Date: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 08:39:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Judy Hallman <hallman@email.unc.edu>
To: Web-Walkers <web-walkers@unc.edu>
Cc: Lisa Croucher <croucher@email.unc.edu>, janet_tysinger@unc.edu
Subject: Summary of October 22 Web-Walkers mtg
"Share Carolina and Computer Based Training"
Lisa Croucher, Academic Technology and Networks
Janet Tysinger, Academic Technology and Networks
Share Carolina is an initiative sponsored by Academic Technology and Networks (ATN) of UNC-CH to share its instructional Internet development tools with other academic institutions and non-profit organizations. Share Carolina had its genesis at the 1996 CAUSE Conference at which Bob Henshaw and Kathy Thomas presented a session on the Simple Start Program at UNC-CH. Many people expressed interest in obtaining the code for the instructional tools presented at last year's conference.
The package includes forums, Web Interface for List Processing (WILP),and course homepage maker; the latter is not used much any more since many people now use an HTML editor.
In Form Builder, the quiz builder is used more for practice than for real quizes, since it's not easy to verify who actually completed the form.
The readme files give an overview of Simple Start strategies. The licenseagreement was worked out with campus lawyers. A form must be completed and agreed to before accessing tools. The agreement is based on a GNU General Public License agreement, which was revised by UNC-CH laywers.
Although the effort has taken an investment of time, Simple Start participants and ATN felt that this is an important step toward becoming a leader in instructional technology; feedback has been helpful; and the project is in the philanthropic spirit of the Internet. There is no technical support beyond the UNC system. Use is monitored through the form; an e-mail message is sent to Lisa when a form has been completed.
Distribution required some additional work -- revisions, licensing, and marketing. As of late October, 406 individuals had downloaded software, from 14 countries; and 14 people within the UNC system had downloaded. There were two minor support requests. Availability of the package has been advertised.
With regard to lessons learned: use full-time staff, when possible; and we have no knowledge about actual use. The program will be expanded to include more sharing. Simple Start members feel that the investment of UNC-CH resources in this project is worthwhile.
Computer based training courses are interactive courses which can be taken from one's own computer at one's own speed. In UNC-CH's effort to meet "just in time" training needs and to provide alternatives to existing instructor-led computer courses, ATN is making approximately 300 CBT courses available to all faculty, staff, and students.
The courses are excellent and come at a good price; less than the cost of one full-time trainer.
The package includes a wide variety of courses, including high-end technical courses. CBT takes the courses into people's offices, and it meets student competency needs.
Currently, the courses are Web-based and you download the courses you want to take. Plans are in the works to eliminate the need to download the courses; the new version may be available in January.
Access currently requires a campus IP number; hopefully, this can be changed to Kerberos authentication before long.
The service is Windows-based and does not include UNC Hospitals.
The program was announced August 20 and has averaged 350 hits per day. There has been an article in the Gazette, and there is a brochure; more advertising is planned.
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Attendees:
Andy Broughton, abrought@email.unc.edu
Jeff Campbell, ATN Documentation, jeff_campbell@unc.edu
Mary E. Daniel, Student Loans, m_daniel@unc.edu
Gail Darden, gdarden@email.unc.edu
Ruben Fernandez, ruben@unc.edu
Judy Hallman, ATN, judy_hallman@unc.edu
Holly A. Hyland, Schol. & Stud. Aid, hyland.sao@mhs.unc.edu
Anne Laudati, ISD, UNC Hospitals, alaudati@unc.edu
Rupesh Pradhan, The Daily Tar Heel, pradhan@unc.edu
Carolyn Schutf, ISD, UNC Hospitals, cshuft@unc.edu
Sandra Shirley, Systems & Procedures, sshirley@email.unc.edu
Lucinda Thompson, Davis Library, lst@unc.edu
Loren Watterson, Carolina Population Center, loren_waterson@unc.edu
Judy Hallman (judy_hallman@unc.edu, http://www.unc.edu/~hallman/)
Campus Webmaster, UNC-Chapel Hill