The State of Technology at Saint Norbert College

"What forms of IT are being used in the classroom, and what is the current state of technology here at Saint Norbert College?"

I've chosen to combine these two questions, because the answer to the first of the two is so dependent upon the last. And, as far as the average student is concerned, the answer to both is "low."

In the couple of technology oriented classes that I've had the level IT present was (as expected) rather high. Microsoft PowerPoint was introduced to the students and hypermedia programs like HyperCard and HyperStudio (both on the Macintosh) were used quite a bit, both for presentations and student portfolios. Very often students were given the option of submitting their projects electronically rather than in "hard copy". Student and teachers both used a variety of presentation mediums, ranging from student created videos to computer-to-television links.

For the rest of my classes, though, the use of IT has been very low, consisting mostly of transparencies and the occasional video, and sometimes slide shows as well. Professors really cannot be blamed for not using IT more in many of these situations, though. As a rule, if technology is hard to use it won't be used, and for instructors in many buildings it is very hard to use.

In Cofrin Hall the level of technology is pretty high and relatively easy to integrate into the classroom. But in Boyle Hall there really aren't any accommodations to make it easy for an instructor (or student) to roll in a PC and project its information onto a screen, or to use forms of IT other than transparencies and videos. For the classes I've had in PAC, you couldn't even get a VCR and monitor into to view videos in the classroom much less other forms of IT.

Those students interested in using IT for class projects are rather quickly discouraged if they are dependent upon the resources supplied by Saint Norbert College. The Bemis labs are very well equipped, but student access is very limited. It is sometimes hard to predict when a class will be working in there (closing it to other students) and its erratic lab hours make it an unreliable, and therefore invalid, resource for students. Cofrin Hall's level of technology is relatively high but has its limitations. The DOS/Windows labs are overcrowded much of the time and the student staff lacks expertise with the software, especially on the Macintosh machines.

The quality of Cofrin Hall's Macintosh lab is poor in general, both its hardware and support for it. This is effects many students, but it especially hurts Education majors since right now the Macintosh is the platform of choice for educators at the elementary level. I've heard the Macintosh lab is going to be updated and that this is why they haven't been repairing it. This makes sense--not wasting resources on already out-dated machines that won't be around much longer--but in the meantime students have to deal with a lab that is slow, crashes often, and where several machines don't have functioning disk drives.

On the up-side, the library has made great leaps in updating it's technology and its new internet workstations are terrific. The fact that they are specialized, with only selected information and internet search tools available, means that students don't have to compete with people doing email or writing papers. Having instructions for using the software is easily and readily available makes it easy for novice users to use the workstations. This update of technology in the library was an effective use of funds, and I like the way that it demonstrates internet resources like the WWW are legitimate research tools and not just high tech toys.

Return to the top of this page...
Return to Page 1...
Go to the FDC Presentation...

 

Using the Technology

I consider teaching respect for technology as is tool and how to use it effectively to be very important. In just about every field that I can think of, especially in Education, being able to understand and use technology is growing to be more and more important all the time. If Saint Norbert College doesn't prepare it's students to use that technology then it is doing its students a disservice.

Just as you improve students writing skills by emphasizing the writing process in all areas, not just English, you improve students' abilities to handle technology by using it in many areas, not just in technology oriented classes. Technology can be a terrific asset in and out of the classroom, with two caveats:

1. It needs to be a valid enhancement of the learning process, having substance and not just flash.
2. If it's hard to use, it won't be used."

Making it valid is important because there are times that, either due to inexperience or laziness, technology is used in ways that make its value questionable. Sometimes it is because the technology overcomplicates without enhancing, such as when more time is spent trying to make a computer work than is spent showing the simple PowerPoint presentation that the student wants to use. At other times technology is used to cover a lack of research, and material with pretty graphics and animations, hoping that the audience, like magpies, will look at the bright shiny object of technology and not notice that the very little time or dedication was put into the actual assignment.

Caveat #1: Make it valid!

But there are many ways in which I've seen IT used very effectively in classes, and some ways that I'd like to see it used. The internet used for research (I used it very successfully to that end on a paper I wrote recently on the ordination of women in the Catholic Church) can...

• eliminate competition for the limited resources of the library collection.
• allow access to very current information.
  • Once a book finally reaches  publication, it's information is (on average) 5 years old.
• allow access to a wider variety of resources and viewpoints.
• make it possible and practical for students (through the addition of email and IRC) to conduct long distance "interviews" with experts and other sources for research papers.

Utilizing the Network

Using the the capabilities of the school's network Could make group projects easier for all involved:

• File sharing and email can all help overcome the obstacles created by conflicting class and work schedules.
• The network can be used for the dissemination of information.
  • Posting syllabi, syllabi updates, assignment details, and other information.
  • It can save paper, time, and trouble.
• Email correspondence can make contact between professors, advisors, and students more easy and rapid gets around problem of conflicting office hours
  • Allows students to question professors about topics that either aren't entirely appropriate for the classroom discussion or simply didn't have the time to be asked.
• Using a mailing list for the class would allow professors to quickly disseminate information to the whole class, and even multiple classes

I've used this email correspondence method with varying success. If it's going to work then the faculty have to be dedicated to making it work, as well as having the knowledge.

Multimedia Presentations

There are many practical advantages to having students (and professors) using multimedia presentations, whether for teaching or for class projects...

• an Art History presentation in which scanned images of the artwork are included so the viewer can actually see the art instead of relying upon the presenter's text descriptions.
• sound clips of famous speeches for historical presentations, or of alternate readings of poems or portions of plays, to show different interpretations of a written work.
• being able to include historical documents (many of which are available online) to be referenced by hypertext link by the viewer.
• images such as maps, charts, and diagrams included easily and linked to the appropriate text of the presentation.

By using computers as the source of these presentations rather than traditional mediums such as portable stereos or slide projectors, presenting the information is made more convenient and less dependent on special arrangements.

Using Netscape: The two major problems that would arise from using multimedia in the classroom...

1. making it easy enough to construct the presentations that the process of creating and presenting them doesn't interfere with the learning process
2. making sure the presentation is cross platform, so that professors and students can view them regardless the computer that they are using

...can be solved by using Netscape as the basic presentation program. Once the basic skills are acquired, it is easy to make Web pages and store them locally, rather than "publishing them". Almost every computer on campus has Netscape installed on it, and web pages work cross platform so it doesn't matter if the page is created on a Macintosh or a Windows machine.

Caveat #2: Making it easy to use!

Problem #1: Professors' non-acceptance of it's use.

This is the most important hurdle for students, since many will see no point in learning the technology if the professors won't accept it's use. There is some good reason for professors to be wary, the accuracy of information downloaded from the internet can be questionable. This is true of any medium, but more so for the internet because it is the exchange price for immediacy and ease of publication.

There is a price to pay, however, if professors make the sweeping decision to not allow its use in their courses (papers, essay's, etc.). For students who know how to use IT, and can see a valid way in which it can be applied, not being allowed to use it makes them doubt their professors and, if encountered in enough of their courses, makes them doubt the institution as a whole and the validity of their education. When touring high schoolers meet up with Norbertine students, their views of the school's technology use get communicated and may well affect a potential student's decision to attend Saint Norbert College.

Problem #2: An unbalanced playing field...

Not every student will come into college with adequate knowledge of how to use computers and related technology. Not every student will have computers of their own with which to gain access to computers outside of lab times or during times in which the labs are inaccessible (i.e. "crashed" or overcrowded labs). If IT is going to be given more emphasis (as it should) then steps need to be taken to make sure that students that don't have the advantages of experience and access aren't unduly hobbled.

Problem #3: Fear of technology...

This needs to be removed from both professors and students. They need to stop thinking of every desktop PC as a malevolent little brother of HAL the super computer, ready to jettison us out of an airlock if we don't worship them appropriately. The reality is that every PC is basically a big, dumb, box not half as smart as your average beagle and twice as harmless.

Neither are they glass sculptures that will crash and burn if you sneeze wrong. They are a lot more sturdy than many people seem to think (certain vicious weaknesses aside). The truth is that most so-called crashes can be recovered from without too much trouble, especially if students and professors are guided into developing some good habits, like saving often and making back ups.

Very often  the best way to learn is through  experimentation, and anyone who is afraid isn't going to experiment.

Return to the top of this page...
Return to Page 1...
Go to the FDC Presentation...