TechCast at UMass: How Online, Web-Based Learning Helps Students Grasp Chemistry, Physics, Art History

June 2, 2008

Contact:

Ed Blaguszewski 413/545-0444

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s podcast series on breakthrough discoveries by campus researchers focuses this month on OWL, an online, Web-based learning system that is helping students across the country understand chemistry and a variety of other subjects.

“TechCast at UMass” includes interviews with Peter Lillya, an emeritus professor of organic chemistry, and David M. Hart, director of the Center for Educational Software Development (CESD). In addition, Lisa Lockwood from the educational publisher Cengage Learning discusses how OWL is being used in many schools thanks to a licensing agreement with the UMass Amherst Office of Commercial Ventures & Intellectual Property (CVIP).

TechCast episodes are created and posted at www.umasstechcast.org, where they can be downloaded to a computer or portable audio player. Visitors to the site also can subscribe to automatically receive new episodes.

OWL, short for Online Web-based Learning, was first created by computer scientists at UMass Amherst working with chemistry faculty about 12 years ago when it became apparent that the existing online homework system used for introductory courses was out of date. The goal was to create a system that motivated students to do the homework, learn the material, and enjoy it at the same time.

Lillya and Hart talk about how they worked together to develop OWL, and how the system has evolved as technology has improved. OWL serves UMass Amherst students and encourages them to master their work using a multi-media, self-paced electronic system. And it’s not just used for chemistry. Students are also using OWL for subjects such as physics and art history. OWL serves more than 20 departments at UMass Amherst, and about 20 percent of fall semester coursework for freshmen and sophomores is supported by OWL-based automated homework. Cengage, formerly known as Thompson Learning, has licensed the OWL software from the university and now offers chemistry instruction to more than 100,000 college students.

Here’s how OWL works: Students log in through a Web browser and complete assignments created by their instructor. When students submit a response to an assignment question, OWL automatically grades their response and displays the correct answer along with instructive feedback written by the instructor. Students’ answers and scores are stored in a database, and grades are posted for students and instructors to see. Students may repeat assignments as desired to try and better their grade. OWL can generate a new question set each time the student repeats an assignment. Thus, students can also come back to their assignments to study for exams.

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