--- Forwarded Message from Michael Heller <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 21:48:17 -0500
>From: Michael Heller <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #6397.13 Course Management Technology(!)
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
>References: <[log in to unmask]>
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Dear Professor March,
I participated in a web- / FirstClass-based presentation of "etc." by Kannon
Communcations (http://www.kannoncom.com) which is a course tools add-on to
Centrinity's FirstClass. We too are using FirstClass, but in a very limited
fashion and are currently evaluating many of the course management systems on
the market for use in our 2400 strong beg. and intermediate language programs in
ASL, ESL, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian,
Portuguese and Latin. (We are looking at WebCT 3.6 SE and CE, BlackBoard 5,
Angel -- all participants in the IMS framework http://www.imsproject.org and we
also hope to look at some other players like Prometheus, Daedelus, etc.) Next
academic year we are facing a new scheduling "paradigm" that maximizes classroom
usage and in which courses will meet twice a week for 75-minutes irrespective of
the discipline. We hope that whatever course management system we select will
effectively increase the students' frequency of contact in L2 beyond what is
afforded by our new efficient, block scheduling maxtrices.
I agree that FC's communication system is stronger than the other players
including recording audio directly in the FirstClass client, but I'm not so
sure about FirstClass' strengths in the area of course management (student
grading, quiz modules, etc.). Can you elaborate on the course managment
features that you see as "better" than the other systems you have used? More
specifically, have you seen something in the forthcoming version 6.2 of
FirstClass that most of us aren't privy to? As a side note, one advantage to
FirstClass as a communications / learning management system includes its
prescence in the k-12 arena and the possible higher educaiton / k-12 language
articulations and exchanges that might not be possible with other systems.
Best regards,
Michael Heller
LLTI-Editor wrote:
> --- Forwarded Message from [log in to unmask] (Kathleen March) ---
>
> >From: [log in to unmask] (Kathleen March)
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 18:43:10 -0700
> >Subject: Re: #6397.12 Course Management Technology(!)
> >References: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Organization: University of Maine
>
> I have just seen a demonstration of what FirstClass etc. can do. I
> have used WebCt and Blackboard, and at UMaine we are about 85% users of
> FirstClass for e mail. FC is outstanding - the new possibilities for
> course management are exciting for languages. After leaving WebCT for
> the friendlier Blackboard, I'm definitely going to switch to FirstClass
> with its enhanced capabilities, including recording of voices and
> unified messaging system.
>
> Kathleen March
>
> --
> Kathleen March
> Professor of Spanish; Director, Critical Languages Program
> Dept. Modern Languages & Classics, University of Maine, Orono ME 04469
> tel.: 207-581-2088; fax: 207-581-1832
--
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Michael Heller
Director of Language Learning Technology
Montclair State University
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Dickson Hall DI-287B
1 Normal Avenue
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043-1699
(973) 655-7504 Voice
(973) 655-4060 Fax
[log in to unmask]
http://alpha.montclair.edu/~hellermd
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