April 3, 2006 Source: :
http://www.wlu.ca/news_update.php?grp_id=28&nws_id=1378&filter_type=update Classroom technology gets thumbs-up A recent survey, conducted by the Teaching Learning Technology (TLT) Steering Committee, found that Laurier faculty are generally happy with the classroom technology offered at Laurier. The study is the second of its kind at the university and was aimed at monitoring the extent and effectiveness of the use of multimedia technology. Some interesting results of the survey were: Almost 80 percent of faculty who use multimedia classrooms indicated that their request for a multimedia classroom was accommodated PowerPoint is the most commonly used software, with over 80 percent of faculty using it "most or every class."With respect to faculty's level of satisfaction with multimedia equipment in the classroom, the survey indicated: 79 percent are happy or very happy with the ease of use of equipment 86 percent are happy or very happy with the sophistication of equipment 70 percent of faculty use DVDs in at least some of their classes 39 percent of faculty use specialized software in their teaching (e.g. pedagogical software for concept maps, language learning, quizzing, GIS, SPSS) 43 percent of faculty use WebCT or a course website to supplement classroom teachingWhile most of the responses were positive, there were some areas identified as needing improvement. 61 percent of faculty using multimedia equipment felt the layout of the room could have been better 55 percent of faculty using multimedia equipment felt that there could be improvement with the lighting arrangements"With respect to the physical layouts of the rooms, MTR attempts to use the space to make it effective and comfortable for teaching," says Sandy Hughes, Director of Teaching Support Services and Chair of TLT. "They can look at things like the locations of the consoles and whiteboards to make the rooms conducive to a good teaching environment. Additional feedback from faculty would be require to determine what other improvements are possible." John Durst, Manager of Media Technology Resources (MTR) has been providing input concerning the renovations in the Dr. Alvin Woods Building. "When we redesign a room we take these issues into consideration," he says, "like having sectional lighting and dimmers." Technology is playing an ever-increasing role in teaching and learning. At Laurier, Media Technology Resources makes every effort to support faculty in their use of technology in the classroom and to provide new and updated equipment. Some of the recent activities of MTR include: Through the yearly upgrading of classroom equipment, MTR is attempting to have greater standardization of equipment between classrooms VGA and audio cables are being installed in classrooms to make use of laptops in classrooms easier MTR is scheduling more instructional workshops through the Office of Educational Development to support faculty in using equipment MTR is attempting to simplify the classroom media consoles with each upgrade. Assistance from faculty in identifying what features are important on the consoles will assist MTR in meeting faculty needs All larger classrooms have been equipped with a wired microphone and an optional wireless microphone Due to low usage, MTR is phasing out slide projectors and encouraging faculty to have their slides transferred to digital format"We see value in digitizing slides," says Durst. "It’s a great benefit to the students." For students, there’s an interactive element to multimedia in the classrooms. Slides and videos are visually stimulating and information can easily be transferred via WebCT or other course websites. MTR is also working on networking the projectors so they can monitor their status. "When a projector is networked, we can see things like if it is on or off, or if the bulb is wearing out and we need to change it," says Durst. "Because of this, we’ve had fewer crisis situations this year." "The use of technology is a constantly changing norm," says Hughes, "and we’re always looking forward. If any faculty member has a new technology they’re interested in using that could be implemented into the classroom for everyone to use, we encourage them to bring it to the attention of TLT." For suggestions concerning the use of technology and teaching, or for more information, or a full copy of the results of the survey, please contact Sandy Hughes (extension 4104) or John Durst (extension 3075). Mallory O'Brien
Public Affairs
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