Preconference Workshop at EDUCAUSE 2000

Activity 1: Form groups of six and read the cases.

"The university has invested millions in technology. So why aren't more professors using it?"

Dead silence followed for a few moments after the usually quiet representative from the undergraduate student council spoke. A call for new business had just been issued at the monthly meeting of the faculty senate; this was usually just a formality on the way to an early adjournment. Those who had been packing up their belongings in anticipation of returning to their offices suddenly ceased. Faculty, administrators, and professional staff all turned to face the tremulous student.

"I mean, we pay an extra technology fee. There are lots of computers around. So why aren't we using them in our classes? How come we..."

At this point the president of the senate, Prof. Whinesome, had regained her composure and interrupted the student.

"Thank you for raising this very important issue. We are expecting a report from the technology committee any month now..."

"That should fix the problem," a business professor whispered cynically to a neighboring engineering professor. "I tried to get help with a technology question at the center last week, but I didn't have much luck. They wanted me to come in next Thursday, but my class is on Monday. I feel caught in the middle with this new emphasis on technology in teaching."

Activity 2: Discuss the questions below in your home group.

1. Could this scenario occur at your institution? Or has it already?

2. At your institution, who would be asked to provide a response to the student's inquiry?

3. Estimate the expenditure for technology training and support for faculty as a percentage of the total expenditure for instructional technology (wiring, general technical consulting, hardware for faculty and classrooms, and labs). What is the estimated allocation of the Academic Computing Budget (estimated percentages: numbers may not equal 100% because of the overlap of categories, such as personnel and user support)?*

   ___% hardware for faculty, classrooms, and labs

   ___% content licenses

   ___% software

   ___% instructional technology support

   ___% personnel

   ___% network service/support

   *(Adapted from Campus Computing, 2000: The National Survey of Information Technology in Higher Education)

Comments, suggestions, or requests to ud-itue@udel.edu. "http://www.udel.edu/inst/educause00/worksheet1.html" Last updated October 19, 2000. Copyright Univ. of Delaware, 2000.