Many Opportunities for Instructional
Technologists--A Provost’s Perspective
Conference Keynote
EXPLORING OUR DYNAMIC ROLES
Ann Arbor, Michigan. February 27, 2003
by David G. Brown, Dean & VP
Intl Center for Computer Enhanced Learning,
Professor of Economics and Former Provost
Wake Forest University
Opening Comments
• You’re among the campus’ most popular!
• Faculty have just received a truckload of new
teaching tools & must be coached on which
tools to use for what purposes.
• CONGRATULATIONS for being here-- for
making time to advance your understanding of
your own role and to share learning with
others!
Outline of My Remarks
• What’s your job and how do you plan to enrich
it at this conference?
• What’s on the minds of your faculty clients?
• How does ubiquitous computing change
learning in liberal arts colleges?
• 25 ideas to bounce off colleagues this
weekend!
An Instructional Technologist is
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A bridge between faculty & IS cultures
A translator from IS to faculty, & vice versa
An expert in pedagogy
A trainer of faculty
A help desk for students
An administrator of the CMS
An advocate for technology & teaching
A motivator of faculty use of technology
A subject matter specialist w IS knowledge
A key member of a learning delivery team
A designer of distance learning courses
Other: __________________________________
Add your own “other;” then, check the 3 that most closely match your vision
of what your role should be at your current institution!
Two Cultures
EDUCAUSE Review, July/August 2001, pp. 48-57.
TECHNOLOGY
CULTURE
• Centralized
• Focused
• College centered
• Driven by technology
agenda
• Accustomed to
“service” model
FACULTY
CULTURE
• Balkanized
• Diffuse
• Discipline centered
• Driven by the
disciplinary agenda
• Accustomed to
research team model
You are here to figure out
how to do your job better! This means--1. Identifying what your job should be!
(You’ve just done it!)
2. Figuring out what you need to learn at this
conference that will allow you to do it better
(What focus? Any job expansion?)
3. Focusing upon a few questions that you
hope to ask at all sessions and in your
corridor conversations.
(Write them down now!)
4. Practicing broader thinking like that
expected of the dean or your supervisor
Most faculty want to upgrade the
following teaching strategies-----interaction
---collaboration
---controversy
---customization
---supplemental instructors
What’s on the minds of your faculty?
BROWN’S FIRST YEAR SEMINAR
The Economists’ Way of Thinking:
• To understand a liberal arts education as an
opportunity to study with professors who
think by their own set of concepts
• To learn how to apply economic concepts
• To learn how to work collaboratively
• To learn computer skills
• To improve writing and speaking
Students = 15
All Freshmen
Required Course
Before Class
During Class.
After Class
Brown’s First Year Seminar
• Before Class
– Students Find URLs &
Identify Criteria
– Interactive exercises
– Muddiest Point
– Lecture Notes
– E-mail dialogue
– Cybershows
• During Class
–
–
–
–
One Minute Quiz
Computer Tip Talk
Class Polls
Team Projects
• After Class
–
–
–
–
Edit Drafts by Team
Guest Editors
Hyperlinks & Pictures
Access Previous Papers
• Other
–
–
–
–
–
–
Daily Announcements
Team Web Page
Personal Web Pages
Exams include Computer
Portfolio
Materials Forever
ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2003
Reasons 150 Professors Added
Computer Enhancements
1. Communication-Interaction
2. Collaboration-Teams
3. Controversy-Debate
4. Customization-Diversity
5. Consultants-Adjuncts
www.ankerpub.com/books/brown.html
www.ablongman.com/professional/catalog/academic/product/1,4096,0205355803,00.html
When all students have
daily access to the Internet,
opportunities for quality learning
expand greatly!
THE WAKE FOREST PLAN
IBM A30, Pentium III, 1.13GHz Processor, 30GB Hardrive, 384 MB RAM
15”ActMatrix Screen, CD-RW/DVD, Floppy, 56k modem, 16MB Video
Ram, 10/100 Ethernet, USB&Serial&Parellel&Infrared Ports
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
IBM Laptops for all
Standard Load Includes—
Printers for all
MS Office, Dreamweaver, SPSS, Maple,
New Every 2 Years
Acrobat, Photoshop, Shockwave, Flash,
Net Meeting, Real Producer & Player,
Own @ Graduation
Media Player, Windows XP Moviemaker,
31,000 Connections
Apple QuickTime, Netscape & Explorer,
Netscape Calendar & Communicator,
Standard Software
Windows XP Professional
99% E-Mail
Start 1995, 4 Year Phase In
+15% Tuition for 37 Items
+40 Faculty and 30 Staff
Communication-Interaction
Computers Enhance
Teaching & Learning Via-Presentations
Better--20%
More Opportunities to
Practice & Analyze--35%
More Access to Source
Materials via Internet--43%
More Communication with Faculty Colleagues, Classmates,
and Between Faculty and Students--87%
ICCEL
ICCEL --- Wake
Wake Forest
Forest University,
University, 2003
2003
Computers allow people---• to belong to more communities
• to be more actively engaged in
each community
Florida State
• with more people
• over more miles
FYS Reunion
Band Dinner
• for more months and years
• TO BE MORE COLLABORATIVE
ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2003
Impact of the Plan for the Class of 2000,
No. of Items with Significant Differences in
Wake Forest Student Responses,
CSEQ Questionnaire
2002 Survey versus 1998 Survey
Computer Usage………………..…2002 wins 6-2
Information Fluency………….…...2002 wins 5-1
Integration of Knowledge………..2002 wins 3-0
Specific Knowledge & Skills…….2002 wins 6-1
Interpersonal Communication…..2002 wins 8-0
Co-Curricular Participation……...2002 wins 5-0
Source: Ross Griffith, Wake Forest Univ. Institutional Research Office.
http://www.wfu.edu/administration/ir/docs/CSEQComparison2002.pdf
CSEQ Computer Usage Items
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Searched Internet for course materials
Used word processor for paper
Used email to communicate with class
Made visual displays with computer
Developed web page, multimedia
Computer & Info Technology Scale
Discussion about computers & Technology
Joined in electronic class discussions
Black= 2002 significantly greater than 1998.
Italics Red= 1998 significantly greater than 2002
Information Fluency Items
•
•
•
•
•
•
Retrieved off-campus library materials
Judged quality of information obtained
Learning on your own…finding info you need
Gaining range of info re career
Gaining knowledge re rest of the world
Used a dictionary or thesaurus
Black= 2002 significantly greater than 1998.
Italics Red= 1998 significantly greater than 2002
Integration of Knowledge Items
• Worked on project where you had to
integrate ideas
• Putting ideas together, seeing relationships
• Developed role play, case study, simulation
for class
Black= 2002 significantly greater than 1998.
Italics Red= 1998 significantly greater than 2002
Specific Knowledge & Skills
• Acquired job-related knowledge/skills
• Seeing the importance of history
• Write clearly and effectively
• Developing own values & ethical standards
• Acquired specialization for further education
• Broadening acquaintance with & enjoyment
of literature
• Memorized formulas, definitions, technical
terms
Black= 2002 significantly greater than 1998.
Italics Red= 1998 significantly greater than 2002
Interpersonal Communication
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Met with faculty to discuss group activities
Talked with instructor re info related to course
Discussed project ideas with a faculty member
Held conversation about the economy
Conversation about international relations
Conversation about current events in the news
Conversation about the arts
Presenting effectively when speaking with others
Black= 2002 significantly greater than 1998.
Italics Red= 1998 significantly greater than 2002
Co-curricular Items
• Went to a lecture or panel discussion
• Attended meeting of campus club or student
government
• Worked on a campus committee
• Managed a club or organization
• Quality of Effort: Clubs & Organization Scale
Black= 2002 significantly greater than 1998.
Italics Red= 1998 significantly greater than 2002
Impact of the Plan for the Class of 2000,
No. of Items with Significant Differences in
Wake Forest Student Responses,
CSEQ Questionnaire
2002 Survey versus 1998 Survey
Computer Usage………………..…2002 wins 6-2
Information Fluency………….…...2002 wins 5-1
Integration of Knowledge………..2002 wins 3-0
Specific Knowledge & Skills…….2002 wins 6-1
Interpersonal Communication…..2002 wins 8-0
Co-Curricular Participation……...2002 wins 5-0
Source: Wake Forest University Institutional Research Office.
http://www.wfu.edu/administration/ir/docs/CSEQComparison2002.pdf
Research Results
• University of Central Florida--Hybrid courses win! (the 80-20 rule)
• 18,844 students at 71 American Universities--More “good practices” for wired students!
http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v9n49.html
• 150 professors at 50 Research Universities--Interaction, Collaboration, Debate, Custom,
Adjuncts!
• Virginia Polytechnic University--Calculus failure rate cut by 44%!
As a leader of the movement to
enhance teaching through the use
of technology, here are a few ideas
you might bounce off your
colleagues this weekend---
Actions for You to Consider
(as team member bringing cultures together)
• Help bring to campus as a seminar speaker or
consultant someone trusted by a client group
• Favor clusters of clients
• Sponsor Teaching w Technology Poster Session
• Found a STARS program (& hire majors)
• Organize a benchmarking trip
• Co-author presentations with faculty
• Develop an e-portfolio template
• Advocate information fluency with librarians
Circle the item you are most enthusiastic about implementing!
Cross off at least one item that’s not worth your time!
Actions for You to Consider
(as team member bringing cultures together)
• Stress community magnification
• Assure system reliability
• Advocate explicit acknowledgement that all
teaching should proceed on the assumption that
all students have daily Internet access
• Advocate for “preferred standards”
• Encourage collaborative teaching
• Promote computer use in co-curricular activities
Circle the item you are most enthusiastic about implementing!
Cross off at least one item that’s not worth your time!
Actions for You to Consider
(as team member bringing cultures together)
• KISS (email, URL, CMS)
• Let eagles soar on their own
• Minimize investment in expensive multi-media
presentations
• Avoid educationalists’ jargon
• Create & monitor a CMS Listserv
• Appoint a liaison from each “user group”
• Associate a technologist with each “user group”
Circle the item you are most enthusiastic about implementing!
Cross off at least one item that’s not worth your time!
Actions for You to Consider
(as team member bringing cultures together)
• Separate perishable & enduring
• Talk up between class vs in class use of
computers
• Design with system limits in mind
• Build chunks, not whole courses
• Concentrate on hybrid (blended) courses
• Provide “on demand” F2F training
Circle the item you are most enthusiastic about implementing!
Cross off at least one item that’s not worth your time!
Denison’s Strategic Emphases
President Knobel to donors rec’d Feb.26, 2003
• Independent student
scholarship
• Close student-faculty
relations
• Preparation to make a
difference in the world
beyond college
• Opportunities for
students to grow in
friendship and respect
through shared activities
David G. Brown
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC 27109,
336-758-4878
email: brown@wfu.edu
http//:www.wfu.edu/~brown
fax: 336-758-5012
Wake Forest University, 2003
Your assignment is to note what you’ve
checked during this presentation & to
advance those opportunities during this
weekend! Email me!
Enjoy the conference!