Two Types of Instructional Software

Instructional software is the most visible and popular type of instructional technology. It can be profitably divided into two categories, based on scope: classware and worldware.

Classware

The term classware refers to software that is specific to a class or discipline, and typically is highly specialized. Some classware only demonstrates a single process or phenomena. Examples of classware:

A program on a computer in a teaching laboratory that takes data from external instruments and places it into a spreadsheet or other data file
Software that demonstrates for students how to pronounce words in a foreign language
A program that performs time-series analysis on economic data
An application that lets students compose music electronically

Sometimes, as in the case of a statistical package, a piece of software is used by related departments within a discipline. The common thread here is that the content matter of the discipline drives the selection of software. Some web sites are much like classware; others are not (and will be discussed below).

Finding Classware

When faculty members ask, "What's out there?" they are often seeking information about classware appropriate to the courses that they teach. While things were different fifteen years ago, at this point there is no way for centralized computing support organizations (like Academic Computing) to keep tabs on what's available - there's simply too much, and much of it is publicized through professional academic, rather that technologists' channels. There is a great deal of information about classware available on the web. Below are some starting points for finding materials in your discipline.

The Annenberg/CPB Project's Learner Online

a web site on education

The Internet Public Library

a public service organization and learning/teaching environment at the University of Michigan School of Information

MERLOT

Multimedia Online Resource for Learning and Online Teaching

Academic Commons

a comprehensive web resource focused on liberal arts education

World Lecture Hall

provided by the Center for Instructional Technologies at Univ. of Texas at Austin

All of these resources are exclusively focused on education.

It is also worthwhile to conduct some searches using the web's larger search engines. Among those that are easy to use but broad in scope:

Other search engines are available as well. Try search terms that mention specific content areas, with or without types of technology of interest, such as

Mitosis software
Population simulation software
Asian studies
Norse literature
Number theory

Because the Internet is indexed in a chaotic fashion, searches often result in huge number of irrelevant "hits". Don't be discouraged. Try putting in additional search terms, and be sure to consult the "search tips" provided by most of the major search engines. Sometimes the addition of some quotation marks can make all the difference in the world.

Our reference librarians can also help you formulate effective Internet searches. Consider availing yourself of their assistance early on.

While the web is probably the best source for locating software, some professional academic organizations also maintain clearinghouses for software. Software is also listed in the Chronicle of Higher Education, and often mentioned on discipline-specific list servers. Your Academic Computing Resource Specialist may know of other sources as well.

Implementing Classware

Once you have found software that interests you, how to proceed depends upon what use you hope to make of it in class, and how it is licensed. Here are several ways classware might be used:

Demonstration software
Demonstration software might be useful in explaining a dynamic system or complex process in front of class. Demonstrations can most easily be done in a classroom equipped for computer projection. In this case, only one copy of the software might be needed.

Hands-on labs
Some classware is best used during class time in hands-on workshops, where the students can actually try things out for themselves. Complicated packages, like programming languages or professional analysis packages, are often best approached this way. Several computer labs can be scheduled for these purposes. Labs need only be reserved for the number of sessions required, rather than for an entire semester. For labs, a license to base the software from the network is often needed.

After-class assignments
If software is easy to use, faculty sometimes simply request that their Academic Computing Resource Specialist install the software on the network, so that their students may use it from their dorm rooms or from the public facilities at other times. A network license is also needed in this instance.

The Reserve Desk
If the software in question resides on a CD-ROM that cannot be widely copied/distributed, it should be placed on reserve at the Library, as is often done with printed material.

Other ways of using classware exist, but these are the most common, and will provide some idea of the options.

Acquiring Classware

Software is offered by vendors through several arrangements.

Some software is only available for purchase at retail prices as individual units. If you need only to demonstrate the software in class, only a single copy may be needed.
Some software is available in volume discounts. This is very valuable when the software is to be installed on multiple machines, as in a lab.
Occasionally, software is offered free for general use or specifically for educational environments. Often, this is very simple, home grown, or academic software.
Sometimes software can be licensed to run from a network server, rather than on individual machines. Often this option saves money as well as staff resources (although it always costs more than a single copy). Some software vendors expressly forbid the installation of their software on any network server. Doing so against a vendor's wishes is a violation of law.

It is obvious from the foregoing that licensing software can get a bit hairy. You are encouraged to discuss purchases of any software you'd like to use in class with your Resource Specialist, who can also help you assess the hardware requirements and other relevant information.

It is very important that software is selected and acquired well before the start of the semester in which you intend to make use of it. Installation of software on the network or in computer labs can be remarkably complicated and time-consuming - time that Computing Center staff will simply not have at the latter part of the summer, or at the end of Winter break. Software should be delivered to the Resource Specialist by April 15th for use during the Fall semester and Nov. 15th for use in the Spring semester.

Copyright law, which considers software as a form of intellectual property, is vital to the health of the information marketplace. The College takes its responsibilities in this regard very seriously. The College maintains a Keyserver, a special network server to keep track of its networked software. The Keyserver system helps us insure that the number of individuals simultaneously using a particular software application does not exceed the number of College-owned licenses for the software. Even with such precautions, some vendors will not permit their software to be network-based.

Who Pays?

Faculty members can often obtain classware from a vendor for a trial evaluation period. Many vendors provide this service in the interest of reaching the academic market.

If the vendor does not provide free evaluations, or once an instructor has decided to select software for class use, the following guidelines apply:

If the software is for a limited range of classes (say, one or two classes within a department), the department is expected to pay for the software.
If the software is to be used in many classes, affecting greater numbers of students, and has utility across departmental boundaries, Academic Computing can share the cost of the software with the departments involved.

Historically, funding has not often been a problem for faculty who have proceeded seriously and methodically in acquiring software for support of classes. Be sure to contact your Academic Computing Resource Specialist as early in the process as is practical.

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