This project was completed through the partnership with South Mountain Community College and the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction, which led to the development of the Educational Technology Center (ETC).
The Educational Technology Center has become an institutional change agent transforming more than the availability of technology on the campus. It has provided a renaissance in faculty thinking about technology as a support to the instructional program. Technology has not been used to displace the strong tradition of faculty support of students, but rather has been used to enhance an interactive educational process and create a learning community. The use of technology in the instructional setting has enabled the faculty to more effectively meet the variety of learner styles encountered in the classroom. Interaction has changed between students and students and students and teacher. One student, speaking about her experience in a class that uses the Internet, expresses an idea spoken by many: Interaction between peers and teacher is different than in regular classes. I learn more this way in the class than just listening to lectures.
The ETC provides a supportive environment for faculty to experiment, question, and evaluate a wide range of technologies. It has been very valuable in creating a learning community and was established on a shoestring budget. The ETC staff was formed by individuals who expressed an interest and excitement that served to motivate them into investing their time and creative energy into the centers activities. They were willing to expand their roles beyond their already existing duties on campus and to work together to create a safe, supportive environment which uses a people-oriented, process-oriented approach to the implementation of technology in education.
Along with the support of the campus administration, an essential part in the creation of ETC at South Mountain was the involvement of MCLI. Naomi Story, MCLI Director, began by conducting an initial assessment of the faculty interest in adding new technology to support instruction. They loaned needed equipment, and Alan Levine, Instructional Technologist, conducted workshops on a variety of topics. Alan and Naomi worked individually with faculty members to help them identify difficult concepts which could be made simpler and easier to understand by using a technology application. The key to MCLI's effectiveness was not superimposing a model from outside. MCLI provided the resources and created the opportunities for interaction among the staff, faculty, and students so that South Mountain could create its own model to meet the needs of its unique campus culture. MCLI's support of ETC activities and projects continues. An interchange of applications of technology in instruction remains a large part of our ongoing relationship with Naomi, Alan and the rest of the MCLI staff.
With the assistance of the ETC and the changes in campus attitudes about technology, many new and exciting faculty projects have been put into place. A major positive outcome has been a large increase in participation in decisions affecting how capital resources will be used to maximize the educational impact. The model that evolved allowed us to learn that technology is a vehicle to enhance the process of learning and not a replacement for the teacher.
Students now communicate across the country as well as within classrooms, reflecting on their learning, collaborating on projects and expanding their horizons. One such project, the Dynamic Learning Program, has involved South Mountain students in dialogue with international experts on change in education. A recent visit with Robert Theobold to review this international project has led to a broader involvement by Maricopa staff and students.
Uses of Internet at the college involve student-created home pages that emphasize individual learning experiences with the Internet in combination with the course content. Also, library service enhancement, exploration in the production of CD video materials in the sciences, expansion of student access via effective utilization of computer labs, classrooms, and workstations, and the integration of computer technology with science laboratory apparatus are among the many efforts facilitated by the Educational Technology Center. Faculty and staff collaboration took the form of intercampus workshops, demonstrations, and presentations. ETC provided resources and expertise for community organizations and people who worked to implement technology in their own environments. Programs ranging from math and physics, liberal arts, Dynamic Learning to mirocomputer repair and teleservices technology have found a supportive environment in which to grow and expand. ETC, with the support of MCLI and SMCC administrtion, has been an essential catalyst in shaping a college moving toward a 21st century learner-driven educational community supported, but not replaced by, technology.
ETC staff: Cathlyn Hart, Mary Long, Sandra Mares, Donna Ransom, and Pam Williams
The Internet Connection at MCLI is
Alan Levine --}
Comments to alan.levine@domail.maricopa.edu
URL: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/labyforum/win96/win96L6.html