Using the Technology--- for Learning’s Sake

By David G. Brown, Wake Forest University

@Dalhousie University

September 14, 2000, 2:30-4:30 PM

How the Laptop Program Has Changed Wake Forest

THE WAKE FOREST PLANF96: IBM

365XD, 16RAM, 100Mhz, 810MB, CD-ROM, 14.4 modemF97: IBM 380D, 32 RAM, 130Mhz, 1.35GB, CD-ROM, 33.6 modemF98: IBM 380XD, 64 RAM, 233 Mhz, 4.1GB, CD-ROM, 56 modemF99: IBM 390, 128 RAM, 333 Mhz, 6GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem F00: IBM A20m, 500 Mhz, 11GB, 15”ActMatrix, CD-ROM, 90 modem

• Thinkpads for all

• New Every 2 Years

• Own @ Graduation

• Printers for all

• Wire Everything

• Standard Software

• Full Admin Systems

• IGN for Faculty

• Keep Old Computers

• 40+30 New People

• 75% Faculty Trained

• 85% CEI Users

• 99% E-Mail

• +15% Tuition

• ~$1500/Yr/Student

• 4 Year Phase In

• Pilot Year

• Plan for 2000

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Order at---http://iccel.wfu.edu

Consequences for Wake Forest

• +SAT Scores & Class Ranks

• +Retention & Grad Rates

• +Satisfaction & Learning

• +Faculty Recruitment

Computers Enhance My Teaching and/or Learning Via--

PresentationsBetter--20%More Opportunities toPractice & Analyze--35%

More Access to SourceMaterials via Internet--43%

More Communication with Faculty Colleagues, Classmates,and Between Faculty and Students--87%

Computers allow people----

• to belong to more communities• to be more actively engaged in each

community• with more people• over more miles• for more months and years• TO BE MORE COLLABORATIVE

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With Ubiquity---The Culture Changes

• Mentality shifts-- like from public phone to personal phone.

• Teaching Assumptions shift-- like from books in the public library to everyone owns a copy of his/her own.

• Timelines shift-- like from “our class meets MWF” to “we

see each other all the time and MWF we meet together”• Students’ sense of access shifts-- like from “maybe I

can get that book in the library” to “I have that book in my library.”

• Relationships shift-- like from a family living in many different states to all family members living in the same town

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Faculty Engagement

Environmental Imperatives

• Universal Student Access to Computers

• Reliable Networks

• Multiple Opportunities for Training and Consultation

• Faculty Ethos that values Experimentation and Tolerates Falters

Beginning Assumptions

• Start by enhancing an existing course, not total redesign!

• Use only techniques that can be learned by faculty in less than an hour!

• Expect network reliability and access to knowledge help when needed!

• Recognize that no experiment can jeopardize the success of a student cohort (Garden Metaphor)

I think we’re here because...

Our profession hasnew gardening tools.We want to learnwhich ones will be usefulin stimulating growthin our own gardens.

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Concepts Underlying Strategy

• Eager Faculty

• Faculty Ownership

• Centrality of Educational Theory

• Communication & Conversation

• Hybrid Instruction

• Friendly Sharing

• Flexibility

• Diversity among Disciplines

• Non-threatening Innovation

• Patience

The Big Five#1. Continuous Communication

#2. Repetition

#3. Controversy and Debate

#4. Different Strokes, Different Folks

#5. Outsider Involvement

The Low Hanging Six

Email & Listservs URL addresses (in syllabus) Annotations within word processed documents Powerpoint “lecture outlines” Mini-movies that show successive computer screens Practice quizzing prior-to-class (via WebCT)

Agencies for Encouraging Use

• Academic Computer Specialists

• Computer Enhanced Learning Initiative

• Committee on Information Tech.

• The Academic Tech Initiative

• Deans & Department Chairs

• Information System & the Help Desk

• Student Technology Advisors

• Residence Hall Tech Advisors

• Library Trainers• Business & Industry

Advisory Group

Ways to Exchange Information

• Swap & Share

• Benchmarking Trip

• Workshop by Off-Campus VIPs

• Computer Tip Talk

• Best Practices Conference

• National Computer Meetings

• Training On Call

• Summer Workshop

• CAI Newsgroup

• File of Best Local Practice

Others Ways to Stimulate Computer Use

• Standard Software and Equipment (Threshold)

• Standard Filing System

• Well-defined Academic Policy

• Portability: Classroom, Home, Vacation, Abroad

• Use Outside the Classroom

WORKSHEETWhat are the barriers to more use of

technology by faculty?

For your own campus, allocate 100 points among the three major barrier categories!

• _____% Faculty Need Time

• _____% Faculty Need Access to Expertise

• _____% Faculty Need to Motivation

Lessons Learned

LESSONS LEARNED

• Early investment in extensive multimedia may be more fun than useful

• Chat sessions are rarely productive

• Threaded discussions work only when the topic is narrowly defined, controversial, and the response is time limited and graded

• Powerpoint is often abused and overused

Lessons Learned

• First Focus Upon Communication• Undertake achievable goals• Contact becomes Continuous.• Students expect messages between classes• Team assignments increase• Papers & Talks often include visuals• Departmental clubs thrive• Student Portfolios Emerge• Students teach faculty

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Lessons Learned

• Computer challenged students learn basic skills quickly, without special classes

• Disciplines use computers differently

• The Internet is the place to put electronic class materials (WebCT)

• Start with Learning Objectives, Not Technology

• If Email is always up, everyone will be happy

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Lessons Learned

• Greatest benefits are what happens between classes, not during classes.

• Greatest gains from computing come from some of the simplest applications

• Standardization speeds faculty adoption and eases the pressure upon support staff.

• Standardization saves class time.

• Student groups are larger and more active.

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Main Impact of Computers Upon Learning in College

• Student Self Confidence is Shaken When They Aren’t Computer Savvy

• Availability of New Methods of Teaching & Learning has greatly increased how much and how we think about effective teaching.

• Different strokes for different folks-- individualization w/o necessarily personalization

• Community is strengthened in every way! [Always in Touch]

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