Engaging faculty in technology for teaching and research

Abstract

As computer technology continues to develop at an unprecedented rate and costs for hardware decrease, its diffusion in higher education is growing dramatically. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the number of students using computers in the first through fourth years of college increased from 39.2 percent in 1989 to 55.2 percent in October 1993. 1 Computers are everywhere on campus-in classrooms, labs, dorms, and offices. This widespread availability of technology in higher education has raised the hopes for radical changes and improvements in the teaching and learning process. While students have eagerly embraced technology, using computers as tools for communication, composition, and research, faculty, on the other hand, have used it much less in their work. Researchers speculate that one reason might be that faculty have experienced little or no computer training.2 This phenomenon has created a unique challenge for those of us who train computer users. We must nurture and expand the skills of computer savvy students. At the same time, we must also educate faculty about the value of technology in meeting their teaching goals and objectives.