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  Web Strategy Team

Results from the website survey
sent to all faculty members June 4, 2003.

The following results reflect the responses of the only four faculty members who responded to the survey. The conclusion suggests additions or modifications for the web site. The faculty was asked the following questions: What is the current state of teaching and learning capabilities and use on the NC State website today? What capabilities/use would you like to see on the web site for you teaching and learning in the short, midrange and long-term ? Additional Comments:  Extracts from the responses were as follows: (I)…use the web site as a location for class handouts and web site information. (Need) a location where students can pick up their quarterly grades Faculty web access for student data sheets, graduate audits, grade entry and class roster information The ability to search for a student by name rather than only social security number I use the website (my page) for students to access (open, view, print) course documents to ‘advertise’ to students what courses are available The ability to do online surveys (software) and to have online testing It would be great if each course could have a ‘page’ for the instructor/course coordinator to post the course documents, it would be wise to use industry standardized software, such as Blackboard… Blackboard doesn’t have to be just for online courses. It could be used college wide for all instructors to post information regarding their course. I don’t however like to see websites “that I use on a regular basis” change in structure and appearance very often because those changes inevitably occur at the least convenient times causes unexpected delays in information access resulting in frustration. Support for producing animations to aid in describing theories and ideas to be posted on course pages as well as projected during lecture.  It seems with all the multimedia capabilities we have these days there is no real support for implementing it.   Video as well as audio streaming should also be a service that is offered by the campus technology department.   Instructors should be able (even encouraged) to use the technologies with out first having to master it.   Perhaps a group of paid second year Digital Media students could be formed to offer these services.  On line testing with account management that does not require the instructor to become a web master would also be helpful. Adding web publishing of documents to the duplicating request form might also be a handy service NC State mailings (such as the Career Leader) should have on the very front page in bold lettering “For course offerings and a current schedule of classes visit www.ncstatecollege.edu“ and the link to those pages should be very visible on the site.  Consider ADA compliancy, since we are federally funded and mandated to comply.  I took and online course on this and have the entire documentation if you are interested.  Use www.bobby.com to check your new site for compliance.  The Shelby building does not show our actual address, so inquirers don't know what to type in when they are directed to a map application like Mapquest… have the link preloaded so when you click maps, you don't have to type in the address. get (a) RealServer up and running: There are lots of current applications, like PowerPoint and Mimio that could be used to capture live class lectures right now, but can't be done because of some glitch in our RealServer. (I use it as) Primarily as a source for class info, lecture notes, homework review, links to other applications or websites.  In addition, I use it as a digital record of anything that goes on in the classroom that can be accessed by our students that can’t make class due to job or family circumstances. My ultimate goal is to be able to automatically capture the class experience and upload it onto the web with the touch of a button.  That means capturing video, audio, PowerPoint, Mimio electronic white board and document camera events such that they are compressed, formatted and uploaded onto my website with minimal effort (5 minutes of post-production processing max.). Conclusion: My findings reflect that a very small minority of faculty members uses the Internet for class support and teaching as well as advertising courses available. The faculty that does use the Internet uses it to communicate a myriad of course information and materials to the students. The ideal is to have Blackboard and with that the capability to “stream” multimedia. Each class should have its own page. Training modules are needed so more faculty members would use this tool for education. Other suggestions by faculty members: Obtain Blackboard and use it as the college’s standard. Create access on the net for students who want to see their final grades Don’t change the site too much Add a web publishing field to the printing/photo copying form The information in the Career Leader should be linked directly to the web site Have ADA compliance Building addresses should linked to a map for easy directions Make it possible for “live” class documentation in multimedia (audio/video)  to be immediately uploaded to the net.