The Role of Technology in the Liberal Arts Shawn Beattie

The big questions… What is education? What is a liberal arts education? What is the role of technology in a liberal arts education?

What is education?

What is a liberal arts education?

What is the role of technology in a liberal arts education?

Education “ Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself .” John Dewey

“ Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself .”

John Dewey

Liberal Arts Education Has several meanings - Curricular Civic Institutional Pedagogical Source: What’s So “Liberal” About Higher Ed? Jo Ellen Parker, Exec. Dir. NITLE, http://www.nitle.org

Has several meanings -

Curricular

Civic

Institutional

Pedagogical

Source: What’s So “Liberal” About Higher Ed? Jo Ellen Parker, Exec. Dir. NITLE,

http://www.nitle.org

What is “Liberal Arts” Institutional small, residential, privately governed, bachelor’s granting college Role of technology – Distinguish from and compete with non-liberal arts colleges Emphasizes community (ex: laptop program, wi-fi, Internet 2)

Institutional

small, residential, privately governed, bachelor’s granting college

Role of technology –

Distinguish from and compete with non-liberal arts colleges

Emphasizes community

(ex: laptop program, wi-fi, Internet 2)

What is “Liberal Arts” Curricular Liberal arts and sciences: History, Philosophy, Mathematics, Art & Music Excludes applied studies – nursing, business, teacher education

Curricular

Liberal arts and sciences: History, Philosophy, Mathematics, Art & Music

Excludes applied studies – nursing, business, teacher education

Role of Technology - Curricular Multimedia – allows integration of liberal arts Presentation technology – facilitates drawing from different disciplines Hypertext – allows links to be made (ex: Project Luther) Online databases – allows deep research in the liberal arts Digital image collections – art across curriculum Rich content

Multimedia – allows integration of liberal arts

Presentation technology – facilitates drawing from different disciplines

Hypertext – allows links to be made (ex: Project Luther)

Online databases – allows deep research in the liberal arts

Digital image collections – art across curriculum

Rich content

What is “Liberal Arts” Civic preparation for democratic citizenship and civic engagement learning communities, community-based research, collaborative projects, service-learning, mentored internships, foreign study (AAC&U http://www.aacu.org )

Civic

preparation for democratic citizenship and civic engagement

learning communities, community-based research, collaborative projects, service-learning, mentored internships, foreign study

(AAC&U http://www.aacu.org )

Role of Technology - Civic Creates learning communities (ex: discussion forums, blogs) Used as a tool in service learning (ex: documenting service projects as part of an e-portfolio) Extracurricular technology use (ex: creating websites for non-profits)

Creates learning communities

(ex: discussion forums, blogs)

Used as a tool in service learning

(ex: documenting service projects as part of an e-portfolio)

Extracurricular technology use

(ex: creating websites for non-profits)

What is “Liberal Arts” Pedagogical Focuses on not “what” but “how” group or independent study undergraduate research faculty mentoring student presentations active learning

Pedagogical

Focuses on not “what” but “how”

group or independent study

undergraduate research

faculty mentoring

student presentations

active learning

Role of Technology in Pedagogy Active learning (ex: student response system) Simulations (sciences, economics) Moodle – wiki, forum, quiz, chat, journal Facilitates peer group work Student publication (e-portfolio) Technology is woven into the very thread of the teaching and learning processes

Active learning (ex: student response system)

Simulations (sciences, economics)

Moodle – wiki, forum, quiz, chat, journal

Facilitates peer group work

Student publication (e-portfolio)

Technology is woven into the very thread of the teaching and learning processes

Role of Technology – summary Distinguishes and helps keep competitive the small, bachelors-granting, residential campus Helps connect the college community together Provides a powerful link to the local, state, national, and global communities Provides for active learning and learner-centered pedagogies

Distinguishes and helps keep competitive the small, bachelors-granting, residential campus

Helps connect the college community together

Provides a powerful link to the local, state, national, and global communities

Provides for active learning and learner-centered pedagogies

Role of Technology - summary Focus of Educational Technology Relevance and appropriateness Reliability Easy to use Transparency

Focus of Educational Technology

Relevance and appropriateness

Reliability

Easy to use

Transparency

Questions?