Technology in the Learning Spaces

Technology in the Learning Spaces

Sande Johnson-Byers Assistant Vice President Information Technology

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Working Committee Members

Sande Johnson-Byers, Chair

Rhonda DixonJeff FalconeAlex GaughanLaura HardestyMichael HomanMark Kasselhut Brad Lawton

Cathy LeistSherry RossJoe SteffenUldis StrepisChris WeaverJoanna Wolfe

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Establish a Baseline

• Assessment of technology in UofL’s learning spaces– 108 of 167 (65%) classrooms on the Belknap

Campus and 6 of 33 (18%) had little or no technology capability

– Overall, 57% of classrooms needed to be equipped or upgraded with technology

– Update: UofL’s Phi Beta Kappa initiative will newly equip 30 rooms with technology

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Research

• 2008 ECAR (Educause Study for Applied Research) Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology– students preferred only a “moderate” amount of

technology in the classroom– students preferred “face-to-face” interactions in

the classroom and with faculty and classmates

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Develop a Committee

Represent:• Students• Faculty• Business Affairs• Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning• Information Technology• Libraries• Resources for Academic Achievement

(REACH)

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Literature Review

• When Computers Leave Classrooms, So Does Boredom (Chronicle of Higher Education) – “Teach naked” by removing technology from the

classroom– Make lectures available online for student review

outside of class – Reserve class time for active discussion

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Literature Review

• Learning Spaces: Involving Faculty to Improve Pedagogy (Educause)– Involve faculty and students in the planning phase– Aim to understand faculty member’s learning

objectives– Assess the technology to determine educational

value

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Literature Review

• Space Strategies for the New Learning Landscape (Educause)– Create collaborative and immersive learning

spaces– View the entire campus as a learning space– Create flexibility in the learning space

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Literature Review

• Assessment: The Key to Creating Spaces that Promote Learning (Educause)– Faculty facilitate the learning experience when

they are comfortable with pedagogical practices– Students are most engaged when they are

encouraged to interact with faculty and fellow students

– Territoriality and departmental ownership of highly prized rooms decrease the use of the space

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Literature Review

• Charting the Course & Tapping the Community: The Educause Top Teaching & Learning Challenges 2009 (Educause)– Balance promoting technology with encouraging

teaching and learning using technology– Explore solutions to top challenges in teaching

and learning through “Challenges” project: www.educause.edu/eli/challenges

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http://www.educause.edu/eli/challenges

Literature Review

• Signposts of the Revolution? What We Talk about When We Talk Learning Spaces (Educause)– Outdated industrial model prepared learners to

perform repetitive factory jobs– Industrial model continues to dominate higher

education– New inquiry model encompasses active, social,

continuous and holistic learning

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Literature Review

• The 2009 21st-Century Campus Report: Defining the Vision (CDW-G)– Campus community defined by access to

technology, resources and each other– Year over year, students are placing more

importance on technology in the learning space

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Survey Benchmark Institutions

• Survey UofL’s benchmark institutions about their classroom technology– Funding model– Standards– Support– Equipment– Learning management software

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http://www.iclicker.com/


• Completed with seven respondents

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• 100% of responding institutions fund instructional technology in the classroom with a combination of centralized and decentralized funds

• 71% of responding institutions have an ongoing budget for sustaining instructional technology in the classroom

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• 100% of responding institutions have classroom technology standards

• Responding institutions have a range of 50-100% of their classrooms equipped to use technology

• 71% of responding institutions report their requests for technology-equipped classrooms outnumber classroom availability

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• 71% of responding institutions provide laptops for faculty instruction

• Faculty are using these laptops to integrate technology into the curriculum

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Input from UofL Faculty

• Administered survey

• 81 respondents-School of Public Health & Information Sciences-Arts and Sciences -College of Business-College of Education -Speed School of Engineering-Kent School of Social Work -School of Dentistry-School of Law -School of Medicine-Libraries

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• 88% of respondents have taught classes in a technology equipped classroom during the current academic year

• 37% of respondents have been denied use of a technology equipped classroom due to lack of availability

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• 65% of respondents agree or strongly agree the use of technology in the classroom has improved learning outcomes for students

• 67% of respondents agree or strongly agree technology in the classroom has allowed them to more actively engage students

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• 61% agree or strongly agree they are satisfied with the current level of technology in the classrooms they use– “Agree only if the rooms are equipped but disagree if there is

no technology available”– “My problem is the frequency with which I am scheduled to

teach courses in classes which have no technology in them at all”

• Faculty want more technology equipped classrooms

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• Faculty focus groups

• Conducted by an associate professor of biology

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• Faculty focus groups common themes– All learning spaces need a basic level of

technology, including Internet access– Improve faculty training – Improve technology documentation– Offer students collaborative learning spaces

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• Online discussion board

• One faculty respondent– Expectation of WiFi access and electronic

projection equipment in every classroom

– Recommends professional development for faculty to better incorporate technology in the classroom

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Input from UofL Students

• Administered survey

• 132 respondents-Arts and Sciences -College of Business-College of Education -Speed School of Engineering-Kent School of Social Work -School of Music-School of Law -School of Medicine-School of Nursing

• 97% of respondents take face-to-face classes

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• Most used technologies by respondents in courses this semester: – Email (98%)– Office applications (88%)– Social networking (44%)– Text messaging (43%)– Blogs or wikis (32%)– Classroom capture (17%)

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• 98.5% of respondents prefer to take courses in which the instructor uses some (67.9%) or makes extensive (30.6%) use of technology. Less than 2% prefer no technology.

• 74% of respondents agree or strongly agree their instructors effectively use technology in the classroom

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• 64% of respondents agree or strongly agree their instructor’s use of technology in the classroom keeps them engaged during class

• 58% of respondents agree or strongly agree their instructor’s use of other technologies (Blackboard, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) keeps them engaged outside of the classroom

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• Student focus groups• Conducted by

– Libraries– Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning– Resources for Academic Achievement (REACH)

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• Student focus groups common themes– All learning spaces need a basic level of

technology– Prefer a moderate amount of technology– Prefer face-to-face learning– Like using I-Clicker technology– Social networking between faculty and students

should be student-initiated

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Committee Recommendations

1. Create a new minimum classroom technology standarda) Current standards provide an “overkill” of

technology, limiting scope to few classrooms

b) New standards should provide basic technology:• Data projector• Electric screen• Input panel• Internet access• Base i-Clicker system

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1. Create a new minimum classroom technology standard (continued)

c) Estimated $5,615 per classroom, excluding room prep and desktop computer

d) Philosophy of upgrading as many classrooms as budgetarily feasible

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2. Develop a plan to equip 100% of UofL’s learning spaces

a) All responding benchmark institutions plan to equip 100% of their classrooms

b) Equip UofL classrooms at the new minimum standard over a three-year period (estimated $640,110)

c) Update: $168,450 of the funding is included in UofL’s Phi Beta Kappa initiative

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3. Encourage departments to replace faculty workstations with laptop or tablet computers

a) Design technology classrooms with appropriate connection cables

b) Provost and CIO strongly encourage units to buy laptops for faculty in lieu of desktops

c) Over 3-4 years, centrally fund laptop/desktop cost differential for all full-time faculty (approximately $300 each, total $468,300)

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4. Establish an ongoing process for sustaining technology in the classrooma) IT develop an ongoing classroom technology

management approach

b) Create a central budget for classroom technology maintenance and upgrades

c) Fund at 20% ($224,600) assuming maintenance of equipment for 200 classrooms at the minimum standard

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5. Make all classrooms available for scheduling through Resource 25

a) Several units restrict access to technology classrooms by not listing them on Resource 25

b) Maximize learning space usage by making all classrooms available for scheduling through Resource 25

c) Give priority scheduling to units that currently invest in technology using student fees

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6. Improve training, documentation and support for using technology in the classroom

a) Each classroom contain a printed set of instructions

b) Review instructions on a semester basis

c) Maintain instructions on the web for instructors to download

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6. Improve training, documentation and support for using technology in the classroom (continued)

d) Offer training to instructors teaching in technology classrooms

e) Offer group training at the department/school level

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7. Develop a process to assess the impact of technology in the classrooma) Technology in the classroom is an investment

b) Assessment provides data to evaluate effectiveness

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7. Develop a process to assess the impact of technology in the classroom (continued)c) Institutional Research develop a process to

assess the impact of technology in the classroom on student outcomes

d) Use National Study of Student Engagement (NSSE) as a guide

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8. Include technology classrooms and collaborative learning spaces in new construction and renovations

a) Ensure all classrooms meet/exceed the new minimum technology standard

b) Assure the development of collaborative learning spaces to stimulate and enhance active student engagement

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9. Increase use of blended courses to maximize use of available technology classrooms

a) Meet face-to-face on a limited basis

b) Utilize Blackboard (or other technology) to interact outside of the classroom

c) Charge 115% of tuition rate to fund initiative

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9. Increase use of blended courses to maximize use of available technology classrooms (continued)d) Incent individual instructors who

develop and offer blended courses

e) Officially recognize blended classes as a unique class/category

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10.Strongly encourage faculty to increase use of Blackboard

a) Currently in use by less than 50% of all courses at UofL

b) Provost’s office, academic deans and department chairs encourage a minimum usage standard for Blackboard

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10.Strongly encourage faculty to increase use of Blackboard (continued)

c) Include at minimum posting syllabus, faculty information and course description

d) Strongly encourage posting of grades in Blackboard, even if Blackboard is not used to administer tests and assignments

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11.Strongly encourage use of Tegrity and I-Clickers in the classroom

a) Delphi and IT offer classes and training designed to encourage innovative Tegrity use

b) When possible, place in classrooms microphones which support Tegrity and other recordings

c) Stock recommended microphones in iTech Xpress and have them available for checkout through IT’s classroom support services

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11.Strongly encourage use of Tegrity and I-Clickers in the classroom (continued)d) Include I-Clicker base units in technology

capable classrooms

e) Delphi Center and IT continue offering training and support for I-Clickers

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12.Acquire the appropriate tools to improve virtual learning spaces

a) Current Blackboard chat/virtual classroom tools do not ensure meaningful web collaboration• Difficult to use • Not stable • Not full-featured

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12.Acquire the appropriate tools to improve virtual learning spaces (continued)

b) Purchase a full-featured web collaboration tool to use in conjunction with Blackboard (estimated $80,000 CAR)

c) Implement at the enterprise level to support instruction and provide administrative support to faculty and students

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13.Allow use of social networking tools to be initiated by the student

a) Students view faculty-initiated social networking as an intrusion

b) Allow students to initiate faculty/student social networking

c) Investigate ConnectYard to facilitate one to many communication from Blackboard

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Next Steps

• Vet findings and recommendations:– Academic Technology Committee

– Council of Academic Officers

– Faculty Senate

– Student Government Association

– Strategic Technology Executive Committee51

Next Steps

• Present recommendations to Provost

• Implement approved recommendations (pending funding)

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Questions?

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Technology in the Learning Spaces

Documents

Transcript of Technology in the Learning Spaces