Currently I am an Associate Professor at New River Community College teaching a CSC 110 – Introduction to Computing course to approximately 140 students each semester. In CSC 110 students are introduced to problem solving through computer applications and a programming language.

In our course we were facing the challenges from a significant amount of assignments and subsequent grading required each semester while also trying to balance the need to motivate students through the concepts and applications covered. Having used and trusted Course Technology solutions in the past we chose two of their latest products: CaseGrader for Microsoft Office 2007 and CourseCasts.

Both offerings have increased the level of student involvement and participation in my classes. With CaseGrader for Office 2007, students know exactly what they did incorrectly so they can go back and correct it. Students like this immediate feedback that CaseGrader provides. With CaseGrader students’ grades have improved and I believe it is helping in the way they are going about solving problems.

We have utilized CourseCasts as a source for weekly discussions centered around current events. I use the podcasts to engage students in group discussions and increase their involvement. Students have enjoyed CourseCasts remarking how they never knew all of the information covered was actually out there. CourseCasts have helped students keep updated with new trends and issues in IT while adding an interactive feature to the CSC 110 course.

As we know, students do not respond to lectures and being talked to as they may have in the past. Today they want high levels of interaction and to specifically cover what they see as pertinent material. They want discussions and hands-on involvement of the classroom material. Having taught for more than 33 years I believe Course Technology is the leader in providing proven solutions for my teaching needs.

Connie Leathers
Associate Professor
New River Community College
Dublin, VA