New Opportunities When Computers
are Ubiquitous: Lessons from the
Wake Forest Experience
A Presentation at a Special Faculty
Seminar at Rensselaer, Troy, NY
By David G. Brown
Vice President and Dean
Wake Forest University
May 10, 1999
Why are you here?
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[To get a new computer; impress new Prexy?]
The Market!
Professional Respectability
Conscience!
Curiosity!
Results! (more fun, more learning)
All of the Above
Outline of My Remarks
• A Proven Strategy for Redesigning Courses
and Campuses
– What’s important to YOU (write it down)?
– The “cookbook” steps
• Using the Wake Forest Experience to
Catalyze Your Own Thinking
– The Wake Forest Laptop Plan
– The Economics Class I Teach as Example
– Lessons Learned for RPI and others
I think we’re here because...
Our profession has
new gardening tools.
We want to learn
which ones will be useful
in stimulating growth
in our own gardens.
What Works for You?
[7 Ways to “tease out” your answer]
• Types of assignments and/or lectures that seem to
be most effective?
• Want to give your student more of what?
• Your philosophy of teaching?
• Idea behind your course?
• Diagram?
• Metaphors for your role?
• 3 Most Important Principles of Good Teaching?
Student
Knowledge
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Time
Diagrams of a Course
Test
Metaphors for Professors’ Role
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Coach and team
Master and apprentices
Sage on the Stage
Guide by the Side
Fountain of Information
Salesman
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Principles of Good Teaching
plus an 8th
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Encourage contact between students and faculty
Develop cooperation among students
Encourage active learning
Give prompt feedback
Emphasize time on task
Communicate high expectations
Respect diverse talents and ways of thinking
Utilize a full range of learning materials
Beliefs of 91/93 Vignette Authors
Pedagogy and Philosophy
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From Interactive Learning
Forthcoming June, 1999
From Anker Publishing
David G. Brown, Editor
Interactive Learning
Learn by Doing
Collaborative Learning
Integration of Theory and Practice
Communication
Visualization
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Comparative Advantage: F2F vs. Virtual
[Assume you have four hours per week of each type of time. What kind
kinds of activities are best placed in each setting?]
Activity
F2F Only
Middle
Middle
Setting
Virtual Only
F2F & Virtual
Most Available Least Available
Least Expensive Most Expensive
Lecture Solioquy
Two Person Discussion
12 Person Discussion
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Simulation
Course Mechanics
Problem Solving
Integration of Concepts
Exercises w Branching
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Visualizations
Repetitions
Monitor student reading
Testing
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***=setting has the comparative advantage.
*=setting has comparative disadvantage
F2F= Face to Face
Steps
• Recognize that you are redesigning a course, not
learning technology for its own sake.
• Identify the teaching ideas behind your course &
decide which ideas you wish to develop &
intensify.
• Identify what ideas are best pursued in which
setting
• Focus on those activities and ideas that are best
pursued in virtual & mixed settings
• Learn about the tools and techniques available.
• Implement!
• 3700 undergrads
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• 92% residential
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• 500 each: Med, Law, •
MBA, PhD
• $800M endowment •
• Winston-Salem NC •
• Tim Duncan (ACC)
1300 avg SAT
28th 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
Outcomes
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More Freshman Applications
Higher SAT scores
Greater Yield (Offers/Enrolled)
Higher Retention (92% to 94%)
Stronger Faculty Recruitment
More National Firms Recruiting Here
Rapid Faculty Consensus
Enthusiastic Alumni
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%
The Big Three
•E-mail
•Course Web Page
•Internet URLs
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
FIRST YEAR SEMINAR
The Economists’
Way of Thinking
A Course Required of All Freshmen
Wake Forest University
COURSE OBJECTIVES
• 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 skills
Learning is enhanced by-•
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Collaboration among Learners
Frequent student/faculty dialogue
Prompt Feedback
Application of Theory
Student Self Initiatives
Trustful relations
Personal & Individual Teaching
Brown’s First Year Seminar
• Before Class
– Students Find URLs &
Identify Criteria
– Interactive exercises
– Lecture Notes
– E-mail dialogue
– Cybershows
• During Class
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One Minute Quiz
Computer Tip Talk
Class Polls
Team Projects
• After Class
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Edit Drafts by Team
Guest Editors
Hyperlinks & Pictures
Access Previous Papers
• Other
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Daily Announcements
Team Web Page
Personal Web Pages
Exams include Computer
Materials Forever
Results: Compared to Other
First Year Courses
More
Same Less
How much did you learn?
2/3
1/3
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How much time did you spend?
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2/3
1/3
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How much did you enjoy the course? 3/3
Lessons Learned from The
Laptop Initiative
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
Distinctive Opportunities
Available Only in Laptop Settings
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Faculty are always available
Students expect messages between classes
Student PowerPoint talks are common
Team assignments increase
On site data collection & essay writing
Papers often include visuals, even motion
Study at best location, not limited to dorm
Continuous contact
Distinctive Opportunities
Available Only in Laptop Settings
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Quick exchange when machine is broken
Fewer computer labs are needed
Departmental clubs thrive
Student Portfolios Emerge
Students teach faculty
Access to college continues after graduation
Lessons Learned
• Universal laptops are a boon to student
recruitment and retention.
• 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
Lessons Learned
• Greatest benefits are what happens between
classes, not during classes.
• Greatest gains from computing come from
universal usage and “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.
Lessons Learned
• Reliability is critical, especially the Help
Desk
• Wireless systems aren’t yet effective
• Disciplines use computers differently
• Students/Faculty want specific computer
training that is centered around a task-athand; general classes don’t work well
• Faculty migrate to the student standard very
quickly
Lessons Learned
• The cheapest and easiest way to provide
printing is to give an injet printer to all.
• Rewiring to every seat is not cost effective.
• Students “in front of” the first class
receiving laptops leave angry.
• Boundaries re the size of student mailboxes
and web pages need to be established.
• Academic units need staff of their own.
Lessons Learned
• PC’s are only 10% of the challenge
(support/networks/policies/train/expose)
• Expectations require management.
• Selling used computers in large lots reduces
headaches.
• A two-year cycle is just about right.
• Secretaries need laptops too.
MEASURES OF IMPACT
By Students via
• Formal Evaluations
• Feedback and Hearsay
Perceptions
By Faculty via
• Formal Evaluations
• Observed Behavior/Performance
Behaviors
• Metadata re Computer Use
• Adoption By Others
• Other Behaviors
Outcomes & • Matched Pairs Over Time
Student
• Matched Pairs Simultaneous
Performance • External “Tests”
Congratulations
and
Good Luck!
David G. Brown
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109
336-758-4878
email: brown@wfu.edu
http//:www.wfu.edu/~brown
fax: 336-758-4875