Elearning on a shoestring

Once again, I'm teaching an online statistics class this Fall. While the online materials that come with the text are really superior, I still needed a platform for my virtual lectures every week. I have used VYEW in the past, but that has a maximum capacity of 20 students for the free version.

I an now using Wiziq, which allows many more students, even for the free version. The interface is much improved compared to what it was in the past. Since many of my students wanted the recordings of the lecture, I upgraded to their premium version (just $50/ year) to get the ability to store the recordings. And students don't have to register to view the lecture.

I have also used Jing in the past, but upgraded that one too (for a whopping $15/ year). Now, I can publish my videos directly to YouTube, which is a big plus for me.

Colleges without a large budget for online learning and/or just a few online courses can use tools like WizIq or VYEW as opposed to enterprise level software such as Elluminate or WebEx.

Are some online math homework systems frozen in time?

I'm teaching an online math course this semester on liberal arts math. I taught it online three years ago, and since then, a lot of innovative technologies have sprung up on the web. However, when I opened up the learning management system (LMS) associated with the textbook, I didn't find any incorporation of any of the new technologies that could streamline my teaching. Rather than rant about its limitations, I have simply chosen to add on the new technologies on my own.

The main reasons for using the LMS from the textbook publisher are the ebook and algorithmic homework. But online learning ought to be more than just text and worksheets on the web!  So here are a few of the free tools I'm using on top of the usual stuff you get with the LMS that comes with a textbook.

• vyew.com   This is a free online meeting tool where I schedule my "virtual lectures" with audio and Powerpoint slides. Students can interact via a chat column on the left of the screen. The students need not register, and the presenter registers for free. I used it during Fall 2009 and it worked quite well.  By the way, check out Maria Andersen's  tips for effective webinars .
• Google docs  Aside from the automated homework, I also have students hand in exercises that they have to write up. In the past, I had them email them to me or drop it in a "digital dropbox" within the LMS. Either way, I had to do the open-edit-save cycle for each document.  With google docs, the student creates a file on the web and simply sends me the link as a collaborator. I just click, edit and save in the same location and I'm done! No attachments to email back and forth. This is the first semester I'm implementing this. Our university's email system is through Google, and so all students already have access to Google docs. Even otherwise, they can create one for free.
• Wolfram Alpha This computational engine not only solves equations, but also has access to many data sets. I am planning to use it for students to make specific queries and write up the implications of what they find.
  

Hopefully, the publisher issued LMS's will evolve to include tools such as these. My virtual lectures especially have tended to create a lot of interaction among the students and myself. It can really help reduce a feeling of isolation in an online course.And Google docs and Wolfram Alpha are technologies our 21'st century students should become familiar with anyway.