17.376 Technology Source

From: Humanist Discussion Group (by way of Willard McCarty willard.mccarty@kcl.ac.uk)
Date: Sun Nov 02 2003 - 03:46:43 EST

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                   Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 17, No. 376.
           Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                       www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/
                            www.princeton.edu/humanist/
                         Submit to: humanist@princeton.edu

             Date: Sun, 02 Nov 2003 08:37:53 +0000
             From: "James L. Morrisonj" <morrison@unc.edu>
             Subject: Technology Source Update/Nov-Dec Issue Description

    We are proceeding with a plan to fund The Technology Source whereby partner
    organizations will be able to link to a version of TS on the Michigan
    Virtual University server that provides them with a unique domain-specific
    URL, their logo in place of the MVU logo (along with a statement that their
    organization is publishing TS in partnership with MVU), and a special
    section on the front page where they may insert material specific to their
    constituencies (e.g., announcements of new programs, calendar events, links
    to new service offerings, and white papers). This initiative will allow the
    journal to be available on multiple sites and in multiple languages. If
    your organization would like to be a partner publisher, please send me a note.

    Below is a description of the November/December 2003 issue. Please forward
    this announcement to colleagues who are interested in using information
    technology tools more effectively in their work. Also, please encourage
    your organizational librarians to add The Technology Source to their
    e-journal collections.

    Many thanks.

    Jim

    --
    James L. Morrison
    Editor-in-Chief
    The Technology Source
    http://ts.mivu.org
    Home Page: http://horizon.unc.edu
    

    INSIDE THE TECHNOLOGY SOURCE

    Course management system upgrades are a mixed blessing: They typically introduce helpful new features, but they can also complicate the process of course revision. Jo Paoletti documents the challenges she faced as she adjusted to successive versions of her university's CMS. She concludes with an even-handed assessment of what instructors, IT support staff, and software designers can do to minimize the pain of course revision. (See http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=1034 )

    Zane Berge and Greg Kearsley share the results of an important survey on the sustainability of distance training programs in professional organizations. According to respondents, factors that limit the long-term viability of these programs include employee turnover, limited budgets, lack of managerial involvement, and inadequate technical support. Berge and Kearsley summarize other valuable findings and suggest topics for future research. (See http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=2027 )

    Henryk Marcinkiewicz interviews Robert Sylwester, whose research highlights the relationship between cognitive development and new trends in educational technology. Sylwester explains how an understanding of brain maturation over time can help parents and teachers find appropriate instructional strategies. He also proposes an apprenticeship model of technology instruction and touts the benefits of collaborative decision-making and reciprocal learning. (See http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=1048 )

    Robert Sommer used to lecture with 35 mm slides and overhead transparencies, but he recently upgraded to PowerPoint slides and a digital projector. This seemed like a progressive step--until color distortion within the new system had unexpected consequences for his research on color perception and aesthetics. Sommer provides a diagnosis of the problem he faced and an account of how he bypassed it. (See http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=1057 ) It is not enough to possess technology skills for online teaching; faculty members must also have a comprehensive strategy of instructional design. Gail Weatherly and Randy McDonald describe how this combination is achieved in a 10-session series of workshops at their university, where the standard approach to course development keeps technology use rooted in sound pedagogical practice. The authors provide detailed workshop materials and resources. (See http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=951 )

    Steven Wicker and Beth Boyd outline the various programs that Wake Forest University (WFU) has sponsored to encourage its faculty to use information technology tools. The initiatives include funding for academic computing specialists and student technology advisors who work one-on-one with instructors; grant programs that give faculty members release time or summer support for technology-related projects; and opportunities to observe successful technology use at other institutions. (See http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=1032)

    When it comes to assessment in higher education, establishing a campus-wide consensus on learning outcomes, evaluation criteria, and the institutional role of technology can seem nearly impossible. Colleen Carmean knows this all too well, and she illustrates the point by frankly describing 10 obstacles that she and her colleagues faced while trying to develop transformative assessment standards for their university. (See http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=1056 )

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