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Online Guide to Evaluation Information Technology at Wellesley |
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Technology at Wellesley Academic
Experience: Coursework - in and out of Class
How does the campus use technology to enhance teaching and learning in your areas of interest? More than 93 percent of Spring 2007courses used Wellesley's electronic conferencing system (FirstClass) to enhance teaching, learning, and access to information. Faculty and students use these conferences not only for announcements, discussions, and distribution of readings and syllabi, but also for submission of student assignments; easy links to web resources; collaborative work, digital images, audio, and video; chat (particularly useful for foreign languages); and even "virtual" take home tests. Wellesley faculty and students express very high rates of satisfaction with FirstClass as a Course Management System (CMS); they are particularly pleased with how little time it takes to learn to use it. Occasionally, faculty create web sites to display outstanding student work, and/or to provide access to prospective students, colleagues, and/or alumnae. Many departments also make extensive use of digitized images stored on file servers. Is there technology in the classrooms? Yes. As of February 2007, more than 89% of Wellesley classrooms are technology-enhanced. Both computers and audiovisual equipment are on a regular replacement cycle. Each year, several classrooms are newly equipped with technology. Will
you use technology to collaborate with other students in both
your introductory and advanced classes?
Collaborative effort is valued, and is supported by appropriate tools and a conducive physical environment at Wellesley. Perhaps 75 percent of courses ask their students to collaborate on projects. In some cases, student share the experience of watching films, viewing a performance, or listening to music together, moving into discussion. In other cases, they prepare a presentation, performance, poster session or assignment as a group. Faculty team-teaching is another collaborative model sometimes experienced by students. The sciences are particularly associated with the collaborative approach. Read what two faculty members -- one a chemist and another a biologist -- have to say about collaboration amongst faculty and students in research, publication, and professional presentations. Collaboration is facilitated by tools such as FirstClass (e-mail and course management software) and other IT resources. Most science labs use FirstClass or file servers for sharing lab data. Multimedia collaborations are varied and popular, making use of software/hardware available in computing labs and on the network. The Knapp
Media and Technology Center was designed and is staffed to
support development of multimedia presentation skills. Large
workstations and project rooms provide space dedicated to video
and audio production, foreign language learning, and videoconferencing.
A large plotter is available for poster creation. Group Studies
in the Library and small computing rooms in each residence hall
also promote collaborative learning opportunities. Wireless network
access and comfortable seating in many areas on campus foster
group projects as well as individual study. Does the school give credit for courses taken online from other institutions and sources of instruction? The policy on credit for courses taken electronically is under consideration at this time. |