The Wake Forest Plan and Its Results

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The Wake Forest Plan and Its Results

• David G. Brown, VP Dean (ICCEL)
  Professor of Economics
• Provost (1990-98)
• October 30, 2000

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• 3700 undergraduates
• 92 residential
• 500 each Med, Law, MBA, PhD
• 950M endowment
• Winston-Salem, NC
• Baptist Heritage
• 1300 average SAT
• 28th in US News World Report
• Top 35 Privates in Barrons Guide
• Rhodes Scholars

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THE WAKE FOREST PLANIBM A20m, 500 Mhz, 11GB,
15ActMatrix, CD-ROM, 90 modem

• IBM Laptops for all
• Printers for all
• New Every 2 Years
• Own _at_ Graduation
• 45.000 Connections
• Standard Software
• 99 E-Mail

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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THE WAKE FOREST PLANF97 IBM 380D, 32 RAM,
130Mhz, 1.35GB, CD-ROM, 33.6 modemF98 IBM
380XD, 64 RAM, 233 Mhz, 4.1GB, CD-ROM, 56
modemF99 IBM 390, 128 RAM, 333 Mhz, 6GB,
CD-ROM, 56 modemF00 IBM A20m, 500 Mhz, 11GB,
15ActMatrix, CD-ROM, 90 modem

• Thinkpads for all
• New Every 2 Years
• Own _at_ Graduation
• Printers for all
• Wire Everything
• Standard Software
• Full Admin Systems
• IGN for Faculty
• Keep Old Computers

• 4030 New People
• ACS in Each Dept.
• 85 CEI Users
• 99 E-Mail
• 15 Tuition
• 1500/Yr/Student
• 4 Year Phase In
• Pilot Year
• Plan for 2000

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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2000 Software Load
Netscape 4.7 Dreamweaver 3 SPSS 10 Maple V
6 Windows 98 MS Office Prof 2000 RealPlayer
7 Acrobat Reader
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CONCEPTS BEHIND PLAN

• Students First
• 2 Layers Threshold
• Rapid Change
• Communicate/Access (Not Present/Analyze)
• Standardization
• Academic Freedom
• Nomadic Learners

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CONCEPTS BEHIND PLAN

• Dominant Use After College
• Empower Existing Units
• Eager Faculty
• Students Change Agent
• Exposure, Not Mandate
• Partnership
• Marketable Difference

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Consequences for Wake Forest

• SAT Scores Class Ranks
• Retention Grad Rates
• Satisfaction Learning
• Faculty Recruitment

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New options require rethinking all we do
Our profession has new gardening tools. We want
to learn which ones will be useful in stimulating
growth in our own gardens.
ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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Tomorrows Trio

• Customization
• goodbye mass production
• Community
• goodbye mass media
• Change
• goodbye yesterday

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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Computers Enhance My Teaching and/or Learning
Via--
Presentations Better--20
More Opportunities to Practice Analyze--35
More Access to Source Materials via Internet--43
More Communication with Faculty Colleagues,
Classmates, and Between Faculty and Students--87
ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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Computers allow people----

• to belong to more communities
• to be more actively engaged in each community
• with more people
• over more miles
• for more months and years
• TO BE MORE COLLABORATIVE

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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WHY COMPUTERS?the faculty answer

• Interactive Learning
• Learn by Doing
• Collaborative Learning
• Integration of Theory and Practice
• Visualization
• Communication
• Different Strokes for Different Folks

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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Personal Use of Computers by Wake Forest
FacultySource 1998 HERI Survey

• 98 E-mail
• 91 Memos Letters
• 75 Scholarly Research
• 41 Presentations
• 36 Data Analysis
• 22 On Line Discussion Groups

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Key Elements of Approval Process(Voted by
Faculty, Students, and Trustees)

• Faculty Committee Leadership---met rigorous
  requirements, joint trip to Crookston, elected
  policy group
• Many Implementation Centers---library,
  departments, deans, residence halls, CIT,
  bookstore, IS
• Administrative Leadership---team
• Open Discussion Votes

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Key Elements of Approval Process(continued)

• Regular Planning Cycle---interim report
• 37 Item Package-- salary increase goals,
  liberalized leave policy, first year seminar,
  scholarships, etc
• 40 New Positions---more time more intimacy
• Lucky Timing---sympathetic board chair, weak
  computer environment, right national press

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Ways of Thinking About Presidential Campaigns and
Debates A First Year Seminar Introducing Students
to the Liberal Arts
15 Freshmen Meet twice per week All with open
laptops
ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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COURSE OBJECTIVES

• To understand a liberal arts education as an
  opportunity to study with professors who think by
  their own set of concepts
• To learn how to apply economic concepts
• To learn how to work collaboratively
• To learn computer skills
• To improve writing and

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Learning is enhanced by-

• Collaboration among Learners
• Frequent student/faculty dialogue
• Prompt Feedback
• Application of Theory
• Student Self Initiatives
• Trustful relations
• Personal Individual Teaching

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Browns First Year Seminar

• Before Class
• Students Find URLs Identify Criteria
• Interactive exercises
• Lecture Notes
• E-mail dialogue
• Cybershows
• During Class
• One Minute Quiz
• Computer Tip Talk
• Class Polls
• Team Projects

• After Class
• Edit Drafts by Team
• Guest Editors
• Hyperlinks Pictures
• Access Previous Papers
• Other
• Daily Announcements
• Team Web Page
• Personal Web Pages
• Exams include Computer
• Materials Forever

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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Results Compared to OtherFirst Year Courses
More Same Less How much did you
learn? 2/3 1/3 -- How much time
did you spend? -- 2/3 1/3 How did
you enjoy the course? 3/3 -- --
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Lessons Learned
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LESSONS LEARNED

• PCs are only 10 of the Challenge
  (support/networks/policies/train/expose)
• Most sunk costs can be ignored
• Expectations need management
• Develop a comprehensive plan first, and quickly
  match it with a multiyear financial plan

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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LESSONS LEARNED

• Consulting Help is the Most Important Gift
• Professional Project Mgt is Crucial
• Demand will increase Much Faster than Anticipated
• Pilot Year is Essential
• Hardware Software Decisions are separable

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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LESSONS LEARNED

• Standardization pays rewards well beyond those
  anticipated non-standard configurations require
  3-4 times support
• Students/Faculty want specific computer training
  that is centered around a task-at-hand general
  classes dont work well
• Be prepared to outsource challenges
• Dont wire to every seat

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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LESSONS LEARNED

• Reliability is critical, esp. the Help Desk
• Provide academic units staff of their own
  plenty of equipment without hassle
• Improve communications rumors fly fast
• Spread the gains from ownership of innovation
  throughout all units
• Use the internet for course materials
• Use a commercial Course Mgt System

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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LESSONS LEARNED

• Choose a Partner for the Long Haul
• Budget Adequate Start Up Operating Funds
• Place in Context of an Overall Financial Plan
• Balance Centralized Services Local Control
• Place Some Funds Under Faculty Control

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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Lessons Learned

• Contact becomes Continuous.
• Students expect messages between classes
• Team assignments increase
• Papers Talks often include visuals
• Departmental clubs thrive
• Student Portfolios Emerge
• Students teach faculty

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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Lessons Learned

• Computer knowledge is a boon to student
  recruitment, retention, self-confidence.
• Computer knowledge is highly valued by students
  prospective employers
• Computer availability throughout the student body
  attracts new faculty
• Computer challenged students learn basic skills
  quickly, without special classes
• Disciplines use computers differently

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000
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Lessons Learned

• Greatest benefits are what happens between
  classes, not during classes.
• Greatest gains from computing come from the big
  three.
• Standardization speeds faculty adoption and eases
  the pressure upon support staff
• Standardization saves class time.
• Student groups are larger and more active
• Faculty migrate to the student standard very
  quickly

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000