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.
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 )