APPENDIX C2

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*               WHY USE LYNX FOR THIS CLASS                *
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I include here some justifications for using Lynx for this 
course.

There has been a lot of concern about the lack of contact 
between teachers and students, in the online format (called 
combined institute and computer-based format in the CCIS 
catalog).

Traditional classes meet on campus on a weekly basis. A 
class consists typically of a lecture, assignments, 
discussion of the lecture and discussion of the assignments. 
The evaluation of a student includes such factors as class 
attendance, class activity, intelligence level and quality 
of the projects.

Lynx, for me, is equivalent to your class attendance. If you 
did not use Lynx, it would mean that you are not attending 
the class. So the use of Lynx is part of your grade, the 
same way class attendance and class participation are part 
of the grade for on-campus classes.

I am aware of the great amount of time you have been 
spending because of Lynx, but I don't think it is more time 
consuming than to come to class, on campus, once a week, 
from 6pm to 9pm, for 3 months.

I also ask my students, in the on campus format, to present 
their projects to the class, in addition to submitting two 
written projects.

a) By developing HTML documents for your projects, and 
   making them available to the online class is equivalent 
   to a presentation of your projects to the class, in an on 
   campus format.

b) by submitting your mid-term and final projects through 
   the electronic student is equivalent to the written 
   projects I require in the on campus format.

Although I could generate the midterm and final projects 
myself from your HTML documents, I prefer to ask you to do 
it yourself as part of the course requirements. 

Besides being part of the evaluation process, the midterm 
and final projects are stored permanently in the online 
student database.

I believe that, so far, Lynx has done a remarquable job as a 
support for online teaching. Before Lynx, teaching online, 
based on electronic mail, was more like private teaching. I 
believe that Lynx has brought the online classes very close 
to the on-campus format. I also believe that the effort that 
was asked from you to learn Lynx and HTML was necessary to 
ensure the quality of education required at the graduate 
level.

It is also a one time investment. Once you have learned how 
to use Lynx and how to prepare HTML documents, it will serve 
for other classes as well. I am planning to use Lynx for all 
my online classes in the future, and other professors, in 
CCIS, are starting to use Lynx as well. Of course, your 
feedback is important, and I appreciate your comments.

So far, Lynx and HTML are the best tools I have found to 
teach online.

I have also used the ECR for class discussion, and found it 
was a nice addition to Lynx and HTML. Therefore, each class 
will include ECR's given at regular time intervals.
.bp