Hello - comments interspersed in reply to Amy
* Tutorial sign-up system for students to book an appointment with
their tutor.
Yes, this would be great. And we have often been asked for it. However,
you can use the Campus Pack Teams Site (wiki type tool) to do this (if you
have it). I've also used the discussion board to do it in the past.
* Interactive tests where learners also set the questions.
Yes, anyone who's interested in students actually learning something from
tests would want the students to create the tests rather than just click
through them. I've been 'wishlisting' this for years now. (You can get
them to format the questions as a text file in notepad and then it is easy
for the staff member just to quickly upload them to BB but it would be nicer
if they could do the whole thing themselves.)
* Student profile area like the staff profile area on Blackboard.
This is already available via the Home Page on the Roster but it is a bit
clunky. I used it with students several times in the past but ended up just
getting them to do the same sort of thing on an introductory discussion
board - it was just simpler for everyone all round. Again, you can use the
Campus Pack blog and wiki tools for this if you have them.
* Various suggestions for improving the discussion boards, such as
making them more image-centric (like the University of the Arts image board
building block), and making them more like the v-bulletin systems used
heavily elsewhere on the Web.
Yes. Although my experience of using discussion forums intensively as an
online student (OU MA in Online and Distance Learning) is that everyone
eagerly played around with images and sound files at the very beginning but
once the real work started all the 'frivolity' disappeared and we just got
down to the nitty gritty of academic writing and referencing and reflecting.
However, obviously there are some subjects where images and sounds are NOT
frivolous but the meat of the subject and where - presumably - this would
not happen. Again, though, you could use the Wiki tool for students who
want to be more creative or who just want to extend conversations down the
page in a more creative/eccentric fashion.
* Rolling exhibition of work with random display feature.
Yes. Maybe. Again students could probably do this for themselves with the
Wiki tool - nicer though if they could just click a button to activate it.
Sandra Windeatt, Academic Adviser
Academic Registry, Room 211 Ellison Terrace, Northumbria University,
Tel: 0191 227 4986
====
This e-mail is intended solely for the addressee. It may contain private and
confidential information. If you are not the intended addressee, please take
no action based on it nor show a copy to anyone. Please reply to this e-mail
to highlight the error. You should also be aware that all electronic mail
from, to, or within Northumbria University may be the subject of a request
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and related legislation, and
therefore may be required to be disclosed to third parties.
This e-mail and attachments have been scanned for viruses prior to leaving
Northumbria University. Northumbria University will not be liable for any
losses as a result of any viruses being passed on.
|