Ed Tech Vision Statement and Principles
Although measurable progress has been made on many of the original principles, the committee thinks that most of these statements are still valid and should be retained. After reviewing the vision statement and discussing each principle, the committee has drafted a revised document to guide future decisions and to place a new emphasis on teaching methods, faculty development and incentives, and assessment.
Vision Statement
Educational technology should enhance teaching and create new opportunities for learning. Effective use of technology facilitates information gathering, data synthesis and analysis, collaborative problem solving, and effective reporting and presentation. Technology and network tools should increase active, participatory and asynchronous learning in a way that empowers the scholarship of ideas and the transmission of knowledge.
Principle 1. Technology must facilitate a wide range of educational methodologies and expand, not replace, direct student-faculty and student-student interactions.
The University needs to encourage flexible teaching methods such as asynchronous classes and collaborative learning. Flexible classroom facilities and adequate faculty support beyond the basic uses of technology are critical prerequisites in this process.
Principle 2. All members of the university community must have adequate, equitable access to educational technologies and information systems.
Student access has improved significantly through central labs with adequate replacement schedules, requirements for some students to purchase their own equipment, and ubiquitous network availability. The University needs to do a systematic assessment of faculty access, review minimum standards for desktop equipment, and commit to an adequate replacement plan for sustainability.
Principle 3. All members of the university community should receive adequate and continuous training in the use of educational technologies and information services.
The campus should provide both general and discipline-specific training for students. Faculty need access to a wide range of opportunities, from entry-level to advanced. The University should provide adequate incentives for faculty to take advantage of training programs.
Principle 4 . The use and production of educational technology, including courseware, must be actively encouraged, technically supported, and frequently assessed.
Beyond training in the use of software and systems, the University must invest more in instructional design and curriculum development. There needs to be adequate incentives for faculty to exploit the full potential of educational technology. Methods to measure the contribution of technology to the quality of the education and the productivity of students should be determined and implemented across the curriculum.
Principle 5. The university must adopt a financial plan that assures funding sufficient to address on-going programs, encourage innovation, and provide technical support and training.
The financial plan should be based on these programmatic principles. The plan should be revised as necessary to accommodate rapid and major changes in technology. A full account of expenditures and accomplishments should be widely distributed.
Principle 6. Decisions on the best uses of educational funding should be based on existing campus and unit goals and should involve broad faculty input.
The Educational Technology Committee should include faculty, administrators, students, and technologists from many schools, colleges, and units on campus. The committee needs to work closely with the Undergraduate Council, communicate often with the Deans Council, and maintain a high visibility across campus.