Many Dartmouth courses actively integrate computers into the curriculum by creating on-line tutorials and World Wide Web sites for students, but professors still prefer personal interactions with students, and said on-line tutorials are no substitute for class time.
A Brown University study tried to examine the possibility of replacing classes with computer sessions, but it met with inconclusive results, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
While many professors at Dartmouth utilize computer technology and software as supplements to their courses, Math department Chair James Baumgartner said it is "not in any sense a substitute for what goes on in the classroom."
Chemistry Professor Michael Walters, who is teaching organic chemistry this term, said the chemistry department does not use tutorial programs as a major component of its lecture courses, and he does not "foresee it in the future."
Walters said while Dartmouth does not have anything now in the way of special tutorials in organic chemistry, it does have "lots of software on Public that students can use on their own computers."
MacSqualor is a program that helps students identify unknown substances, a task commonly done in class laboratories. Walters said students can use the program for practice before coming into the lab.
A program called Chem 3D Plus allows students to build molecules in three dimensions and observe them.
Organic chemistry student Amit Malhotra '98 said he has "never used any one of these programs." Malhotra said he thinks it is more helpful to have a human voice teaching.
"For me, people are a lot easier to understand," Malhotra said. "With a computer you can see the process but you can't stop and ask questions. I'd rather go to class."
Professor Walters said there is a Chemistry 52 home page on the World Wide Web. Besides containing the syllabus, general information and study guides for the class, the page has links to "sites of interest."
Another Dartmouth class with a Web site is Math 5, Chance.
Beth Westman '99, who took Math 5 last term, said she used the on-line site "three to four times a week."
Molly Harbaugh '93, a Teaching Assistant for English 18, History of the English Language, said she and others developed a Web site for the class that is "an expansion over and above the historical things in the book."
