Laptop Faculty Development

William F. Moss

College of Engineering and Science

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.

Pedagogy Workshops

• Provide a good teaching effectiveness workshop. See Richard Felder’s 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.

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.

Follow up – share ideas

• Review participants laptop course plans prior to implementation.

• Brown bag lunches

• Seminars

• Laptop faculty development web site - FAQ

• Discussion Board

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?

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?

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?

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?