Enhancing the Academic Experience with Technology

David G. Brown

VP and Dean (ICCEL)

Professor of Economics and Former Provost

Wake Forest University

http://www.wfu.edu/~brown

Hampden-SydneyNovember 6, 2001

Outline for Next Hour

• Wake Forest’s Technology Initiative

• Videotapes Associated with my Class-In-Progress

• Your Reactions & “Observations” after Viewing the Tapes

• Your Comments and Questions ……………………Lunch

• My Observations re Changes in Teaching and Learning

• My Observations re the Future of Colleges

• Worksheet: Where Are You With Faculty Development

• Faculty Development Strategies That Work

• Your notations re your actions @ home

• IBM Laptops for all• Printers for all• New Every 2 Years• Own @ Graduation• 31.000 Connections• Standard Software• 99% E-Mail• Start 1995, 4 Year Phase In• +15% Tuition for 37 Items• +40 Faculty and 30 Staff

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001

THE WAKE FOREST PLANIBM A21m, Pentium III, 700 Mhz, 20GB, 14”ActMatrix, 196MB, Re-writable CD

56k modem, 8MB Video Ram, 10/100 Ethernet, Floppy, USB&Serial&Parellel&Infrared Ports

Communication-Interaction

Computers Enhance Teaching & Learning Via--

PresentationsBetter--20%

More Opportunities toPractice & Analyze--35%

More Access to SourceMaterials via Internet--43%

More Communication with Faculty Colleagues, Classmates,and Between Faculty and Students--87%

ICCEL ICCEL ICCEL ------ Wake Forest University, 2001Wake Forest University, 2001Wake Forest University, 2001

Consequences for Wake Forest

• +SAT Scores & Class Ranks

• +Retention & Grad Rates

• +Satisfaction & Learning

• +Faculty Recruitment

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001

Reasons for Increased Retention(a few hypotheses)

• Better Social Life with More Friends

• Closer Connections with Faculty

• Greater Sense of Relevance of Education

• Less Frustration with Their Studies

• More Collaborative, Interactive Teaching

• Desire to Keep the Computer

• 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

FIRST YEAR SEMINARThe Economists’ Way of Thinking:

Students = 15All FreshmenRequired 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, 2001ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001

----Reactions to tapes?----Big Thoughts re the future of teaching and learning?

Please write down two phrases and share what youhave written with a neighbor!!!

Comments

Q & A

Lunch

How has the computer changed teaching and learning?

1. It’s caused every teacher to rethink & redesign.

2. By increasing student options, it has increased competition (e.g. Virginia Virtual University)

which has in turn compelled universities to pay more attention to the quality of teaching

Our profession has been changed forever!

Reasons 150 Professors Added Computer Enhancements

1. Communication-Interaction

2. Collaboration-Teams

3. Controversy-Debate

4. Customization-Diversity

5. Consultants-Adjuncts

The Millennium Context

• Personal. Customized. Interactive.

• Student-Centered Curriculum

• Teams of Professionals to Support Learning

• “Houses” instead of Disciplines

• Hybrid Courses (80-20 and 20-80)

• Loose-leaf Collections of Course Components, instead of Textbooks

WORKSHEETWhat are the barriers to more use of

technology by faculty?

For your own campus, allocate 100 points among the three major barrier categories!

• _____% Faculty Need Time

• _____% Faculty Need Access to Expertise

• _____% Faculty Need to Motivation

By David G. Brown, Wake Forest Universityhttp://www.wfu.edu/~brown brown@wfu.edu

1. Our programs are designed to fit faculty culture, not theculture of technologists. Eagerness is assumed.

2. Participation, like with the library resources, is entirely voluntary on the part of faculty.

3. We commend and reinforce faculty when they first use even simple technology (Email + URL + CMS)

4. Reliability is assured---by standardization, compatability,

ubiquity, and help-when-needed.

Over 85% of our faculty is actively using technology to support their teaching.

Concepts Behind Wake Forest’s Faculty Development Strategy

1. The Instructional Technology Group---disciplinary MS&PhD’s, hired and housed in each department, spend full-time helping faculty and students use technology.

2. STARS---Student Technology Advisors help individual faculty members enhance their teaching with technology

3. Blackboard Listserv---Active faculty users of our Course Management System exchange questions, answers, challenges, insights, successes, and frustrations

Faculty Development Programs that Work…at Wake Forest University

Students Serving Others

Non-Profits

K-12 Schools

BusinessesResidence Hall Students

•26 Students•10 Hours Per Week, $9.50/Hr.•Full Semester of Training•Assist One Prof Each Semester•Teach Prof to Carry Forward•Paid Summer Internship

http://www.wfu.edu/Computer-information/STARS/

Poster Session Each SemesterSTARS & Faculty Display/Demonstrate Results

Physics

Business

Art

Religion

History

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?

Write down an ACTION for when you get home!

David G. BrownWake Forest University

Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109336-758-4878

email: brown@wfu.eduhttp//:www.wfu.edu/~brown

fax: 336-758-4875

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2001