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 Folks

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

fax: 336-758-4875