Bob Hamill asked
 
"I would like to be the first one at my school to put B-Law on-line.
Does anyone have experience in this area or any ideas as to where I
could search for additional info?"
 
I have a course on-line at
 
http://www.sinclair.edu/sec/law101/home
 
The course uses video tapes produced by my college. The tapes,with
occasional updating, have been used since about 1981 for Distance Learning
students. The Web course version has been up since January 1996.
 
 The Web course allows for interaction with students through a 'Dialogue
About the Law" page using Allaire software. Interaction is required as
students are evaluated on responses to "Discussion Cases" on the Dialogue
page.
 
When I was creating the Web pages (having great fun doing so), I kept
thinking "How Great! Now I will have more interaction with the students
than I did just using video."
 
I have had interaction, but not the amount I would have liked. Students
will respond to my posted cases but will not enter into conservations with
me or other students at the page. Perhaps there is a critical enrollment
number (30?) which will induce good discussion. To date the largest number
enrolled is 11.
 
Students have sent me regular e-mail message but usually to let me know
they had trouble with their computer and had not been able to get on-line
until the 4th week of the quarter (like, "I wasn't here for the test
because my grandmother died.")
 
The administration work in keeping such messages so I can remember which
student is which, maintaining e-mail address and a host of other similar
work is not fun.
 
I have created more Web courses and helped other faculty to do the same.
But... I think the fun is in the creating. I have not gotten much of a kick
out of offering the course.
 
Don't let this deter you. You may have a different audience. As soon as I
can (now have non-teaching responsibilities), I will enhance my classroom
course with material on the Web. Maybe I will have a greater response in
this format.
 
Garnett McDonough
Sinclair Community College
Dayton, Ohio