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• Alicia Russell

  

  • 2 posts
   

  February 4, 2010 4:36:45 AM PST

  We are interested in finding solutions for a math faculty member interested in having students post math problems in an online discussion board. He would also like a way to respond to their questions. Here are some of our ideas.
  
  Possible solutions:
  1. Have students write math question on paper, then take photo of the question and post it to the LMS (could use camera in phone, or on
  laptop,or web cam).
  2. Have student write question on paper and then scan it (scanners are available in the campus library) 
  
  Videos of math instructor
  Have math instructor create video of himself talking through problem as he writes it on a white
  board (or onpaper).  Possibly do this weekly with particularly difficult problems.
  You can do this with the 10.6 screen recording software - which is built in to the newest Quicktime. (Open it and you see screen record under the file menu) Make a video archive of these either in the CMS or via the university's
  YouTube Channel. With Blackboard, it's easy to upload and the file be "syndicated" so students can subscribe to them as though it is a podcast.
  
  We are purchasing a bamboo pen to allow the instructor to write solutions to problems and upload them to the discussion board.
  
  Any other ideas?

• Donna Mirabile

  
   

  March 30, 2010 3:59:58 AM PDT

  Hi Alicia:
  
  We use Wimba at SLCC. The math department instructors all have tablet PCs and they screen share their PCs, then use their stylus to write equations on the screen. The students can see the instructor working the problem, can ask questions, and the whole thing can be archived and then downloaded into a format appropriate to post on iTunes. It also allows the students to take cursor control if the teacher wants them to have it, but without a stylus for entry of the numbers, it can be difficult to use the mouse to try to write numbers.
  
  A stylus seems to be necessary for input of math numbers, unless one has an equation editor on whatever sort of computer they are using. It's a lot simpler, for sure.
  
  You can also go into Skype and share desktops, so the instructor can write on their computer and the student can see, but with Skype there is no archiving and no way to upload. But that does make it easier to share the equation IF the student can write the equation in Word or some other program that can be shown on the desktop.
  
  If you are looking at paper that needs to be shared, the possible solutions you have would be good.
• Donna Mirabile

  
   

  March 30, 2010 4:03:45 AM PDT

  Hi Alicia:
  
  Okay after reading your question more CAREFULLY (sighs, thinks "It sure feels like a Monday even though it's Tuesday!") I can see that the only thing that would work that I've suggested is posting the link to the uploaded Wimba archive on the board, so the students could see the work as they look at the discussion board.
  
  My brain has been focused on live tutoring, so obviously the skype solution wouldn't work as part of a discussion board.
  
  Donna