Paperless Spaces

I have had some experience with a nearly paperless class. I teach two online courses, and the only paper involved is the textbook. In addition, a colleague and I are developing a textbook for one. When that is completed, the class will be fully paperless. Likewise, in my face-to-face classes, I have essentially placed all assignments and supporting materials online. Our tests are hardcopy, but this is in accordance with a school policy that has exams given at certain times and locations on campus. Computer labs are usually book solid by the computer class, who receive first preference. A hardship I can live with to be sure.
To the extent that I have tried this approach thus far, it has changed my role to some extent in that I guide more, though for really different concepts, I have included short podcast lectures. If anyone is interested the students’ response to the podcasts has been very positive.
If anything, I see learning as measured more profoundly, as student have to write more essays and short answers identifications on assessments. These are more geared to demonstrate depth of comprehension, so they are better determinants than multiple-choice of true and false questions. I do have short quizzes that are multiple-choice, but they are more for diagnostic purposes and the bearing on the overall grade in minimal. In addition, I do assign and online research paper. This is a good place to keep in mind http://turnitin.com/static/index.html which is a really good place to check for plagiarism. The chief difficulty comes in connection with the price. It is very costly, and my institution has not decided to foot the bill yet. A colleague has it through another institution, and allows me have her check suspicious work. In addition, it also worthwhile to point out that since in Blackboard documents need to be downloaded and opened, I can keep a portfolio on each student. this shows their academic development over the semester, and allows for support if the student tries to alter and resubmit previously graded assignments.
I think that a paperless space definitely makes it easier to build a learning network. Based on my experience, students often site websites in their responses on assignments. These same responses go far beyond the material in the textbook. Likewise, they provide me with more resources for teaching the class in the future. Likewise, the assignments, which I grade, using a different colored font in order to provide feedback, form a basis for discussion of the material. Likewise, students seem less inhibited in discussion boards than they do in the face-to-face classroom. They are more willing to respond to the comments of their peers and to mine. Again, they are learning from one another as a network. Working together and exploring the past we create a gestalt, the product of which is far greater than anything we could devise on our own.
Jim Mc Intyre