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

fax: 336-758-4875