A Nice Way To Teach

As the Internet proliferates in second language learning, instructors are under increasing pressure to develop personal web sites to support their teaching. Arnie Cooper explains how Nicenet can help even the most netphobic newbie create a fully functional, interactive web site within minutes.

First introduced in January 1998, Nicenet (www. nicenet.org) the Internet Classroom Assistant will help bring your teaching into the new millennium. It is especially useful for teachers who lack a working knowledge of HTML or web creation tools like Front Page or Pagemill.
Getting Started
Before your first class meeting, familiarize yourself with the Nicenet site. (Be sure to use “org” not “com” or you’ll find yourself at an Internet Service Provider...in Korea.) Take the
time to visit the “learn more” and FAQ pages.
Now, assuming you’ve thought through the class you plan to teach, click on the “create a class link” and follow directions. Because your site will be available only to you or your students, you’ll be given a unique “class key” which you’ll then pass on to your students who will be prompted to enter the code when they register for the site. You should also register as a student to get comfortable with the process when it’s time to explain it. I strongly recommend you prepare a handout explaining step by
step how learners can register.
How Nicenet Works
The site has five main features:
Scheduling: Allows you to put your class schedule online so students can learn about future assignments and class events.
Document Sharing: Makes it easy for both learners and instructors to post a variety of documents such as: course syllabi and written assignments. Simply copy and paste your text
into an easy to use web-based form.
Link sharing: Allows instructors to post relevant links and descriptions with just a few clicks. Students can also add their own links allowing everyone to participate in building the site.
Conferencing: Adds yet another dimension to the Nicenet experience. Both learners and instructors can create their own threaded conferencing topics to extend class discussions
beyond the classroom.
Personal Messaging: Allows you to contact your students (either the entire class or selected members) easily without needing to enter students’ email addresses into your email program’s address book. In turn, students will be able to contact you or their classmates to ask questions or offer feedback on assignments or projects. Important: have students configure their personal messages to be sent directly via email
in “edit user profile”.

Nicenet In Action
At UCSB’s International Programs I frequently teach web-based classes. Nicenet not only helps me organize these classes but also helps me stay in touch with students. I can assist them with individual problems, make revisions to homework assignments, as well as remind them about due dates and upcoming projects.

What’s more, Nicenet provides learners an authentic and practical Internet experience by modeling how the net
can be used to enhance their English.
This proved extremely valuable in my Professional Communications Through New Technologies class, which I taught this past summer. With the focus on Internet research skills, basic web site creation and PowerPoint, Nicenet truly was the ultimate classroom assistant.
As in most lab-based classes, students arrived with different levels of computer knowledge. The ICA helped offset this since I could provide clear easy-to-follow instructions of in-class assignments directly on the Nicenet site. This reduced my need to explain from the front of the room—a great challenge since learners are distracted so easily in computer labs. I could then use the extra time to work with students one on one.

Beyond these class management issues, the various site features further enhanced my course. One of our first assignments was to research “good” and “bad” web sites. The Link Sharing feature allowed learners to view instantly the web sites their classmates had reviewed. And it allowed me to check their work.
When it was time for students to critique each other’s written texts Document Sharing coupled with Personal Messaging proved invaluable. Students could view any of their classmate’s texts directly on the site. Responding to them required just a couple of
clicks.

Later in the course, when students were developing their own web sites, they added useful web creation links as well as links to their own sites. In the old days, I’d have students email me their web addresses. Nicenet saved me time since the URL’s could be post-
ed all in one place.

In addition, Conferencing allowed students to be more engaged with class material and one another as they learned firsthand the power of the Internet as a communications tool. As the instructor, I used this feature to get regular student feedback. This enabled me
to tailor the course to fit students’ needs.
Ultimately, Nicenet proved indispensable even after the class finished. Since the service is free, I could keep the site running giving students an easy reference tool as well as the ability to stay connected with me as well as their classmates.

Final Thoughts
Nicenet will no doubt help you organize and manage your classes. Its professional look will help boost your credibility in the eyes of your students. Plus it’s reliable, though I always recommend a back-up plan in case of computer problems. Indeed what’s nice about
Nicenet is how easy it is to use.
Of course, its ease of use is also a limitation. You will not be able to add photos or graphics or even change fonts or colors. Your site will be easy to navigate but neither you nor your students will be able to put a creative stamp on its design.
What’s more, since the interface doesn’t allow for multiple pages in Scheduling, by week three or four of your class, you’ll start to notice very long web pages—a definite no-no in the world of web design.
Still, whether you have a web-based or traditional class, Nicenet offers a customizable system that’s both fun and functional for second language learners and their instructors.