Last week the Red and Black published an interesting article on cheating and file-sharing. The article cited a Stanford study that reported an increase in cheating in computer science classes and an increase in cheating allegations. Both of these were attributed to more advanced technology. Students have become more savvy at copying files and extracting information from online sources. Faculty and administrators have also improved in tracking reports to databases of published works. Ah technology you double edged sword!

So how do we as instructors help our students avoid the temptation of easily obtainable online papers, cut-and-paste plagiarism, and file sharing? I was fortunate to find one answer to this question last week, just 2 days after reading the article, when I participated in a large-lecture course (almost 300 students). Students were to prepare an in-class group summary on information they had researched prior to class. The instructor was very explicit in her description of what constitutes plagiarism, giving examples of a well cited and a plagiarised paragraph on a PowerPoint slide to show the students exactly what was expected of them. The students were a bit surprised, but took the information to heart and wrote well-cited summaries.

In addition, to the academic honesty statement on the syllabus, I think this is a great way to reach students. We can best teach by example, especially with students who are used to instant access to information, and may not think of accrediting those sources. What other methods do you employ?

Privacy in the Classroom

In my first blog I mentioned my discomfort with the idea of blogging. This is not only due to having write, but also with having to release my thoughts (in writing) into the world. In my last blog the issue of my identity came up. In another class, we learned that the university is previewing a facebook app. The app will allow you to chat with other people taking courses in the same subject, e.g. all math or all bio , unlike the learning management systems such as blackboard or webct, where you can chat just within your course.

So all these things relate to the issue of privacy. With a name that is a little more unique than let's say "Jane Smith", I am hesitant to publish under my name. I am also hesitant to add any professional (including course related) information to my facebook account. We read about people who's information online have impeded the progress of their careers. On the other hand, I am learning so much from writing this blog and reading the blogs of my classmates. In a discussion with other grad students, several mentioned using facebook as a professional networking site, as well as for personal reasons.

Were do you stand? Would you use an educational/professional app in facebook, or another social networking site? Do you feel comfortable sharing your ideas in an open and public forum? How comfortable would you be communicating with classmates or your own students via facebook? How comfortable do you think current freshmen would be with this situation?

By the way, if you lean towards the more open side of things, then i guess you are already buzzing? Buzz is google's new social networking tool, yet another way to stay connected and share.

Bill Gate's Annual letter cites the potential for online learning

In his annual letter, Bill Gates regards online learning, especially interactive programs, as one of the areas for which his foundation will provide more support in the future. He paid a good bit of attention to free online resources, as well as better organization and review of the resources currently available. Although, I agree that online resources, when used effectively and tailored for it's particular audience (eg based on education level) can enhance the learning experience, I also think about the ramifications for traditional education institutions like 4-year universities/colleges.

A quote from the letter: "Self-motivated students can take entire courses on their own. If they want to prove they learned the material to help qualify for a job, a trusted accreditation service independent from any school should be able to verify their abilities."

Such a motivated student is most likely goal-driven, and serious about their educational success. Does that student miss out on or lose on any significant learning experiences by taking a course on-line? Should these online course require synchronous experiences, or require enrollment during a specific time period (e.g. semester) to ensure discussion and exchange of ideas among students? Or is it sufficient just to interact with the program and maybe an online instructor? Will more universities become "trusted accreditation services" with fewer on-campus students?

I'm thinking "it depends" and I'm sure some of you will think that as well. So let me hear from you. What do you think? What might it depend on?

Also, aren't you glad we're all going to be better teachers with technology after this course. Maybe some of us will be receiving Gates foundation grants in the future? (if you do, remember you heard it here ;-)

branching out technologically

I've come to respect technology that allows one to easily switch from low tech to high tech, and back. In lab we now have a new "visualizer". This is a combination LCD projector with a camera that lets you view what's on the desk (similar to an old overhead projector, but without the transparencies. I've used these before but it's been a while, and I'd forgotten how useful it could be. In lab there is little need for power points, but the visualizer helps display a highly detailed photo of a fern structure, while i can add labels and comments for further explanations. I enjoy this flexibility unlike a PowerPoint presentation, where there is no room for modification once the presentation has begun. Also, I can throw some spores (tiny fern reproductive structures) under the camera and zoom in on small plant structures so all the class can have a common and detailed view. Then turn off the camera, and we're back to focusing on the live plants in front of us.

This allows us to take a short walk on a technological branch to help us gain more detailed understanding as a group, but the focus on the lab -a hands-on experience examining plants- is maintained.

I've created a blog

Duh-uh. But it's something I never thought I would do. Revealing thoughts without resorting to passive sentences, several edits and an external reviewer is at least a league out of my comfort zone. Yet, I'm trying to do what I hope to help my students do in the future, explore new ideas and experiences, learn by actively participating in these new experiences and re-evaluate previous conceptions. So the Techy part of this blog...I am using a new technology to explore new technologies... more to come later.