BENEFIT FOR INSTRUCTORS

This course is designed for "non-techies," students unlikely to pursue careers in science, engineering, or math, although they may surprise themselves by uncovering an unknown interest or ability. Except for one short paragraph about encryption, which can be skipped, no mathematical skills are required beyond arithmetic. "Techies" can also benefit from the course, but because their knowledge and abilities may intimidate other students, they should be encouraged to join an accelerated track or honors section of this course where they can allow their interest to soar with like-minded others.

Yes, licensing and rebranding are available, with all materials remaining under the copyright of the University of Washington Extension and Outreach. The licensing structure is reasonable with fees depending on the type of institution. For permission requests, licensing proposals, questions, or further information, please contact UW TechTransfer Digital Ventures.

Because the course materials have been designed for use without an instructor, they can be used in libraries, learning and training centers, and computer labs, as well as in home schooling and traditional classroom environments. You can decide how hands-on your interaction with your students should be.

Instructors can easily add the course materials to Blackboard. Simply add external links to BENEFIT lessons, activities pages, or the whole course. In Blackboard navigate to the Control Panel > Content Areas > External Links, and add links to whatever BENEFIT content that you have selected.

This course was designed for students using computers with any operating system. Although most of the labs and assignments feature Windows software, alternative software is noted, whenever available along with links for downloading. In most cases, the differences between the Macintosh, Linux, and Windows alternatives are minor. If not, alternative directions are given for Macintosh and Linux. For instance, Lab 3-1 offers two separate, tested versions of the lab—one using Adobe PhotoShop and one using open-source GIMP software. Multiple-platform OpenOffice provides a useful alternative to Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software.

The database portion of the course uses Microsoft Access, in Microsoft Office Suite Professional. The only readily available, cross-platform equivalent is MySQL. MySQL is an ideal, no-cost alternative for a school computer lab; however, it requires more technical expertise to install and use than Access.

Studying alone online requires a high level of self discipline. Many students learn more readily in a structured group environment. Taking the course alone is not ideal for many. Often students need the structure of a classroom experience with deadlines, peer support, and immediate feedback from instructor or students. Instructors can tailor the course to the needs of their particular students by adding alternate lecture materials or other activities. Best of all, with all the BENEFIT course materials available, you are free to focus on what you do best—making sure each student understands the material.

The value added is the instructor. He or she can decide whether starting the course should be synchronous or asynchronous, whether classroom discussions or electronic forums will work better for the class, and whether to assign reflection papers for each lesson.

Additional resources for instructors are planned. Resource materials will include BENEFIT instructor training, quizzes and answer sheets, and general guidance on how to maximize student learning outcomes.