Going The Distance with FirstClass Judy K. Miller April 2000 Virginia Highlands Community College

 Conferencing software available from  Intranet  Client/Server FirstClass: What Is It?

What does it look like?

How does it work?  Students download free FirstClass client  Instructor creates conferences  Instructor/administrator sets up accounts

 Always know who’s online  Help can be immediate  Restricted to registered students  Able to manage onslaught of messages. Ha! Why Use It?

Real life & True Confessions

“ The FirstClass program was simple to use and made turning in my homework a breeze. I was able to get in touch with you when I needed to through this program as well.… The comments I received from my fellow classmates through our online discussions helped me correct many mistakes in my papers…. ”

“ Occasionally, I ran into some problems with the class. Most of these problems were due to my inability to get onto the Internet or the VHCC server. Sometimes this got to be quite unnerving. I did not know if it was something I was doing wrong or if everybody was having trouble. This made me feel like I would get behind in the class …. ”

“ When I first registered for this online class, I really wondered if I would learn anything or if it would be worth my time. I even wondered the same things after the first class meeting. I have been really surprised by the effectiveness of the course throughout the entire semester. ”

“ Probably the thing I liked most about the class is that if something is not clear or hard to understand there are always other sources to revert to.… The first option was the Internet through a regular address or FirstClass chat or message…. ”

… and so it goes I do love this job!