P1.10
Online weather at Gavilan in 2007
Andrew H. Van Tuyl, Gavilan College, Gilroy, CA
Online Weather Studies was offered at Gavilan for a second year during 2007. As before, the course was taught under the name Physical Science 2 (PSCI2) and presented entirely online. On-campus meetings were again held, although fewer than in the previous year.
The most significant change occurred in mid-2007, when Gavilan switched its course management system from Etudes to Moodle. Although the change naturally produced some inconvenience, it is likely to be beneficial in the long run. Moodle contains a number of features not present in Etudes, for example the ability to give adaptive quizzes. These provide students with the opportunity to immediately correct wrong answers (although usually a penalty is assessed), making quizzes more of a genuine learning tool. Moodle also computes various quiz-related statistics, which can aid the instructor in composing more effective questions.
Future versions of PSCI2 will be structured to place more emphasis on classroom discussion, using the Forum feature in Moodle. Previously, students used the Etudes Forum to respond to questions for extra credit, but little real discussion took place. The contribution of midterm and final exams to the total grade will also be diminished, with the Forum discussion making up the difference. The goal is to increase student interaction and learning, making the course more like an on-campus classroom experience.
Poster Session 1, Educational Initiatives Poster Session
Sunday, 20 January 2008, 5:30 PM-7:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
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