Distance Learning Mentoring Group  
 
Minutes for  February 1 ,2007 - 4 P.M.- 6:00 P.M. AS192
 
In attendance at the DLMG meeting: Aileen Ormiston, Allie Marino, Elizabeth Atencia-Oliden, Erica Morley, Greg Hocutt, Gretchen Berning, Janell Pierce, Keith Anderson, Kim Hohol, Ray Gless, Thom Schuett, and Peggy Johnson. 
 
 
Peggy showed faculty two WebCT courses, Donna Gaudet's CIS 236 (Web-based Teaching and Learning) and Peggy's Bio 100 (Biology Concepts). For a comparison of the pedagogical approaches in these two courses, click on this link: http://ctl.mc.maricopa.edu/_ctl_SD/resources/WebCTsixo.html
 
Scroll down the page to locate the heading "WebCT 6.0 Fundamentals". Then select "Course Content Organization Methods".  

Faculty were reminded they could use Word to create documents for the web if they use the File>Save As>Web page (or Web page filtered) command. However, this approach puts a lot of unnecessary HTML code in your document. So it is preferable to use software such as Front Page [available free to MCC faculty from Technology Support Services (helpdesk) if you bring two blank CD's to them] , Dreamweaver (you would have to purchase this), or SoftChalk (available for downloading to your home computer and/or office computer from the CTL website at this link http://ctl.mc.maricopa.edu/_ctl_SD/resources/downloads.html). We will be having a workshop on SoftChalk at our next DLMG meeting. Faculty requested a WebCT development course be created for them so they will have a course in which they can upload the lesson they create in SoftChalk.
 
Faculty will meet with Peggy by March 22 and show her one unit of their course. This is the template they will use to build the rest of their course. So if each unit consists of textbook readings, online lessons, discussion board postings, web searches, and/or quizzes, one sample of each activity should be in place.
 
Expect to use the first week of your online class getting students familiar with the software/hardware they will use in the course. Then begin course content on the second week.  So it's advisable when you start creating your course that you don't do the first week first. Start with the second week (or another week of your choosing) where you are focusing on your content. When you've completed the rest of the course, it will be much easier to create the first week of your online class.