Why Penn InTouch online worksheet doesn’t work
John Hawkins, WH '04
Issue date: 11/6/00 Section: Undergraduate
Though many people see innovations in technology as helpful in managing the challenges of modern-day life, the substitution of individual expertise with computer programs still remains fallible, as exhibited by release of the Academic Planning Worksheets on the newly “improved” Penn InTouch 2000.
Launched just in time to assist in planning during the advance registration period for the Spring 2001 semester, the latest addition to Penn InTouch allows students to see how their existing credits fit into the Wharton degree requirements as well as how future credits will warrant certain majors, minors, and other requisites. While the idea of using this program with the convenience of not having to make a trek to Suite 1100 during certain hours of the day appeals to most students, the program appears confusing and frustrating to students who rather resort to more traditional standards of having an astute advisor assist them in course planning.
The worksheet itself has a different format that conflicts with the original worksheet due to the fact it lists eight courses required for the general education distribution requirement as opposed to seven courses mentioned on the hard copy of the worksheet. Also, the code key at the top of the worksheet has received mixed reviews with students, indicating the temperamental nature of the program only approving courses on the left side of the worksheet and while invalidating credits that would fall in the liberal arts category.
The programmer of the Wharton online worksheet should not reflect the bias of superiority over the College of Arts and Sciences, for that privilege belongs to Wharton students only. Furthermore, the worksheet poses problems when trying to verify the placement of pre-college credit, including superior scores on AP, IB, and SAT II tests that often exempt students from introductory classes or certification requirements in such areas as foreign language proficiency.
Boasting other options such as “auto assign” and a GPA calculator, the new worksheet shows some merit on the behalf of assisting students in their course planning, yet the instructions on how to use these features challenges students the most. The extensive help menu can remedy several problems as well as instruct users on how to capitalize on the program’s offerings, yet the time required to read through these directions leads many people to question why they should bother using the worksheet if the main objective is to provide a more convenient and time saving way in which to plan courses.
Launched just in time to assist in planning during the advance registration period for the Spring 2001 semester, the latest addition to Penn InTouch allows students to see how their existing credits fit into the Wharton degree requirements as well as how future credits will warrant certain majors, minors, and other requisites. While the idea of using this program with the convenience of not having to make a trek to Suite 1100 during certain hours of the day appeals to most students, the program appears confusing and frustrating to students who rather resort to more traditional standards of having an astute advisor assist them in course planning.
The worksheet itself has a different format that conflicts with the original worksheet due to the fact it lists eight courses required for the general education distribution requirement as opposed to seven courses mentioned on the hard copy of the worksheet. Also, the code key at the top of the worksheet has received mixed reviews with students, indicating the temperamental nature of the program only approving courses on the left side of the worksheet and while invalidating credits that would fall in the liberal arts category.
The programmer of the Wharton online worksheet should not reflect the bias of superiority over the College of Arts and Sciences, for that privilege belongs to Wharton students only. Furthermore, the worksheet poses problems when trying to verify the placement of pre-college credit, including superior scores on AP, IB, and SAT II tests that often exempt students from introductory classes or certification requirements in such areas as foreign language proficiency.
Boasting other options such as “auto assign” and a GPA calculator, the new worksheet shows some merit on the behalf of assisting students in their course planning, yet the instructions on how to use these features challenges students the most. The extensive help menu can remedy several problems as well as instruct users on how to capitalize on the program’s offerings, yet the time required to read through these directions leads many people to question why they should bother using the worksheet if the main objective is to provide a more convenient and time saving way in which to plan courses.