Training Undergraduates to Support Technology in the Classroom Mike Landavere Deborah Mateik University of Maryland.

Training Undergraduates to Support Technology in the Classroom

Mike Landavere

Deborah MateikUniversity of Maryland

The Challenge--Background

U of MD has been rigorous in its efforts to inspire and instruct faculty in uses of technology in the classroom

Academic technical support staff are “victims” of the success of these efforts

Colleges and IT support looking for ways to respond to growing need for faculty tech support

Change in Perception of Students

Old thinking: students are too transient to be a viable part of technology support

New thinking: IT staff is also transient; students offer a level of inexpensive consistency if trained early enough in their matriculation process

University Mission

Provide excellence in undergraduate education: excellence in pedagogy excellence in scholarship experience with tools of the discipline exposure to tools and talents required to

succeed in the post-collegial, professional world

Big Challenges--Two Approaches

Undergraduate Technology Teaching Assistants (UTTA) Program (sponsored by the CTE, OIT, CLET) [a.k.a. EDHD489]

(Undergraduate) Technology Apprentice Program (LFSC-TAP) (sponsored by the College of Life Sciences) [a.k.a. ZOOL299]

UTTA Program

Goal: To provide an opportunity for students and faculty to work together to enhance use of technology in instruction.

Students get credit for participation Emphasis on pedagogy Taught by faculty in seminar format Students accepted into program already have

solid technical skills

UTTA Program Emphases

Program seminars assist students in:– reflecting on their experiences in helping

faculty integrate technology into teaching;– exploring instructional design issues;– reviewing various approaches to enhancing

teaching with technology;– synthesizing their experiences.

UTTA Enhances Faculty Use of Technology in Teaching

In addition to seminar participation, UTTA students must spend 8-10 clock hours per week assisting faculty by:

aiding in development of electronic learning materials;

helping faculty learn to use various software programs appropriate in classroom instruction.

Line between who is the teacher and who in the student in the dynamic of this course is gray.

LFSC Technology Apprentice Program (LFSC-TAP)

Goal: To provide discipline-knowledgeable students with the technical skills and pedagogical basics needed to support faculty uses of technology in the classroom.

Students get credit for training Students paired with faculty in future

semesters for paid apprenticeship

LFSC-TAP Emphases

Skills training focuses on– web publishing and academic web site

development;– electronic presentation tools;– electronic discussion group facilitation.

Pedagogical training focuses on– practical issues revolving around supporting

faculty in an “electronic classroom”.

LFSC-TAP Format

Students accepted into the program have interest in learning technology; are A-B students in collegial discipline

Work individually and/or in small group collaborations

Weekly lecture and lab content supports development of two semester-long projects

Expectations of Apprentices

Once matched with Life Sciences faculty, Apprentices work 5-10 paid hours per week ($8.50 an hour), hopefully, for at least two semesters. Responsibilities may include:

• developing web materials and/or electronic presentations

• under the direction of their assigned faculty member

• facilitate electronic discussions or provide on-site assistance during the instructor’s class

What Are the Apprentices Up To?

Paired with a faculty member at the start of the semester

Apprentices ready to save the world; faculty not ready to be “saved”

Go to College technology coordinator for troubleshooting and to get timesheets signed

Mid-semester group meeting

What Are Apprentices Learning?

Their skills will be beneficial in the future Others may take note of their skills and try

to hire them away from the College Faculty are people, too! Faculty-Apprentice communication must be

finessed….

Learning to Work Together...

F to S: “I thought we were supposed to meet Monday at 2. I’ve seen no progress on [my] website except for the syllabus…I don’t see how I could think about putting up chapter outlines with this situation.”

S to F: “I apologize for missing our meeting. I was doing 100 things that afternoon and it slipped my mind. I meant to email you to apologize…I would love to meet with you to discuss the chapter outlines.”

The Saga Continues...

F to S: “I’ve heard nothing from you in a week and it appears that there has been no progress. If you cannot or will not commit the time I’d appreciate your telling me. I am more than a little frustrated by your lack of progress. It is unfair to me and my students.”

S to F: “…proved to be more of a pain than I anticipated …I should have kept you updated though and I should have moved on to other stuff…”

They Lived Happily Ever After

F to S: “Thanks for the update. You have been making progress. The counter is much fancier than I anticipated. In the future, please let me know that you have received a message and give me some time estimate as to when it will be implemented.”

S to F: “If you’re ever worried about the progress of the web site, just ask me for the status. There’s usually a pretty good reason for any delays. But I do apologize for not keeping in better touch with you.”

Apprentices Recommend Change

To the TAP Course:– more content on web development, less on

PowerPoint– include a WebCT component– pair faculty and students during the class

(involve faculty earlier in the process)

Apprentices Recommend Change

To post-class support:– schedule apprentice staff meetings 1-2 times a

month– prep faculty for the apprentice (create

appropriate expectations of the apprentice-faculty pairing)

– encourage faculty to have projects ready for apprentice to work on

Where Do We Go From Here?

UTTA– Seminar course offered during Spring 2000

semester (not offered in Fall)– Increase number of participants (6 last

Spring)– Include limited amount of technical tools

training (e.g., WebCT)– No intention to include general technology

skills training

Where Do We Go From Here?

TAP– Advertise program earlier in the Fall semester;

accept juniors AND sophomores– Pair Apprentices with faculty part-way through the

Spring semester to collaborate on a project– Less PowerPoint training, more Web and WebCT

training; overview of instructional design goals– Provide consistent mechanisms for Apprentices to

continue learning after the course ends

Ultimate Benefit to Students

Students in both programs– found that when you teach you learn;– learned the role of communicator;– learned to be “players” in their disciplinary

“community”.