Croquet, Social Chemistry Not Required, and Runaway Trolley

First Technology Presentation: University of Maryland University College's Effective Writing Center


They only offer electronic tutoring. Students go to the website and submit a draft online that is tracked in a ColdFusion database. Students receive feedback from "advisers" who record an introductory statement with Audacity or Dragon Naturally Speaking in which they introduce themselves and talk briefly about the advice they are going to provide. The textual commentary the tutor provides is based on a template that all advisers at the EWC use.

The presenters cited these advantages of tutoring online: the advice they provide can be more carefully crafted in an e-mail message; students don't have the stigma of going to the writing center; tutors have access to the tutoring histories of their students; tutors don't need to develop rapport or worry about social chemistry; and students have access to tutoring (at UMUC) every day of the year.

The Effective Writing Center uses avatars from Character Builder to deliver instructional content on their website, but they want to expand their use of the avatars and create one for each adviser. (They need to purchase an additional license from Character Builder to do this.) The advisers will then be able to record audio feedback with Audacity or Dragon N.S. and have their avatar deliver the feedback online. They want to expand their use of avatars and use them to "read" the feedback that is sent to students.

These presenters insisted that writing centers need to adopt more online instruction because students want more online instruction and may turn to for-profit, online schools such as University of Phoenix. These presenters tried to paint a doomsday scenario for brick-and-mortar writing centers, but I was not persuaded. First, institutions like The University of Iowa are not necessarily competing for the kinds of students who will go to U. of Phoenix. Also, many students still prefer face-to-face tutoring. However, many deans of institutions are undoubtedly concerned about these institutions that offer degrees online.

The discussion turned to the Croquet project, which is a consortium of schools who are developing a virtual world that will be like Second Life, but for education institutions. Currently Duke is involved with this project.

Presentation 2:
Purdue's New Online Writing Center Website
The assistant director of the Purdue OWL discussed how they conducted extensive usability testing of their website by interviewing many people about their experiences with their new designs.

(Stay tuned for the trolley stuff...)

Yesterday I walked past the filming of a movie. While I was walking down Canal Street, I saw a trolley car that was pushing a car down the tracks. The occupants of the car were screaming and smoke was pouring out of the car. I was wondering why all the streets were closed. Later, when I came out of a mall, I noticed the trolley being pulled back into the place (the car was still attached).