While dealing with individual skill levels in both the classroom and the computer lab environments, it was apparent that many issues concerning student access needed to be dealt with. As a result of these concerns, students did not begin to utilize the First Class program until the middle of the semester, when their computer skill levels were at more uniform levels. Students were then required to use as many functions of First Class as possible, integrating classroom assignments wherever it was determined applicable by the instructor.
A secondary concern for Brazas centered on overall campus use of First Class. Chicago State University has a Writing Across the Curriculum program that requires all disciplines to have a certain number of writing intensive courses students must take. Brazas looked at the experience in her courses as a potential model for overall campus adoption of First Class. The use of the First Class program could potentially make students' educational experinces with writing more inter-disciplinary, and ulitmately enhance the Writing Across the Curriculum program goals.
Presenter: Donna Brazas
Categories:
Target Audience: Intermediate