Go Paperless: Put Your Course on CD
by Judy Lever-Duffy, Ed.D.
For faculty who choose to include numerous activities in their courses, one of the most bothersome aspects of preparing for classes is the many and frequent visits to the campus copy center. Whether copying handouts, diagrams, or student activities that a teacher needs to prepare materials, planning sufficient time to turn them in, completing amazingly complex multipart copy request forms, getting the copies made, or then ultimately lugging the reams of printed paper to class to distribute to students, teachers spent countless hours copying and distributing classroom materials.
While on-line class management systems such as WebCT or Blackboard can offer technological relief to the need for paper copies in real and virtual classrooms, what of those teachers who prefer a less high-tech delivery format or who simply don’t have these facilities available at their campus? Does technology offer any other alternatives? Indeed it does, and the solution is easy to create, simple to transport, inexpensive, and even saves trees.
Recordable compact discs (CD-Rs) offer faculty an easy-to-use solution for the distribution of course materials. Digital materials for a course can be created with either a word processor, graphics software, or a scanner and then organized into electronic folders. These folders, with the appropriate class files stored in them, can then be recorded on inexpensive CD-R discs. Add a custom label to the CDs and you have a distribution system for your course materials that is both professional looking and easy to manage. Additionally, students enjoy getting their materials on CD. They do not need to be concerned about having missed a particular handout, needing another copy if theirs is lost or damaged, or transporting reams of paper themselves. Repurposing compact discs to distribute a “course on CD” offers an easy alternative to weekly copy center visits and offers students a well-organized cohesive course.
Preparing and Creating Your CD
Many computers today offer a CD-RW drive that can record and play both CD-R (Recordable) discs and CD-RW (Rewritable) discs. For those few machines that do not have a CD-RW drive installed, an external drive can be added for typically under $200. A CD-RW drive, whether internal or external, can utilize both CD-R and CD-RW discs, although there are distinct advantages to each type. You can write to CD-R discs only once. After the initial recording, you cannot change the stored data, although you may add additional data to the disc later. On the other hand, CD-RW discs can be used to record data and then later alter recorded information. Thus, you can record on the disc and later update the files you have placed there. Such CD-RWs are more useful if you need to change data, but they are more expensive and require a somewhat lengthy format process to use them. CD-Rs are comparatively inexpensive and the storage process is relatively quick. For the purposes of storing a course on CD, since your intention is to give your students materials that are likely to change over the term, a CD-R disc is the best choice.
Your first step in creating your CD is to organize your course materials on your computer’s hard drive or desktop into a logical and intuitive folder structure. For my own Educational Technology course, which is a materials-intensive projects based course, I use the structure pictured in Photo 1. I select the course materials I wish to use from the faculty Web site for my text, Teaching and Learning with Technology (Allyn & Bacon Publishers, ©2003) and then arrange these files along with other course-specific materials into an intuitive folder structure. Once organized appropriately, I store all folders and files in a single course file that includes both the course number and term (eg. EME 2040 Fall 03). Once the course materials are finalized and organized, it is time to record to CD.
To create a CD-R, you will need to use the CD recording software that came with your CD-RW drive. Roxio’s CD Creator (http://www.roxio.com) is the recording software often packaged with both internal and external drives and is used in this example, although other software packages work in a similar manner. Using CD Creator, select your course folder from the display in the upper portion of the Creator window and drag that folder into the lower portion of the window (Photo 2). Once you have identified your project (i.e. the collection of files you wish to put on CD), click on the record button and the process begins. Within minutes, all of the files you would have had to print out, copy, and distribute will be contained on an easy-to-carry CD you can hand to your students.
Making CD Labels
CD-RW drives record data on the underside of a CD. The top of the CD can be written on with a permanent marker so it is easy to note your course name and number on the CD. For a more professional look, adding a CD label is a nice touch. There are a number of CD labeling systems available. All include labels that you can print on with an inkjet printer as well as software to create customized, colorful labels. Each software package works slightly differently but all will allow you to add graphics and text and to print multiple CD labels per sheet. Once printed, peel the labels from their sheet and place them on the CD. That is perhaps the most difficult task in putting your course on CD! Labels are very sticky and can easily wrinkle when positioning them. For that reason it is best to purchase a CD labeling system that comes with a small round applicator that holds the CD in place while you position the label. These systems cost only a few dollars more but are well worth the time saved in working with labels.
Storing CDs
Once recorded and labeled, your course on CD can be stored in a jewel case or a paper sleeve. Slim-line jewel cases cost significantly more than paper sleeves but may offer better protection. Paper CD sleeves are lightweight and effectively keep smudges and minor scratches from marring the recorded underside of the CD. Both case and sleeves are available at any office supply store.
Some Tips for Moving from Paper to CD
For approximately $1.00 per student, you can deliver all of your course materials (with room to spare) on a single CD. The CDs are easy to create, use, and transport. There are, however, some things to consider when going paperless.
Most CD-Rs will be readable by CD-ROM drives, CD-R drives, and CD-RW drives. However, some students with very old machines may run into issues when reading your CD. While there is no way to address incompatibility of older systems, it is a good idea to explore where on campus (library, computer lab, or student center) those few students could access a machine that can read your CD.
If you are unsure of the type of software your students have available on their home computers, convert your documents, graphics, and scanned images to a format that can be read by everyone. Adobe’s Acrobat software (http://www.adobe.com) can convert almost every type of file
to a format that can be read with its free, downloadable Reader. Using Adobe’s pdf format will ensure everyone can open, view, and print your materials.
Different drives offer different recording speed. You will need to know the maximum speed of your drive (check the manual) in order to buy the most economical CD-Rs. If your drives maximum speed is 32x, then there is little point in spending the extra money for faster, 48x CD-R discs. The recording speed of your CD-RW drive determines the time it take to record your data. Buy CD-Rs that are consistent with the speed of your drive.
You will quickly use up the few labels that are sold in starter packs of CD labeling systems. Before selecting a system, check on the cost and availability of refills for the system you are considering.
Any time you use technology, redundancy is a good idea. I rarely have any problems with my course on CD, but as a computer science faculty member, I am well aware that whatever can go wrong with technology, usually does. So I do keep a hard copy of all files stored in a course notebook, just in case. While it is true I could print out a copy from my hard drive, it has been my experience that just when I need the copy most would also be just about the time I run out of toner in my laser printer.
Going paperless is easy-to-do, economical, and saves as much effort moving materials as it does trees. For faculty teaching in multiple classrooms or at multiple campuses, a course on CD will return your investment in the time it takes to create your CDs ten times over.
For questions on creating a course on CD or for sharing your own ideas for using technology, please visit my text website at http://www.ablongman.com/lever-duffy. You can email me directly via the Virtual Suggestion Box.
