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Academic Leadership Forum focuses on information technologies
Dr. Rodney A. Erickson, executive vice president and provost of Penn State, discusses the University’s investments in the Web environment during the Academic Leadership Forum, held at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. From the top, Dr. Alastair B. Fraser, professor of meteorology; Dr. Carolyn U. Lambert, associate professor of food systems management; Dr. Dhushyanthan Sathianathan, associate professor of engineering graphics; and Dr. A.J. Turgeon, professor of agronomy, were among the Penn State faculty members demonstrating how they use information technologies and the Web during the Academic Leadership Forum. Photos by Dick Ackley—University Photo/Graphics	More than 90 Penn State faculty members and administrators gathered for a half-day session on information technologies and how these technologies are influencing changes in higher education.   “Penn State and the Web” was part of the Academic Leadership Forum. The program was held at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.   Dr. Rodney A. Erickson, executive vice president and provost of Penn State, provided an introduction to the topic and described some of the developing trends in technology and higher education.   He discussed the status of the University’s investment in the Web environment, noting: All residence hall rooms are networked, giving more than 17,000 students access to the Internet. The Comprehensive Academic Advising and Information System (CAAIS) was Web-enabled in 1997. During the first year, a few hundred students used it; by December 1998, 16,000 students had used it; and in December 1999, about 40,000 students used it. Previously, CAAIS could handle about 30 students at a time. Penn State created a searchable Web version of the University Bulletin, and since March 1999, the site has recorded hundreds of thousands of hits. Funds have been allocated to introduce Web-based activities into three large-enrollment General Education courses — Speech Communication 100A, Psychology 002 and Computer and Science Engineering 103. The President’s Fund for the World Campus will make several undergraduate courses available on the Web, including English 202C, Spanish 131, Communications 261 and Special Education 400.   In addition, the University is investing in hardware and software for individual faculty and for student labs, in campus infrastructure to support networks and in finding and training the technical staff needed to support faculty and student computer users, Erickson said.   “We’re looking at many different ways to relate the Web to our education mission. Our actions must be driven by educational programs, not by technology,” he said.   Erickson described two examples of how Penn State is using the Web: the Concrete Clinic in the College of Engineering and Statistics 200 in the Eberly College of Science.   The Concrete Clinic is a joint project between the graduate classes in Civil Engineering and Instructional Design. In 1997, graduate students created a Web page. Instructional Design students developed the architecture for the learning environment, and Civil Engineering students developed the technical content and the library of technical information. Successive classes have added to the site. The site now includes case studies that enable students to practice with real-life problems. It is used by resident instruction students and as a distance education resource for people working with concrete.   A team of seven statistics faculty members collaborated with the Schreyer Institute for Innovation in Learning and the Center for Academic Computing to redesign Statistics 200. The team reduced lectures from three to one a week, changed traditional recitation sections to computer-mediated workshops, added technology-based independent learning materials and computerized testing to give students more practice time and feedback. What does the future hold?   In a spring 1999 article from the Association of Governing Boards, Carol Twigg predicts that by 2010, more than 25 million people will be registered for postsecondary learning experiences in the United States. The vast majority will be seeking updated skills and knowledge, rather than pursuing degrees. Nontraditional students will be the norm.   “This could lead to the creation of weekend colleges or lifelong relationships with alumni, the development of virtual catalogs of technology-mediated courses, the establishment of satellite student-service centers, on-line exams to assess student learning and more partnerships with other institutions and corporations,” Erickson said.   Dr. John A. Brighton, University Professor and chairman of the Teaching and Learning Consortium, also spoke during the Academic Leadership Forum. He outlined the consortium’s activities, which include the establishment of a Steering Team to guide the process of teaching and learning for the consortium. Steering Team members are visiting colleges and meeting with college executive committees. In addition, there are now five working groups: the Department Head Team, the Department Heads with Extensive Service Teaching Responsibilities Team, the Learning Academy Faculty Team, the Teaching Assistants Team and the Student Team. The consortium also has a Web site at www.psu.edu/dept/tlc/ to aid communication among its team members and with the Penn State community.   The Academic Leadership Forum also included a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Renata S. Engel, director of the Schreyer Institute for Innovation in Learning. Panelists were Dr. David Blandford, head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, College of Agricultural Sciences; Dr. John T. Harwood, director of education technology services, Center for Academic Computing; and Dr. Gary E. Miller, associate vice president for Distance Education and executive director of the Penn State World Campus.   Eight University faculty and staff members demonstrated how they are using technology. Participants were Dr. Alastair B. Fraser, professor of meteorology, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences; Dr. David L. Passmore, professor of education, College of Education; Dr. David W. DiBiase, senior lecturer in geography, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences; Dr. Charles W. Heuser, associate professor of horticultural physiology, College of Agricultural Sciences; Dr. Carolyn U. Lambert, associate professor of food systems management, College of Health and Human Development; Dr. Dhushyanthan Sathianathan, associate professor of engineering graphics, College of Engineering; Loanne L. Snavely, head of instructional programs, University Libraries; and Dr. A.J. Turgeon, professor of agronomy, College of Agricultural Sciences.
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