>From owner-trad-l@LISTSERV.VT.EDU Thu Apr 17 04:28:23 1997 Received: from listserv.vt.edu (listserv.vt.edu [128.173.4.9]) by listserv.vt.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id EAA33558; Thu, 17 Apr 1997 04:28:22 -0400 Received: from LISTSERV.VT.EDU by LISTSERV.VT.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 1.8c) with spool id 1123745 for TRAD-L@LISTSERV.VT.EDU; Thu, 17 Apr 1997 04:28:21 -0400 Received: from sable.cc.vt.edu (sable.cc.vt.edu [128.173.16.30]) by listserv.vt.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id EAA28942 for ; Thu, 17 Apr 1997 04:28:21 -0400 Received: from [128.173.40.198] (tuxedo.cs.vt.edu [128.173.40.198]) by sable.cc.vt.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id EAA25719; Thu, 17 Apr 1997 04:28:12 -0400 (EDT) X-Sender: fox@vt.edu (Unverified) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Message-Id: Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 03:31:58 -0400 Reply-To: "Edward A. Fox" Sender: trad-l Discussion List From: "Edward A. Fox" Subject: upcoming meetings, overview for 4/17/97 discussion To: TRAD-L@LISTSERV.VT.EDU Hi! See below a slightly updated version of our questions and recommendations, to help us focus discussion. Please remember that in Jan. we decided to meet every Thur at 8am and have been doing so since then. So, please keep these discussions on your calendar. We must turn in a good draft to the Steering Committee by about May 1. Thus we have our hands full for the next weeks, and need everyone's help! After that point we will continue to meet through May, to revise our draft in accord with comments from the Steering Committee. A comprehensive draft of the whole Strategic Self Study will be given to the Provost by June 1, and made available on WWW. See you each Thursday! - Ed A. QUESTION: 1. How can we enhance the residential experience for our (fairly traditional) student body with the aid of information technology (IT), while minimizing negative aspects for students? 1a. How can we enhance their academic experience in particular? 1b. How can we enhance the experience in particular for students who are female, from other nations, and/or are of minority backgrounds? 1c. How can awareness of our efforts spread, especially around the Commonwealth, to parents, to employers, and to prospective students? NEW - Part of Recommendations Related to Question A: 1. In their first semester, students should achieve a basic level of information literacy. (Facts: TechNet, Computing Center short courses, CS intro courses, ...) 1a. Admission requirements may include something regarding information literacy. 1b. There may be a university-wide statement of basic information literacy requirement, which should be supported by university activities (e.g., by library, computing). (Facts: Discussion about Computing Across the Curriculum, courses using computer labs, counts of people in TechNet or other intro. courses, ...) 1c. There may be college and/or department statements of information literacy requirements, which should be supported by college and/or department programs. 1d. Diagnose the computer capabilities of all students at entry, and prescribe workshops or classes as needed to get students up-to-speed, based on the university-wide, college, and department statements. 1e. So students achieve competency adequate to satisfy these statements, programs should have hands-on components, thorough assessment, and should be coordinated across the curriculum. 2. A suitable financial plan should be in place to accommodate the needs of students for adequate access to computing facilities. 2a. Where appropriate, financial aid should consider any university, college or department requirements for purchase. 2b. Where appropriate, computer lab fees should be charged, according to the cost of maintaining state-of-the-art laboratories for those served. 2c. There should be coordination across campus regarding computer requirements so that students can more easily change major, or have dual majors, and not be penalized in the area of computing. 2d. Infrastructure should be developed so that students can easily deploy laptop computers and wireless data communications, allowing them to have power and mobile connections that will work in classes, labs, dorms, libraries, and other frequented areas. 2e. Infrastructure should be put in place so faculty and students can easily communicate via videoconferences, from any student or faculty office, any dorm room, and at least one laboratory in each campus building. 3. A process should be put in place to review frequently how IT can provide cost and time-savings for students, leading to priority deployment of those with the greatest benefit, especially for learning, and when negative effects can be easily addressed. Added Recommendations: 1. Virginia Tech should adopt a model of technology aided instruction which enhances personal interaction between students and faculty and between students and other students. 2. Virginia Tech should evaluate the transformation to new technologies against the goal of enhanced student learning, rather than against a goal of cost savings. 3. Virginia Tech should begin systematic evaluation of negative impacts of increased use of technology by students, and should provide resources to address any negative effects that are identified. MODERATELY OLD - RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS: 2. Make a strong push for adaptive technologies for students with disabilities. This is a case where technology has only positive effects. 4. Provide strong supports and challenges for the developmental issues which surround increased computer use. 5. Improve the infrastructure for everyone. 6. Develop the cost- and time-saving uses of technology right away - e.g., electronic publishing, electronic contacts with students and potential students, etc. OLD - RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS: Have integrated planning of: structures to administer and manage learning, explicit learning environments, IT equipment, IT services and software. While we are a very traditional university in terms of attracting mostly upper middle class white males, and wish to continue to succeed in this area, we should make a firm committment to adapt to demographic facts of the Commonwealth, Nation and International Community and have more female, international, and or minority students. We must attract them, make them feel a part of the campus and community, and provide a suitably tailored educational experience for them. We should deploy computer-supported cooperative work systems to strengthen the sense of community and "belonging" of students who have historically felt isolated or alienated. We should combine the efficiency of computer-based skill and knowledge diagnosis tools with keen insight of educators to help new or transfer students with non-traditional backgrounds fit into the educational programs on campus - through remediation, multimedia modules, or other aids. Enhance knowledge and understanding of our use of IT in education, through publications, publicity, recruiting and other means. Provide strong supports and challenges for the developmental issues which surround increased computer use - ??? ======================================================================== B. QUESTION: How can student concerns and student input help with the planning, deployment, and refinement of the use of IT in residential education, especially as we institutionalize this type of innovation? RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS: Ensure student representation on all campus bodies planning IT-enhancement to education, including task forces, FDI, Centers, and other groups. Alternate Version: All commissions, committees, sub-committees, and even temporary task forces, in the governance system as well as in the various branches of Information Systems, should have one or more student members, if their work relates in any way to student education or other aspects of student life. If their activities relate to the use of information technology too, one or more of the students involved should have at least a good background in the IT field. (Facts: Current involvement on committees, commissions - membership, attendance) Work with students in focus groups to identify needs and opportunities related to student life and IT Work with students in focus groups as innovations emerge, are deployed, and are refined in a formative-evaluation context Involve students in high-level planning of how Virginia Tech can become more expert and professional in instruction and use of IT ======================================================================== C. QUESTION: How will we deal with a shift from highly residential undergraduate community to one where more undergraduates live off campus or are rarely or only occasionally present on campus? RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS: We should extend and improve BEV so that faster connections are possible for people off-campus, even as technology continues to evolve. We should extend summer school offerings for students working elsewhere so they can take some courses over Internet. We must deal with support issues regarding their gaining computer and network access, as well as having programmatic and equipment infrastructure required. We should extend the traditional degree oriented services into life-long learning services. This has the same support requirements as above, but leads to longer term relationships and so requires smooth handling of the many transistions (programs, disciplines, equipment, ...). Cross-cutting issue with other undergraduate group: We should, in 5-10 years, start to offer distributed education for undergraduates in addition to residential education opportunities. That is, we should have combinations of the two, so student financial and personal changes do not cause termination of their studies at Virginia Tech. This has the same support requirements as above. Summer School Mission - Marketing Plan (Recommendation #2): " .... The marketing program should encourage the development, prototyping, and promotion of innovative programs and delivery methods (such as the use of technology for distance education ...." (p.12) ======================================================================== D. OTHER: 1. Based on Student Needs, recommend that continue giving special attention to: * improving intellectual skills * critical thinking/problem solving * writing skills and speaking/presentation skills * personal development - knowledge for continued growth and self development - personal/social maturation * developing self understanding and service to society 2. Nurture students in disciplines related to IT and educational technology, through recruitment, scholarships, support for undergraduate research projects, support for service learning. Professor Edward A. Fox, Ph.D. Department of Computer Science 660 McBryde Hall Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061-0106