Message-ID: <11891468.1182488828979.JavaMail.joeescobar@joe-escobars-computer.local> Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2007 22:21:13 -0800 (PST) From: walkerr Reply-To: Online.MC_PO3.LCC-Mail@lanecc.edu Subject: Spring Course Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----=_Part_872_6455249.1182488828979" GWItemID: 45EED869.LCC-Mail.MC_PO3.100.1346735.1.3653.1 ------=_Part_872_6455249.1182488828979 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear Faculty Webmasters, I am creating a completely online WR 227 (technical report writing) that needs to be completely finished by March 20 so it can be peer-reviewed and certified by Quality Matters. I am using a text--Technical Communication--by Mike Markel. The textbook company reps are used to helping instructors download sections of the text to Blackboard or WebCt but they do not know about Moodle. I could always teach from the text web site but I don't want to for a number of pedagogical reasons--for one thing, it is too much for the students; for another, I want to link to some other sites (a great NASA site, for example). I would have the students in the course order the E-book which is half the price of the paper text. The text company, Bedford St. Martins, has given me access to the text site, and has now given me the E-book, which is exactly like the paper textbook only it is interactive, with great quizzes, exercises, etc. Here is what I want: In each weekly area of Moodle, I want to import just the sections of the text--actually from the E-book, I think-- that the students are working with--with all of the interactive exercises and tests right there on my Moodle site. I don't want the students to get bogged down with any superflous info on the site (they can still go to the interactive text website or read other sections in the text if they want more). I want everything on my site to be clear and pertinent to the assignments. As I understand it, the text book folks are willing to do this and they have a guy who can help figure it out. However, I sent Marc and Alicia looking for you, Joe, because I heard you talk about importing Blackboard quizzes etc. into other instructor's sites. This may all be really simple but I don't know a thing about it. My job, now that I have the text, is to decide which material to include. It sounds like the company doesn't have a problem with my using the text this way for this online course. I plan on using this text whenever I teach this class (it is the best text I've seen). The March 20 deadline looms but I think that it will be really cool to have the course certified by QM. Question: Can someone meet with the text folks about getting the stuff on my site--or have you already? Or do you need to? Can someone meet with me after I have everything ready to go and go over the whole course with me in terms of how it works pedagogically and visually to facilitate learning? I don't have it ready yet but will work on it all next week. Perhaps someone could find out how to import the text data I want and then meet with me on the 16th or 19th? By the way, you have probably noticed that my "real" WR 227 class for spring is not online. The online course to which I am refering in this email will not be turned on until I get a "real" one. However, I will use a version of it for my spring course--perhaps download it into the spring instance of Moodle and tweak it up as an auxilliary. I have ordered paper texts of Markel for spring. I have the computer classroom so it is a perfect opportunity to play with how well the online version will work. Thanks for helping me. I have really enjoyed the Moodle classes. Best, Rosanna Rosanna West Walker, Ph.D. Instructor of Writing and Literature Division of Language, Literature, and Communication Lane Community College 4000 E. 30th Ave. Eugene, OR 97405 Email: walkerr@lanecc.edu Office phone/msg.: 541.463.5117 ------=_Part_872_6455249.1182488828979--