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Academic Computing Services supports a variety of resources to facilitate electronic communication between instructors and students: mailing lists, newsgroups, web hosting, and electronic "drop boxes" for assignment submission. In the final stages of development is a new service (https://classes.yale.edu) that will merge and expand the above functions into a unified, easy-to-use resource for classroom communication. Gloria Hardman, Instructional Computing Support Specialist, describes it as "...one stop shopping for the instructor - our new server provides a central location for all course related materials, web pages, newsgroups and chat rooms."
All of these services are accessed through a web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. The site associated with a course contains, in addition to web pages, easy-to-use, graphically-based tools for uploading and downloading class materials (files, assignments, images, etc.), participating in chat sessions and newsgroups, and sending e-mail.
Security and privacy have been major considerations during the design of CLASSES, according to Peter Snow, Instructional Technology Support Specialist and developer of the software. "Access to the individual course sites is available only to those with a Yale NetID, and further access restrictions can be customized on a course-by-course basis. Instructors have complete control over their course content through the instructor interface."
A limited number of courses have been using the server during the Fall 1998 semester, and the early feedback from instructors and students alike has been very constructive. Space on the server has already been created for each Yale College course in the Spring 1999 semester. Instructors can log in and start using the server to prepare for their classes.
For more information, visit https://classes.yale.edu. E-mail your questions and comments to classes@yale.edu
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