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Transcript of New Opportunities for Teaching and Learning in a wired world A Presentation by David G. Brown, Dean,...
New Opportunitiesfor Teaching and Learning
in a wired world
A Presentation by David G. Brown, Dean, International Center for Computer Enhanced Learning
Wake Forest University
@Winston-Salem, N.C.April 25, 2000
New Day: Times of Rapid Change
• Universal Access to the Network
• From Access to Filtering a Flood of Info
• Geographic barriers gone
• Asynchronous Interaction
• Multimedia Learners
New DayBig Changes for Higher Education
Democratization of Access (Ubiquity)
Democratization ofUsage (Course Shells)
Heyday Because--- Universities Survive Change
• 67 of the 74 oldest organizations!
• Distribute authority
• Tolerate Kooks
• House young people with fresh ideas
• House bright people with diverse views
• Employ knowledge fountains
The economist in me says that doing business in an info-rich society will be different
• Better informed buyers (web browsing)• Better informed sellers (metadata)• More data-based decisions• Faster cycle times• Less geographic loyalty• More interactive transactions• More customization• More specialization (& outsourcing)
THEWAKE FOREST PLAN
• Plan for 2000
• Thinkpads for all
• Printers for all
• New Every 2 Years
• Own @ Graduation
• Wire Everything
• Standard Software
• Full Admin Systems
• IGN for Faculty
• 40+30 New People
• 75% Faculty Trained
• 85% CEI Users
• 98% E-Mail
• +15% Tuition
• ~$1500/Yr/Student
• 4 Year Phase In
• Pilot Year, Now 4 Classes
Fresh/Junior ComputerF99: IBM390, 128RAM333Mhz, 6GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem, Netscape4.5, MapleV5.1, Windows98Dreamweaver 2, SPSS9,MS Office Professional97
CONCEPTS BEHIND PLAN
• Students First
• 2 Layers: Threshold +
• Rapid Change
• Communicate/Access (Not Present/Analyze)
• Standardization
• Academic Freedom
• Nomadic Learners
CONCEPTS BEHIND PLAN
• Dominant Use After College
• Empower Existing Units
• Eager Faculty
• Students Change Agent
• Exposure, Not Mandate
• Partnership
• Marketable Difference
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%
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, 1999ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999
With Ubiquity---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
Examples from My Own Class
•1247 e-mails•Cybershow•One Minute Paper•Computer Tip Talk•Joint Editing
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 FolksWake Forest University, 2000Wake Forest University, 2000
The educator in me says that doing business in an info-rich society will be different
• More Communication
• More Community Loyalty
• More Collaboration
• More Customization
• More Interactivity
The teacher in me says that there are new tools and new opportunities
• Collaboration & Extension
• Continuous Communication
• Controversy and Debate
• Repetition
• Alternate Materials
The New Education Environment
• Many Tightknit Communities. Student Affinity and Bargaining Groups
• Interactivity Expected. Between students and professors and among students
• Information Filters Everywhere. Challenge is gaining and maintaining attention
• Worldwide Specialization. Geography less relevant.
What’s My Role in the New World of e-Communication?
Primary: Linking trusting clients with the best educational resources and motivating them to use them. Consolidator!
Secondary: Creating educational resources for other “consolidators” to buy
Tertiary: Selling auxiliary services such as meals, overnights, t-shirts, mailing lists
Therefore, I should---
• Focus on my comparative advantages
• Strengthen ties with my natural constituencies
• Partner with organizations that can provide outsourcers who understand my infrastructure
• Build a reliable infrastructure
• Enable my “team” to be interactive 7x24
Specific Actions to be Taken
• Empower faculty with equipment, training, and support (democratize)
• Partner with outsourcers like IBM
• Adopt “infrastructure” usable by my students
• Use fast-loading webpages that fit all screens
• KISS (both faculty and students)
• Collect and use Metadata
More Specific Actions--
• Create & Join Community Networks• Act on the 80/20 and 20/80 assumption• Customize service to natural constituency• Nurture My Clusters of Learners• Offer e-mail forwarding for life• Build monitored LISTSERVS-- especially before
enrollment and after graduation• Presume that all information will be shared
Basic Themes
• Communication
• Customization
• Collaboration
• Community
• Interactivity
• Know What Business You’re in
David G. BrownWake Forest University
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109336-758-4878
email: [email protected]//:www.wfu.edu/~brown
fax: 336-758-4875