Making a Difference
in the Taylor University
Learning Environment
Gary Friesen
Director of
Academic Technology
Taylor University
Overview of
presentation:
• Taylor University
TU technology support structure
11
• Ten successful technology initiatives
Taylor University
Founded 1846
TU Upland – 1900 students
TU Fort Wayne – 650 students
Academic Technology
Support Structure
Assoc. VP for
Academic Affairs
Director of
Library
Director of Academic
Technology
Educational
Tech Center
Mac Lab
Public PC
Labs
Info Resource
Coordinator
Campus
Cable
Faculty
Training
Classroom
Technology
Test
Scanning
Blackboard
Admin.
BANNER
1. “Above Israel”
DVD Holy Land Fly-over
Inc.
• is a non-profit organization
• with a vision for preserving and presenting
Biblical truth …
• through photographic and video archiving
of Bible Times related images
• for Biblical teaching purposes
Video footage from “Above Israel” copyright © 2002
by Preserving Bible Times, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.PreservingBibleTimes.org
2. Extending the Classroom
Every student has access to
campus cable TV in dorm
room
Campus
Cable
Ch 27 & 28 are dedicated
to professor-requested
video feeds
Ch 27
Ch 27
VCR 1
VCR 2
Ch 28
Ch 28
VCR 1
VCR 2
VCRs are controlled
by computer software
Academic Technology
Program Assistant
Benefits …
• Students watch films & videos on their own time
• Class time
canhear
be about
spent in more productive ways
Did you
the guy … ?
3. Personal Network Folders
The need …
• Students & faculty need to be
able to access their personal
files from different locations
• Students:
\\acaddc1\users\username
• Faculty:
\\acaddc1\faculty\username
Temporary storage
space for “working files”
Benefits …
• No need to carry floppy or zip disk
• Students in a lab always have a place to save
• Faculty have access in any classroom to PPt files
4. Student Wireless Laptop Initiative
We wanted to assess …
• student interest in wireless
access
• wireless performance on
campus
The project …
• 20 students given a wireless
card for their laptops
• Test period:
March 1 – May 21, 2003
Students required to
keep a log book
End of semester,
option given the students to
buy the card for half price ($30)
Results …
Overwhelmingly
positive!
A few technical glitches
and connectivity issues
All but two opted to
purchase their cards!
Adoption of Blackboard at T.U.
• Introduced summer of 2000
• Currently 50% of faculty using Bb
2003
50%
50%
• 50% of class sections using Bb
• A typical student will be in 2 or 3 classes using Bb
A tremendous success story!
• The technology sold itself It’s transformed
my teaching!
• Faculty & students like it
• Very stable, few glitches
I’d die if they took My
Blackboard away!
Bb
Maximizing our investment
5. Student Portfolios
• New initiative -- fall 2002
• Goal -- Blackboard portfolio
for every graduating senior
• Purpose -- Give TU students
an edge in the job market
• Strategy -- Leverage an
existing software product
Bb version 5.5
Cataloging the Portfolios
JPEG image
MPEG video
How do employers
access a Bb portfolio?
The entire catalog
One portfolio only
6. Online Support for Faculty
Using Blackboard
Resources for Faculty Using Blackboard
Downloads …
Departmental Communication
Campus-wide Committees
Academic Integrity
Task Force
Search Committee …
for campus chaplain
MP3 files
Sample sermons
7. Campus-wide Discussions
8. New Student Orientation
8-week program
Career planning tools
Freshman Library Orientation
Using Blackboard
After completing the
online tutorial students
take a 10-question quiz
(randomly selected from
a pool of 70 questions)
Students were asked to
complete a survey
9. Using Respondus
For Online Bb Testing
The problem:
Creating online assessments within Bb is too tedious
Enter text using any word processor:
1.Who discovered America?
*A. Christopher Columbus
B. Isaac Newton
C. Paul Revere
D. George Washington
2.When was the War of 1812?
A. 1612
B. 1712
*C. 1812
D. 1912
3. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
*1. T
2. F
Text file
Assessment
10. Other Bb “brainstorms”
Computer Lab Management
11. “Over the Top” PC Workshop
What are the computer skills
of our faculty?
How do we address the needs?
March 2000:
Computer
Skills
Inventory
Average users
Willing but
wanting
“Leave me
alone”
Need
more
Typical
workshops
are effective
Comfortable
& confident
High flyers
Target group:
“Beginner” to “intermediate”
users who lack confidence with
computer technology
The challenge:
How do you give them enough computer lab
experience to get them “over the hump”?
Three days of computer instruction
& activities
Strategy:
• 18 hours of immersion & repetition
server
• Perform essential tasks repeatedly, in different
ways and in different contexts
• 34 page manual
• 16 interwoven topics
each with activities
(approx. one hour each)
• Sample files diskette
Response …
• Third summer to
teach the workshop
• 42 faculty & staff
• Excellent feedback!
Wrap-up
• Questions
• Feedback
• Share your successes
grfriesen@tayloru.edu