Information Technology at Small Colleges ASCUE 2005 Myrtle Beach, SC June 13, 2005 ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 1 David V. Cossey BA, The King s s College MA, Lehigh University MS, University of Rhode Island Chief Information Officer Union College Director of Computing and Instructional Technology, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Barrington College, Director of Computer Services and Assistant/Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 2 1
Union College Schenectady, New York www.union.edu Founded 1795 2,100 students Liberal Arts Engineering programs since 1845 ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 3 Student Survey May 2005 Own a PC Own Desktop Own Laptop Own Tablet PC None Own a PDA 99.7% 21.6% 78.3% 0.2% 0.34% 16.6% 98% last year 45% last year, 15% previous year ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 4 2
Student Survey - 2005 93.6% use/used Blackboard for courses 91.1% of residence hall students have connected to ResNet 55.2% of respondents have used Union s wireless network Many comments about wireless love it, want it in more areas, etc. ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 5 Must never forget our purpose in utilizing technology Enhance/enrich the academic experience Further research efforts of faculty and students Assist and facilitate the administrative activities of the institution ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 6 3
Important to ask What s s the (business) problem for which this (technology) is a solution NOT What can we use this (technology) for? ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 7 Illustration When is the right time to deploy a given technology? ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 8 4
Kennebec River Bath, Maine - Summer of 2003 ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 9 ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 10 5
.... have to decide when to play -George Hickman CIO, Albany Medical Center ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 11 Wireless Growing demand On recent student survey students love it, want it in more locations Fueled by growth in laptop purchases ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 12 6
Wireless Society CNN 11-23-2003 ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 13 Wireless Goals at Union All common/study spaces in all residence halls All common/study spaces on campus Lounges All classrooms Labs Entire library Outside spaces where students congregate etc. Currently over 120 access points deployed (and the number is growing) ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 14 7
ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 15 Notebook Computers (portable computing) Prices down Students are voting with their purchases Year Spring 2005 Spring 2004 Spring 2003 Percent of students owning laptops at Union 78% 45% 15% ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 16 8
Notebook Computers Sales of notebook computers has passed that of desktop computers Factors: Declining costs of notebooks Wireless Source: ABC Evening News, June 6, 2005 ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 17 Tablet PCs In concept they may be the best match for student use Consumer models now coming out prices are going down Less intrusive in class, at conference, etc. ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 18 9
Administrative Computer Systems Shakeout in the industry (e.g. Jenzabar, Oracle/PeopleSoft, SCT Sungard Investor group) 3 rd or 4 th generation systems Graphical interfaces Off-the the-shelf (not as much do-it it-yourself) ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 19 Administrative systems Increasingly integrated Important consideration staffing and skills needed to support Running on Windows now ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 20 10
Multimedia Faculty and students want more than just static images Videotape digital Skills needed more than when just manipulating still images Video capture/video production NEXT SLIDE What we do ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 21 What We Do ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 22 11
Electronic Classrooms - types Presentation Collaborative computer classrooms Computer classrooms ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 23 Easy-to to-use As little cable-plugging as possible Allow for Improvisation video, DVD, etc. use as the situation evolves (in class) Provision for use of notebook computers as well as for installed computer in room ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 24 12
Presentation classrooms at Union College Permanently mounted projector Lectern with equipment VCR DVD player Computer Document camera Control system Audio w/mounted speakers Networked Cable TV Connection(s) ) for labtop computer ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 25 ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 26 13
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Every classroom has Behind the lectern ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 31 Collaborative computer classroom everything in a Presentation Classroom plus one computer to be shared by 1-41 students in a collaborative learning situation ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 32 16
Full computer classroom everything in a Presentation Classroom plus one computer for each student ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 33 Online Learning Not just for distance education To supplement/complement class material To collect assignments Post class notes... etc. ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 34 17
Online Learning Course Management System (CMS) Examples: Blackboard, WebCT,, etc. Commercial versus Open Source (e.g. sakai) http://sakaiproject.org/ 93% of our students have used Blackboard for courses ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 35 Sakaiproject.org A community source software development effort to design, build and deploy a new Collaboration and Learning Environment (CLE) for higher education. The Project began in January, 2004. The Sakai Project's primary goal is to deliver the Sakai application framework and associated CMS tools and components that are designed to work together. These components are for course management, and, as an augmentation of the original CMS model, they also support research collaboration. Source: sakaiproject.org ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 36 18
Security Physical Viruses, Trojans, worms, etc. Identity theft Liability Requires vigilance and new methods ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 37 Federal regulations FERPA HIPAA Gramm-Leach Leach-Bliley (GLB) Act ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 38 19
Having enough Attracting Retaining Investing in Our most valuable resource!! Staffing ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 39 Student Technology Assistants At Union USTAR program USTAR Union Student Technology Assistant Resource Started with a grant from AT&T ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 40 20
Online library resources (the remote library) We ve come a long way since the library automation meant an online catalog ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 41 Online library resources (the remote library) Can level the playing field geographically, quantitatively and qualitatively Access to journals is unprecedented for ALL libraries Collaborative/sharing opportunities are varied and wonderful ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 42 21
Training and online training On-on on-oneone Small group Online ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 43 Webification of everything Common graphical interface ( universal interface) Accessible from anywhere, anytime No need for client software ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 44 22
Windows servers Easier to manage than unix Less steep learning curve ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 45 Thin client devices Less expensive than PCs No moving parts Software accessed from server Windows Terminal Services,, Citrix Have over 80 of them deployed mostly in administrative offices, experimenting with in labs At Union Neoware clients ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 46 23
Other e-portfolios Blogging GIS (Geographic Information Systems) ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 47 We must be careful not to get into an arms race over technology Unfortunately, maybe we already are ASCUE'2005 - June 2005 48 24