Other classes, he said, have used the world wide web in part, but Witcombe has tried to make every facet of the class use the computer, from writing papers to exams to the textbooks. In his Ancient Art class, eight students file into a computer lab and sit in front of a terminal. The lights dim and students turn on their computers ready for the class. Witcombe, with his own terminal, projects images that are on his own screen onto a larger screen in the class. A map of ancient Italy, showing the location of various ancient art exhibits, appears on the large screen.
Similar images appear on the students' screens as they follow along.
Everything they need is in front of them, Witcombe said. The students will even type their notes onto the computer, he said. He likes to point out that some people feel teaching this way makes the crucial human element from the classroom disappear. Not so in his class, he said. Witcombe paces around the room lecturing, always asking for student input and trying to facilitate discussion.