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NEXT GENERATION OWLS:CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS AND THE MOVE TOWARD OPEN-SOURCINGMatthew J. Gilchrist, U of Iowa
Tammy Conard-Salvo, Purdue U
CCCC 2009, San Francisco, Session C.07
Overview
Customized, next generation OWLs University of Iowa’s OTA; sharing and
adapting existing systems Purdue University’s VCaP; usability
testing Potential for Open-Source OWLs Challenges for Customized OWLs The next generation
Customized OWLs
Support campus needs and communities
Address distance and time constraints, mobility issues, and accessibility
Channel students’ interest in computer-mediated instruction
Offer next-generation in writing center technology
Iowa’s OTA
Uses Iowa’s existing e-mail tutoring foundation for asynchronous online tutoring
Built upon existing code shared by UNC, Chapel Hill
Allows tutors to work from any location with Internet access
Accepts only .doc formatted files, but may expand to other formats
OTA Student home
OTA Student Submission View
OTA “My Submissions”
OTA Session Evaluation
OTA Tutor Work Center
OTA Tutor Feedback
Advantages of Sharing
Saves considerable time and effort Software has already been tested
and improved through the course of many iterations
Innovations in the new context may be beneficial to the campus that created the software
Challenges of Adapting Existing Software
Finding a match No such thing as “plug and play” No open source community may
mean that little guidance or help is available
Active, collaborative partners at all levels are needed to smooth the transition
Purdue’s VCaP
Customized and programmed “from scratch” Inspired by systems at UNC and Texas Tech Asynchronous tutoring system
Accessible to students with time and geographical constraints, mobility issues, etc.
Accepts documents in multiple formats Reflects our pedagogy of online tutoring
VCaP Main Page
VCaP Student View
VCaP Student Submission Page
VCaP Tutor View
VCaP Tutor Feedback Page
Importance of Usability Testing Allows system to be refined and
customized Navigable and accessible Student-centered, pedagogically
appropriate
Solicits student and tutor input Provides collaboration opportunities
with Professional Writing Program
Potential for Open-Source OWLs
Offers low-cost, pedagogically appropriate solutions for writing centers
Fosters academic knowledge creation Prevents dependence on one software or
vendor Allows multiple campuses to work together Reflects collaborative pedagogy and
community-building Supports 2008 CCCC Resolution on Open
Source Technology
Challenges for Customized OWLs Tutor training and resolving differences
between electronic tutoring and face-to-face tutoring
Need for writing center administrators with expertise in open-source development
Cost, time, and resources to build a usable system
Technical support and maintenance Upgrades and changes necessary as needs
and technology change Open-sourcing may complicate support and
development
The Next Generation
Adding synchronous chat tutoring at Iowa Including (somewhat) new technologies
Blogs and wikis Podcasts and flash movies Avatar interactions Interactive whiteboards
Negotiating multiple online identities and services
Researching electronic writing support, how students learn online, effective technologies, etc.
Q&A
Matthew Gilchrist, University of Iowa
Tammy Conard-Salvo, Purdue University
