Monday, March 29, 2004
Exchange -
Okay, I'm trying a new computer, web-based, program for peer feedback: Exchange. I'm also piloting a competitors product: Comment.
I've already registered another class with Comment, and the whole process was seamless and fluid, and took about 3 minutes to complete. The Exchange process is very cumbersome. Students have to register for MyCompLab first, using a code provided to them, and then they have to join my course, using another code. The problem is, after students have registered for MyCompLab, they are taken to this new page that lists all kinds of links and resources available to them, and they have to hunt to find the link for Exchange. Once they find the link, they have to log-in again, click join course, which by the way, is not labeled, and, in fact, none of the icons are labeled, and then type in a mish-mash of upper and lower-case letters. Today, nine students were allowed in, and 6 were denied access, some error message saying the course code is invalid. A few tenacious students just kept trying the process over and over and they were eventually allowed in. The code is correct -- I had them copy and paste it from our web site -- but for some reason, the program doesn't like it.
Overall, so far, this program is far to bothersome to be of much value. It is cumbersome for me as the instructor to navigate the various pages and figure out what the icons are for. It is bothersome to put up new assignments, and the peer review guides included with the program are very traditional - Does the author state thesis clearly? Blah, blah, blah.
Friday, we're gonna try and exchange papers using exchange; we'll see what happens.
Okay, I'm trying a new computer, web-based, program for peer feedback: Exchange. I'm also piloting a competitors product: Comment.
I've already registered another class with Comment, and the whole process was seamless and fluid, and took about 3 minutes to complete. The Exchange process is very cumbersome. Students have to register for MyCompLab first, using a code provided to them, and then they have to join my course, using another code. The problem is, after students have registered for MyCompLab, they are taken to this new page that lists all kinds of links and resources available to them, and they have to hunt to find the link for Exchange. Once they find the link, they have to log-in again, click join course, which by the way, is not labeled, and, in fact, none of the icons are labeled, and then type in a mish-mash of upper and lower-case letters. Today, nine students were allowed in, and 6 were denied access, some error message saying the course code is invalid. A few tenacious students just kept trying the process over and over and they were eventually allowed in. The code is correct -- I had them copy and paste it from our web site -- but for some reason, the program doesn't like it.
Overall, so far, this program is far to bothersome to be of much value. It is cumbersome for me as the instructor to navigate the various pages and figure out what the icons are for. It is bothersome to put up new assignments, and the peer review guides included with the program are very traditional - Does the author state thesis clearly? Blah, blah, blah.
Friday, we're gonna try and exchange papers using exchange; we'll see what happens.
