C. Computers in the Classroom Overview
Few trends in higher education seem as apparent as the increase in the use of both the computer and the internet by both faculty and students. This section will review the size and shape of such use on the nineteen campuses in this survey. This review is limited to use of computers in campus classrooms. First, the availability of
computers for use by both faculty and students in classrooms is explored. Since full use of classroom computers is largely dependent on access to computer networks, classroom network connections are addressed next. The mere availability of computers in classrooms does not address the more critical issue of whether those computers are used for teaching and learning activities. The final question in this section thus addresses how faculty use computers for teaching.
11. Are computers available in classrooms for teachers and students?
11a. Evaluative Levels:
a. Computers are installed for ready use by faculty in 20% or more of all classrooms.
b. Computers are installed for ready use by faculty in some classrooms, but less than 20%.
c. There are at least some classrooms where faculty can bring in laptop computers for their own use.
d. There are no classrooms where computers can be used by faculty for class presentations.
11a. Responses From Survey Institutions
Nearly one-quarter of the institutions (five campuses) have computers
permanently installed in more than 20% of classrooms for use by faculty (level
“a”). Many of these institutions achieve this high percentage by utilizing large numbers of computer labs for significant part-time use as general access classrooms. Another twelve campuses have computers for faculty installed in less than 20% of classrooms. However, in this second group (level “b”), an average of approximately 5% of all classrooms have computers for faculty.
There are no institutions that fail to provide at least some classrooms where faculty can use computers. This means that the remaining two campuses fall into the category of providing classrooms where laptops can be carried in and connected to data displays (level “c”). Several of these latter campuses
encourage faculty to bring in their own laptop computers. Almost all campuses also have some laptops available for checkout by faculty from classroom or computer support equipment pools. The campuses that provide only laptop connections indicated that concern for security, the difficulty of maintaining
software, and the expense of replacing outmoded computers had kept them from permanently installing computers in classrooms.
11a. Best Practices
• The University of Nevada, Reno has built-in computers for faculty with a large-group computer display in 40% of its general access classrooms.
• The University of Puget Sound campus has computers with computer display built in to 25% of its classrooms, with another 20% available for use with laptop computers. There are also two so-called “turn-around”
classrooms with computers on the perimeter and a seminar table in the middle. These rooms are assigned to particular curricular areas and used for combination computer-based/discussion classes.
11a. Section Conclusions
Nearly all campuses reported dramatic increases in faculty requests for the use of computers for teaching in classrooms. Nearly all had therefore responded by making it easier for faculty to use computers for class presentations. Despite the global recognition of the importance of computers for teaching in the classroom, most campuses also commented on the difficulty of keeping up with faculty demand. The cost of supplying computer display projectors for
classrooms came up repeatedly as both a necessity and an impediment for the creation of such computer-capable classrooms. Until recently, projectors that were available for under $15,000 were not bright enough for most class use.
The high price was also clearly an impediment for most campuses. Over the last year (1998), the brightness and quality of computer projectors has
increased dramatically, while prices have plummeted. This has allowed many campuses to add lower cost computer projectors that can display an image easily seen by all students in a classroom. However, even these lower cost projectors are difficult for many campus support groups to afford.
This seems to be creating a case of “haves” and “have nots,” in that those campuses that can expend funds for classroom computers and computer displays are rapidly making this capability available to a large percentage of their faculty and students. On the other hand those without readily available funds are having a difficult time discerning how they will ever make up the deficit. Those campuses that only provide support for faculty laptops in the classroom are also concerned about the expense of maintaining and replacing computers that might be permanently installed, even if they had the funding to purchase such technology.
It seems to be not a coincidence that, on the campuses where there are
primarily laptop connections in classrooms, the computer support group reports to a different supervisor than does the classroom support group (see discussion under question #6 above). The lack of directed computer support for
classrooms appears to be an impediment to even adding computers in the first place. It also seems clear that the relatively large expenditure required to place computers and computer displays in classrooms, at the least, requires an
appreciation for the importance of classroom technology on the part of high- level campus administrators.
11b. Evaluative Levels
a. At least 5% of all general access classrooms have computers available for each student.
b. Some general access classrooms, but less than 5%, have computers available for each student.
c. There are no general access classrooms with computers for all students, but some computer labs may be scheduled for ad hoc class use.
d. There are no classrooms with computers for each student.
11b. Responses From Survey Institutions
Six campuses provide computers for all students in more than 5% of all classrooms (level “a”). Four additional institutions had at least some general access classrooms with computers for all students (level “b”). All of the campuses (including the remaining nine institutions) at least allowed for the scheduling of some computer-labs for class use. The institutions rated at level
“a” represented all of the types of universities and colleges included in the survey except for research institutions. That is, provision of classroom computers for all students at the “a” evaluative levels was found at a community college, a small liberal arts college, and at several small and medium sized state comprehensive institutions. Not a single research campus was included in the “b” rating group either. In addition, the six research campuses in this survey are more likely to have computer support groups that are separate from classroom support groups. Research institutions seemed more likely to concentrate on department-based computer labs.
11b. Best Practices
• DeAnza College has a Technology Center with one large space with more than 250 computers. Curricular areas are assigned sections in this Center wherein faculty mentors are available to assist students with completion of class exercises. Numerous other general access classrooms with computers for all students are also available in this Center.
• Western Washington University has more than forty facilities that are used as combined computer-based classrooms/computer labs. A newly renovated facility located in an addition to the library has three large general access computer labs, plus computer-based classrooms for UNIX, foreign language, and writing instruction.
• Humboldt State University has the highest ratio of computers to students in its large state university system. There are twelve rooms with
computers for all students that are either used exclusively for teaching or are available for teaching a large percentage of the time. Surveys of
students have also indicated that this campus has the largest percentage of students owning computers of any campus in its system.
11b. Section Conclusions
All of the campuses surveyed provide at least some facilities where each student has access to a computer during class time. There is a clear relationship between the prevalence of computers for students and the
tendency to provide computers for faculty use in classrooms. Nine of the twelve campuses that provide permanently installed computers for faculty in
classrooms also have some general access classrooms with computers for all students. In contrast, only two of the five campuses without permanently installed faculty computers had general access classrooms with computers for all students. The fact that not a single campus provides no facilities for student use of computers in classrooms indicates a trend toward the provision of student computers in at least some classrooms.
The author has heard a heated debate on his own campus regarding computers for students that is echoed in the current survey. That is, some faculty argue not only that they need classroom computers for students, but that such facilities are essential for the success of their teaching. Others argue either that student computer work should be done outside of class time or that computer-based classrooms are simply too expensive for limited campus budgets. Deans and other administrators who have to set priorities from among many worthy alternatives often second this fiscal argument.
If there is indeed an educational advantage to the use of computers by students in the classroom, there is a danger that those campuses that do not expend funds on such facilities will be at a disadvantage compared to those who do not.
It seems clear from comments heard during this survey that students prefer having computers in at least some classrooms. Indeed, the fact that a campus has classroom computers available for students is often used as a student recruitment tool on those campuses that do have such computer-based classrooms.
12. Are there network connections available in classrooms?
12a. Evaluative Levels
a. Campus network and internet connections are available to faculty in all classrooms.
b. Most classrooms have campus network and internet connections for faculty.
c. A few classrooms have campus network and internet connections for faculty.
d. No classrooms have campus network or internet connections for faculty.
12b. Evaluative Levels
a. Campus network and internet connections are available for student laptop computers in all classrooms.
b. Campus network and internet connections are available for student laptop computers in many classrooms.
c. Campus network and internet connections are available for student laptop computers in a few classrooms.
d. Campus network and internet connections are not available for connection to student laptop computers in classrooms.
Responses From Survey Institutions
In regard to faculty, the vast majority of campuses (seventeen of nineteen) provide campus network and internet connections in most classrooms (levels “a”
and “b”). In fact, twelve institutions provide network connections for use with faculty laptop computers in all classrooms on campus (level “a”). Two
institutions have faculty network connections in only a few classrooms (usually classrooms that have other instructional technology in place for faculty use).
Not a single campus was rated at level “d”, wherein there are no network connections for faculty in classrooms.
Network connections for student use are an entirely different story. In this case, the question relates not to classrooms with computers for each student (as in question #11), but rather to network taps that are accessible to students at their seats in a general access classroom. Most computer labs and classrooms with computers for each student already have network connections for each computer. In other general access classrooms, twelve of the nineteen campuses have absolutely no network connections for students with laptop computers (level “d”). Five institutions have at least a few classrooms with student network connections at each student seat (level “c”).
Best Practices
• Western Washington University is rebuilding its entire campus network.
Both 100Mb Ethernet connections (connected by a Gigabit backbone) and a 32 channel cable TV system will be provided for faculty use in all
classrooms.
• The University of Nevada, Reno has provided Ethernet connections to student stations in new or renovated classrooms at a ratio of one port for every four students. Network connections available at each student seat are also available in one auditorium and one large classroom.
• California State University, Hayward is installing a wireless network in the library. Students may check out laptops for connection to the network from anywhere in the library.
• The TU campus provides network ports for students with registered networked access in public areas throughout the campus.
Section Conclusions
The provision of network ports for faculty in classrooms is considered a
necessity on most campuses. Most of those campuses without faculty network connections in place have definite plans to install them in all classrooms in the near future. It is important to consider the fact that faculty network
connections for computers may be of little use unless the classrooms also have a large-group computer display device available. Some institutions, in fact, only placed faculty network connections in classrooms where such display devices were available.
It seems that the provision of classroom network connections for student laptops is as unaccepted as the provision of faculty network connections is accepted. There are a number of likely reasons for the lack of student network connections. Two of those campuses that have such student ports have not activated them, due to problems with providing security for their networks by authenticating individual students who use those ports. In addition, although student ownership of computers is rapidly increasing, few students own the more expensive laptop computers. If faculty require students to use computers in class for assignments, they want to make sure that every student has access to a computer. In order to ensure universal access, classrooms with computers installed at each student station are therefore preferred to classrooms that merely have network connections for student laptops. Finally, many campuses reported comments from faculty indicating a preference for not having students tapping away at computer keyboards in general use classrooms.
13. How do faculty use computers in classrooms?
Evaluative Levels
a. Faculty regularly use computers in the classroom for display of advanced applications such as simulations, application software, CD-ROM programs, and similar activities that integrate computing into the curriculum.
b. Faculty regularly use computers in the classroom, but the majority of that use is for display of web materials or the use of presentation programs such as PowerPoint. Some faculty are using advanced computer software on their own that relates to their classroom curriculum.
c. Faculty occasionally use computers in the classroom. The primary use is for presentation of simple instructional materials.
d. There is little or no use of computers by faculty in the classroom.
Responses From Survey Institutions
Nearly all of the institutions surveyed experience faculty use of computers in the classroom for display of web materials and simple presentation software such as PowerPoint. That is, eighteen of the nineteen campuses fall into the “b”
or “c” evaluative categories for this survey question. Faculty at eight of these campuses sometimes do use more advanced computer applications in the classroom, such as simulations, CD-ROMS, or similar programs (level “b”).
Only one institution reported that faculty have moved beyond simple computer
software presentations and are regularly using advanced computer programs for teaching in the classroom (level “a”). Not a single campus reported little or no use of computers in the classroom (level “d”).
Best Practices
• One hundred-fifty software titles are available for faculty use in classrooms at the University of California, San Diego. Many student assignments are based on these software programs. Many faculty have class web sites that are used to post syllabi, capture student homework, and post test results.
Many faculty also use CD-ROMS that accompany textbooks while others often use simulation software in the classroom.
• Students at DeAnza College are increasingly assigned web development work as part of formal course assignments. Many faculty are also integrating network-based technology into their teaching, such as the inclusion of on-line concert schedules and a shared music review site in an Electronic Music course.
Section Conclusions
There is a clear trend toward an increase in both the quantity and complexity of faculty use of computing in the classroom. Nearly all institutions reported that the initial use of classroom computers was for display of PowerPoint-type programs. Such programs are most often used as an “electronic overhead projector” for display of simple presentation materials. Over the last year or two, those campuses where faculty have ready access to computers in the classroom have seen dramatic increases in classroom use of instructional materials obtained from the web. It should hardly be a surprise that those campuses with more computers available for faculty in the classroom were also more likely to see more advanced uses of those computers for instruction.
Anecdotal evidence clearly suggests that the longer faculty use computers in the classroom, the more likely they are to move beyond PowerPoint
presentations to the use of more advanced computer applications that are tied more closely to the curriculum.
On campuses where the classroom support organization is separate from the computer support organization (twelve institutions), the level of faculty computer use seldom exceeded the occasional use of simple presentation software such as PowerPoint (more advanced uses occurring on only four of those twelve campuses). On many such campuses, the classroom support staff was unable to gauge how faculty used classroom computers, either because no installed computers exist or because the classroom support staff rarely
interacts with faculty on computer issues.
