Lessons Learned: Balancing the
Costs and Benefits of Technology
University of Calgary, May 26, 1999
By David G. Brown
Vice President, Wake Forest University
Dean, International Center for Computer
Enhanced Learning
• 3600 undergrads
• 92% residential
• 500 each: Med, Law,
MBA, PhD
• $800M endowment
• Winston-Salem NC
• Baptist Heritage
• Tim Duncan (ACC)
• 1300 avg SAT
• 29th USNWR
• Top 35 Privates in
Barron’s Guide
• Rhodes Scholars
• 1997 National Debate
Champions
THE WAKE FOREST PLAN
F96: IBM 365XD, 16RAM, 100Mhz, 810MB, CD-ROM, 14.4 modem
F97: IBM 380D, 32 RAM, 130Mhz, 1.35GB, CD-ROM, 33.6 modem
F98: IBM 380XD, 64 RAM, 233 Mhz, 4.1GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem
F99: IBM 390, 128RAM, 333 Mhz, 6 GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem
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Thinkpads for all
New Every 2 Years
Own @ Graduation
Standard Template
IGN for Faculty
Keep Old Computers
• 75% CEI Users
• +15% Tuition
• 4 Year Phase In
1999 Software Load
Netscape 4.5, Dreamweaver 2,
SPSS 9, Maple V 5.1
Windows 98, MS Office Prof 97
Consequences for Wake Forest
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+SAT Scores & Class Ranks
+Retention & Grad Rates
+Satisfaction & Learning
+Faculty Recruitment
With Ubiquity--The Culture Changes
• Mentality shifts-- like from public phone to personal phone.
• Teaching Assumptions shift-- like from readings are on
reserve 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 “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
8 BASIC MODELS OF
UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING
(Ordered by total cost, starting with the most expensive)
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All + Powerful + Laptops + Annual Refresh
Refresh Less Frequently
Substitute Desktop Computers
Provide One Computer Per Two Beds
Specify Threshold Level
Substitute Network Computers
Provide Public Station Computers
Teach with Explicit Assumption of Access
WAYS TO REDUCE
START UP COSTS
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Annual Lease
Phase in by classes
Phase in by programs
Phase in by type of program
Phase in by category (faculty, students, staff)
Hand me down
Loaner Pool
WHY COMPUTERS?
…the institutional answer
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Communication!
Level Playing Field
After College Use
Faculty/Students Demand Them
Customized/Personalized
Digitized Scholarship
WHY COMPUTERS?
…the faculty answer
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Interactive Learning
Learn by Doing
Collaborative Learning
Integration of Theory and Practice
Visualization
Communication
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Computers Enhance My
Teaching and/or 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%
Lessons Learned
LESSONS LEARNED
• PC’s are only 10% of the Challenge
(support/networks/policies/train/expose)
• Most sunk costs can be ignored
• Expectations need management
• Develop a comprehensive plan first, and
quickly match it with a multiyear financial
plan
LESSONS LEARNED
• Standardization pays rewards well beyond
those anticipated; non-standard
configurations require 3-4 times support
• Students/Faculty want specific computer
training that is centered around a task-athand; general classes don’t work well
• Be prepared to outsource challenges
• Don’t wire to every seat
• Use the internet for course materials
LESSONS LEARNED
• Reliability is critical, especially the
Help
Desk
• Provide academic units staff of their own &
plenty of equipment without hassle
• Improve communications weekly; rumors
fly faster
• Spread the gains from & ownership of
innovation throughout all units
Lessons Learned
• 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
ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999
Lessons Learned
• Computer knowledge is a boon to student
recruitment, retention, self-confidence.
• Computer knowledge is highly valued by students
& prospective employers
• Computer availability throughout the student body
attracts new faculty
• Computer challenged students learn basic skills
quickly, without special classes
• Disciplines use computers differently
ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999
Lessons Learned
• Greatest benefits are what happens between
classes, not during classes.
• Greatest gains from computing come from
“the big three.”
• Standardization speeds faculty adoption and
eases the pressure upon support staff.
• Standardization saves class time.
• Student groups are larger and more active.
• Faculty migrate to the student standard very
quickly
ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999
BIG ISSUES
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Laptop vs Desktop vs Network
Standard vs Threshold
Single Vendor vs Multiple Vendors
Buy vs Lease vs Student Buy
CourseInfo vs Web Course in Box
Cold Turkey vs Pilot
BIG ISSUES
• Communication vs Presentation vs
Analysis vs Access to Internet
• Virtual Courses vs Hybrids
• Academic vs Administrative
• Consortia vs Going It Alone
• Today’s Students vs Alums Also
• Mandatory vs Optional
Positioning for the Future
• What are your institution’s
strengths & weaknesses
• How do you determine
your place in an electronic
world?
• What will be your primary
student markets--program
areas? Degree credit?
Geographic span? Age?
• What are the appropriate
delivery technologies next
year? 5 years? Etc?
• What is a realistic staffing
plan? Outsourcing?
Support personnel?
Executive leadership?
• What institutional
partnerships make sense?