Still Talking

The University of Idaho discovered that putting a public-speaking course partially online saved it money and was more convenient for students. Technology officials at the university say they devised a way to put some course material online, while keeping some of it in the traditional lectures, allowing the course to be taught using less of teaching assistants’ time. “They still speak in class,” says David Schlater, manager of educational new media for the university’s Center for Teaching Innovation, who helped redesign the course. “They’re still talking in class to people they don’t know.” (The Chronicle, subscription required)