Course grades indicate fair retention with most students scoring C or above. However, these two courses had different delivery systems with the P 20 being a Pic-Tel course and the 006 a traditionally taught course.

The Pic-Tel students had a high rate of attendance.

Students seemed to have the greatest difficulty with the concept essay, which requires research and documentation. With this essay they move from essays of personal experience to more academic type essays.

I will be doing another Pic-Tel class during the summer and intend visiting the site at least five times. With both traditional and Pic-Tel classes, I need to spend more time working on documentation and developing research skills. I can do this by demonstrating research techniques on the Internet if I can get the technology to work.

A huge problem is attendance and making up work missed. I still don't have an answer to this. The 006 class final grades correlate with attendance. Students with the highest attendance did better than those who missed classes. I had several volleyball students in my class, and although their absences were excused, they failed to follow up.

This despite a strict attendance policy in the syllabus.

I will also spend more time on the concept essay, giving the students more individual help.

Course grades indicate excellent retention (94% in both classes) and mastery of the material at a high level. Little difference in sections. Average grade for one section was 86; for the other, 87.

The sections were taught in our new English computer lab. Class surveys were completed anonymously and covered topics on the use of the St. Martin's CD-Rom, the Blackboard computer program, use of a computer lab routinely for English composition class, and most and least useful aspects of the class. All liked using computers in class. Most students felt they had learned more from using the lab, although a few felt they would have learned the same amount in either a lab or a traditional classroom setting. As one student wrote, "Computers are here to stay. Get used to them."

There was no consensus on which computer programs or other methods were easiest or most useful. For example, here are some sample comments regarding the St. Martin's CD-ROM.

		"It was like having a tutor beside me."
		"It's boring.  The book would be better."
		"I thought it was very easy and self-explanatory and fun."
		"Computers are confusing and sometimes difficult to use.
		 I would rather use a textbook."

I think the variety of comments is to be expected and points to the necessity for varied classroom techniques. My purpose in using the lab is to offer more options. Thus a student can use the textbook or the companion CD-ROM; thus the student can write by hand or use a word processor for invention activities. I think the success rates, both in retention and in high performance levels, bear this out. I'll try to keep flexibility and variety in mind, so that I use a variety of strategies and tools to present the subject.

Classes in this area had several methods of delivery: computer lab, Picture-Tel, and traditional classroom. In addition, several classes were ITOP classes that dealt with students on a borderline ENG 121 status. Student assessment of these various approaches differed, often depending on individual learning styles. Also, the enthusiasm of the teacher is a factor. Overall, students did well and showed improvement. The degree of improvement usually correlates (not scientifically) with the student's attendance.With the Picture-Tel classes, most success was gained with visits to Alamosa.

Most English teachers use a workshop approach to the teaching of English with a minimum of lecture. We intend to stress this approach in all writing classes. We will also encourage teachers to use the computer labs when possible, scheduling as many classes in them where the teachers request. Not every teacher is comfortable using the computers, however.

When we first introduced the use of Picture-Tel to reach students in the San Luis Valley, we also had students here in Trinidad. This presented a number of difficulties especially since our cap of 20 students per class was often ignored. After a semester with this organization, the English teachers requested to have only those students at the remote site. Occasionally, still too many students are registered for a class in Alamosa. In this case, we haveinstituted an additional class. Also, where possible, more teachers of Picture -Tel are visiting Alamosa during the semester. This will be continued.

Only 61% of the class completed the course successfully, with an average course grade of 79. The rest either withdrew or received unsatisfactory grades. Both mastery and retention levels are below what I would expect and hope for.

The course was taught in our new English computer lab. Class surveys were completed anonymously and covered topics on the use of the St. Martin's CD-ROM, the Blackboard computer program, use of a computer lab routinely for English composition class, and most and least useful aspects of the class. There was a marked consensus supporting the computer lab features. Students liked all the features and felt the most useful aspect of the course was, as one student put it, "having the computers at my fingertips anytime I wanted them during class." Almost all felt they had learned more with computers than they would have in a traditional English class.

On the other hand, I regret to report, many students found class lectures the least useful aspect of the course. Many also wished they had had more time to work on papers in class.

In trying to analyze why the class performed below my expectations, I've compared it with my English 121 classes, both of which had high retention (94%) rates and high mastery levels (86-87). I taught the classes under the same conditions and in the same way, I thought. Now, I believe this is the problem-I've been teaching 122 the same way I've taught 121. Although the122 students, as a group, may have been less talented and engaged than those in my other classes, I think the fault was partly due to my teaching approach.

I need to modify my expectations and my strategies. For example, students who have completed 121 are familiar with the textbook and the writing process; they shouldn't need as much direction and explanation (lecture). Also, students at this level are more experienced, able and eager to work independently. It must have been frustrating for them to sit through lectures when the computers they needed to do the research and writing they needed were "at their fingertips."

For the last paper, I abandoned my customary teaching strategies and adopted a workshop approach, writing and researching my own paper along with the students, stopping at intervals to share problems and techniques. They responded very well to this approach, and the average grade for this essay (84) was 5 point or more higher than any of the other four. I think I'm on the right track.

My plan for Spring 2002 is to use a workshop approach more frequently, minimizing lectures, writing along with the student, allowing more class time for research and writing.

While the division did not receive class assessments from all ENG 122 classes, from what I've observed and received, I can draw several conclusions. The students seemed to work well with computers and deemed this mode of delivery as better than in a traditional class since access was available at any time. More teachers are using the computers in conjunction with their classes.

Mastery and retention correlate (not scientifically) with attendance. Perhaps developing a stronger attendance policy should be developed.

Since this class develops skills in using and documenting research, it is recommended that teachers use both the APA and MLA formats with the essays assigned. Also, that more time be expended in developing skills in paraphrasing and summarizing. Also, any sources should be printed or photocopied and handed in with the final copies of the papers.

Once suggestion that has merit is writing along with the students as they develop their writing.

Course grades indicate good retention (79%) although I would like to see a higher rate. Of the 3 students who withdrew, one never attended, and a second, who did not turn in any work, withdrew in early October. The course grades also indicate mastery of the material with an average course grade of 88.

It's difficult to evaluate this class. Some were outstanding students, engaged, eager to learn, exciting and challenging to teach. Others, unfortunately, sat like stones, unprepared, unengaged, uninterested. The first exam seemed to serve as a wake-up call for some of them (they scored in the D and F range), and after that, most seemed to put out more effort. I tried harder to involve them in class discussions and was pleased to see much higher average grades on the second exam (9 points) and second essay (7 points).

We met in Davis 105, a computer lab designed for English classes. Although we seldom used the computers during class, I assigned homework-comments and questions on the readings-in the Blackboard Discussion Board feature. Those students who participated (some did not) gained experience in expressing and defending their ideas in writing, and I believe this practice also helped them to master the material more effectively. In future, I will assign a specific point value for participation in the Discussion Board assignments. (I had merely told them that this was one component of the attendance/participation grade.)

I used the projector and large screen in the classroom to show videos of each drama. It's the best way to screen these dramas, I think, and I liked having this technology readily at hand.

Most students did well in this class. No significant changes are needed for them. But there exceptions. Of those exceptions, two of the three may be a direct result of failure to attend class. The third is the most disturbing. She is a non-traditional student who has done well in other classes, attended this class well, read assignments, and participated in discussions, but not do well on test. When she was given term paper assignments as a substitute for tests, she still failed to excel.