Using Computers to Create a Distributed Department Daniel J Suson Texas Electronic Coalition for Physics Texas A&M University-Kingsville U. Kentucky CCS.

Using Computers to Create a Distributed Department

Daniel J SusonDaniel J SusonTexas Electronic Coalition for PhysicsTexas Electronic Coalition for Physics

Texas A&M University-KingsvilleTexas A&M University-KingsvilleU. Kentucky CCS Spring SeminarU. Kentucky CCS Spring Seminar

Jan. 26, 2005Jan. 26, 2005

Funding provided by the Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), grant number P116B011204

What is a Distributed Department? A distributed department is a structure that A distributed department is a structure that

is geographically distributed but which is geographically distributed but which performs the same functions of a traditional performs the same functions of a traditional academic department.academic department. Maintains advantages of smaller programsMaintains advantages of smaller programs Emulates advantages of larger programsEmulates advantages of larger programs

What is a Small Program? 4 or less faculty members4 or less faculty members 30 or less majors30 or less majors graduates 2 or less majors per yeargraduates 2 or less majors per year has difficulty offering upper division courses for has difficulty offering upper division courses for

majorsmajors often embedded within a larger multidisciplinary often embedded within a larger multidisciplinary

programprogram does not have an associated graduate programdoes not have an associated graduate program

Examples of Small Programs

PhilosophyPhilosophy English LiteratureEnglish Literature PhysicsPhysics MathematicsMathematics GeologyGeology Foreign LanguageForeign Language

The Texas Electronic Coalition for Physics Originally conceived by Jim McCoy at Originally conceived by Jim McCoy at

Tarleton State University in 1992Tarleton State University in 1992 Made up of three institutionsMade up of three institutions Only used to teach upper division physics Only used to teach upper division physics

coursescourses Reorganized into a distributed department Reorganized into a distributed department

consisting of five institutions in 2001consisting of five institutions in 2001

Members Tarleton StateTarleton State

Daniel MarbleDaniel Marble Michael HibbsMichael Hibbs

Texas A&M Texas A&M InternationalInternational Juan HinojosaJuan Hinojosa Quingwen NiQuingwen Ni

Texas A&M Corpus Texas A&M Corpus ChristiChristi M.K. BalasubramanyaM.K. Balasubramanya

Texas A&M Texas A&M KingsvilleKingsville Daniel SusonDaniel Suson Lionel HewettLionel Hewett Paul CoxPaul Cox

West Texas A&MWest Texas A&M Paul FisherPaul Fisher David CraigDavid Craig

TECP Sites

Functions of a Distributed Department Shared coursesShared courses Shared governanceShared governance Breadth of expertiseBreadth of expertise Shared research opportunitiesShared research opportunities Faculty camaraderieFaculty camaraderie Student identificationStudent identification External recognitionExternal recognition

Electronic Aspects of a Distributed Department Teaching coursesTeaching courses Conducting researchConducting research Faculty camaraderieFaculty camaraderie Electronic officeElectronic office Administrative supportAdministrative support External recognitionExternal recognition

Course Management Systems Various systems availableVarious systems available

WT-OnlineWT-Online WebCTWebCT BlackboardBlackboard MoodleMoodle ManhattanManhattan

Training issuesTraining issues Course creation problemsCourse creation problems Student access problemsStudent access problems Issues with sharing course developmentIssues with sharing course development

Teaching Lecture Courses Use hybrid approachUse hybrid approach

Internet provides pacing and asynchronous accessInternet provides pacing and asynchronous access Interactive TV provides real-time support for difficult Interactive TV provides real-time support for difficult

conceptsconcepts Team developmentTeam development Tests, homework, & quizzes require special Tests, homework, & quizzes require special

handlinghandling Office hoursOffice hours

TTVN Classroom

Teaching Lessons Learned Comparable to writing a bookComparable to writing a book

Takes considerably more time than allocatedTakes considerably more time than allocated Need web designer supportNeed web designer support

Issues of depth verses breadthIssues of depth verses breadth Particularly acute in foundation coursesParticularly acute in foundation courses Generate breadth first, then go deeper with Generate breadth first, then go deeper with

successive iterationssuccessive iterations Created topic lists for each courseCreated topic lists for each course

Teaching Laboratory Courses

Local experimentsLocal experiments Team approachTeam approach SimulationsSimulations Remote data analysisRemote data analysis Remote controlled experimentsRemote controlled experiments Field experimentsField experiments

Millikan Oil Drop Simulation

Laboratory Lessons Learned

Technical IssuesTechnical Issues Firewalls must be synchronizedFirewalls must be synchronized Bandwidth problems accessing desktopBandwidth problems accessing desktop

Learner issuesLearner issues Different levels of preparationDifferent levels of preparation

Research at a Distance Related to laboratory course developmentRelated to laboratory course development Theoretical easiest to manageTheoretical easiest to manage Computational requires good connectivity at the Computational requires good connectivity at the

startstart Experimental difficult to manage, but not Experimental difficult to manage, but not

impossibleimpossible Field work not triedField work not tried Need to ensure that all sites are capable of workNeed to ensure that all sites are capable of work

Faculty Camaraderie What does distributed department provide?What does distributed department provide?

Counters isolationCounters isolation Encourages collaborationEncourages collaboration

How does it accomplish this?How does it accomplish this? Regular Interactive TV meetingsRegular Interactive TV meetings Face to face meetingsFace to face meetings Mailing listsMailing lists Other electronic mediaOther electronic media

Electronic Office Web PortalWeb Portal

http://tecp.tamucc.edu/tecp/http://tecp.tamucc.edu/tecp/ Public portal for disseminationPublic portal for dissemination Student portal for course access, research opportunitiesStudent portal for course access, research opportunities Faculty portal for sharing coalition documentsFaculty portal for sharing coalition documents

Student DatabaseStudent Database track students across participating campusestrack students across participating campuses

Faculty Development AreaFaculty Development Area disk space available to each faculty member, devoted to disk space available to each faculty member, devoted to

course, paper & proposal development.course, paper & proposal development.

Administrative Support Scheduling coursesScheduling courses Balancing teaching loadsBalancing teaching loads Encouraging interactionsEncouraging interactions Working with administrationsWorking with administrations Tracking studentsTracking students Connecting with AlumniConnecting with Alumni Financial considerationsFinancial considerations Hiring facultyHiring faculty

External Recognition

Computers vital for external recognitionComputers vital for external recognition Provide unified course structureProvide unified course structure Replaces physical office with electronic oneReplaces physical office with electronic one Enables faculty cohesionEnables faculty cohesion Provides single “face” for external entitiesProvides single “face” for external entities

Future Plans Improvements in Internet bandwidthImprovements in Internet bandwidth

Increase laboratory efficacyIncrease laboratory efficacy Allows for web-based office hoursAllows for web-based office hours

Expansion of course coverageExpansion of course coverage Currently have required and elective coursesCurrently have required and elective courses Need “fun” coursesNeed “fun” courses

Reaching "critical mass"Reaching "critical mass" The best of both worldsThe best of both worlds