Lessons Learned: Balancing the Costs and Benefits of Technology University of Calgary, May 26, 1999 By David G. Brown Vice President, Wake Forest University.

Lessons Learned: Balancing the Costs and Benefits of Technology

University of Calgary, May 26, 1999

By David G. Brown

Vice President, Wake Forest University

Dean, International Center for Computer Enhanced Learning

• 3600 undergrads• 92% residential• 500 each: Med, Law,

MBA, PhD• $800M endowment• Winston-Salem NC• Baptist Heritage• Tim Duncan (ACC)

• 1300 avg SAT• 29th USNWR • Top 35 Privates in

Barron’s Guide• Rhodes Scholars• 1997 National Debate

Champions

THE WAKE FOREST PLANF96: IBM 365XD, 16RAM, 100Mhz, 810MB, CD-ROM, 14.4 modemF97: IBM 380D, 32 RAM, 130Mhz, 1.35GB, CD-ROM, 33.6 modemF98: IBM 380XD, 64 RAM, 233 Mhz, 4.1GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem

F99: IBM 390, 128RAM, 333 Mhz, 6 GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem

• Thinkpads for all• New Every 2 Years• Own @ Graduation• Standard Template• IGN for Faculty• Keep Old Computers

• 75% CEI Users• +15% Tuition• 4 Year Phase In

1999 Software Load

Netscape 4.5, Dreamweaver 2, SPSS 9, Maple V 5.1

Windows 98, MS Office Prof 97

Consequences for Wake Forest

• +SAT Scores & Class Ranks

• +Retention & Grad Rates

• +Satisfaction & Learning

• +Faculty Recruitment

With Ubiquity---The Culture Changes

• Mentality shifts-- like from public phone to personal phone.

• Teaching Assumptions shift-- like from readings are on reserve to everyone owns a copy of his/her own.

• Timelines shift-- like from “our class meets MWF” to “we

see each other all the time and MWF we meet together”• Students’ sense of access shifts-- like from “I can get

that book in the library” to “I have that book in my library.”

• Relationships shift-- like from a family living in many different states to all family members living in the same town

8 BASIC MODELS OFUBIQUITOUS COMPUTING

(Ordered by total cost, starting with the most expensive)• All + Powerful + Laptops + Annual Refresh

• Refresh Less Frequently

• Substitute Desktop Computers

• Provide One Computer Per Two Beds

• Specify Threshold Level

• Substitute Network Computers

• Provide Public Station Computers

• Teach with Explicit Assumption of Access

WAYS TO REDUCE START UP COSTS

• Annual Lease

• Phase in by classes

• Phase in by programs

• Phase in by type of program

• Phase in by category (faculty, students, staff)

• Hand me down

• Loaner Pool

WHY COMPUTERS?…the institutional answer

• Communication!

• Level Playing Field

• After College Use

• Faculty/Students Demand Them

• Customized/Personalized

• Digitized Scholarship

WHY COMPUTERS?…the faculty answer

• Interactive Learning

• Learn by Doing

• Collaborative Learning

• Integration of Theory and Practice

• Visualization

• Communication

• Different Strokes for Different Folks

Computers Enhance My Teaching and/or Learning Via--

PresentationsBetter--20%More Opportunities toPractice & Analyze--35%

More Access to SourceMaterials via Internet--43%

More Communication with Faculty Colleagues, Classmates,and Between Faculty and Students--87%

Lessons Learned

LESSONS LEARNED

• PC’s are only 10% of the Challenge (support/networks/policies/train/expose)

• Most sunk costs can be ignored• Expectations need management• Develop a comprehensive plan first, and

quickly match it with a multiyear financial plan

LESSONS LEARNED

• Standardization pays rewards well beyond those anticipated; non-standard configurations require 3-4 times support

• Students/Faculty want specific computer training that is centered around a task-at-hand; general classes don’t work well

• Be prepared to outsource challenges• Don’t wire to every seat• Use the internet for course materials

LESSONS LEARNED

• Reliability is critical, especially the Help Desk

• Provide academic units staff of their own & plenty of equipment without hassle

• Improve communications weekly; rumors fly faster

• Spread the gains from & ownership of innovation throughout all units

Lessons Learned

• Contact becomes Continuous.• Students expect messages between

classes• Team assignments increase• Papers & Talks often include visuals• Departmental clubs thrive• Student Portfolios Emerge• Students teach faculty

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999

Lessons Learned

• Computer knowledge is a boon to student recruitment, retention, self-confidence.

• Computer knowledge is highly valued by students & prospective employers

• Computer availability throughout the student body attracts new faculty

• Computer challenged students learn basic skills quickly, without special classes

• Disciplines use computers differently

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999

Lessons Learned• Greatest benefits are what happens between classes,

not during classes.

• Greatest gains from computing come from “the big three.”

• Standardization speeds faculty adoption and eases the pressure upon support staff.

• Standardization saves class time.

• Student groups are larger and more active.

• Faculty migrate to the student standard very quickly

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 1999

BIG ISSUES

• Laptop vs Desktop vs Network

• Standard vs Threshold

• Single Vendor vs Multiple Vendors

• Buy vs Lease vs Student Buy

• CourseInfo vs Web Course in Box

• Cold Turkey vs Pilot

BIG ISSUES

• Communication vs Presentation vs Analysis vs Access to Internet

• Virtual Courses vs Hybrids

• Academic vs Administrative

• Consortia vs Going It Alone

• Today’s Students vs Alums Also

• Mandatory vs Optional

Positioning for the Future

• What are your institution’s strengths & weaknesses

• How do you determine your place in an electronic world?

• What will be your primary student markets--program areas? Degree credit? Geographic span? Age?

• What are the appropriate delivery technologies next year? 5 years? Etc?

• What is a realistic staffing plan? Outsourcing? Support personnel? Executive leadership?

• What institutional partnerships make sense?