Why Do I Want a Web Page?

Web pages offer a number of features useful in academic applications. They range from teaching/learning applications, to research and personal/professional development. This brief survey provide examples of some uses made of web pages by faculty at CSB & SJU.

IT Services provides a variety of tools to use for creating and managing web pages. You can select the tool to use based on what you want to do with your web presence.

Both Windows-based and UNIX-based web servers are available. The Windows server requires the use of MS FrontPage.

Your Personal Home Page

Your home page is your front door on the Internet. Use this page to introduce yourself--think of it as an enhanced business card. It can provide contact information, list office hours and teaching schedules, provide links to courses you teach and to other resources, such as

• Vitae 
• Research interests, samples of research
• Publication notices
• Conference presentations

Examples:
    Steven Saupe, Biology Dept.
    Henry Jakubowski, Chemistry Dept.
    Linda Mealey, Psychology Dept.
    Margaret Cook and Andreas Kiryakakis, MCLL Dept.
    Greg Walker, Music Dept.

Academic Uses

For many faculty, their course-related materials form the bulk of their web presence. These resources can range from the course syllabus to multimedia and teaching/learning aids. A May 27, 1999 Chroncicle article stated,

• Post course materials such as syllabi, schedules, handouts, study guides, assignments. Links to many courses with web-based materials can be found at Web Course Resources (CSB/SJU courses) and at the World Lecture Hall. Other types of web-based course materials can include
  • Readings (pending obtaining permission for copyrighted materials)
        Example: Text for Linda Mealey's Human Ethology
  • Multimedia - sound, graphics, movie clips
        Example: MCL's Virtual Language Lab - German tapes
        Facilities are available on campus for creating graphics, video and audio files to post on your pages.
  • Shared lab data or course surveys
        Example: Demonstration page of data posting form
• The "less-paper" classroom
  You can move toward a paperless classroom by using web pages forms (training) for online pre-labs, homework, quizzes, and exams.
  • Your assignment web page has spaces for students to fill in their name, e-mail, or other identifying information
  • More form fields provide space for students to type in or select their responses.
  • Students submit the form, which then arrives in your e-mail.
  • You open a reply to the e-mail, address it to your student, type in your comments, then send it back to the student.
  • Try out a demo page of an on-line homework form.
• Link to relevant course material at other web sites
  Could your course make use of U.S. Census data? Federal Reserve data? Global environment data? A business' annual report? Many government offices, professional organizations, non-profits, and corporations have web presences. The amount and variety of good information available via the web opens up new possibilities for the types of pedagogy you employ in a course.
          Example: Margaret Cook's Resources in Classics and Archaeology
          Example: Library Web Resources for Courses
  
• Answer frequently-asked questions
  Think of the questions you're most-often asked about the course, then type up a "FAQ" page.
  
• Carry on out-of-class discussion
  Tom Creed pioneered the use of web-based discussion on campus as a way of extending the classroom walls. On-line forums, whether as part of a web-course management system, a stand-alone discussion forum, Exchange public folders, are now a part of many courses.
          Example: Forums for Dennis Beach's PHIL 180

Departmental Uses

See listing of Academic Departments and Programs

For further information about how to use these ideas in your web pages, contact Roger Sorensen, x2035.