OPINION & EDITORIAL
No gap in theClassConnection
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by Letters to the Editor
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
On behalf of theClassConnection, I would like to thank The Badger Herald for publishing a recent opinion piece by Ruth Windberg (“Website will fall victim to laziness,” Feb. 15). The article raised some interesting questions, and we wanted to take a few words to explain our organization’s stance on these issues.
We do not claim to have content for every class, but we do have lecture notes and flashcards for over 50 of the University of Wisconsin’s largest courses. From economics to psychology to French, theClassConnection offers students a variety of educational information. Plus, the body of information grows every day. We do not promote these resources as a replacement for attending lecture. In fact, we feel that these materials help students engage themselves in lectures instead of acting like stenographers.
We’ve all been in classes where the professor speaks so quickly about such dense information, we can barely write it down, let alone absorb the actual content. I’ve had student after student thank me for our service. Undergrad Jason Londo commented on our course notes, stating, “I really enjoy going to lecture without having to focus on writing everything the professor says and instead focusing on the context of what she says.” We’re thrilled that students like Jason are enjoying a richer educational experience by using theClassConnection to supplement their study routine.
Critics of the site believe there is a free-rider dilemma — simply put, no one will contribute to the site. While on the surface, this phenomenon may seem material, we’ve found that it only takes one student to help a class succeed online. People have told us that they enjoy the social credit associated with posting valuable content. Some students are even more altruistic; they feel good about contributing toward the greater body of knowledge. Regardless of the motivation, we’ve witnessed a large number of students come forward and create course content. Clearly, students are willing to give as well as take.
We’re extremely excited by the response theClassConnection has received at UW in just one short semester. Professor Andrew Irving has helped French 203 grow to include over 1,400 flashcards — that’s every term and definition covered in the class. Professor Mark Wendt has helped us create a dynamic community for Chemistry 103 where over 300 students share notes, flashcards and other information. With each day, activity increases in numerous classes across campus.
Dave Sargent
UW Alumnus 2006, the Class Connection
dave@theClassConnection.com
Anonymous (February 20, 2008 @ 3:30am):
Right on, Dave! Keep doing what you're doing, man.
-SOAR 2002
Anonymous (February 20, 2008 @ 9:44am):
Indeed, I'm sure everyone who joins up just wants to be able to pay more attention...
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