Chapter III

Technology-Supported Instruction and Research

CURRENT POSITION

Several academic units use advanced technologies in their instructional efforts: 

• many colleges and departments host websites for the majority of their current course offerings, including access to class notes, syllabi, 

• presentations, homework assignments, grades look-up and previous term exams 

• the English Department, in cooperation with IBM, utilizes an advanced writing lab 

• the Flex-MBA program offers off-site access to their program 

• OIR offers classroom support services including portable multimedia equipment and assisting instructors with use of audio-visual and multimedia equipment 

• CIRCA now offers a site and training for WebCT course development 

Research computing within the university includes the following: 

• workstation computing activities such as advanced word processing and research tools (e.g., SAS, Matlab, etc.) 

• advanced tools and engines for conducting literature reviews and accessing electronic journals 

• specialized data collection tools in the fields of engineering and medical research 

• the use of enormous databases of historical data, images and information 

• advanced imaging techniques 

• high-end, high-speed computing for advanced graphical development and data manipulation 

Academic course program development is not integrated with university administrative applications for access to course information and for security and e-mail.

KEY ISSUES 

The university has a significant number of opportunities to use technology-supported instruction more widely throughout the entire campus, including: 

• establishing a direction for expected technology-enhanced instruction 

• offering training and technical support and enabling all faculty with instructional technology 

• informing faculty of all available tools for creating and using technology-enhanced instruction 

• developing a warehouse of best practices for others to use 

Students should expect to benefit from technology-enhanced instruction throughout their tenure with the university whether at a distance, as a residential student or as a non-traditional student. 

The university should reward innovations in instruction, focusing on high quality, technology-assisted courses. Direct support is needed to limit interference with continued research and publishing efforts. Opportunities for collaboration should be investigated. 

The university should actively coordinate technology resources funded through grants and other external sources. For example, technology expenditures often overlook installation, maintenance and other operational costs.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The university should adopt standards and objectives toward a more proactive and structured classroom technology management process, including: 

• developing an inventory of all current instructional technology, accessible to all faculty 

• collecting, measuring and evaluating the use of technology for instructional efforts 

• coordinating the support of the technology, with guaranteed operation as a primary goal 

• evaluating and promoting new products in instructional technology 

• integrating technology-supported instruction into TeleGator and ISIS 

• coordinating technology-based instructional effort reporting with the state (SDCF, etc.) 

The university should encourage innovation of technology-assisted instruction by:

• considering developing a peer-reviewed, university funded program offering grants for equipment, expertise and training for exceptional, technology-based instructional projects 

• encouraging and assisting faculty in developing grant proposals for new instructional technologies 

• considering establishing rewards for teaching innovations that involve creative uses of instructional technologies 

To develop a better understanding of the state of research computing at the university, several ideas should be considered: 

• conduct focus groups among faculty and graduate students 

• consider developing a governance and policy board to review instructional technology support 

• develop expert knowledge in key research tools that address the computing needs of the faculty 

• augment the grant writing process with a coordinated technology review (ensure compliance proactively) 

• sponsor the development of standards for sharing successful practices in technology-support research 

Several other initiatives should be considered and/or adopted: 

• mandate a GatorLink account for all students 

• mandate maintenance of an e-mail address for all students 

• develop a unified strategy for offering admission, registration, fee payment, grades and online courses as a package to UF students over the Internet using ISIS 

• make GatorLink a free ISP service supported by advertisers who would fund infrastructure costs 

A CIO-based coordination should be undertaken to provide: 

• a coordinated effort to procure the tools, equipment and production of technology-based instruction 

• a unified plan for offering non-location based instruction, including the administrative infrastructure to support students who are not traditional and/or residential 

• investigation of new and existing technologies to make UF's instruction a leader in the educational industry 

• promotion of the availability of UF technology-supported instruction 

• cooperation with other campus entities (i.e., DOCE, Executive Program) to coordinate the efforts of those groups and the various methods of offering distance education 

• integration of all the components of a technology-based instruction system into current administrative structures
  

  Chapter IV