William R. Schleter

The work that I've done in support of my teaching responsibilities is what really distinguishes me from most faculty. In addition to a significant teaching load, I've also used my skills and expertise to apply and build technology tools. These tools allow Engineering Fundamentals to be very efficient in providing a well-organized and coordinated experience to our large numbers of students.

Custom Class Management Web System Overview

EF classes are somewhat unique in that they are large, multi-section classes run by a team of instructors, graduate assistants, and undergraduate assistants. Thus, coordination and communication are vital to a successful class. The benefits are many - the custom system allows us to be more efficient and effective in our teaching while providing a platform for readily incorporating new teaching methods. The system continues to receive very positive feedback from students who consistently rate the EF classes as some of the best managed classes they've had, and the software as much better than other systems such as Blackboard, Moodle, Webassign, Mastering Physics, etc. Having a custom system allows us to do things that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to do.

Two important concepts used in the development of the web system were long-term access and open access. Basically, all courses remain online indefinitely and all non-proprietary and non-personal information is openly accessible via the web, thus facilitating the free and open exchange of resources and ideas.

We finish each semester of our large classes with a summary of the web site statistics for the students. To demonstrate the magnitude of use of the web system, here are a few data points from the Fall, 2015 EF 151 class:

• Page views: 6,047,316
• Logins: 84,662
• Homework answers: 216,370 correct out of 412,032 tries
• Grades recorded: 50,745

Custom Class Management Web System Features

Listed below are some of the major components of the system along with highlights of some of the capabilities provided.

• Online Homework

  The online homework system has been in continous development over the last 15 years and has evolved as we've identified needs specific to the type of classes we teach. Some of its many features are listed below. The Inside Engage newsletter of March, 2009 provides a nice summary of most of the system's features.

  • parameterized numeric, multiple choice, and 'immediate feedback' multiple choice question types
  • flexible formatting options
  • ability to display parameters overlaid on images
  • support for display of equations
  • computer code segments as images (to prevent copy/paste)
  • try penalties, early completion bonuses, and prorated due dates
  • hints, common mistakes, unreasonable answer flags
  • discussion board integration
  • students notes capability, note images
  • MATLAB and Javascript interface
  • problem sets/pools
  • a flexible and integrated units conversion utility
  • team online homework

• Student Database

  Managing student information is an important part of the web system. The official class roll for all classes can be imported from Banner. Overview and detailed lists for students can be filtered by groups, sections and overall. Student background information and pictures can be viewed in all modes. Utilities for things like sending and logging emails, student notes, surveys, missed exams, missed labs, help attendance, name tags, assigned exam seating, bar-coded exam labels, and final exam scanning and posting are also available.

• Online Gradebook

  The gradebook evolved due to the limitations of Blackboard's handling of large classes. Features include grade entry by section or team, filtering by category, entry of individual problem scores for exams, calculation of grades and adjustments by combining other grades, viewing of pictures while entering grades, and automatic statistics. A very flexible grade summary sheet capability is also provided that incorporates all facets of grading into a single list that greatly enhances the process of reviewing and assigning final grades. A class rank feature allows students to know at any point of time how they compare to the entire class.

• Discussion Board

  An asynchronous discussion board capability is also part of the web system. This utility provides a means for efficient communications with students. The main use of the discussion board has been in providing help for online homework, and it direct, filtered links to/from the online homework which optimize its use in this mode. After years of use, we've also developed a historical record of common questions, thus the discussion board system now presents several semesters results when students search for help. The Fall, 2015 EF 151 discussion board had over 1400 posts.

• Banner Interface

  Class rolls drive the web system, thus it was critical to have a method for easily importing the class rolls from our Banner system. Unfortunately this was not a trivial task -it involved saving banner web pages and parsing them to extract the needed data. The loading of final grades to banner was also a non-trivial task. Banner does not allow for the import of grades - it requires the instructor to view each set of 25 students and click a radio button for the desired grade. This is tedious and prone to error, especially with large classes. To automate this process I used the EF web system to create a Javascript routine that can automatically be run for each Banner screen. In addition to importing class rolls, student information such as major and class can be imported.

• Dropbox

  With a large class the logistics of collecting work from students is difficult - we require all reports and computer solutions to be turned in via our dropbox. Blackboard's dropbox was unusable for a large class. Our dropbox allows grouping by student, section, team. Also allows for online rubrics so that feedback can be provided to students and all members of a team.

• Calendar

  The web calendar implemented as part of custom web system allows for a sequence of activities to be automatically assigned to dates based on the current semester's information. In addition, homeworks, notes, due dates, and other materials are all automatically available via the calendar without any redundant data entry. Here is an example of the Fall, 2015 EF 151 calendar.

• Feedback and Surveys

  A simple but effective method for administering questionnaires is another component of the web system. Start and end times, flexible and automatic grading, and instant statistics by section or class are some of the features.

• Team Management

  Teamwork is an important part of the EF 151 and EF 152 classes. Our web site allows for the definition and tracking of teams with team assignment made randomly or via a flexible formula system that can use section, grade and background information. A team self-select feature is also available. Teams can create portfolios which are automatically indexed and summarized for the entire class.

Classroom Response System

EF was one of the first large classes at the university to adopt the use of personal response systems for lectures. We were involved with the pilot project run by OIT in 2008, and we've used the current Turningpoint Technologies system ever since it was selected in 2009. I have not only developed a proficiency with using the system in class, but I've also become active in the user community and was named a Distinguished educator by the vendor in 2010. I've also created an interface that allows us to easily load and analyze the response data with our own web system. This provides us with invaluable information on the effectiveness of the response system while also providing students with feedback on the results. I have served on several campus committees in this area.

For use in our computer classes I've developed a complete web based response system that completely integrates into our web site, addresses some of the limitations of the TurningPoint web system, and provides for flexible and convenient polling features at no extra cost to the student.

Innovation and Collaboration Studio

In 2014 I proposed creating a "makerspace" for engineering students with the idea that motivated students needed a place where they could play, be creative, and learn new technologies that are not directly associated with a specific class. A small space was established with limited resources. Now (2016) this has evolved into a college-wide initiative in which I am tasked with directing the effort to create a larger space that can be utilitized by all engineering deparments.

Computer Labs

From 2001 until 2010 I was responsible for all aspects of our departmental computer labs. The purpose of this custom arrangement was to address the special needs of an engineering computer lab and to best integrate it with our classes. I was responsible for two labs and one classroom totaling approximately 80 computers. This involved equipment specification, installation, and maintenance. I was among the first in the university to utilize 'imaging' to reduce the work required to update software within the labs. Along with the assistance of a single undergraduate assistant, I implemented printer quotas, networked storage for all students, and departmental user accounts. Most of my work of late has been interfacing with OIT for the software and printer administration now that they have finally been able to provide most of these capabilities.

Technical Support

While a small part of my job, I also take an active part in participating in OIT and other technology related activities such as the LMS evaluation committee, the mLearning pilot project, the campus LANMAN community, and the monthly IT Community of Practice meetings. In addition, I provide departmental support with hardware and software issues for our administrative computers, printers, and copiers.