At a Glance
Institution:
Algonquin College
Instructor:
James Halls
Course Name:
Business Computer Applications
Course Material in Use:
Nordell, Microsoft Office 365: In Practice, 2021 Edition
Resource in Use:
SIMnet
Course Type:
Hybrid
Integration:
Blackboard + Canvas Learning Management Systems
Course Enrollment:
1,600 per year
The Challenge: Improved Course Management
Before choosing SIMnet for his Business Computer Applications course, Professor James Halls found other applications were difficult to use and often glitchy. He found that simulation questions provided by his former application were prone to errors and it was difficult for him to add extra time to activities for individual students. It was also difficult and time consuming for students to register for their course materials at the beginning of the course. The reports he received of students’ performance in course activities were also poorly formatted and difficult to interpret. Fortunately, SIMnet solved all of these issues for him and his students.
Implementation
Professor James Halls first ran a pilot of SIMnet in three sections of his Business Computer Applications course in Fall 2021 and has since been using SIMnet across all 24 sections since Fall 2022. He continued to assign 100% of his course work through SIMnet.
The lessons or simulations available through SIMnet are used to teach students the practical portion of skills. These practical skills are then reinforced by assigning projects (downloadable files). Professor Halls can then analyze the correct/incorrect ratios of activities to determine which skills students are finding most difficult to master, and can adjust lecture and demo material accordingly to focus on what students need more help with. In addition, students have unlimited attempts at projects up to the deadline in order to attain the best grade possible based on the feedback from SIMnet.
Professor Halls implemented SIMnet with Algonquin College’s Inclusive Access program, which provides students with digital access to their course materials through their course fees and is instantly accessible on or before the first day of class. This model makes access more affordable and simpler for all students.
“Students appreciate the Inclusive Access program because they do not need to buy SIMnet separately from their tuition or go through the hassle of upgrading from complimentary to permanent access.”
With SIMnet, Professor Halls’ students have a significantly improved simulation experience, reducing the time it takes to complete simulation lessons by 50%. The student registration experience is also much easier, smoother, and faster. The ability to add extra time to activities is also a simpler experience from an instructor perspective. After switching to SIMnet, he also found a decrease in student complaints regarding simulation questions that do not respond correctly. Other instructors who teach the course have also commented to Professor Halls that they found SIMnet easier to work with and that it is a better system than their previous platform.
All of these improvements have saved both students and faculty valuable time that they can use for teaching and learning course content. The reduction in student frustration with the course platform has also allowed them to focus more closely on their learning rather than worrying about solving technical issues.
“I would say overall, SIMnet is less stressful to use due to ease of registration, the relatively small numbers of technical issues in the simulations, and ease of use of lesson/assignment scheduling features.”
Instructor Profile
Professor James Halls has a B.Sc. in Anthropology and has been a professor at Algonquin College in Ottawa for 25 years. He has taught a variety of office productivity applications in the School of Business including courses of 30 to 500 students in online, in-person, hybrid, and “mixed MOOC” formats. He has received the NISOD Excellence Award twice. Currently he is the lead professor for two courses, an Office overview, and an Advanced Excel and Elementary Access course.
Recommendations from Professor Halls
“If you intend to use Inclusive Access, make sure that you know the timelines for submitting ancillary fee changes at your institution.”
“The biggest reason I recommend using SIMnet is a vastly improved student experience both for learning skills and overall ease of use.”
“I’d have to say that the reports are my favourite feature. The pre-made reports are reasonably well put together and give some information at a glance, such as average grade and average time taken to complete lessons and exams. Custom reports can be generated too, and the output is free of invisible characters and odd formatting that can make analysis difficult.”