Journal of Law, Information and Science
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PROFESSOR E CLARK (CHAIR); MS D ADAMS (CELTS); ASSOC PROFESSOR C ANNICE (EDUCATION); MR G BATTYE (COMMUNICATIONS); MR S BLACK (STUDENTS); MS P BOUVAIN (MANAGEMENT); MS R BROOKS (STUDENT); ASSOC PROFESSOR A CHEETHAM (INFORMATION SCIENCES & ENGINEERING); MR JP FAVRE (ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN); ASSOC PROFESSOR S JOHNSTON (CELTS); MS D KLEIN (APPLIED SCIENCE); MS C MCCORMACK (CELTS); MR B THOMPSON (INFORMATION SERVICES), MS L MANSBRIDGE (STUDENT).
This article examines the role of information technology in University Teaching. In essence, it is a "vision statement"; the view of the Working Party of the University of Canberra of where many universities are now and where we believe Universities should be headed in the development of a teaching and information technology policy. The article conludes with a number of important recommendations that all universities will need to consider in the future.
In terms of its impact upon education, the advent of information technology likely ranks with the invention of the printing press. Information technology has become an integral part of Australian culture. Given the rate of change and data/information/knowledge explosion, the impact of developments in information technology on Australian society and culture will likely be even more pronounced in the years ahead.[1] Thus, the law students who come to us will increasingly have some background and experience in information technology.[2] They will have the expectation that such technology will be an integral part of what they learn and how they learn. Upon leaving University information technology will be an integral part of the employment worlds in which our graduates will work. All of this means that educational institutions must enable students to use such information technology fully; that we should explore how such technology can enhance students' learning.
The choices regarding information technology impact almost every aspect of education: staffing, budget, equipment, curriculum offerings, teaching methodologies, and staff development. Each year educational institutions at all levels must face the problem of how to come to grips with constantly changing technology while at the same time confronting tight or decreasing budgets and competing demands on curricula. To cope with these pressures all institutions are developing some policy guidelines to light their way. It also means that law academics, as teachers and researchers, should contribute to public debate and policy formation on information technology issues and that we should be active in conducting research regarding the impact of technology on our way of life.
While the information technology requirements for law teaching are to some extent discipline specific,[3] in another sense, the use of technology in law teaching is but part of an overall view of the role of information technology in university teaching generally. This article is based upon a discussion paper written by a diverse group of academics at the University of Canberra (UC). In essence, it is a "vision statement", a Working Party's view of where many universities are now and where we believe Universities should be headed in the development of a teaching and information technology policy. As such, this article should be of interest and some use to other universities, faculties, and schools who are pondering similar questions and in the process of developing their IT policies.
While members have expertise in certain aspects of information technology, the Working Party does not hold itself out as having raised in this report all of the relevant issues regarding this complex and rapidly changing area. This report is represents the collective view of a group of committed University staff and students. It was achieved after many hours of deliberation, discussion and debate. It is our belief that many universities are presently confronting some of the same issues. Indeed, we have had the benefit of similar documents prepared by other universities in Australia and elsewhere. In return we are happy to share our findings and trust that this report will contribute further to the discussion of this very important topic.
The last decade has seen concerns about the provision of information technology infrastructure and training as a priority on the agendas of all universities. Technological advances and their impact on education, industry and society in general have been well documented. Universities have not only been attempting to keep up with these advances, but, as is expected of them, they have also been endeavouring to stay at the leading edge of technological developments in many fields. The demands for increased expenditure on technology within universities have coincided with a period of significant cost-cutting measures and conflicting pressures for the use of diminishing resources. In universities throughout Australia and internationally, there have been working parties and reviews which have had the task of developing strategies for the university to balance the demands for technology-related resources and to make some sense of the likely future impacts of technology on various facets of university operations.
More recently there has been a recognition that planning for our technological future within universities must also include an analysis of the impact on and potential for using technology to enhance teaching and learning. Such analyses come from a different but converging direction to those which examine general technology infrastructure and training. They cannot be technologically driven, but rather must begin with a careful consideration of educational issues confronting universities now and in the future and then move to a consideration of ways in which technology might relate to those issues. Thus, in addition to working parties, individuals and taskforces charged with the responsibility of planning a technological future for universities, there have been specific groups given the responsibility of strategic planning related to technology and university teaching.
These groups have been assisted by a number of government funded reports which have been commissioned to document current practices and give guidance on matters such as cost-effectiveness of technological approaches in teaching.
In 1993, Cochrane, Ellis and Johnston released a report of a case study of computer-based education in one Australian university. This case study documents a centrally provided service for computer-based education. Reports such as this enable sharing of developments which can often occur in individual universities with little opportunity to learn from the experience of others. Hamer (1993) reported a specific application of technology in university education - the use of technological approaches to facilitate education in the workplace.
Tinkler, Smith, Ellyard and Cohen (1994) undertook a survey of the use of state-of-the-art technologies in the delivery of higher education with the view to drawing conclusions about their effectiveness and potential. This report provides brief descriptions of many approaches implemented in universities throughout Australia and comments that conclusions about effectiveness are difficult in a field characterised by rapidly changing developments and the newness of the approaches being used.
The NBEET (1994) report on costs and quality in resource-based learning on and off-campus attempts to tease out the cost implications of various forms of resource-based teaching which include technological components. Again, the report raises some of the difficulties in costing these deliveries, the development of which is often shared throughout the institution and disguised by the diffused and informal contributions often made to them.
The majority of reports currently dealing with technology in teaching attempt to document approaches being used in universities and draw conclusions about their effectiveness in either educational or economical terms. There have been fewer attempts to provide a comprehensive educational framework for these approaches or to demonstrate the types of approaches which should be used to overcome specific educational problems. Laurillard (1993) has been one of the few writers to take this approach. There is a need to begin with the educational problems and then to show how the technologies might be employed to address these problems. The Candy et al. (1994) report on life-long learning touches on this issue, by commenting on the potential for computer-based approaches in developing life-long learning and warning about the limitations of some computer-based approaches.
Computer-based education should not merely be used as a medium for the primary delivery of course material or as a replacement for teaching, but rather as a means of strengthening student learning. Computers can be likened to a chemical catalyst in that a small amount of computer interaction can lead to the reciprocal production of a large amount of student learning. (Candy, Crebert & O'Leary 1994, p.168)
The issues currently faced by all universities are similar in many respects and are reflected in the findings of working parties and taskforces which have been given responsibility for making recommendations about the future directions of the use of technology in teaching. The specific strategies being recommended and implemented by universities reflect their priorities and resources. For example, those universities with a tradition of distance education are looking at ways of sharing the resources directed towards distance delivery more widely within the institution to make all courses more flexible in their approach. All universities are examining ways in which to provide support to their academic staff as they integrate technology into their teaching so that the developments are economically and educational sound. The following sections describe a range of developments which are being considered or implemented in a cross-section of Australian universities.
In May 1993, a Working Party considering IT in Teaching at the Australian National University produced a general report which has led to further more specific developments. A more recent report on university requirements for educational technology and related services has made a recommendation for more cooperation among institutions in ACT to provide the necessary infrastructure to develop advanced technological approaches in teaching. This group has also recommended the establishment of a Teaching and Learning Technology Support Unit which would bring together IT support related to teaching and learning, AV, satellite/video copying, video conferencing etc. A Teaching Development Laboratory is recommended to give advice and assistance in the preparation of teaching materials. This would be resourced by technical staff, an educational developer/instructional designer and headed by a Senior Consultant in Instructional Technology.
Griffith University has established the Flexible Learning Development Unit (FLDU) whose role is to support all initiatives in the areas of flexible learning, access to resources and life long learning. Flexible learning is also prominent in the university's teaching and learning management plan. The move towards supporting flexible learning is seen as a more inclusive approach which does not necessarily assume a technological solution to issues related to increased flexibility in teaching and learning.
LaTrobe University has two projects operating in the technology areas, one funded from last year's quality grant and the other through the Commonwealth Staff Development Fund. The former is for all staff and comprises general IT training. The latter is for staff development in IT in teaching. It involves setting up faculty liaison officers, needs analysis, development of special workshops and the giving of grants to support specific developments and projects.
Monash University established in 1994 a unit for Quality Education at a Distance with the task of supporting and encouraging the development of electronic authoring and simulations. To demonstrate the potential of the technology, some tutorial packages were developed by the unit and are now being sold. Future support will be on a user pays basis. The unit is also refining an authoring program which academic staff will be encouraged to use to develop their own multimedia materials.
Queensland University of Technology has a Teaching and Learning Strategic Plan which emphasises (among other things) flexibility of course offerings and the improved quality of teaching and learning infrastructure, including high quality educational technology. As well as other teaching development grants, they have been funding Teaching Technology Infrastructure Grants. QUT has also recently established an Educational Technology Group to bring together people from across the University with an interest in this area (IT Services, AV, CBE, Educational Television, Library and the Academic Staff Development Unit). In 1995, a small facility will be established with the purpose of providing advice and practical demonstration of multimedia capability and its potential to improve teaching and learning.
University of Melbourne has adopted an IT strategy plan which recommends high levels of flexibility and alternative modes of delivery across the university for the future. The Centre for the Study of Higher Education has a Multimedia Education Unit which contains technical staff (graphics, photography and video), educational staff and a multimedia lab. There are many initiatives both centrally and at the faculty level to fund innovations involving technology in teaching. The mission of the Multimedia Education Unit is to: promote study and assessment of the educational significance and effectiveness of the new information technologies; to foster interest, understanding and activity by individuals and departments; to examine and evaluate proposed innovative applications; and to encourage and support those projects which will yield improvements to teaching and learning in the University.
The University of New South Wales established a Working Party on Application of New Technologies to Teaching and Learning which is a subcommittee of the Academic Board's Teaching and Learning Committee. This Working Party has produced three reports. The first focuses on evaluation criteria for technological approaches and also comments on management implications. The second recommends on the rights and responsibilities for electronic learners. The third examines the need for a Strategic Support Centre for Teaching and Learning Technologies.
The University of Wollongong and, and more recently, University Technology Sydney have established Multimedia Centres which have development, research and educational interests.
The University of South Australia has had three working parties looking at different aspects of technology in teaching. They have made the decision to merge the Centre for University Teaching & Learning and the Distance Education Centre to form the Flexible Learning Centre (FLC). The primary function of the new centre will be to support the move to flexible teaching delivery by most or all of the university's subjects. This includes the use of video, print-based resources, computer packages and multimedia. To support multimedia there will be a multimedia unit in the FLC. The plan is that each year staff from identified subjects will work alongside staff developers from the FLC to look at the educational issues and implications of a move to flexible delivery. Once the educational decisions have been taken, the production side of the former Distance Education Centre will assist the development of resources.
In summary, recent developments in Australian universities have focused on the following:
• a recognition that innovations in teaching technologies are important for the future competitiveness of the university;
• a concern about the educational rationale for technology related developments;
• a recognition that there is scope for teaching approaches in all areas to become more flexible and that technology is one way of achieving this;
• a rationalisation of existing support services into centralised units which provide a range of services to the university with respect to technologies in teaching; and
• a recognition of the need to provide both technical and educational support for educational initiatives involving technology.
Technology is a generic term which in its broadest sense includes everything from use of a whiteboard to overhead projectors, telephones, computers, and related devices. For the purposes of this Working Party, however, we are using the terms technology in a more narrow sense to refer to modern systems, ie information technology (IT), such as multi-media instruction, computer applications, and other electronic means to enhance both large and small group teaching and individual and group learning.
There are different perspectives on teaching and IT depending upon whether one is talking about:
• learning about information technology: basic skill awareness and acquisition which may occur as part of another course (eg. communications, programming, learning how to use Lexis in Legal Research & Writing, the use of particular data bases in physics, the use of various drawing and illustration packages in design) or may be an addition to a student's normal course (eg. learning typing, desktop publishing skills in a computer lab in a short-term setting offered by Information Services). For some students learning about information technology goes far beyond a basic awareness and is their chosen field of specialisation.
• learning with information technology: integrated into existing teaching (this may involve the use of presentation packages such as Powerpoint or Persuasion) in a large group teaching setting. It includes the use of spreadsheets, databases, statistics packages, geographic information systems and related technology. Or it may involve more interactive IT used in small group teaching.
• learning through information technology: simulations, courseware, etc. This may involve the use of various multi-media packages which engage the student in active learning on an individual or small group basis.
The Working Party acknowledges that IT has become an integral part of Australian culture. Given the rate of change and data/information/knowledge explosion, the impact of developments in IT on Australian society and culture will likely be even more pronounced in the years ahead. This means that universities must enable its students to fully use such information technology, that university staff explore how such IT can enhance students' learning, that we be active in conducting research regarding the impact of IT on our way of life, and that academics contribute to public debate and policy formation on IT issues. Students and staff will also increasingly be developers and designers of IT.
Education is a life-long continuum. The students who come to us will increasingly have some background and experience in IT. Many students will come to us with an expectation that such IT will be an integral part of what they learn and how they learn at University. Upon leaving university, it is apparent that IT will be an integral part of the employment worlds in which our graduates will work.
If we (University of Canberra) are to remain true to our mission of educating our students in a professional way, the IT utilised in our teaching must at least reflect the increasing use of IT in the professions and equip our students to work in such a world.
In formulating a policy for information technology and teaching, we must seek to understand both the virtues and limitations of use of IT.
We feel it is important to confront directly four myths about IT and teaching.
First, IT alone is not the answer to teaching problems. In other words, one does not solve teaching problems by throwing IT at them and many teaching problems are only solved by non-technical solutions.
Second, the motivation behind a IT and teaching policy must not be driven by a desire to replace people with machines. Rather, IT should promote active and meaningful learning, support and enhance teaching, and enable the teacher to devote more time to student interaction and higher order learning tasks.
Third, the use of IT will not necessarily save money. Indeed, in most cases the adoption of IT will require a greater expenditure of funds. Rather than save money, IT is more likely to enable us to do new things and/or to do present tasks more efficiently, more quickly and better. Cost savings, while relevant, must not be the guiding force in making decisions about IT and teaching.
Finally, the use of IT does not necessarily result in time savings for lecturers. IT applications take time to develop, to set-up, to evaluate and keep up-to-date. In reality, the greatest cost of IT innovations is often that of the staff time which must be devoted to all phases of IT development, installation, use, maintenance, review and evaluation.
In searching for solutions regarding the best and most efficient use of technology in university teaching, universities must address short term goals and priorities as well as the long term, strategic issues.
We recognise that there is no huge amount of "new" funds available to support these developments. Accordingly growth will often be in phases; evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
The long-term strategic plan (for example up to ten years) must articulate basic principles and incremental stages which are flexible enough so that the plan can be adjusted to account for a rapidly changing environment and be adapted to a wide range of teaching needs. At the same time a plan should articulate a minimum level of IT which should be available to all academics and students across the university.
The plan should also provide support and encouragement to selected "innovation leaders" and ensure that the benefits of such leading edge work is spread to the wider university community.
The driving force behind any policy regarding IT and teaching must be educational values. While the Information Services Division and other experts within the University are in the best position to lead the discussion of infra-structure questions, academic matters involving education and IT must be driven and determined by professional educators in Faculties and Schools, with the assistance and support of Information Service Divisions and in full consultation with general staff, students and the wider community.
Individual teachers and students have different teaching and learning styles. Moreover, the context in which IT is used will vary depending upon whether one is learning about, with or through IT. Differences also exist among the various disciplines. Accordingly, IT standards should reflect a variety of teaching contexts and accommodate differences in teaching and learning.
It must also be acknowledged that IT and teaching cannot be considered in isolation from other policies such as basic decisions about curriculum, and technological infrastructure. An effective IT and university teaching policy has an impact far beyond the mere introduction of such IT. Information technology has the potential to change everything about teaching, including assessment methods, promotion procedures, staff development offerings, administrative procedures, allocation of budgets. For example, promotion procedures should be designed to recognise the development of new technologies in teaching. The advent of electronic journals challenges existing definitions of what constitutes a "publication". Students learning "through" IT will involve new and special forms of assessment. Disciplines, such as environmental design, law and journalism, which have rapidly and recently embraced sophisticated forms of IT in the teaching of skills and conduct of research, will require a re-definition of student and staff equipment needs which in turn will have budgetary implications.
Finally, a major factor in the efficient use of IT in teaching is timetabling. The present trend which sees major assessment tasks occurring at roughly the same times during the semester means that such facilities as computer labs are overflowing some of the time and significantly underutilised at other times. Thus an IT policy must be coordinated with timetabling and assessment policies to ensure maximum use of scarce resources. Timetabling must also be flexible enough to permit those classes which require it to have access to teaching spaces with the appropriate and desired level of IT.
Teaching and IT policies must focus on students and how IT can be utilised to improve learning outcomes. Assessment strategies will need to be developed to reflect the use of this technology in achieving these outcomes.
While IT can enhance large group teaching, the Working Party endorses the view of experts such as Diana Laurillard that the greatest gains are to be found in using IT to enhance teacher-student, and student-student, and teacher-teacher contact. The highest goal is to promote greater student involvement and meaningful interaction and learning by doing, as opposed to mere electronic page turning. Recent developments in IT also make it possible to promote collaborative learning. "Groupware" or software assisted collaborative learning environments should also be encouraged.
In addressing the topic of IT and University teaching, the Working Party recognises that technology is used in a number of different teaching contexts, including:
• on campus teaching: given the residential character of most universities, this teaching context will likely be the major focus.
• local, national and international networks: it must also be recognised that the university community is increasingly becoming involved with a wider community through local, regional, national and international networks. Thus, data exchanges, email, WWW, and use of the Internet generally is likely to have a significant impact upon what we teach, how we teach and to whom we teach. For students, this will mean changes in what students learn, how they learn, and a re-definition of learning activities and cohorts.
• off-campus teaching: The traditional distinction between ‘external’ and ‘on-campus’ study seems likely to disappear, and it is likely that students everywhere will learn through a wide range of technologies”. This will likely mean that university curriculum offerings increasingly will take on certain "distance-education" features. These may include: making it possible for students to take advantage of offerings by other institutions; partnering arrangements in which UC expertise is utilised to provide distance education to students on other campuses in Australia and overseas; off-campus course modules offered to part-time students or students with disabilities etc. Also, the ready availability of conferencing and electronic mail and greater student ownership of IT will mean that off-campus educational teaching will not only be possible, but even be encouraged and become an expectation.
Such developments are likely to give rise to new paradigms of teaching which depart from the traditional notion of students and staff together in a classroom. Learning teams which use "groupware" which can be accessed from both on and off campus is already a reality (eg Lotus Notes project). Such developments in turn will also mean that notions such as a standard teaching loads will have to be modified or even replaced by new perceptions of what constitutes a "teaching" activity. However, we recognise that any and all such changes will have to be negotiated.
• courseware development: while most multi-media and other teaching courseware will likely be purchased commercially from outside, there seems little doubt that the development of such courseware by university staff will continue to be an important educational activity.
The following sections outline the Working Party's view of what we regard to be a minimum of It available to all academic staff. By "minimum" we are not referring to absolute standards which would require, for example, that all staff have IBMs. Rather, these minimum standards refer to basic levels of IT generic to academic staff as a whole. We recognise that this goal of a generic minimum has already been achieved by some parts of the university and the process of meeting this minimum standard across the university must be achieved over time. We further recognise that the nature of what is to be regarded as "minimum" will change over time and must be continually monitored, evaluated, and adjusted. Finally, we readily acknowledge that apart from the minimum disciplines will have their own individualised IT needs. Some faculties, because of the nature and demands of their discipline, will far exceed the minima referred to here.
The following list was identified by the Working Party as constituting the "minimum" level of IT required for UC teachers. Obviously, what constitutes a minimum will change over time. In addition, it is recognised that particular disciplines, eg. environmental design, or engineering, will have additional IT needs which reflect the demands of particular discipline areas. The provision of such a minimum level of IT must also be supported by the necessary infrastructure.
• Well supported document processing. Increasingly this will be from a flexible workstation which can be used either on the desktop or taken to the library, conference or other locations.
• Adequate printing facilities, usually through networked laser printers.
• Support for electronic production of overheads, graphics, and other illustrative material.
• Desktop access to library services: catalogue, index, references, databases.
• Access to administrative support services, student lists, Faculty handbooks, and other relevant information.
• Basic communications, eg. email, bulletin boards, WWW, and student conferencing.
• Regular updating of hardware and software.
• Sufficient support for maintenance of hardware and software.
• Access to documentation regarding software, hardware, etc.
• If feasible, central disk back-up service with both the IT and its maintenance provided for all faculties. This is perhaps best done via magnetic tape with staff allocated a designated amount of space on a file server. Staff also require training in the best and most efficient means to backup their material.
• One technical support staff per 25 workstations.
A necessary component in meeting academic staff needs is training and evaluation regarding use of computers, software, creation of hypertext markup language (html) documents for use of WWW etc. See generally, discussion under Staff Development in Section 8.
Another important aspect of staff needs are those which relate to the requirements for specific teaching contexts, such as computer labs, lecture theatres, tutorial rooms, etc. See generally, discussion under Section 6.
An examination of the IT needs of academic staff must not ignore the needs of full and part time academic staff who work from off campus. A needs assessment should be conducted in regard to these staff members to ensure that electronic mail, modem and other facilities are, as far as reasonably practicable, made available to them.
While the Working Party's brief was to focus on teaching, we recognise that a vital aspect of effective teaching is the existence of qualified general staff who themselves must have the appropriate level of training, education and IT to enable them to fulfil their roles. The University must also have sufficient technical support to ensure that existing IT developments are properly installed, maintained and utilised.
Any allocation of resources devoted to the improvement of teaching must ensure that the training and equipment needs of non-academic general staff are also given due consideration. In this area, it may be worthwhile exploring the possibility of obtaining training expertise via a commercial arrangement in which contract staff generate their own salaries on behalf of the University. This has the advantage that 'outside' trainers are more likely to be in touch with a more rapidly changing and state-of-the art commercial environment.
Students, too, should have access to a minimum level of IT. However, the overall level of IT required will vary over time and according to particular disciplines. Thus, IT students will need to learn how to work on large, more expensive systems; environmental design students must utilise comparatively expensive drafting and design packages; law students must have access to Lexis; and so on. In short, while there is a minimum "generic" level common to all Faculties and disciplines, there are also discipline specific needs which must be recognised and catered for.
This issue of minimum IT provisions to teachers, support staff and students, obviously is related to, and in some cases overlaps, with the provision of the necessary infrastructure.
In this section, we identify a number of student IT needs. At the same time, we recognise that no such list of requirements can be exhaustive, that needs will change rapidly and must be developed over time and continually adjusted. For this reason it is crucial that a needs assessment be undertaken. Presently there are few statistics regarding how much computer time and what IT is required by students. One way to obtain some of these statistics is to install logging software in each workstation. With such data, the university could make more efficient allocations of scarce hardware and software resources. The University must also identify the benefits associated with various technologies as well as plan for maintenance, upgrading and technical support.
We also recognise that some of these needs may be provided by the University itself, while others (for example modem access) may be offered by an outside commercial entity.
• General access to Internet.
• Access to University information services, unit descriptions, general information regarding library, lectures, tutorials, and other policies.
• Access to library and other information services: catalogue, index, reference, databases.
• Ability to query own enrolment status and related information.
• Electronic access, where appropriate, to handouts, "most frequently asked questions", past exams, and other course material.
• Electronic mail contact, where appropriate, with teaching staff, other students and electronic class bulletin board.
• Submission of assignments, where appropriate, by email and other electronic means.
• The ready availability of certain workstations which could be used by students for a short period of time (eg 30 minutes maximum) so that students could check their email account, respond to email messages and perform other basic communication tasks.
• Computer labs and teaching spaces are discussed below.
• One work-station for every six to ten full-time students (while this is a widely adopted standard, the increasing percentage of students who own their own computers will likely demand an adjustment to this figure). This figure should also be adjusted as per a full cost benefit analysis. The annual costs per work station are approximately $2500 per station. Assuming approximately 6000 eftsu, this would require 1000 workstations at a cost of approximately $2.5 million, not counting the cost of housing these computers.
• Multiple ports so students can plug in their own computers.
• Where appropriate, the taping of lectures and copying of lecture overheads. While the availability of such tapes can be abused, there are times when such a service is invaluable to overseas students and to students who are forced to miss class because of a sick child or other emergency.
• students with disabilities (computer access, design of labs to accommodate physical access, and so on).
• mature age students who are returning to study after some years and may need special assistance and support.
• part-time students who require after-hours access and are often unable to attend all classes.
• students who are parents, and particularly single parents, who (for example, when children are ill) are often forced to miss classes and other University functions.
• overseas students
• female students
Student organisations perform an invaluable role within the university. Thus, it is important that such organisations have full technological support to enable them to better carry out their roles.
Again, we must recognise the important role played by academic and student support staff in assisting students. These support staff must have the requisite IT and training to carry out their important roles.
An important aspect of IT is the provision of training to students so that they are educated and skilled in the use of IT. In addition to the training needs implied from the provision of a minimum level of IT as described above, the Working Party identified the following needs and strategies:
• ensuring all students are computer literate. This may be the case for school leavers, though part-time, overseas and mature age students as well as those from rural areas will likely continue to need assistance.
• providing regular course offerings throughout the year (databases, basic software, stats, graphics, etc.).
• rental schemes which make it easier for students to have full-time access to a computer
• ensuring that students and student organisations have adequate IT support, eg. access to WWW, email, word processing, data bases, conferencing, etc.
• encouragement of and support for user groups for students and staff.
• encouragement and support of ethical student behaviour in regard to IT use and development.
In addition to a minimum level of IT needs, the university should also consider the formulation of an IT literacy policy for all UC graduates. We note that Academic Board has recently adopted a set of generic skills and attributes which every UC graduate should possess. Such an IT literacy policy must have substance in the provision of adequate technical support and adequate training in both generic IT skills as well as those relevant to the particular discipline in which the student is studying.
The University should also develop policies which promote the most efficient and proper use of existing IT resources. The Working Party received reports of some students who monopolised computers meant for academic use, for example by spending hours playing games and down-loading non-academic material from the Internet.
The total number and use of computer labs at UC has increased in recent years. This growth has occurred not only in the science/IT areas, but also in such disciplines as law, education, design, architecture and the humanities generally where IT has made major inroads. This is not, however, to suggest that the quality or quantity of computer labs is sufficient.
While a growing number of students will have their own computers, the Working Party is of the view that such labs will continue to be an integral part of teaching and learning (both individual and group) for all disciplines.
Moreover, if IT is used to promote small group teaching and if multi-media packages and other courseware is to be promoted, it must be recognised that well equipped and maintained computer labs will be essential.
The Working Party identified the following needs and requirements in relation to computer labs:
• sufficient number.
• up-to-date software. (While it is tempting to state that we need the latest software, the reality is that as long as the software is up to date, it may still be able to do most tasks. The key is to fit the software to the tasks for which it is required).
• help desk (should look to employment of students to do this).
• sufficient documentation, for example, about software and lab use.
• regularly updated hardware and software.
• properly maintained hardware and software.
• labs designed for optimal student use and especially small group work. This means a flexible configuration. For example, instead of the traditional alignment of computer desks in rows in the middle of the room, one might consider a pod like formation. Another variation is to put the computers around the outside of the room so that students could do small group work in a partitioned centre space and return to computers for individual or team work.
• easy access to labs for students with disabilities.
• creation of an experimental lab (properly supported and maintained) where students and staff across the University could experiment with multi-media, create their own materials, courseware, etc.
• adequate ventilation, lighting, and acoustics to ensure that the learning environment is enhanced rather than frustrated.
• adequate security to ensure that all students have equal access and that the lab is not monopolised by certain groups nor used for non-university purposes.
While the Working Party seeks to emphasise and encourage the role of IT in promoting small group and interactive and active learning, it recognises that there remains an important role for large group teaching. Accordingly, it is important that a sufficient number of lecture theatres be equipped with adequate IT, including the following:
• inbuilt capacity to use presentation software, such as Powerpoint and Persuasion.
• connection to the Network so staff member can access notes and programs from office computer.
• swivel chairs so that students can easily see a variety of screens and small group work is possible even in a large teaching space.
• flexibility so that a variety of different presentation technologies may be used simultaneously.
• mobile microphones.
• adequate lighting which can be dimmed so that it does not interfere with projected images.
• timetabling system which gives priority to those staff who need to use the IT associated with the particular teaching space.
• One of the most important uses of IT is to promote small group and interactive teaching. Well equipped small group teaching spaces are essential if this focus is to be realised.
• Monitors of sufficient quality that teachers/students can connect a portable computer for use of presentation software and other devices to facilitate discussion.
• Adequate lighting, ventilation, acoustics, furniture, etc.
• Desk space which will support student use of a laptop.
• Sufficient quantity and quality of power outlets to support a variety of teaching/learning activities.
The concept of teaching 'spaces' must also include provisions for the latest IT developments by which students are able to work collaboratively from a variety of locations (off and on campus) via connections and communication networks with appropriate software.
In this section, we examine some specific and commonly used IT applications. At the same time, we recognise that our list is not all inclusive and that specific problems/scenarios will require further investigation and consultation.
• Courseware is now available across a wide range of disciplines. Clear Faculty guidelines need to be established regarding the purchase of such courseware. Once purchased, is crucial that such IT be promptly and professionally installed, supported and maintained. Proper technical support is vital.
• While much of the courseware utilised at UC in coming years is likely to be purchased from commercial vendors outside the University, some staff will continue to develop their own courseware. Moreover, given the growth and ease of use of authoring tools, teachers (and students) will likely find it even easier to develop their own courseware.
• To date some courseware development has proceeded in an ad hoc fashion and with limited attention devoted to educational objectives. The Working Party feels that the university should have a general policy guideline in respect to the development of It. In general terms, these guidelines should ensure that the project is based upon sound educational objectives and pedagogical theory, that adequate support exists within the Faculty, that evaluation and feedback loops are incorporated in the project design, etc.
• In the case of courseware, the guidelines should incorporate the following steps:
- define the problem, in terms of desired educational objectives.
- determine whether IT will help meet those objectives and, if so, how?
- determine how to acquire, support and administer IT.
- ensure staff and student training, consistent with educational objectives.
- ensure that the project complies with the University's intellectual property policy. This ensures that the academic's rights will be protected and that others' rights are not infringed.
- plan for formative and summative evaluation of the courseware.
- plan for dissemination of the courseware.
- reflect on the experience and consider possible publication.
- consider possible commercialisation of the courseware.
• The University should conduct a regular review of, and keep up to date, regarding existing courseware development. The University's Centre for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Scholarship (CELTS) has prepared such a listing of sources of multi-media and courseware available commercially, via Internet or in the public domain. Plans are to keep this database up to date and readily available to UC teachers. CELTS will also provide general support and evaluation assistance in regard to courseware development.
• The high cost of courseware development means that it may often be justified only in particular contexts, for example; in units where there are sufficient numbers of students and with repetitions each year to justify the investment; in contexts where several institutions are in collaboration; or where the courseware has commercial viability.
• Another aspect is safety. A multi-media package may simulate a laboratory experience which is contextually richer and far less dangerous to perform than doing the same experiment in a "live" context.
While the WWW appears to have much potential, a number of problems remain before it can be widely used and this potential realised. Recent changes in the charging policy for use of the Internet will also significantly impact use of the WWW, especially by students. This will in turn raise issues regarding the need to levy some charge for access to the WWW. These developments will have to be monitored closely and must provide qualify the points made below.
• The use of the Web and the amount of information which it makes accessible is growing at an exponential rate.
• Every lecturer who wants it should have the training and support to develop their own web materials.
• Students should have ready access to the WWW and be educated regarding its use and abuse. This access should be made available from home, on campus and from student residences. A needs and cost analysis will have to be conducted to determine the best way to approach this task.
• Course and unit information and other materials related to teaching and administration should be readily available on the Web.
• The teaching potential of the WWW should be closely monitored and staff encouraged to tap this potential.
• The University's infrastructure must be expanded sufficiently to account for the expected growth in WWW use.
• The potential for commercial applications developed by UC and made available over the WWW should be explored.
• With its strong focus on the ACT and surrounding region, UC should seek to become a clearing house for information on our region. (The recent development of ACT LAWNet is a good example). Some of this information may be provided to other Web users on a commercial or fee basis. Where possible, the University should seek to form joint partnerships with governments and industry contributing to and benefiting from the enhanced UC infrastructure.
• While most academic staff have access to and utilise electronic mail, only a minority of students appear to be using such facilities..
• As a teaching and communication resource, email is under-utilised.
• Among the areas which should receive more emphasis are:
- more and better training regarding the use of email.
- increased compatibility regarding transfer of documents from one platform to another.
- greater use of electronic mail to encourage student-student interchanges as well as cross-institutional cooperation and teaching.
- see also the discussion under 7.4 (Conferencing) and 7.5 (Taking Advantage of Offerings Elsewhere).
• The conferencing abilities and functions of the Internet remain underdeveloped and under-utilised.
• The interactive nature of conferencing marks it has having significant potential as a means of encouraging interaction between students and between teacher and students in a variety of settings.
• The University should ensure that adequate infrastructure, hardware, software and user support are all necessary to take advantage of this conferencing potential.
• IT is also important to enable UC students and staff to take advantage of the educational offerings available from outside UC.
• UC should have the necessary infrastructure, hardware, software, training and user support to ensure that our students and learning community can take full advantage of the wider learning community of which they are part.
• This ability to tap into offerings elsewhere will be a major factor in encouraging internationalisation and international competitiveness of the UC educational program.
• As the world becomes a 'global village' and electronic course offerings are available from a wide variety of sources, the universities must give serious thought to how such developments impact upon the teaching we do and how we might best add value to such outside offerings.
• In the medium to long term future the need for such value adding will likely mean fundamental and profound changes in the way we teach, what we teach and to whom we teach.
• The university requires an ongoing and future oriented task force to monitor, anticipate and plan how the university will best meet and thrive on such challenges.
IT developments have an impact on every facet of the University. One of the most important of these areas is that of staff development. Most of the recommendations made by the Working Party will have staff development implications.
A number of staff development measures have already been taken which encourage IT development. These include the following:
• time release for IT teaching development activity (available through University Teaching Grants).
• secondments to CELTS and specific IT teaching projects.
• recognition of development of curriculum materials (such as software) as publications in the 1995 DEET research data.
However, we would recommend greater encouragement of IT use and development by the following:
• greater recognition of IT developments for purposes of promotion
• more identification, evaluation and publication of innovations.
• increased access to both technical and educational support, including lists of available courseware, discussion group lists and WWW sites.
• greater encouragement of and support given to Faculty and School IT user and development groups.
• recognition of the training needs of general staff.
• the Working Party notes that ISD has begun a number of initiatives related to student and staff development issues. We support such training support which needs to be coordinated with Faculty and Student User Groups.
• greater encouragement and facilitation of staff to keep abreast of technological developments in the professions so that we can be sure that we are educating professionals in a professional way.
• institutionalising of a culture of sharing so that IT leaders are encouraged to pass on their knowledge and awareness to others.
Section Two of this report contained a number of general policy guidelines which the Working Party feels should be part of the overall strategy of the University's IT and teaching policy. Other important principles are:
• it is important that such a policy be both top down and bottom up. All relevant stakeholders must be consulted and play a part. At the same time, there is a need for centralising some functions to ensure efficiency of scale, consistency of overall approach, evaluation and overall progress in a common direction.
• the challenge is to work out what is best done centrally and what should be done at the Faculty or School level. Professional bodies should also be consulted in this process, to ensure that we are educating professionals in a professional way.
• a number of suggestions can be made for keeping open the lines of communication:
- electronic suggestion boxes.
- forming of and keeping in touch with Faculty user groups.
- built in and regular feedback loops in all policy structures.
- sharing amongst faculties to ensure maximum use.
• It must also be recognised that the policies and recommendations made by this Working Party must form part of a coherent, overall strategic plan of the University. There must be a good "institutional fit" between the issues raised in this report and the University's mission statement in general and with other policies such as those being formulated in connection with the new academic program, the Information Policy, the Information Technology Policy, the Information and Communication Resources Strategy 1996-2000, Teaching and Learning in the First Year at the University of Canberra Working Party, the University's Capital Development Plan, the University's Intellectual Property Policy, and all other relevant policy statements.
• The above policies need to form an overall strategic and integrated plan for the University. The time is long overdue for the University to develop plans to ensure continuing capital investment and operating expenditures adequate to support the frequent and routine use of IT for students, academic and general staff.
• For the successful integration of IT in teaching it must be recognised that two types of support are needed - educational and technical.
• One possibility is to target one program in each Faculty per year or per semester and offer some more intensive support to help these targeted programs restructure to integrate IT. This would be instead of providing support and funds on a competitive basis to individual or group applications.
• Another strategy is that adopted by LaTrobe University which funds release time for one academic consultant in each Faculty to coordinate the development of a Faculty strategic plan for IT in teaching and to provide support to Faculty projects.
• We need to look at ways of publicising projects and resources from elsewhere (other universities as well as commercial suppliers). This prevents the problem of re-inventing the wheel. Some suggestions include:
- setting up users’ groups in each Faculty/Department.
- WWW sites for each School/Faculty.
- providing a reference point for staff and students.
- informal discussion groups.
- hands on explorations-training rooms, etc.
- making literature readily available.
- help desks, help lines, etc.
- central team of expertise at ISD combined with discipline expertise in Faculties.
• We need build into our system, methods by which students and staff can "experiment" with new IT such as multi-media.
• The Working Party noted that the university already has a staff multi-media development lab. We should ensure that this lab is set up with the latest IT and multiple platforms and with adequate user support so that such experimentation will be encouraged and supported.
• The Working Party notes and commends the recent efforts of Information Services Division in providing training, technical assistance, etc.
• Money is tight; resources are scarce. An important part of our teaching and IT practice and policy must be to ensure that we fully and better utilise appropriate existing resources.
• For example, can we think of ways in which the already existing staff multi-media lab might be better used? The Working Party notes the urgent need for support staff for the existing lab so that experimentation can be encouraged.
• Some areas are insufficiently utilised. These should be identified and replanned for maximum use.
• More efficient timetabling and the curriculum reforms envisaged by the new academic program may result in more efficient use of some of these resources. Electronic enrolments and other management measures need to be considered.
• In some cases, outdated software and other technical problems prevent staff and students from efficient use of existing IT. J
• On a broader scale, there is a general lack of long-term strategic planning; few Faculties, if any, have developed an integrated plan for IT development. Unfortunately
- encourage cooperative ventures.
- require persons to have some experience with existing software so we don't re-invent the wheel.
- provide, as a preliminary stage for teaching grants time release to academics for study and visits to other institutions to find out what is already being done in the field
- establishment of teaching grants specifically for IT-based projects. For example, QUT funds Technology Infrastructure Grants which allow the purchase of hardware and software for teaching.
- design grant systems which include a detailed and objective evaluation of the project. Given the large sums of money involved with IT projects, it is crucial that we ensure viability, relevance and value for money.
In the area of IT, change is the only constant. No one can confidently predict what will happen ten years from now. It is thus crucial that this Working Party report not be seen as a "one-off" effort. Instead, the University requires a watching brief on this area to keep our collective eye on the future, knowing that to fail to plan is to plan to fail.
Related to the above point, we must build evaluation (feedback loops) into all of our processes. Constant change requires continual adjustment as the University Canberra continues to strive to improve the quality of educational services which we offer.
• The University needs to give careful attention to the impact of increased student ownership of computers.
• The time is approaching when we should consider the legitimacy of expecting all students to have their own computer. In fact, some primary and secondary schools in Australia already require their students to own computers or rent one from the school. At the same time, we also acknowledge that the question of student ownership is a complex one raising many issues. How to lecturers ensure that students have compatible software? A computer which a student purchases in the first year of their degree will likely be out of date and unable to meet the increased demands of a final year student. What about part-time students who take twice as long to finish their degree?
• The student ownership of computers raises questions of equity and access. One possibililty is the provision of some type of leasing arrangement for those students otherwise unable to purchase a computer. The University could also help in coordinating the "buying power" of this group so that prices, software support, and licenses were obtained at reduced cost levels.
• As students increasingly bring computers to the University campus, we must have the infrastructure in place so that students can fully utilise their computers. Among the measures which should be considered are:
- provide ample power points.
- build computer workspaces in student residences.
- provide training and education for students.
- recognise privately owned computers in licensing arrangements.
- promote special IT purchase terms for students.
- work toward recommended standards in personal computers (software, compatibility).
• An important element of the University of Canberra's IT policy should be the promotion of inter-institutional cooperation.
• This cooperation is especially important in the ACT where UC should seek working partnerships with CIT, the ANU, ADFA, and Australian Catholic University, the ACT and Commonwealth Government, industry, etc.
• These partnerships should also explore shared equipment use, secondments of staff, etc.
• The Working Party also recognises that there are many legal issues associated with some of its recommendations. It will thus be important to link the policies discussed here to the University's Intellectual Property policy which is being formulated by another Working Party.
• Among the concerns which must be addressed are issues related to: privacy, confidentiality, ownership of intellectual property, student vs staff relationships, copyright, developments of patents, use of trade marks, registration of designs, employment contracts, and duties under the Trade Practices Act and other legislation.
• Decisions regarding IT are fraught with uncertainty and often demand specialised knowledge. While it is crucial for user groups to be fully consulted and their needs analysed, there is also a proper role for consultants to assist, for example, with: needs analysis, cost estimates, time estimates, and legal questions.
• While some of these consultants will be external to the University, it is also important to locate and utilise the wide range of expertise which exists within the University itself. In other cases, it might be best to train present staff to a higher level of expertise rather than contract with an outside body to provide such expertise.
• As a general policy, the Working Party favours the use and development of internal expertise. In this way, the University gains the benefits of retaining that expertise for other projects, encouraging staff development, and so on.
• With the world of learning increasingly an international one and with the likelihood of greater pressures towards commercialisation, the development of courseware and other information products/services should be done with a view toward tapping into this wider market. For example, developers of an application should anticipate that a variety of users from different countries and speaking different languages may seek to use these products and services.
• The University's new Innovation Centre could perhaps lead the way in helping staff and the University to commercialise educational materials.
• As part of its community policy, the University should continue to seek partnerships with industry, Government and other institutions.
• A necessary pre-condition to meeting the teaching IT needs identified above is the necessary University wide quality infrastructure to support that IT. Thus, IT to enhance teaching must be developed hand-in-hand with the provision of the necessary infrastructure upon which delivery of that IT is based.
• At the same time, we reassert the point made in Section Two that decisions must be "educationally driven". This will only happen if funding decisions are primarily determined by and responsive to educational needs as determined by Schools and Faculties. It is also important that we continue to build upon the projects which are currently developing as well as seeking to promote new IT projects. The priorities for doing this should be established by Faculties (the primary source of educational expertise) with the educational assistance of bodies such as CELTS.
• The first priority must be to establish continual and assured funding for the maintenance and regular upgrading of existing equipment while at the same time bringing all faculties up to the minimum standard of resources defined earlier in this report (Sections 3 through 6). This will require a detailed needs assessment (in consultation with users) regarding the existing state of infrastructure, hardware, software, and user support presently existing in all Faculties.
• Minimum levels of IT should be funded off the top of the University budget and independent of Faculty funding formulas. The minimum levels of IT discussed above must be achieved across the University.
• It must be recognised that some Faculties are much more technologically deprived than others. The infrastructure supporting some buildings on campus is grossly inadequate compared to more recent and comparably better funded sites.
Another high priority area is to upgrade the IT in our small group teaching areas as well as the large lecture theatres.
10.4 Encouragement of Innovation Leaders
While focusing on bringing all Faculties up to a minimum level of IT, the University must at the same time continue to encourage innovation leaders and ensure that this leadership results in a sustained educational improvement which becomes part of the "ethos" of the particular School, Faculty, etc. Moreover, where relevant, greater efforts must be made to spread such innovations across disciplinary and Faculty boundaries.
Yet another high priority is to put into place all the elements of a system which will be responsive to the needs of all those concerned. While we commend and support the work currently being undertaken by Information Services to articulate an overall policy, we must ensure that the policy becomes a daily reality, that it permeates all parts of the institution so that a real difference can result. Faculty user groups, provision of educational and technical support, training, and policies of regular upgrading, must be put into place and have substance as well as form. This will require the University to make a commitment to provide the necessary resources.
Candy, P., Crebert, G. & O'Leary, J. (1994) Developing Lifelong Learners through Undergraduate Education. (NBEET Commissioned Report No. 28) Canberra: AGPS.
Cochrane, T., Ellis, H. & Johnston, S. (1993) Computer-Based Education in Australian Higher Education. (Higher Education Division, Evaluations and Investigations Program) Canberra: AGPS.
Hamer, G. (1993) The Use of Technology to Deliver Education in the Workplace. (Higher Education Division, Occasional Paper Series) Canberra: AGPS.
Laurillard, D. (1993) Rethinking University Teaching: A Framework for the Effective Use of Educational Technology. London: Routledge.
NBEET (1994) Costs and Quality in Resource-Based Learning On- and Off-Campus. (Commissioned Report No. 33) Canberra: AGPS.
Tinkler, D., Smith, T., Ellyard, P. & Cohen, D. (1994)
Effectiveness and Potential of State-of-the-Art Technologies in the Delivery of Higher Education. (Higher Education Division, Occasional Papers Series) Canberra: AGPS.
[1] Just a few of the excellent law-related books on the Internet are: D. Macleod, The Internet Guide for the Legal Researcher' (Infosources Publishing, 1995); J. Milles, Internet Handbook for Law Librarians Glanville Publishers, 1993); J. Evans, Law on the Net, (Nolo Press, 1995); G. Burgess Allison, The Lawyer's Guide to the Internet (American Bar Foundation, 1995) and J. Blackman, The Legal Researcher's Internet Directory (O'Reilly and Associates, 1995).
[2] See H. Collins, "The Place of Computers in Legal Education' in P. Birks (ed) Reviewing Legal Education (Oxford University Press, 1994) ch 6.
[3] ibid.
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