Educational Technology Committee

Meeting of 31 October, 2007

 Minutes

 Present: Tim Whiteford (Chair), Susan Breeyear, Malcolm Lippert, Anne McConnell, John Payne,    
  Tony Richardson.

 I.        Meeting was called to order at noon.

II.      Purchase of a large-format printer was discussed, and responses from a request for faculty input were provided.

A.     Tim had spoken with George Goldsworthy (Print Shop) and Jon Hyde (Journalism).

1.      Jon provided good information, catalogues and web sites.

2.      We will ask him to continue helping.

B.     It looks as if 42” is as big a printer as we will be able to afford.

C.     Protocols will need to be set up.

1.      Access to printer.

2.      Who pays for upkeep and ink.

III.     Anne McConnell and Sue Breeyear reported that they had submitted a request for funding to equip four smaller-sized classrooms with Smart Board (and all the technology that goes with the normal Smart Board classroom).

A.     Rationale.

1.      More instructors are using Smart Board, so demand for the classrooms has risen.

2.      People who have been using Smart Board should be able to continue to do so.

3.      Most Smart Board rooms are fairly large, and classes are scheduled in them because of their size, even though the instructors do not make use of the technology.

4.      The proposed rooms (two seating about 17 and two seating from 22-25) are essential to maintaining access to the technology by all faculty who use it.

B.     The request was submitted to Bill Anderson’s office, then to the Provost.

C.     The Committee decided to send an endorsement of the request to both.

IV.   Topics proposed by Sue Breeyear.

A.     Instructional Technology has changed the way it maintains computer labs and needs feedback from faculty about how to make the lab experience better for students.  We will request feedback, which will go to Joann Trottier.

B.     Jon Hyde has requested that Cheray 111 be made into a screening room.

1.      Replacing the chairs with more comfortable ones, adding carpet.

2.      Installing equipment that will allow for screening multiple projections.

3.      This would not only serve courses in journalism, film, etc.; it would be useful for conferences.

4.      It would cost about $100,000.

5.      The Committee felt this needed further study, especially as concerns the science departments in Cheray and their “ownership” of the room.  It might still be used as a science lecture hall.  Jon Hyde proposed this last year, too, however, so things should be done in a timely fashion.

C.     Proposal for installation of a streaming server (ideal) or a dedicated server and other equipment to capture and disseminate guest lectures, special events on campus and campus celebrations.

1.      These would be available on demand.  To whom would have to be decided.

2.      It could be a useful tool no only for teaching but for alumni, institutional advancement, recruiting, etc.

3.      Sue reported that this would involve human resource issues, since at this time there are not enough employees to record all significant events on campus.  More staff would be needed.

4.      Jon Hyde, who proposed the server idea, will notify institutional advancement and submit a grant proposal, in hopes of obtaining outside funding.  He will also talk to marketing.

5.      The Committee will wait to recommend the project or not after more research has been done on it.

D.     Instructional Technology would like to organize another “winter teaching with technology workshop” to be held the Friday before classes begin in January.

1.      The Teaching Resource Committee has decided not to hold Pedagogy Day on that Friday, and has “ceded” the time to the CEPC.

2.      Malcolm will find out what the CEPC is planning, and will e-mail our Committee members.

3.      Tim will contact faculty to find out what they want to learn about (as well as what they would like to share with colleagues as a session presenter).

V.     The Educational Technology Web site has been found.

A.     Brian MacDonald has put a link to it on the SMC Web site.

B.     Is a site necessary?  Could Public Folders serve the same purpose?  The Committee decided to keep the Web site, and Tim will continue in charge of it.

VI.   The uses of DyKnow software were discussed. 

A.     Greta Pangborn was going to do a pilot of it in her CS class, but it is a small one, and the course is newly developed by her (robotics), so she might not use the software.

B.     It would probably work better with a larger class.

C.     There will be more pilot programs.

VII.  IT is in the process of putting together a replacement plan for the multimedia computers (in labs) on campus.

VIII.            Tim asked when St. Ed’s was going to go wireless.  So far, only the Farrell Room is set up.  Sue responded that the funding is there, and that it will probably be finished this coming summer.

IX.    Announcements.

A.     Sue reminded us that there will be a large Middlebury language program on campus for students from 7^th to 11^th grade most of the month of July.  There will be 300 students.  Anyone wanting to use labs, tech classrooms, etc., for that period should be aware of this.

B.     There is a DVD of Richard Kujawa’s presentation on the uses of Google Maps and Google Earth now available in the Faculty Development Lab.

C.     Instructional Technology will offer workshops on using Outlook and Calendar.

X.      Meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Anne P. McConnell

“Scribe-of-the-Day”