Finally a fully-supported cloud-based environment for all writing-based college classes: No more uploads and downloads, no more attachments, no more Word files.
Your students, with apps like Facebook, have been doing cloud-based computing almost entirely outside of class – Isn't it time we moved our coursework into the 21st century?
For Teachers
- All assignments (future, current, or past) are available anywhere, anytime, as are all student papers, discussion, messages. That’s cloud-based -- nothing is ever stranded on a hard disk.
- Assignments can be created with powerful html editor (CK Editor) or uploaded or imported from Word docs.
- Tree-structure allows for multiple assignments under a single topic.
- A single switch to divide class into groups for specific assignments; that is, each assignment can have a different grouping of students or be class-based.
- Any assignment can have an attached discussion, with same sub-set (group) of classmates; a single teacher-controlled switch sets papers in a read-only mode to facilitate a group or class discussion of students’ own responses.
Here then is the most basic pattern for effective online teaching in any discipline:
- Teacher has students post response to current course material as an assignment
- courseDocs keeps students’ responses hidden until due date/time
- At due/date time, courseDocs makes classmates’ papers available in read-only viewer, while automatically opening a discussion
- Students then read their classmates’ (or groupmates’) papers and in a separate discussion, note which ones they find most effective and why
- Another teacher-controlled switch allows students to embed comments directly in classmates’ (or groupmates’) papers--a must for writing-intensive courses.
For Students
- All their papers (future, current, or past) are available anywhere, anytime. Again, that’s cloud-based -- nothing is ever stranded on a hard disk.
- Tab-based interface; everything is easy to find. Plus, there’s a calendar to tell them when their work is due.
- Speedy browser-based (Ajax) application like Facebook, unlike the server-heavy Blackboard.
What it costs?
- Free on-campus use, in classrooms and computers labs
- Free 21-day window for student off-campus use
- Introductory (2010) cost of only $10 for continued off-campus use. This is a student-paid fee for as many course as they need for the current semester.
- More information info@coursedocs.com
