Personally, I do not find it offensive that the CEO is on the listserv. I would do the same thing were I he, as this way he can hear about the concerns we have, problems, etc. However, I do find it inappropriate when what I hear is that as soon as several people posted a message that mentioned Smarthinking, they were contacted by a sales rep! That does make one feel that the company might well perceive the members of the listserv to be a potential market, which I feel is entirely inappropriate, since the listserv's function is NOT to serve as a marketing device for anyone and I believe that to do so violates the rules of the listserv.
Elizabeth Worden, Ph.D., Director
Academic Support Center
Eastern Maine Community College
354 Hogan Road
Bangor, ME 04401
phone: 207 974 4658
fax: 207 974 4888
website: www.emcc.edu/departments/asc/
-----Original Message-----
From: Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rhodes, Grace
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 2:53 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Online tutoring program usage
Why does a CEO from Smarthinking "lurk" on this Learning Centers
listserv? This is bothering me. Are we just perceived as a big
potential market for making company profits? Of course, they'll claim
they have students' interests in mind, and maybe they do, but underlying
that, they have a product to sell, and therefore, they have motivation
to influence potential buyers to their perspective.
I like reading about educators' best practices, concerns, suggestions,
and the like. But I have a hard time reading a comment made by a
company executive to a potential market and believing that comment
could be objective. I'm on the writing centers international listserv,
too, and there's regular discussion about online tutoring--both
homegrown and outsourced. I appreciate hearing others' experiences with
both, and if I want to learn more about any of them, I can go directly
to the source; they don't need to come to me like a vendor calling my
home.
Grace Rhodes
Director, The Writing & Learning Studio
Shoreline Community College
-----Original Message-----
From: Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 9:37 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Online tutoring program usage
Hello List --
While I think it would be inappropriate for me to argue forcefully for
SMARTHINKING's approach, I do want to correct the impression left by the
previous comment. Schools may purchase SMARTHINKING on a per-student
basis or on a per-hour basis. The numbers listed below reflect a
per-student purchase where, for whatever reason, the school did not use
the time they purchased. The school could have chosen a per-hour model
where the school could have only paid for what they used.
Also, while I'm at it, additional factors that should influence a
decision are the total cost of providing an hour of tutoring
(recruitment, training, benefits, non-use of tutors, technology,
management, etc...) and the impact of service levels on student success
(longer or inconsistent wait times and essay turnaround times).
Sincerely,
Burck Smith
CEO, SMARTHINKING
>From: "Golson, Martin" <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: 2008/03/25 Tue AM 10:58:16 CDT
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Online tutoring program usage
>When we used Smarthinking, our students primarily used their writing
>support. Their services only cost us about $2.80 per student per year,
>but based on utilization we were paying $96 per hour for the actual
>service provided.
>
>Martin Golson
>Instructional Specialist
>Austin Peay State University
>
>(931) 221-6553
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Shevawn Eaton
>Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 10:50 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Online tutoring program usage
>
>While we are on the subject, I have a couple of other questions.
>
> I'm wondering if you all are willing to share how much on-line
>tutoring is used. Maybe some contact numbers for the academic year?
>Do you have an idea of the per capita expense of these?
>
>Also, can you share how much you use them for math or other
>computational courses? And what systems you are most satisfied with
>for that function.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Shevawn Eaton, Ph.D.
>Director, ACCESS/ESP
>Northern Illinois University
>DeKalb, IL 60115
>PH: (815) 753-0581
>www.tutoring.niu.edu
>
>FAX: (815) 753-4115
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your
>subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web
>browser to http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html
>
>To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your
>subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web
>browser to http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html
>
>To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your
subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web
browser to http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html
To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your
subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web browser to
http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html
To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]
--
This message was scanned by ESVA and is believed to be clean.
Click here to report this message as spam.
http://spam.emcc.edu/cgi-bin/learn-msg.cgi?id=E695027F8C.6217C
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your
subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web browser to
http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html
To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]
|
