WebTycho

You need the latest version of Netscape or Internet Explorer to access the full functions of WebTycho.

Although the minimum system requirements were a 80486 computer processor for a long time, I suggest a Pentium I might be the effective minimum. I use a PowerPC Macintosh G5 computer.

I suggest a 56K modem. You need a fast, steady connection. Broadband or ISDN access is preferred in part because of the stability and consistency of download speeds. I have recently upgraded to Broadband with BT here in the UK.

You need to be willing to spend time on line - at first, 20 - 30 minutes several times each week, perhaps more, just browsing assignments, submissions and comments (this assumes that everything except short phrase comments will be composed off line and that you will "cut and paste" into the appropriate Web Tycho page). You need to estimate the cost of this time yourself.

I find it is most efficient to browse the entire site first, downloading files, saving or printing out assignments or comments I want to remember. On later visits, I ask to see the assignments and comments in date order and look at the ones posted since I was last there.

Many people find it very frustrating to type more than a few words on-line at one time.

I suggest you compose your contributions and responses off-line in a word-processor or graphic package; then log on again and cut and paste your prepared answers, comments and diagrams in the appropriate places. A fellow DE instructor Valerie Mock has set out a useful strategy for reading conference material off-line.

You may need to use your ID and password two or three times during a session.

Users with slower computers will find this on-line process slow. At busy times, the server is slow even for those with faster processors. When this happens, be prepared to log off and come back at a different time. Keep track of when during the day and week the server seems busiest and avoid those times when possible.

WebTycho offers us a virtual classroom. The capabilities are enhanced several times each year.

The conference area offers you a way to participate in threaded discussions and comment directly on the contributions of others.

Small groups can have their own controlled access study area for posting responses to questions, asking other group members questions, posting files, downloading files, commenting on others work, and monitoring sidebar discussions of others.

There is a Chat room where the class or a small group can come together all at one time and type messages to others in real time. You might also consider using other instant messaging tools to supplement WebTycho.

There is a library area where we can post files we want to share with each other. This is a big improvement over the bulletin board associated with our list server.

You have rapid access to the UM library itself with a host of databases and links to help your research.

WebTycho is a constantly changing environment which sits on top of a UNIX server and is accessed by a web browser which is added on top of your operating systems. There are two effects:

1. Tycho access is slow at times even if you have ISDN or a high speed modem, a very good connection and a fast computer.

2. Temporary outages of the WebTycho server, your service provider, other students and the instructor's computer and your computer system are overlaid on each other. During periods of intense activity, it is both frustrating and dysfunctional to have any outage, let alone ones which can and do appear from so many sources.

WebTycho is not like a web site. You can place links in your notes, but most pages you post will display as text only (HTML is recognized in certain areas like Course Content).

On-line time costs money. Two on-line sessions are often required to determine what is happening, grab significant items and later post your responses.

Chat on-line is a synchronous mode. If you are not on-line, you miss the discussion. (Your classmates may be in Europe, the Middle East, South America, Asia-Pacific or even the USA.) If you are on-line, it takes a good deal of time to share even a few ideas. (System response times vary here too and there is no facility in the WebTycho chat room for saving the discussion.)

So, money and time start to drive the train.