Gaining Time with Technology

Gaining Time with Technology

David G. Brown, Vice President & DeanWake Forest University

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

November 12, 2001

Outline of Activities

• Never Enough Time! (mini-lecture)• Write Down Your Time Gaining Tricks!• Five Strategies For Gaining Time (mini-lecture)• Illustrations: Mini-movie Clips from the Website

of the course I’m currently teaching • Listening to YOUR time-gaining tricks• Discussion---Your Comments and Questions

Never Enough Time

• All are eager to adopt technology.

• The Gardening Metaphor

• It will get better---– when double-duty ends!– If we redesign, not just “add on”

Reasons 150 Professors Added Computer Enhancements

1. Communication-Interaction

2. Collaboration-Teams

3. Controversy-Debate

4. Customization-Diversity

5. Consultants-Adjuncts

Your Ideas

On the Green Sheet---

List 2 or 3 ways you are using technology to gain time.

When done, pass the Green sheet to your left.

[Persons next to the wall should (1) select one idea to read to the group, and (2) Give all green sheets to me at the end of the session.]

On the Blue sheet---

Write your email address.

Anytime during this session, write to me acomment, idea, or question. I’ll get back toyou by email.

Hand in the blue sheetat the end of the session.

Time Gaining Strategy #1Keep It Simple (Stupid)!

• Emphasize Email, URL’s, & CMS• Standardize--hardware, software, projection,

training, help desk• Provide Access to All---avoid double systems• Use Simple Templates---viewable by older, slower,

lower priced computers• Add Technology in Small Bites• Utilize Familiar Systems---E.g.: Internet browsers• Don’t Be the First to Upgrade

Time Gaining Strategy #2Shift Work to Students

• Have them annotate the best web sites

• Designate a student-manager-of-the-week to handle paperwork

• Build administrative systems that enable students to update their own data

• Encourage peer feedback

• Reward students who help others learn

Time Gaining Strategy #3Involve Others in Teaching

• Ask students to critique each others’ papers before submission

• Have student A and B agree upon a joint submission & grade only one paper

• Recruit alumni mentors, college staff

• Build hierarchies of support

• Provide access to work of previous classes

Time Gaining Strategy #4Preserve Completed Work

• Back Up Your Own Work (on CD’s)

• Encourage Students to Back Up Their Work

• Require Students to Keep Copies of All the Work they Submit

• Help Students Create Portfolios for Archiving their Important Documents and Transferring Them to After-College Systems

Time Gaining Strategy #5Focus Work

• [“Too Many” Degrees of Freedom]

• Identify precisely your Desired Outcome

• Guide Students to More Efficient Learning Paths

• Use the Power of Search Engines

• Build Small Chunks

• Separate Out the Reusable

• 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

Students = 15All FreshmenRequired Course

Before Class

During Class.

After Class

•Keep It Simple

•Shift Work to Students

•Involve Others in Teaching

•Preserve Completed Work

•Focus Work