The damnation of too many course materials websites
Here at SCU, we have two major online course materials systems. One is called eres, the other Angel. The former is really just a document repository. It does have folders and a weird variant of a discussion forum but it’s a place where a professor can put a bunch of files and students can download them. Angel is a full blown learning management system, designed as a central stopping point for actual course content, links out to other places, the ability to have a drop-box for delivery assignments, etc.
While I do have my own personal complaints about eres as a system, my particular whiney complaint today is about the fact that we have 2 of them at all. I never know where to look for what.
Before the quarter started, I went to both and looked for my three classes. I found none of them at either site, and tried to remember to look back again later. When the quarter began, I discovered that both of my quarter-long classes were on Angel. My 1-unit course, which only meets 1 weekend, I just forgot about. Turns out it’s on eres. And it turns out that the professor expected all of us to go there and find it…appparently a while ago. Now I’m behind to some extent and feel a bit stupid about an e-mail I sent and a response I received from the management department (it’s more about my feeling stupid than them making me feel that way).
It’s just frustrating that we have two different systems and I’m somehow feeling guilty because I didn’t spastically check both of them on a regular basis. Just frustrating.
October 16, 2008 Biz School, Musings, Rants, and Random Thoughts 4 Read more >