UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 14
December 12, 1996
Technology roundtable addressing timely issues

     The Teaching, Learning and Technology Roundtable (TLTR) at
UD is one of several working with the American Association for
Higher Education to find ways in which technology can improve
students' learning.
     According to chairperson John Cavanaugh, graduate studies
and admissions, the group has been working on campus in four
areas this year.
     First, the TLTR has been looking for ways to demystify the
technology available to faculty.
     "We need to get faculty more comfortable with the idea of
using the computing, network and presentation technologies
available to them," Cavanaugh said.
     As more faculty become more comfortable with technology, the
roundtable expects a larger number of them to explore ways that
technology can help teach more effectively.
     Secondly, Cavanaugh said, "We are discussing ways to
evaluate the impact of technology on learning. What added value
does technology bring? What do faculty need to do differently
when they use multimedia or any other technology? How much better
is the learning that occurs?
     "These are all questions we are discussing."
     The third area has involved exploring ways technology
improves and affects the way the University delivers distance
education.
     The roundtable is using a broad definition of distance
education, that includes learning that occurs without direct,
face-to-face contact.
     "We are working closely with the Division of Continuing
Education and the Center for Teaching Effectiveness to be sure no
issues fall through the cracks," he said.
     The very makeup of the Teaching Learning and Technology
Roundtable helps to bring an inclusive perspective to the
discussion, Cavanaugh added.
     "We have faculty, administrators and technology
professionals working together. So, we can talk about the
pedagogy, the technological options and the support structure,"
he said.
     That diversity helps the roundtable with its fourth area of
discussion: What does the University need to do to provide
different levels of support for technology in the classroom and,
specifically, which technologies, hardware and software is the
University willing to support?
     According to Cavanaugh, the roundtable can benefit from
assistance and information provided by its subcommittees. Faculty
interested in working on a subcommittee or who have questions
about the group's activities are encouraged to contact Cavanaugh
via e-mail at jcc@udel.edu.