Temple University - Templar Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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CYBER CLASSROOM cont.. Lexis Nexus, students who are taking online courses do not have access to this prohibitively expen- sive service unless they make the trip to Main Campus. This will soon change as Paley upgrades to offer more of these services to students who accesses the library ' s informational databases online. What about those students who sign up for the traditional classroom-based courses? What opportunities do they have to learn these highly-marketable technology skills? Fortunately, every- one has the chance to gain some cyber experience in their Temple college career. Dr. Stewart, for example, is one of the many professors who integrates computers into her classrooms. She teaches a Communications Theory class in a Smart Classroom equipped with a personal computer, projection monitors and overhead viewers to keep the attention of the more than 100 students in her audience. I use videos, overheads and Powerpoint to help students visually connect with the topic of the day, explains Dr. Stewart. I would lave one day to have some type of interactivity from each student in these classes via an electronic device at each desk. It sounds like the university of the Jetsons is coming closer to Temple ' s campus each day. MB Kurilko 4 II] UWil :l S Wil i

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While the idea of freeing up 3-4 hours a week of class time might leave a student with the impression that an online course is less work - it is actually equal to or in most cases, more work than a traditional course that meets in a classroom. Students are expected to actively contribute by posting email responses to issues raised in class. Most pro- fessors require a certain number of postings each week from the students and consider these when calculating grades. Those who decide to sit back and only read their classmate ' s comments will find themselves left behind. Students are also expected to use the resources available online - the Internet, Listservs and Bulletin Boards - as support materials for the issues that are being covered in class. The ideal online candidate is self-motivated and can budget their time effectively while working inde- pendently, reports Conchetta Stewart, Ph.D., Faculty Fellow for the Online Learning Program and Assistant Professor of BTMM. Dr. Stewart, teacher of two online learning courses, says that it is not only the student that has a heavy workload in cyberspace learning. It ' s more work for the professor as well, she says. Not only do you have the normal workload of grading assignments and papers but you also have to read every email posting and direct the online discussions. Probably the best thing about taking an online course is its flexibility. Those students who are good time managers will be most successful in online courses. It is necessary to be able to allot the proper amount of time to the course much like what is needed for a traditional classroom situation. The big difference is the students will not see their classmates or their professor face-to-face each week. While this may seem to many like a cold, imper- sonal way to run a class, it is not that way at all. I try to keep in close contact with my online students, says Dr. Stewart. I will often put photographs of my students on the class website to help connect a face with an e-mail address. Some professors are even more accessible to students than in traditional classes because of the constant email discussions and nearly daily feedback the professors dispense. So now after the tremendous growth in the Online Learning Program in just four semesters, what ' s on the agenda for the future? One of the most significant and exciting developments at Temple is the formation of Teaching, Learning, Technology Roundtable (TLTR). This think tank-style group is the first one in the United States. It was formed when the Association for Higher Education came to Temple seeking an organization to be the innovator for the development of technology-based teaching methods. The TLTR has taken on the agenda of sculpting the Online Learning Program into more than a randomly-chosen package of unrelated courses but into a comprehensive sys- tem with a degree completion focus. We know that there is a lot that ' s not understood yet about how to do this well, admits Dr. Stewart. But, we are constantly reviewing feedback from professors and students on what works and what doesn ' t in online classes. One of the concerns of the online professors is the availability of research materials to students who do not come to campus regularly. While Paley Library has site license for such commercial information services as

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Spending a semester in the heart of North Philly is not the only option of achieving a higher edu- cation in a different world. Temple offers many opportunities in studying abroad. As Peter Liacouras has said, the sun never sets on Temple University and with the announcement of a new program beginning in Seoul, South Korea, this seems to be more true than ever. Currently there are four programs in the United Kingdom, two in Germany, and one of each in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Paris, France; Rome, Italy; Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; and Accra, Ghana. Many of this year ' s graduates have explored their options and discovered that it was one of the highlights of their life. Traveling the world and learning at the same time is a combination that can ' t be beat. Dr. Michael Hooper, a political science professor who spent three years in Tokyo at Temple ' s cam- pus in Japan, agrees. Having the opportunity to experience the Kabukiza Theater, one of the most pres- tige theaters in the world, is a chance of a lifetime. Temple ' s study abroad programs are as diversified as the ethnicities and cultures found on cam- pus. The programs offered allow the student to chose which culture and place they want to experience The Rome program offers undergraduate studies in Architecture, International Business, and Visual Arts, which includes six semester hours in studio art, three hours of art history, and either three or six hours in another choice of electives. To assist its students in their studies, Temple Rome keeps close working relationships with the British Academy, the American Academy, and Italian art galleries. Also included in the program are field trips to neighboring cities such as Florence, Venice, Pompeii, and Naples. Founded in 1966, the Rome program was started bv the Dean of Tvler School of Art, Charles LeClair, and has continued to grow over the past thirtv years, educating more than 3,000 students. The classes are taught in English by Temple faculty from main campus, along with faculty from Italy and other European countries. The campus is housed in a building called the Villa Caproni which faces the liber River located in the center of Rome. The Temple Japan program it is unique not only because it teaches American students but it also has been educating Japanese students too. For more than fifteen years, Temple lias been educating Japanese students the English language. There are currently 1,500 students matriculated in the Japan pro- gram and 90% are Japanese. American studies, Economics, Political Science, History, and Religion are the studies offered for the undergraduates. As for the graduate level of studies, there is an executive MBA and Ed.D. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Other courses offered vary from theater and journalism to art history and biology. Another program offered at this site is fall semester sophomore engineering program. This inten sive course of study includes some of the best engineering courses in the world along with an introduc- tion to the Japanese language and culture. This program is coordinated with Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania under a U.S. government grant by the U.S. -Japan Center of the University City Science Center.