical issues
• Creation of basic Web sites

5
More Class Information

• Skill levels range from those with no computer
  skills to those with a programming background
  have created some Web content already
• Class meets 3 hours per week in a laboratory
  classroom equipped with a projection unit

6
Methodology
7
ImmersionKey to the 1st Question

• Created Web site http//www.sunybroome.edu/hinton
  _r/CST135Home.html
• Aside from the textbook, no paper is used
• Assignments are exchanged via email
• Quizzes are form-based Web pages submitted to the
  instructor returned via email
• Forces students to work in a Web environment for
  all phases of the course even though theyre in
  same room
• Available outside of class

8
Web Site ContentAddresses the 1st Question

• Designed (for the most part) to teach good design
  principles
• Navigation methods
• Page dating
• Layout
• Screen resolution
• Displaying information in the browser title bar
• etc

9
Web Site ContentAddresses the 1st Question

• My Web pages contain these elements serves two
  purposes
• Site is easier for the students to use while
  learning the course material
• Access to standard course documents, such as
  Course Policy Class Outline
• Current assignments with instructions are also
  available
• Study Guides serve as lecture tools as well as
  reference documents for assignments
• As students repeatedly use the site, they realize
  why the design principles are important, making
  them more likely to include them in their own
  projects

10
Pedagogy Dictates I Break the Rules!

• While consistency is an important feature in good
  Web site design, this rule wasnt strictly
  enforced
• Students are told up front that this was done to
  provide as many online examples as possible

11
Pedagogy Dictates I Break the Rules!

• Consistency is illustrated in my design of the
  menu system for the Study Guides pages
• All menus associated with the Study Guides use
  the same screen layout
• While the backgrounds for each individual study
  guide are different, each provides a similar
  format
• After the heading, most pages provide a topic
  overview followed by the details, which are
  organized by subtopic
• Most pages not only provide sample code that can
  be copied and pasted to a students file, they
  also present the material using that method
• See Lists screen shot
• Aside from links (for navigability), each page
  builds on the previous topics, reinforcing their
  concepts

12
Web Site Content

• Addresses the 2nd Question

13
Why is keeping the interest of more advanced
students considered difficult?

• Common approach is to write the information for
  two different audiences
• A better solution lies in subtlety, enhancing the
  way the information is presented
• On the surface, Web pages look very
  straightforward

14
The Home page is menu-based providing access to
all other areas of the Web site a link to the
textbooks Web site
15
Study Guides teach students how to use email,
create a basic Web page, create a template,
utilize basic HTML elements, Tips Tricks
16
Piquing Their Curiosity

• Advanced techniques are embedded in most of the
  pages
• Usually not apparent to novice students
• Students are encouraged to review the source code
  for all the pages on the site
• In fact, the first HTML lesson teaches the
  students how to look at a Web pages source code
• Since these screen shots are static, the more
  obvious advanced techniques arent apparent here
• Play with the Web site see what interests you
• http//www.sunybroome.edu/hinton_r/CST135Home.htm
  l

17
Sample Techniques
18
Page Loading Effects

• Home page contains a JavaScript forcing the
  window to open in a 800 x 600 window or smaller
  depending on the available screen space
• JavaScript isnt taught in this class
• Opening Web pages
• Links to Web pages I created open in the current
  browser window
• Links to Web pages at remote Web sites open in a
  new window

19
Text Effects

• Way of capturing the users attention
• Implemented on both sample pages
• Internet Explorer Netscape provide different
  effects
• These Web pages contain the code for both types
• In Internet Explorer the title scrolls across the
  screen
• In Netscape the title blinks

20
Displaying Different Fonts

• Need to know the fonts name
• Default Web page font is Times New Roman
• These pages are designed to support a range of
  fonts that might be installed on a users machine
• Student can download a self-extracting Zip file
  containing a set of fonts designed work with the
  site
• Instructions for installing them are provided

21
Displaying Special Characters

• Need to know the special characters HTML code or
  its numeric Unicode value
• Each guide provides sample code that a student
  can copy paste into a file they are creating
• The advanced student will wonder how the tag
  brackets (ltgt) were displayed

22
(No Transcript)
23
Pushing Them Forward

• Links are provided to more advanced resources
• As I learn new techniques, they are incorporated
  into the Web sites design
• When I have time, I plan to add guides for
  creating forms advanced use of color links

24
Instructor Information

• Rachel E. Hinton
• Assistant Professor/Adjunct Lecturer
• Broome Community College/Binghamton University
• http//www.sunybroome.edu/hinton_r/
• Takes you to my personal Home page which has
  links to this other sites Ive developed