Using the Web to Meet Increasing Enrollment

The transformation to Digital Chem 1A began with broadcasting then Chemistry 1A live on the Web and making it available for on-demand replay via BIBS (Berkeley Internet Broadcasting System). The course continues to be available live and for on-demand replay through webcast.berkeley (BIBS, developed by the Berkeley Multimedia Research Center, was an experimental project taken over by ETS and IST in fall 2001. BMRC helped make what is now known as webcast.berkeley a regular, automated University service.)

"Technology can play a substantial role
in enhancing the pedagogy."

How the Technology Saves Time
Putting lectures online was only the beginning. Digital Chem 1A's other Web components now include converting lecture chalkboard content to animated PowerPoint slides for integration into the website, a searchable database of archived lectures, and pre-lab exercises and homework quizzes for students to complete online. Each of these efforts was initiated to reduce faculty, staff, GSI, and TA loads in anticipation of the growing demand for the course.

Midway through an initial study, results seem promising. For instance, online grading of homework quizzes has eliminated the need for TAs to enter grades and has streamlined the grade database. The online pre-lab work and exercises have reduced GSI administrative workload. And Pines himself calculates an average eight-hour weekly savings now that the chalkboard diagrams are created in PowerPoint. He estimates an additional four hours saved on answering questions regarding lecture content, because students can access materials in the online webcasts.

But How Does the Instructor’s Job Change?
Professor Pines, though a proponent of technology, doesn't see it as a substitute for good teaching. "Everything else being equal, the technology can be a huge advantage in terms of resources, flexibility, and efficiency." Pines believes that the most important part of a course is its pedagogy – in this case, "motivating students to understand and appreciate the concepts of chemistry." He maintains that "technology can play a substantial role in enhancing the pedagogy."

What Does This Mean for Students?
Students can benefit in several ways. Online availability of course content enables them to revisit lectures to clarify concepts and questions or to review materials before tests. Chem1A students find the digitized content convenient in several ways: In addition to using the archived lectures to study for tests, they can view sample midterms, and take pre-lab quizzes according to their own schedules.

The Future of Digital Chemistry 1A
Pines and Kubinec are always exploring new ways to improve the course's delivery using other media and technology resources. They plan to enhance the online manual by adding virtual experiments so students can prepare for the upcoming week's experiments. One of Pines' developments, ChemQuizzes© will go digital in the future and bring together the in-class and online audiences. ChemQuizzes© is a way for students to, as Pines explains, " argue in the classroom about chemistry" and often leads [the class] to a "universal global aha."

Endnote: An economic and pedagogical two-year study of the course's technological enhancements is being conducted by Dr. Diane Harley from the Center for Studies in Higher Education (CHSE).

Technologies Used