Applications of computer technology in tandem with the traditional classroom

Electronic teaching methods are used to stimulate the teaching and learning of basic electrical circuits at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). Television and the world wide web are combined with traditional classroom teaching to address the issues of attendance, or lack thereof, poor performance and timely assessment at a comprehensive urban university. While the circuits course is taught in the regular classroom, it is simultaneously broadcast through cable television in the larger Sacramento area. The course is also entirely available through the worldwide web including audio-video segments captured from the classroom, as well as testing/assessment modules. The significance of this experiment lies in that the instructor promotes the technology portion of the teaching as complementary to the classroom environment, not as an equivalent self-paced learning option. This paper describes the process in detail, including how web-based materials are used to assess students performance, provide dynamic feedback to the instructor and give students an opportunity for timely remedial action.