September 2001 — Applications

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Chattahoochee Technical College Links Students and Teachers

The severe lack of technically trained staff in the IT industry has created a demand for highly skilled workers, and those with the training and ability can command high salaries. As a result, demand for software application and programming training is on the rise. But colleges offering this training must remain on the cutting edge of technology.

By its very nature, this kind of training is best accomplished in a hands-on environment with students actively working on their computers while receiving instruction. Keeping track of what students are doing during a lesson and giving individual instruction is a problem many instructors face. But keeping students' attention focused when an interesting computer screen distracts them makes teaching in this environment a real challenge. Instructors also find themselves fighting "back-of-the-room-syndrome," where students sitting beyond the first few rows of the classroom have difficulty seeing detail, even when the instructor's monitor is projected onto a large screen. These students tend to lose interest, often playing games and surfing the Web, instead of following the lesson.

An Equal Chance to Learn

At Chattahoochee Technical College, a school that specializes in teaching software application and programming, instructors were plagued with these problems. After class, students regularly asked questions about the material that had just been covered. "It is most frustrating for instructors," says Dave Giberson, instructional technologist at the college. "Clearly transferring the information in a lesson is critical in computer programming and software application. When the students can't see what you're doing, you get this non-optimum beha-vior." Chattahoochee Technical College needed to find a system that would give instructors control of the computers in the classroom, and allow them to interact directly with the students. While at an industry trade show, Giberson found such a system.

The LinkNet-II system, manufactured by Applied Computer Systems, a video networking company, provides the classroom instructor with full control over all computers by linking the instructor's console to every student's workstation. Instructors can transmit data to students, input data from students' screens or blank-out their screens completely to get students' full attention. This eliminates the time-consuming requirement of "roaming the classroom" and repeating instructions.

"LinkNet greatly improves the ability of the teacher to show clearly what is being done on the computer to the entire class," says Giberson. "We've used projectors for years, but with LinkNet you can project what you are doing directly onto the monitor of each student. This is a great feature, as everyone gets an equal chance to learn."

Since ACS came to Chatta-hoochee Technical College to set up their free demo unit, four of the 15 computer laboratories at the school have been equipped with the system. "You feel so much better up in front of a classroom when you know the students can actually see what you are trying to show them," says Giberson. "Students really like this system because they don't have to guess and make it up as they go along. You no longer have to go back there and show them individually or manually how to do something. It's a great load off my mind when I am lecturing."