Project Number One – 1993

Virtual Instructional Classroom Environment in Science (VICES)

Project Number One – 1993

Abstract

Do you have VICES? Well, now you do. VICES is a computer- delivered Lecture, Tutorial & Assessment project that I have developed over the past several years. Electronic Mail and two VAX Notes Conferences, Cell & Molecular Biology and Biological Sciences, together with several software programs allow students and I to create a Virtual Instructional Classroom Environment in Science (VICES). The main multimedia software programs are: Question Mark (IBM & Mac), Toolbook (IBM Windows based), Word & Excel for Windows (IBM Windows & Mac), and HyperCard (Mac). With these multimedia tools I create lecture notes, tutorials, assessment materials, etc., and the students utilize these outside of the regular scheduled class time to enhance classroom and collaborative learning and participation. In addition, faculty from various universities and research institutes participate actively from their home institutions in the collaborative learning and assessment as well. The later is accomplished by acquisition of courtesy accounts on the VAX and the use of Internet and the Telnet facility as well as EMail.

The instructor and visiting faculty as well as lecture notes, other supporting materials, tutorials, assessment tests, etc. are virtually accessible at anytime on the VAX mainframe computer as well as on floppy disks using a personal computer with run-time versions of the various programs. This allows students to contact the instructor and other student(s) in the class to review and discuss lecture and other supporting materials as well as ask questions in advance of or subsequent to actual class time and to access tutorials and assessment tests in order to achieve mastery at their own pace. All of this can be achieved in class and from computers in the library, computer center, lab- oratory, department study room, dormitory room, or home.

VAX EMail & Notes Conferences

The use of Electronic Mail and the Biological Sciences Bulletin Board and Cell & Molecular Biology Electronic Conferences are required companions to Bio 490/590 In Vitro Cell Biology & Biotechnology, Bio 407 Immunology, Bio 380 Written & Electronic Communication, and Bio 101 General Biology courses. The intent of EMail and these conferences is to “grip” and engage students actively in exploring the principles of cell and molecular biology as well as in the understanding and communication of such information. In addition, several faculty as well as former students, both local and remote to our campus, participate in this dialog of scientific exploration.

Toolbook, QMark & HyperCard

Toolbook, QMark and HyperCard are multimedia computer programs that permit me to create tutorials and to give, mark and analyze objective and free-format assessments for IBM PCs and compatible computers as well as the Macintosh. Using Toolbook, QMark, and HyperCard I create multimedia tutorial background material and questions with the personal computer, students review the material and answer the questions and problems on screen, and the computer analyzes and marks the responses. The programs are easy to learn. Students do not need to know about computers to use them! The student can start productive work after only a short learning period.

With the author version of the programs, multimedia com- ponents including CD ROM and laserdisc technology are added to the tutorial and assessment programs in order to illus- trate material. In addition, questions with graphs, sound, diagrams, animation, video, etc. are included in order to make assessment come to life and to encourage as much as is possible a collaborative and active learning environment. Many times this is difficult to do in the student perceived “self-conscious and threatening” environment of a classroom.

Audio-visual requirements

IBM Compatible 486 with Windows 3.1
Macintosh Classic or LC & Hypercard 2.1
Overhead Computer Projection System
Telnet Connection via Internet