Technology in the Learning Spaces

1. Technology in the Learning Spaces Joseph M. Steffen Associate Professor A&S Biology

2. Working Committee Members Sande Johnson-Byers, Chair Rhonda Dixon Jeff Falcone Alex Gaughan Laura Hardesty Michael Homan Mark Kasselhut Brad Lawton Cathy Leist Sherry Ross Joe Steffen UldisStrepis Chris Weaver Joanna Wolfe

3. Methodology • Develop a diverse committee of faculty, staff and students • Establish a baseline for the current state UofL learning spaces • Review current research and literature

4. Methodology • Conduct surveys • Benchmark institutions • UofL faculty and students • Conduct focus groups • UofL faculty and students • Develop and vet recommendations

5. Committee Recommendations • Create a new minimum classroom technology standard • Current standards provide an“overkill” of technology, limiting scope to few classrooms • New standards should provide basic technology: • Data projector • Electric screen • Input panel • Internet access • Base i-Clicker system

6. Committee Recommendations • Create a new minimum classroom technology standard (continued) • Estimated $5,615 per classroom, excluding room prep and desktop computer • Philosophy of upgrading as many classrooms as budgetarily feasible

7. Committee Recommendations • Develop a plan to equip 100% of UofL’s learning spaces • All responding benchmark institutions plan to equip 100% of their classrooms • Equip UofL classrooms at the new minimum standard over a three-year period (estimated $640,110) • Update: $168,450 of the funding is included in UofL’s Phi Beta Kappa initiative

8. Committee Recommendations • Encourage departments to replace faculty workstations with laptop or tablet computers • Design technology classrooms with appropriate connection cables • Provost and CIO strongly encourage units to buy laptops for faculty in lieu of desktops • Over 3-4 years, centrally fund laptop/desktop cost differential for all full-time faculty (approximately $300 each, total $468,300)

9. Committee Recommendations • Establish an ongoing process for sustaining technology in the classroom • IT develop an ongoing classroom technology management approach • Create a central budget for classroom technology maintenance and upgrades • Fund at 20% ($224,600) assuming maintenance of equipment for 200 classrooms at the minimum standard

10. Committee Recommendations • Make all classrooms available for scheduling through Resource 25 • Several units restrict access to technology classrooms by not listing them on Resource 25 • Maximize learning space usage by making all classrooms available for scheduling through Resource 25 • Give priority scheduling to units that currently invest in technology using student fees

11. Committee Recommendations • Improve training, documentation and support for using technology in the classroom • Each classroom contain a printed set of instructions • Review instructions on a semester basis • Maintain instructions on the web for instructors to download

12. Improve training, documentation and support for using technology in the classroom (continued) • Offer training to instructors teaching in technology classrooms • Offer group training at the department/school level

13. Committee Recommendations • Develop a process to assess the impact of technology in the classroom • Technology in the classroom is an investment • Assessment provides data to evaluate effectiveness

14. Committee Recommendations • Develop a process to assess the impact of technology in the classroom • Institutional Research develop a process to assess the impact of technology in the classroom on student outcomes • Use National Study of Student Engagement (NSSE) as a guide

15. Committee Recommendations • Include technology classrooms and collaborative learning spaces in new construction and renovations • Ensure all classrooms meet/exceed the new minimum technology standard • Assure the development of collaborative learning spaces to stimulate and enhance active student engagement

16. Committee Recommendations • Increase use of blended courses to maximize use of available technology classrooms • Meet face-to-face on a limited basis • Utilize Blackboard (or other technology) to interact outside of the classroom • Charge 115% of tuition rate to fund initiative

17. Committee Recommendations • Increase use of blended courses to maximize use of available technology classrooms (continued) • Incent individual instructors who develop and offer blended courses • Officially recognize blended classes as a unique class/category

18. Committee Recommendations • Strongly encourage faculty to increase use of Blackboard • Currently in use by less than 50% of all courses at UofL • Provost’s office, academic deans and department chairs encourage a minimum usage standard for Blackboard

19. Committee Recommendations • Increase requirements and accountability for use of Blackboard (continued) • Include at minimum posting syllabus, faculty information and course description • Strongly encourage posting of grades in Blackboard, even if Blackboard is not used to administer tests and assignments

20. Committee Recommendations • Strongly encourage use of Tegrity and I-Clickers in the classroom • Delphi and IT offer classes and training designed to encourage innovative Tegrity use • When possible, place in classrooms microphones which support Tegrity and other recordings • Stock recommended microphones in iTech Xpress and have them available for checkout through IT’s classroom support services

21. Committee Recommendations • Strongly encourage use of Tegrity and I-Clickers in the classroom (continued) • Include I-Clicker base units in technology capable classrooms • Delphi Center and IT continue offering training and support for I-Clickers

22. Committee Recommendations • Acquire the appropriate tools to improve virtual learning spaces • Current Blackboard chat/virtual classroom tools do not ensure meaningful web collaboration • Difficult to use • Not stable • Not full-featured

23. Committee Recommendations • Acquire the appropriate tools to improve virtual learning spaces (continued) • Purchase a full-featured web collaboration tool to use in conjunction with Blackboard (estimated $80,000 CAR) • Implement at the enterprise level to support instruction and provide administrative support to faculty and students

24. Committee Recommendations • Allow use of social networking tools to be initiated by the student • Students view faculty-initiated social networking as an intrustion • Allow students to initiate faculty/student social networking • Investigate ConnectYard to facilitate student-initiated social networking

25. Next Steps • Vet findings and recommendations: • Academic Technology Committee • Council of Academic Officers • Faculty Senate • Student Government Association • Strategic Technology Executive Committee

26. Next Steps • Present recommendations to Provost • Implement approved recommendations (pending funding)

27. Questions?