Palisades, New York. August 10, 1998
• By David G. Brown
• Vice President & Dean
Wake Forest University--International
Center for Computer Enhanced
Learning

Technology and Learning an Interactive Consideration of How
Technology Can Enhance the Core Mission of our College--- i.e. Student Learning

-------------Purpose------------

FIRST YEAR SEMINAR
The Economists’ Way of Thinking
A Course Required of All Freshmen
Let’s start by thinking about one course, mine.

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

Learning is enhanced by-
• Collaboration among Learners
• Frequent student/faculty dialogue
• Prompt Feedback
• Application of Theory
• Student Self Initiatives
• Trustful relations
• Personal & Individual Teaching

Results: Compared to
Other
First Year Courses
More Same Less
How much did you learn?
2/3 1/3 --
How much time did you spend?
-2/3 1/3
How much did you enjoy the course?
3/3 --the results are rewarding

The Wake Forest Experience

• 3600 undergrads
• 92% residential
• 500 each: Med, Law,
MBA, PhD
• $700M endowment
• Winston-Salem NC
• Baptist Heritage
• Tim Duncan (ACC)
• Maya Angelou
• 1300 avg SAT
• 28th USNWR
National Research U
• Top 35 Privates in
Barron’s Guide
• #1 Southeast in
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
• Thinkpads for all
• New Every 2 Years
• Own @ Graduation
• Wire Everything
• Standard Software
• Standard Template
• IGN for Faculty
• Keep Old Computers
• 40+30 New People
• 50% Faculty Trained
• 75% CEI Users
• +$3000 Tuition
• 4 Year Phase In
• Pilot Year
• Plan for 2000
• Now Freshmen/Soph

Consequences for Wake Forest
• +Applications & Acceptances
• +SAT Scores & Class Ranks
• +Retention & Grad Rates
• +Satisfaction & Learning
• +Faculty Recruitment

Faculty Survey Results from Wake Forest
===83% say “computers are effective for communicating with students about class related work
===91% say “computers are effective for communicating with faculty colleagues

Student Survey Results from Wake Forest
===72% say “computers are effective for communicating with other students about class related work”
===84% say “computers are effective for communicating with faculty about class related work”
===53% interact more with faculty, up from 32%

The paradigm shift is the increase in team learning, in collaboration as the standard method for study and work
It is not computers!
Computers are means only.

New Tools for Collaboration enabled by the computer
• Shared Databases (Course File)
• Indexed Databases (URLs)
• Threaded Interactive
Conversations (e-mail)

#1. E-mail
#2. Web Pages (for each course)
#3. Internet URLs

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?

David G. Brown
Vice President and Dean
Wake Forest University
International Center for
Computer Enhanced Learning
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109
336-758-4878 e-mail: brown@wfu.edu
http//:www.wfu.edu/~brown fax: 336-758-4875