February 03, 2006
Strong attendance at Information Technology’s first-ever
Technology Days, held at Council Hall on the Queens campus, is a
good indication that St. John’s University faculty is embracing
technology wholeheartedly. That’s how organizers from the
University’s own Information Technology Department view faculty’s
enthusiastic response to the two-day program demonstrating software
programs and techniques that integrate state-of-the-art technology
into the classroom. On both days, up to 10 simultaneous
demonstrations were offered every 15 minutes, and hands-on tutoring
was also available with IT representatives, allowing attendees to
explore topics in greater depth.
“I was impressed with the broad spectrum of activities available
and gratified to see the number of faculty – adjuncts, technology
novices, computer experts -- who turned out over the two days,”
reports Provost Julia Upton, RSM, Ph.D. who visited Council Hall
several times. “And while it didn’t require heavy-duty commitment,
I believe each walked away with increased understanding of the role
and importance of technology in the classroom.”
In fact, a 2004 Higher Education Research Institute (HERI)
Survey of faculty in undergraduate education confirms that St.
John’s faculty are increasingly embracing technology and other
development programs. The report indicated that 79% of St. John’s
faculty are heavily involved in faculty development programs, 30%
higher than the peer group. That same survey revealed that 71% of
responding St. John’s faculty indicated that they place and collect
assignments on the Internet as compared to 46% who were doing so
three years earlier.
“This event is an extension of the Portable Professor workshops
held monthly for faculty over the past three years,” says Jim
Swike, IT Project Manager in charge of E-Studio, which provides
faculty with ongoing technological education and support. “The
workshops will now be open to adjunct professors in addition to
full-time faculty.” All information technology education programs
are free-of-charge.
As of fall 2005, St. John’s employed 621 full-time
faculty, and 835 part-timers. More then 450 full-time faculty
members now have laptops and have attended the Portable Professor
workshops.
‘Students Want Professors to Use
Technology’
“Students want their professors to be up on technology,” Swike
says. “They like to communicate through e-mail and submit their
papers online. Shy students might be more willing to participate in
an online chat than to speak in class.” Communicating through a
computer won’t serve as a substitute for attending class, he adds,
because students will still want to interact in person. “Professors
who post their course assignments and syllabi online are able to
spend less of their class time on administration, and more time
teaching.”
“This event offers an opportunity for IT to show faculty
how we can help them in the classroom,” says Kenneth Mahlmeister,
Information Technology Director.
“We’re extending technology training to all faculty
members,” says Vice Provost James Benson. “It’s no longer just for
those who are technology pioneers.”
“The response to this event exceeded our expectations,” says
Joseph Tufano, Chief Information Officer. “We’ll be running it
again in the fall.”
“Participants seem to appreciate the opportunity to speak
individually with IT support specialists,” comments Sr. Edna Clark,
S.C., Manager of the Center for Technical Education, which runs
training courses within the University throughout the year.
> View
the photo gallery.
Computer Information Systems Professor Harry Nagel browsed
through Council Hall looking for new ideas. “I love using
technology to show different scenarios in the statistics class I
teach,” he says. “I just change a variable, and in an instant, I
can show students the outcome.”
Adjunct Journalism Professor Karen Rubin, who received her
master’s in education from St. John’s, was looking to bone up on
Web course tools she could use in her classroom presentations. She
was encouraged to learn from Senior IT Training Specialist Louise
McKenzie, who was giving an overview of Web course tools, that many
of the tools come with wizards and templates that make them easy to
use.
IT Liaison Is Assigned
“Professors must post material on the server in order for the
students to access it,” advises McKenzie. “Otherwise their links
won’t work.” Those who want to post material online, she says, will
be assigned an Information Technology Relationship Manager who will
help them work out the kinks.
Arsenio Cepin, Project Manager for Classroom Support and AV
Services, demonstrated how to use resources available from the
podium in more than 50 percent of St. John’s classrooms. “People
who teach want to use the latest technology available,” he
explains. “They can project their PowerPoint or Excel presentations
on a screen and may also hook up their laptop computers. We offer
an extension for a USB port to make hookup easier.”
Topics demonstrated at the Technology Days, which were open to
all members of the faculty, covered the use of these technology
resources for teaching, communicating and record keeping:
• St. John’s Central for managing class content
• Lap-top computer technology
• Web CT (course tools)
• Accessing the server off-campus through Virtual Private Network
(VPN)
• Center for Teaching and Learning
• Electronic Grade Book
• Uploading Syllabi
• Podium Troubleshooting
• Library Resources
• Software Titles