There are many opinions concerning the status of technology in education, but Joseph Hardin and John Ziebarth (2000) make some categorical statements about revolutionary changes. They write, “Technology is affecting education in revolutionary ways, and the momentum toward these changes is irreversible.” Because of these changes, “Universities need to become leaders in applying technology to education for learning and for collaboration. Colleges of education need to become leaders in applying computational and information technology for the K-12 community, and university administrators need to begin to chart the 21st century vision of their institutions, a journey that will include information technology and collaborative learning and teaching.”
Our students are not standing still during this time of great change. A report from Educause (Hartman, Moskal, and Dziuban, 2006) states that “Nationwide, nearly 90 percent of college students have gone online, compared with about 60 percent of the general population. Use of the Internet on campus networks is nearly universal in higher education. Eighty-five percent or more of college students own a computer, and nearly all of the rest have ready access to one.” These realities are starting to affect faculty. “Even those faculty deeply entrenched in established ways of doing things may be starting to feel that something is not working—that they and their learners simply are not on the same page—and therefore learning outcomes are suboptimal.”
Stephen Downes (2004) put this change in use of technology and its impact on students in perspective. “The evolution of a new technology passes through two distinct stages. In the first stage, the technology may be seen as a new way of doing an old thing. The first stage, which we are now completing, is what might be thought of as the electronic classroom. The physical environment in which teaching and learning occurs is being replaced with an electronic classroom, but the process of teaching is very much the same. In the second phase, however, we will begin to use technology in new ways, to advance beyond what was possible in the classroom.”
So where are we in this educational transition? Certainly, we have to agree with Stephen Downes—we have indeed completed the first stage of the evolution of technology. The Academic Computing Department at Community College of Philadelphia has been actively involved in many activities to bring our faculty into the technology age. One of the main efforts was to include access to the Web in our classrooms and make this access available to faculty for their classroom presentations.
Currently, the World Wide Web is available from every classroom in the college. Yes, even classrooms which have no computers in them have access to the Web. To use this availability, the faculty member has to request a presentation machine from the audio visual department (AV), plug into the network access port in the room and log into the network. This can be done in any classroom in the college. We have certain departments that routinely arrange for presentation machines from the AV department and give their lectures to the class using these tools. Faculty members who have their own laptop computers may login from the classroom and present material from their personal laptop computers.
Presentation classrooms are also available. Over the past few years, Academic Computing has developed a number of classrooms which have specific presentation machines designed to allow for a variety of tools to be used in class. Along with the Internet, the faculty member may use VHS video, DVD video, overhead projection of text or objects, and audio tracks may be played—all from the faculty member’s workspace. These classrooms have become know as Technology Enhanced Classrooms (TEC). The College currently has a large number of these classrooms located in various building throughout the campus. They are grouped into 5 different categories depending on the type of technology available in each room.
A Level 1 (TEC1) classroom provides a data jack in the front of the classroom so faculty may bring a laptop to class and access our network resources. Most faculty will use this to connect to the Internet and also retrieve documents and digital presentations from either a local or a network drive. Every classroom at the College is a Level 1 classroom. Faculty may reserve a laptop computer attached to digital projector through Audio-Visual (AV) Services to get the most effective use of a Level 1 classroom.
A Level 2 (TEC2) classroom provides an electronic wall plate connected to ceiling-mounted digital projector. This allows a faculty member to project any image to enhance a presentation. A VCR or DVD player, laptop computer (either reserved through AV or a personal unit), or even audio CDs, may be used. The laptop computer may also be connected to the data port for Internet connectivity and network resources.
A Level 3 (TEC3) classroom provides an electronic podium equipped with a VCR, DVD/CD player, document camera, tower computer with flat panel display, and audio amplification system connected to a ceiling-mounted digital projector and wall-mounted stereo speakers, all controlled through an easy to use one-button control panel. These rooms allow faculty to completely integrate any number of multimedia elements into their classroom presentations without reserving any external equipment from AV services. Laptop computers may also be connected (using the cable stored in the podium) to the system through the power and data connections provided on top of the podium.
A Level 4 (TEC4) classroom provides each student with a computer workstation and in-room printing along with an instructor’s PC station. A variety of software titles are available to support instruction with purchase and installation directed by Academic Computing in concert with the various academic departments. NetOp® software with multiple features including the ability for students to view the instructor’s PC in real time is installed in a number of rooms. This offers the instructor the same faculty/student interaction as the podium but without the additional video/audio options.
A Level 5 (TEC5) classroom provides the full podium described above (TEC3) along with individual student computer workstations and in-room printing.
You can view a list of available TEC classrooms using this link. This website (http://faculty.ccp.edu/dept/Acad_Comp/Smart%20man.pdf) gives instructions, along with visual aids, on how to use the podiums in the different TEC classrooms and how to use the equipment such as DVD players.
Many faculty members have developed web pages from which they can run their classroom presentation material. Over 390 faculty members have storage space on the College’s web server, often referred to as the “Q drive.” This is a great way to share material with students. Faculty members may apply for this web space by using this link (http://tango.ccp.edu/scripts/t3cgi.exe/tango3/docs/taf/webspace.taf) on the Academic Computing page.
Indeed, we have done a great job of finishing the first stage of the new technology evolution. Now what happens in the second stage? As Downes states, in the second stage we will see changes in how content is acquired and how it is delivered.
Content may be changed on a moment’s notice to take into account changes in circumstances. And syndicated content may be used in a wider variety of educational settings, not only in a learning management system. Experiences elsewhere on the World Wide Web and, especially in the field of online journalism, show that syndication represents a powerful tool for the wide distribution of online resources. It also extends the range of potential content providers from a small number of centralized institutions to a large number of syndicated content sources.
“In a similar manner, we are beginning to see content made available through a wider range of devices. Another emerging trend, called ‘mobile learning’, foresees the delivery of learning content through mobile devices such as personal telephones, PDAs and similar tools. The impact of wireless learning is that, because content is available anywhere, learning is no longer tied to a particular location. As XML encoded content and syndicated content delivery becomes entrenched there will be little, if any, limitation on the place or manner in which learning may be available.”
Are we, as a College, ready for the “second stage”? Downes seems to predict a learning environment in which the content of a course is adjusted and adapted, and the delivery of a course might not need to be presented in a classroom, even a technologically well-equipped classroom. At the College, one of the new tools available to faculty is our Internet-based portal “MyCCP” and this portal might assist faculty and students to access some of the features of Downes’ second stage. MyCCP creates a course web page for every class offered on the academic calendar. The course webpage allows the faculty member to communicate easily with every registered student. Reading assignments may be posted to the appropriate section of a MyCCP site. Students may submit homework using their MyCCP e-mail accounts. MyCCP facilitates communication with other students as well as with the faulty member using both e-mail (asynchronous) and the real-time chat (synchronous) communication tools. Class cancellations should be outdated thanks to MyCCP since the instructor can make class content accessible to the students at any time. MyCCP also is a big step toward providing the tools needed to meet some of the requirements of the second stage in the evolution of a new technology as outlined by Downes.
In addition to training on how to use MyCCP, Academic Computing has identified and installed some new software which can enhance teaching. Academic Computing has developed a Digital Imaging Center to help faculty convert pictures, slides, and negatives to digital format for use in their presentations. We also have the means to create short instructional videos using a digital video camera and software. This software allows these videos to either be burned to DVD or streamed across the Internet to your students’ personal computer. When the visual aids have been produced, other software can be used to add audio. “PhotoStory3”is a free download from Microsoft to add music or even your own voice to picture files and “Audacity” is another software application to record voice or even add background music to your lecture. Some faculty use “Audacity” to create audio files of their class and place the files on their web page for student review. This application—“Podcasting”—is definitely in Downes’ second phase of the evolution of a new technology since students can download lectures and listen to them virtually anywhere.
To some faculty, these new resources may seem intimidating, but Academic Computing is dedicated to training and assisting faculty on this technology. Throughout the year, we offer a variety of professional development sessions on MyCCP, making audio files, producing visual images, and using software to make teaching more effective. The current schedule is always on the Internet. For more information, visit the Academic Computing Center webpage, at http://faculty.ccp.edu/dept/Acad_Comp/TECCcP.htm or, if we don’t have what you are looking for, send us an e-mail.
References
Downes, Stephen. “From Classrooms to Learning Environments: A Midrange Projection of E-Learning Technologies” College Quarterly, Summer 2004 - Volume 7 Number 3, available online at http://www.collegequarterly.ca/2004-vol07-num03-summer/downes.html
Hardin, Joseph and Ziebarth, John. “Digital Technology and Its Impact on Education,” Jan 2000, available at http://www.ed.gov/Technology/Futures/hardin.html
Hartman, Joel; Moskal, Patsy; and Dziuban, Chuck. “Preparing the Academy of Today for the Learner of Tomorrow.” Educause, June 2006 available at https://www.educause.edu/Preparing the Academy of Today for the Learner of Tomorrow/6062
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Maintained by Jay Howard,Sept 2006