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Characteristics of instructional uses of technology in 1993

  1. Student access to computing has improved dramatically.

    (FTSE: Full Time Student Equivalent, based on 15 credit hours/semester or 30 per year.)

  2. More difficult to quantify is the increase in the number and quality and variety of computer application programs that are appropriate for instruction. Students in 1993 still use word processing, spreadsheets, databases and drafting packages. They are still learning to program a variety of computer languages. But they are also using desktop publishing programs, presentation graphics, Electronic Forum, animation programs, and are beginning to use sophisticated Computer Algebra Systems for some mathematics classes.

  3. Nearly all faculty and staff have a desktop workstation, usually a microcomputer, as an assumed part of their office furniture. In 1993 less than 1/5 of the workstations are terminals, a reversal of the 1981 ratio.

  4. In 1993 nearly all employee workstations are networked, not only to the VAX network as terminals, but also to each other. There are over 100 local area networks in the district, bridged to ethernet, sharing printing resources. Use of file serving is growing, though this remains an under-utilized resource.

  5. Nine sites have satellite downlinks.

  6. Nine sites have the ability to send video across the microwave network.

Computers/Terminals in the Maricopa District, Summer 1992*

            Fac/Staff   Fac/Staff   Student     Student     FTSE per
College     Terminals   Micros      Terminals   Micros      Student Station

DO            180         644
PC            196         545          7           542        11.7
GCC           189         505         84          1183         6.6
GWCC           90         274         21           446         3.5
MCC           354         784         33           759        12.0
SCC            89         397         21           411        10.4
RSCC           44         195          0           237         4.6
SMCC           69         195          0           237         5.3
CGCC           46         108          1           209         6.7
PVCC           62         233          0           470         4.4
*EMCCC         33         185          0            80         6.9

District Average                                               7.7
* figures for EMCCC are from 1993, reflecting the move into new facilities and computer purchases during the 1992-93 academic year. The other colleges made minor purchases of computers during the 1992-93, more or less matching the number of computers taken out of service.

It's a River, Not a Lake: Characteristics of instructional uses...
© January 1994 Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI)
Maricopa Community Colleges

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