© AJC /19 Microbiology and the Web: A Nerd's Eye View Alan J. Cann Department of Microbiology & Immunology University of Leicester.

© AJC /19 Students’ reactions to ICT: In the nineties:

© AJC /19 Alan KayAlan Kay: "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."

© AJC /19 Global mega universities - your competitors! Open University - 200,000 students.Open University Western Governors University (USA) - a private university delivering degree programs solely via the Internet, sponsored by the governors of 19 western USA states and territories.Western Governors University e-University - HEFCE proposal.e-University

© AJC /19 www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk I began using the WWW for teaching in late Since then, I have developed an extensive set of innovative WWW-based learning materials. Some of the pages on my server are the most popular on the internet (Google)the most popular on the internetGoogle The server currently has: –190Mb of information in 3,000 files –17,500 links (14,000 internal, 3,500 external) –20,000 hits, 350Mb per day (?200,000 hits, 3.5Gb /day with caching?) demo

© AJC /19 BS110: Saviour of forests - how to run a paperless course What have computers done for me? 1975: Business Week forecasts the imminent arrival of the paperless office - office workers consume 40kg of paper per year. 2000: Office workers consume 80kg of paper per year! Numeracy and Computer Skills for Biologists

© AJC /19 Numeracy and Computer Skills for Biologists Computer practicals: Hands-on computer sessions held at the start of the first and second semesters. The object of these sessions is not to train students in how to use the available software, but to enable them to learn how to use it! Lectures: Describe mathematical, statistical and data handling techniques in the context of biological sciences. At the end of each lecture, a URL is presented where there is a set of numerical problems relevant to the lecture topic. These problems must be completed and the answers submitted over the WWW by the specified deadlines. These are computer-marked, resulting in huge saving of staff time. Help Sessions: Open to all students. Students are informed by of their mark for each set of problems and a suggestion as to whether they need to attend the relevant help session.

© AJC /19 CBLIS 97: ”Online Interactive Computer-Assisted Learning” Mars Pathfinder July 5th 1997:

© AJC /19 Advantages of the WWW: Dynamic information (databases, search engines) Open (student-directed) learning - tutor is a guide ("facilitator"?). "The internet is a global phone system without a directory" Not any more! Search engines are the directory:  300 pages/day Microbiology/Virology/Viruses/Herpes_Viruses/ (200 pages/day) Microbiology/Virology/Viruses/Herpes_Viruses/

© AJC /19 "We’ve got a zillion dollars worth of technology - and what are we doing with it?" (Lotus 1997) So what should we do with it?

© AJC /19 Welcome to the Educational Heavyweight Championship In the red corner:In the blue corner: David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education & the Campaign for LearningCampaign for Learning Chris Woodhead, Former Chief Inspector of Schools "(students) … must acquire the key skill of "learnacy” - the ability to manage their own learning" "a misguided emphasis on utilitarian skills"

© AJC /19 So what should we do? Integrate key skills into subject-specific curricula: BS110: Numeracy and Computer Skills for Biologists Use the technology APPROPRIATELY !

© AJC /19 The Future of Academics ? “Learning Managers”? (BS110?)BS110? Intelligent tutors (“learning machines”) (Diana Laurillard)Intelligent tutors (“learning machines”) Peripatetic Electronic Teachers (PETs) "… telepresences surfing the Net, just as Aristotle, the first peripatetic teacher, used to walk around the Lyceum as he taught". (David Squires)

© AJC /19 WWW in Research: Entrez GenomesEntrez Genomes:

© AJC /19 The Revenge of the Nerds: (with apologies to Robert X. Cringely) In the noughties: The e-student is upon us. In a competitive recruitment environment, we had better meet their expectations!

© AJC /19 "Did you like the use of support during the course ?"

© AJC /19 "Has your experience of computer- assisted learning during this course changed your opinions ?"

© AJC /19 My interest is in the future - I am going to spend the rest of my life there Charles F. Kettering In the nineties, if you had a website, you were a rebel (!) In the noughties, the WWW will become universal. In the teens, websites will be compulsory (universal).

© AJC /19 Education costs money - ignorance costs more.