LONCAPA at Ohio University Mark Lucas, Dept of Physics and Astronomy

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LON-CAPA at Ohio UniversityMark Lucas, Dept of
Physics and Astronomy

• Outline
• History
• Usage
• Resources
• Issues

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History

• CAPA pilot Fall 1994
• Used in
• All introductory physics (algebra and calc)
• Physical Sciences
• Introductory Chemistry
• Delivery of assignments (no exams,quizzes)
• Piloting LON-CAPA Winter 2002

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Piloting

• Winter 2002 Phys 202 (Lucas) (100)
• Spring 2002 Phys 203 (Lucas) (100)
• Summer 2002 Phys 201(Lucas) (40)
• Fall 2002 201/251 (Lucas/Ingram) (450)
• Winter 2003 6 courses all of physics
• 700 students
• Half of department faculty (about 12 of 25)

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Typical Usage

• Homework start as CAPA replacement
• Including ancillary notes, demos, etc.
• No integrated online courses yet
• Kerberos 5 university authentication
• Full use of online printing

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Resources Warm Bodies

• Mark Lucas 50 Faculty/50 CAPA Sys Mgr
• Support hardware, OS, LON-CAPA, faculty
  training, library maintenance, teach intro
  physics
• Prasenjit Sarkar Undergrad Asst Manager
• Typically 1 graduate student/quarter
• Matthew Phillips Chemistry Educational
  Technology Specialist
• (will handle some of chemistry support)

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Resources Other

• In contact with Center for Instructional
  Technology in Learning
• Moral Support, some undergrad support
• Internal grant - 25,000 for hardware
• (took second try)

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Resources Fall

• 3 Dell PIII 800 Mhz with 380MB RAM
• 450 students
• Some load issues, but partially software
• In general was doing okay

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Resources Winter

• December 20,000 total
• 4 Dell PowerEdge 2650s
• Dual 2.0GHz Xeons
• 2GB RAM
• 1 with RAID
• Tape backup
• APS,switch,etc

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Libraries and Resources

• Worked on translator with Guy
• Serway, Tipler, p200, p250
• Published domain-only for QC and proprietary
  issues
• Talk to me if interested in some of P200 problems
• Beginning work on public Physlet library

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Organization of Courses

• Users
• P200 course sequences, quarter by quarter
• OUp200lib library limited authorship
• Serwaylib library limited authorship
• Lucas own play space

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Lessons learned

• Suggestion publish locally first, libraries
  evolve
• When comfortable with style and quality, PLEASE
  PUBLISH with wider access
• Have been adapting as printing solidifies
• Need for lots of examples
• Login problems can be a time sink
• Working on more extensive login diagnostics
• http//loncapa.phy.ohiou.edu/help

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Future

• Increase content use for Physics
• CCLI?
• Improve libraries and beginning publishing for
  free use.
• Convince Chemistry to jump on board
• Re-visit CITL (Instructional Technology)
• Submit Bug/Feature reports
• Fix bug reports