VI. Directions in Academic Computing and Technology

 Published December 1, 2004

• Current Environment
• Planning Issues
• Five-Year Objectives

Current Environment

LITS provides support for technology through direct support of its own labs, including the Faculty Resource Center, Language Resource Center and viewing and editing rooms, and varying levels types, as well as by workshops and direct assistance to faculty and students. The recently formed (2003) Research & Instructional Support (RIS) team combines traditional library reference services with those of traditional academic computing/instructional technology services. RIS works in partnership with faculty to integrate new technologies, research methods and information resources into courses to enhance teaching and learning. Whether working one-on-one with a student or faculty member or instructing a classroom of many, RIS contributes to the teaching mission of the College by educating Mount Holyoke faculty and students in the use and critical evaluation of information resources and emerging technology.

Planning Issues

On the academic side there appears to be an infinite demand for new uses of information technology in teaching, with new possibilities every day and constant exploration of the proper mix and the real benefits of computing in the curriculum. The Plan for Mount Holyoke 2010 highlights “information technology as a powerful educational tool and transformative force in the modern world” and states that “our graduates will be required to move, think, and act in a world that requires facility with both technological and traditional information tools” (p. 20). The Plan calls for an infusion of technology across the curriculum and a commitment to:

• Provide ongoing opportunities for students to learn about, explore, and develop expandable technology skills.
• Pilot, starting in 2003-2004, a Technology Mentor program modeled on the Speaking and Writing mentorship program.
• Encourage faculty to infuse information literacy across the curriculum and provide appropriate support for faculty research and course development.
• Recognize that introducing technology into courses is a form of professional activity and that digital media have created new opportunities for scholarship and research.

In sorting out the possibilities we need to consider the balance among:

• General purpose uses of computing such as student and faculty word processing, use of spreadsheets, and Web publication that can be used in many courses, and performed on student-owned computers.
• Discipline-specific software, (e.g., music, GIS, molecular modeling), that requires special knowledge, software programs, and equipment, clearly useful in the discipline.
• Faculty courseware development projects, which involve the production of complex materials for classroom presentation or use in labs.

These different uses demand different support models from centralized labs and centralized support to department labs with departmental staff support. We must now move beyond LITS planning to College-wide decisions about how technology support in academic programs is staffed.

Five-Year Objectives

LITS is committed to working with the faculty and academic departments to continue the level of support that they have come to expect. Specific plans include:

• Upgrade desktop computers hardware/software and classrooms on a 3-4 year basis.
• Establish technology-rich teaching spaces as needs analysis indicates
• Use technology to provide efficient and effective support services through the use of helpdesk software, automated inventory control, and software deployment systems.
• Provide appropriate training for information and technology tools.
• Assist in the integration of new and innovative technologies where appropriate.
• Provide access to mobile computing such as wireless classrooms or hand-held devices.
• Establish a process for dealing with “out of the ordinary” requests.
• Develop new, dynamic opportunities for faculty to successfully integrate technology into the curriculum.
• Deploy a dynamic Information Fluency program across the curriculum.
• Adapt a team-based approach to developing curricular projects.
• Launch, evaluate, and grow a successful Technology Mentor program.