Laptop Faculty Development

1
Laptop Faculty Development

• William F. Moss
• College of Engineering and Science

2
Technology Workshops

• Inventory the training needs of the participants.
• Laptop nuts and bolts, care and feeding.
• Software application training including a course
  management system like WebCT.
• Training in the use of a smart classroom.

3
Pedagogy Workshops

• Provide a good teaching effectiveness workshop.
  See Richard Felders SUCCEED Workshops
  http//www.ncsu.edu/effective_teaching/
• Good teaching practices lead to good technology
  practices.
• Examine technology based learning activities.
• Case studies student and faculty perspectives.
• Laptop course planning guidelines.

4
Discipline Specific Workshops

• Experienced laptop faculty members show how they
  use laptops in the classroom by actually modeling
  the classroom.
• Participants see classroom activities from the
  point of view of the student.
• Participants see how an experienced laptop
  instructor put together his course.

5
Follow up share ideas

• Review participants laptop course plans prior to
  implementation.
• Brown bag lunches
• Seminars
• Laptop faculty development web site - FAQ
• Discussion Board

6
FAQ

• Is the laptop a distraction?
• How do we break down the wall of the screen in
  class discussion?
• Does class size matter?
• How much prep time is required?
• Do students know how to use the Word editing
  functions?

7
FAQ

• Do students know how to make web pages?
• Do students know how to do effective web
  searches?
• What do students think about laptops?
• What are the potential classroom logistical
  problems?
• Can technology encourage students to be more
  independent, exploratory learners?

8
FAQ

• When does the technology detract from the
  teaching of content?
• Are students becoming bored with internet
  assignments?
• Are we training students to be dependent on
  technology rather than teaching them how to think
  critically about technology?

9
FAQ

• What do I say to a student who is unhappy that I
  require them to come to class when they think
  they could get enough of the class material
  through the course web site?