Peer Review Committee

Managing Computer Use in the Classroom

Policies to Include in Your Syllabus

In "Required Materials," list your expectations for computer use. For example, state: "Bring to class each day a laptop configured for access to the campus wireless network that has Microsoft Office 2003/4 and a fully charged battery; you also need an onyen and a frequently checked email account" (see other examples ). Make sure students change their email address in the Online Campus Directory ( http://help.unc.edu/?id=2036&
trail=1140&within=search-87309594 ). In addition, include your expectations for storage media requirements like CD-ROMs, using the H: drive, or printing all drafts.

Include a section that tells students how to access and how often to access the online interfaces you expect them to use (i.e., Blackboard, a syllaweb, a blog site, etc.).

Identify consequences for off-task computing , perhaps as the equivalent of a tardy.

Direct students' attention to http://help.unc.edu and the help desk in the basement of the Undergrad Library for technical problems.

Be clear about what you will and will not do during online office hours . FERPA prohibits you from discussing grades. Commenting on attached files containing drafts is time-consuming and can undermine peer review; be clear about whether you will respond to drafts outside of conferences.

General Advice

Recognize that first-year students are doing many things for the first-time all at once.

Assume that 2/3 of your class is computer-savvy and 1/3 is not. Write instructions in two ways . Lead with instructions that will make sense for computer savvy students. Follow with instructions that, step-by-step, tell students which buttons to click (until they get the hang of it).

EX: Post your file in your group's discussion board with a note to peer reviewers about your concerns . Login to Blackboard. Choose ENGL 11. From the left menu, select Groups, select your group, and then select Discussion Board. Select Unit 2. Click "Add Thread." In the subject line, type the topic of your paper. In the message box, type a letter to your peer reviewers about your concerns for this draft. Select "Browse," find your file on your computer, and click Submit. Look over the subject line, your message, and the filename to be sure you have not made errors. Then, click Submit. Your thread should appear at the left margin in the discussion board.

TIP: If you use Blackboard, put the most general directions in Announcements. Put the most specific instructions in the space where students will do the work (i.e., post the instructions as the first thread in the Discussion Board).

Blackboard, online databases, and other complex online interfaces require users to have a particular kind of spatial awareness as they navigate. Not all students have developed strategies for using "Back" or breadcrumbs (the keyword hyperlinks that show how deep you are in a site) or even for using folders and menus. Orient students to the interfaces you use , and expect that some of them will be confused for the first month.

If you want students to regularly check or participate online, you have to make it easy, organized, and regularly updated . Hide or remove materials that won't be used again. Use folders. Set up spaces for specific purposes, and don't mix purposes. Keep it simple to maintain and simple to use.

Make one method of communication primary . If you want to conduct class business by email, use email extensively. If you want students to go to Blackboard before emailing you, use whole class email sparingly.

If you are not requiring laptops everyday, have a written & oral signal in the classroom , a reminder in Blackboard, and a calendar cue about when to bring them.

Don't position yourself as the technical troubleshooter too often or too willingly. When you do, tell students what to click so that they can learn how to deal with problem.

Have a back-up plan . Although the network is highly reliable now, you should always be prepared for technical failure. Technology is neither innocent nor loyal.

Relatedly, own a USB storage drive . If one or two laptops are not wireless, you can use the USB drive to transfer files quickly and safely if computer swapping is not feasible.

Patterns of Behavior to Encourage

Power up . Train to students to come in, power up their laptops, and be ready to write. After a brief preview, make the first activity of the day meaningfully computer-based and time-sensitive. Students who are behind because their computers weren't ready to go will catch on after a few days, especially if they rack up tardies.

Lid shut . When students need to be looking elsewhere, have them close their lids. You may need to modify the settings under Control Panel > Power Meter > Advanced tab so that "when I close the lid of my portable computer: Do nothing" is applied.

Computer swap . If your classroom does not have internet access or if students have problems with off-task behavior, have them exchange computers for peer review. They can do peer review electronically, but they won't have access to the usual distracters.

Screen visibility . Move the room around so that you can circulate and see screens. Stand in different parts of the room throughout the class period. Ask students to write on the board or type at the projecting computer so that you are not trapped at the front.

Response time . Response times works two ways: (1) How quick are you to respond to distractions? and (2) How quick are students to respond to your correction? Students are going to be distracted by technology, so you need to create the kind of classroom environment where your verbal commands or physical presence motivates an immediate correction. Some instructors are comfortable using shame; others count demerits and lower grades; others dismiss students from class; others do a combination thereof. Find your method quickly.

Effective file-naming . Students will generate a ton of files, especially if you use online file exchange for peer review. Encourage them (show them how!) to create a folder for their drafts and for their peers' drafts. In my experience, specifying file names is necessary. For author's files, name.assignment.d1.doc works well (i.e., meeks.3c.d1.doc is my first draft of unit 3 assignment C). For the peer reviewer's file, open the original and SAVE AS name.assignment.d1.initials.doc works well (i.e., meeks.3c.d1.pac.doc is Patrick Cooper's comments on my first draft of unit 3 assignment C). If you want to have access to electronic copies of all drafts, you also need to teach students to use SAVE AS; otherwise, they'll just revise in the same file, and you'll have a hard time tracking down drafts in Blackboard if you need to see their process.

Add Thread or Reply . If you are using any kind of online interface to support asynchronous discussion, you need to make sure that students learn the difference between contributing something entirely new (in Blackboard, Add Thread) and responding to an existing topic (in Blackboard, Reply). In the assignment, state how many contributions and responses you expect students to complete.

Backing up files . It's not your responsibility to teach these strategies, but you should encourage students to employ one or more of the back up strategies described at http://help.unc.edu/?id=141&within=search--2025134206 .