Using Docutek ERes in a Student Affairs Classroom

By Lamont A. Flowers
Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations Associate Director of the Institute of Higher Education
University of Florida
lflowers@edu15.coe.ufl.edu

Posted: January, 2004 Student Affairs Online, vol. 5 no. 1 - Winter 2004

Recently published data from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty indicated that more than one-third of all college faculty have used e-mail to communicate with their students and have used course websites to facilitate instruction or present information (Warburton, Chen, & Bradburn, 2002). Given the growing number of innovative technologies to choose from (e.g., handheld computers, WebCT, etc.), this trend is likely to continue in higher education. In fact, with the proliferation of computer and information technologies that have emerged in recent years, it has become clear that teaching faculty in postsecondary institutions have been and will continue to be impacted by new and innovative technologies in their classrooms (Bento & Bento, 2000; Newman & Scurry, 2001; Witt, 2003). One of the most recent technologies that has implications for teaching and learning in higher education is Docutek ERes. Docutek ERes, designed by Docutek Information Systems, is a web-based electronic course reserve system. Based on the information presented on the Docutek website, Docutek ERes makes it possible for �libraries [to] web-enable their course reserves and offer their patrons round-the-clock access to reserve material online� (Docutek Information Systems, 2002). Stated differently, Docutek ERes is a comprehensive system that enables faculty to post reading materials, websites, syllabi, and other electronic documents to the web. The documents are then made available to students via the web.

Using Docutek ERes in a Student Affairs Classroom

I was first introduced to Docutek ERes last year when I participated in a pilot project with a limited number of faculty members at the University of Florida to �test-drive� the system. Since I was initially impressed with the features of Docutek ERes, I experimented with the system and found that Docutek ERes provided me with a way to offer important course materials to my students via the Internet. To infuse Docutek ERes into my course, before the start of the Fall semester, I selected additional course readings that either reinforced specific topics in the textbook or introduced new topics that were germane to the subjects we were studying. Each additional course reading was enumerated (e.g., 1, 2, 3, etc.) in the order corresponding to the issues/topics that were to be discussed in class. Then, I incorporated the following sentence into my syllabus: �Additional course readings have been placed on the electronic course reserve system, ERes (pronounced e-rez) (http://eres.uflib.ufl.edu/). The number next to each reading corresponds to the number on the course schedule as well as on the electronic course reserve system.� �Throughout the semester, I noticed that having course materials available online enabled me to have more control over the reading materials for my students. Specifically, Docutek ERes enabled me to perform the following tasks and incorporate the following elements in my class:

� Upload articles, book chapters, and other information resources on a secure web-based environment,

� Electronically-link important websites and online reading materials to a central website,

� Modify course materials in a timely and efficient manner, and

� Monitor Docutek ERes student-usage statistics. �

Advantages and Disadvantages of Docutek ERes

If your university houses one of the more than 400 libraries that have Docutek ERes (Docutek Information Systems, 2002), you may want to consider utilizing ERes in your course (if your university does not have Docutek ERes, perhaps you may want to present this commentary to an appropriate library official). To assist you in your decision in using Docutek ERes, below is a tentative list of advantages and disadvantages of using Docutek ERes that I discovered when I used Docutek ERes last semester. While this list is not exhaustive, this list highlights some of the critical issues that are germane for prospective Docutek ERes users:

Advantages of Docutek ERes

� Ease of use � Docutek ERes requires very little instruction because many of the features on Docutek ERes are features that most faculty are familiar with such as faxing documents, viewing Portable Document Format (PDF) files, and checking e-mail.

� Ease in updating course materials � Docutek ERes enables you to make changes to the type and amount of reading materials in a timely manner using the online tools embedded in the program�s interface.

� Keeps track of student-usage � Docutek ERes maintains monthly and daily usage statistics on the number of times students visited the course page as well as individual documents within the course page.��

� Student Access � Students can read course materials on any computer that has Internet access.

Disadvantages and Limitations of ERes:

� Requires a Modicum of Technological Competence � Though Docutek ERes is quite simple in its operation and design, potential Docutek ERes users will have to receive training on the use of Docutek ERes, which requires knowledge of topics such as the Internet, downloading/uploading files to the Internet, and browsing the Internet.

� Technology Requirements � Requires your students to have access to an Internet-accessible computer to view course materials.

Conclusion

Overall, my experience with Docutek ERes was positive. In fact, I am using Docutek ERes this semester in another class. Future articles on Docutek ERes may seek to incorporate preliminary research findings on the importance and/or effects of using this system versus the traditional course reserve system on students� educational outcomes in student affairs classrooms. This line of research will provide evidence pertaining to the formal benefits of Docutek ERes. Thus, quantitative as well as qualitative studies will be helpful in this regard. However, because of my positive experience with Docutek ERes, if your library has Docutek ERes, I recommend using the system to make course materials available to your students via the Internet. If you are interested in experimenting with Docutek ERes, Docutek Information Systems lets users test the system via the following website: http://eres.docutek.com

References

Bento, R. F., & Bento, A. M. (2000). Using the web to extend and support classroom

learning. College Student Journal, 34, 603-608.

Docutek Information Systems. (2002). Products: Docutek ERes. Retrieved January 16, 2004,

from http://www.docutek.com/products/eres/index.html

Newman, F., & Scurry, J. (2001). Online technology pushes pedagogy to the forefront. The

Chronicle of Higher Education, p. B7-B9.

Warburton, E. C., Chen, X., & Bradburn, E. M. (2002). Teaching with technology: Use of telecommunications technology in postsecondary instructional faculty and staff in fall

1998. (NCES 2002-161). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

Witt, P. L. (2003). Enhancing classroom courses with Internet technology: Are course web sties

worth the trouble? Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 27, 429-438.