Best Practices re the Use of Technology in

Teaching and Learning:The Wake Forest University

Experience as Catalyst

David G. Brown

VP & Professor & Dean of ICCEL

April 27, 2000Stillwater, Oklahoma

Policies that Make a Difference

• Students First

• Standardize

• Ubiquitous Access

• Explicit Faculty Endorsement

• Eager Faculty

• Marketable Difference

• The 80-20 Maxim

• Low Hanging Fruit• Communication• Interactive Learning

• 3600 undergrads• Two AACSB Schools• 92% residential• No Distance Education• $850M endowment• Winston-Salem NC• 500 each: Med, Law, Residential MBA, PhD• MBA = residential + exec + evening + satellite• Top 20 Wired University (Yahoo 2000)• Top 30 Research University (USNewsWR 1999)• 1300 SAT Average & 630+ GMAT (&4 years exp.)

Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University

THE WAKE FOREST PLANF96: IBM

365XD, 16RAM, 100Mhz, 810MB, CD-ROM, 14.4 modemF97: IBM 380D, 32 RAM, 130Mhz, 1.35GB, CD-ROM, 33.6 modemF98: IBM 380XD, 64 RAM, 233 Mhz, 4.1GB, CD-ROM, 56 modemF99: IBM 390, 128 RAM, 333 Mhz, 6GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem

• Thinkpads for all

• New Every 2 Years

• Own @ Graduation

• Printers for all

• Wire Everything

• Standard Software

• Full Admin Systems

• IGN for Faculty

• Keep Old Computers

• 40+30 New People

• 50% Faculty Trained

• 85% CEI Users

• 98% E-Mail

• +15% Tuition

• ~$1500/Yr/Student

• 4 Year Phase In

• Pilot Year

• Now 4 Classes

• Plan for 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

Order at---http://iccel.wfu.edu

Distributed Support

• Centralized Support for Standards– IS (Help Desk, Network)

• Distributed Support for Teaching– Academic Computer Specialists– STARS

• Support for Students– RTAs

Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University

Computers Enhance My Teaching and/or 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 -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

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

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

With Ubiquity---The Culture Changes

• Mentality shifts-- like from public phone to personal phone.

• Teaching Assumptions shift-- like from books in the public library 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 “maybe 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

Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

Http://iccel.wfu.edu

“The Economists’ Way of Thinking”

A Course Required of All Freshmen

For 15 Students

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

What’s BeingDone?

Brown’s First Year Seminar• Before Class

– Students Find URLs & Identify Criteria

– Interactive exercises– 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

– Materials Forever

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999

93 Courses36 Universities143 Professors26 Disciplines

http://www.ankerpub.com/

Beliefs of 91/93 Vignette AuthorsPedagogy and Philosophy

• Interactive Learning

• Learn by Doing

• Collaborative Learning

• Integration of Theory and Practice

• Communication

• Visualization

• Different Strokes for Different Folks

From Interactive Learning January, 2000From Anker PublishingDavid G. Brown, Editor

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

The Prospering of Distance Learning as a Primary Educational Model

Interactive text, sound, image!

We must not Dumb Down the curriculum because our

students--• Have no textbooks

• Have no library

• Have no Internet Access

• Learn in different ways

• Are better with computers

Instead, let’s RAISE THE BAR!

How Can Colleges MakeUbiquitous Computing

Affordable for All Students?

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

8 BASIC MODELS OFUBIQUITOUS COMPUTING

(Ordered by total cost, starting with the most expensive)

• All + Powerful + Laptops + Annual Refresh UMC• Refresh Less Frequently WFU WVWC• Substitute Desktop Computers USAFA• Provide One Computer Per Two Beds Chatham• Specify Threshold Level SSU UNC• Substitute Network Computers• Provide Public Station Computers BC• Teach with Explicit Assumption of Access

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

WAYS TO REDUCE START UP COSTS

• 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 PoolICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

The Big Three#1. E-mail

#2. Web Pages (for each course)

#3. Internet URLs

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

Policies that Make a Difference

• Students First

• Standardize

• Ubiquitous Access

• Explicit Faculty Endorsement

• Eager Faculty

• Marketable Difference

• The 80-20 Maxim

• Low Hanging Fruit• Communication• Interactive Learning

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

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 19991999

• Consulting Help is the Most Important Gift

• Professional Project Mgt is Crucial

• Demand will increase Much Faster than Anticipated

• Pilot Year is Essential

• Hardware & Software Decisions are separable

LESSONS LEARNED

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-at-hand; general classes don’t work well

• Be prepared to outsource challenges

• Don’t wire to every seat

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LESSONS LEARNED

• Reliability is critical, esp. the Help Desk

• Provide academic units staff of their own & plenty of equipment without hassle

• Improve communications; rumors fly fast

• Spread the gains from & ownership of innovation throughout all units

• Use the internet for course materials

• Use a commercial Course Mgt System

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• Choose a Partner for the Long Haul

• Budget Adequate Start Up & Operating Funds

• Place in Context of an Overall Financial Plan

• Balance Centralized Services & Local Control

• Place Some Funds Under Faculty Control

LESSONS LEARNED

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

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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, 1999ICCEL -- 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, 1999ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999

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, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000