Students help profs hit the Web

A student organization is giving professors the basic tools they need t make Web homepages. While students turn to professors for help with advanced calculus and medieval history, some professors are looking to students for help -- with subjects like technology. A group of students, including Engineering junior Chris Hyzer, has developed Web Support Services to teach professors how to create homepages on the World Wide Web. Hyzer got the idea at a meeting of the 21st Century Project's Electronic Advising Committee -- and more than 50 students have since volunteered to tutor their professors. Part of the 21st Century Project aims to bring advising onto the Web, explained English Professor Susan Albertine, the Project's coordinator. For that to succeed, classes need individual homepages -- and professors need to know how to write them. Though only six professors have been tutored so far, Hyzer said many others have shown interest. "This can be a powerful teaching tool, but only if professors take advantage of it," Hyzer said. "One good thing about the Internet is that most students already know how to access the information, so the only missing link is the professors putting homepages on line." Class homepages could include information on how to contact professors, solutions to homework problems, old exams, lecture notes and syllabi, Hyzer said. Philosophy Undergraduate Chairperson Zoltan Domotor learned how to maintain the Philosophy Department homepage in one two-hour session with Hyzer. "I made an appointment, he came, and in two hours I was proficient," Domotor said. "The hands-on teaching was much more effective than trying to learn from books." Domotor explained that he and Hyzer first made a homepage together, then Hyzer had him make one on his own, reminding Domotor of steps he forgot. "It didn't bother me to be taught by a student," he said. "I'm interested in acquiring knowledge, no matter where it comes from." Psychology Professor David Williams, who chairs the Electronic Advising Committee, said his tutoring session taught him not only about making homepages, but also sophisticated methods for accessing and using Internet resources. Albertine said she is enjoying learning from a student. "It's fun to be taught, and it's extremely helpful to get his advice as I redesign my homepage," she said. "He's giving me quick lessons and patterns that I can use later." Hyzer said teaching professors is an interesting role-reversal. "After being on one side of the learning process for so long, it is a different experience," Hyzer said. "They actually want to learn from you, and you can teach them something that they don't know." But Engineering sophomore Scott Raven, who helped Hyzer create Web Support Services, said he finds teaching professors difficult. Web Support Services has a homepage with more information on HTML and Web sites start-up, which can be found at "http://www.dolphin.upenn.edu/~webinfo".