No Teacher Left Behind: How to Teach with Technology ith the infusion of technol- addressed during the past three years. A three-phase ogy into all aspects of daily We believe that our experience offers program taught Wlife, students are becoming an instructive model for faculty devel- more and more adept at using technol- opment in incorporating technology veteran and novice ogy as an educational resource. Many into the classroom. This article provides faculty, however, are not keeping pace an overview of a three-phase program instructors how to with their students. Additionally, faculty that when implemented will assist feel increasingly unprepared to integrate both veteran and novice instructors in effectively integrate technology into the classroom.1 “Little incorporating available technology into has been done to prepare reluctant the classroom to achieve a richer edu- technology into technology users for the networked cational experience for students. This computers flooding into their rooms,” article highlights the practical steps that lesson plans according to Jamie McKenzie, editor of nearly any department can adopt (or the Web-based journal From Now On.2 adapt) to get a program running at its By Jamie Efaw Many institutions of higher learner now own institution. offer technology courses to faculty to bridge this gap, helping them master Background the intricacies of PowerPoint or learn to West Point first issued desktop com- post materials in a course management puters to cadets in 1986, and soon the system. These courses help to an extent, faculty and cadets were networked on a but classes in using technology do not common platform. Thanks to the mili- prepare faculty to effectively incorpo- tary focus on standardization, we’ve rate technology into their teaching.3 never had the problem of incompatible At the United States Military Academy formats, and we immediately benefited at West Point, we have had the luxury from the enhanced communication of operating in a technology-rich, stan- between instructors and students via dardized environment since the mid- e-mail. The introduction of the Web 1980s. This has enabled us to develop challenged us to create online learning slowly in our understanding and use environments where cadets could find of technology for instruction. Never- additional resources for specific courses. theless, the faculty development issue The plethora of Web resources led us is probably the most challenging and to adopt a course management system, one that the academy’s Department of mainly to provide a portal for students to Behavioral Sciences and Leadership has ease their transition into our technology- 26 EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY • Number 4 2005 rich environment. Nevertheless, when Our perpetually optimistic, in-house work on other classes or e-mail their West Point replaced standard desktop technology gurus had advised us that friends during any class. Initially it computers with laptops beginning in the laptop would “bring the classroom seemed as though the laptop brought 2002 (with a complete wireless network back to the barracks” and thus facilitate more problems than benefits, and some already in place), departments puzzled cadet class preparation. What we found instructors banned computers in class. over how to best incorporate student was that the laptop brought the bar- As George Kuh, a professor at Indiana computers into the classroom—if at all. racks into the classroom and tended to University and director of the National Many universities have struggled facilitate distractions. That is, the cadets Survey of Student Engagement, observed with the infusion of technology into had materials from all their classes, plus during an interview, technology can be the classroom, and we are no different. personal files, on their laptops and could a double-edged sword.4 Number 4 2005 • EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY 27 Although we tried to prepare for the classroom strategies scored significantly summer and take part in the workshop; influx of laptops, our department was higher on all graded examinations than adding the veteran instructors, the typi- no more successful than others. At West students of instructors who used tra- cal class size is between eight and twelve Point, the majority of the military fac- ditional instructional and note-taking instructors. In a survey, Abbott and Farris ulty members are on a three-year rota- methods. Additionally, we assessed found this to be the optimal class size tion, which means that a substantial students’ attitudes through end-of- when learning new concepts and skill sets number of new instructors arrive each course surveys and found that the stu- such as teaching with technology.8 year. Our departments typically experi- dents of instructors who incorporated While we realize that our summer ence a “30 percent turnover of instruc- laptop technology into coursework workshops are unique, workshops in tors each year, which necessitates a sys- rated their motivation and interest in how to use basic technology are usually tematic and integrative approach that the course, instructor efficiency, and well received by faculty. Any institution ensures new instructors are prepared to their own learning significantly higher launching similar training could probably teach.”5 Due to this turnover, individual than did students in more traditional enroll a significant number. One of the academic departments conduct faculty classrooms. biggest obstacles is the negative attitude development workshops in the sum- With the lessons learned and tech- of some faculty toward having technol- mer to introduce arriving faculty to the niques discovered from this experience, ogy in the classroom. Abbot and Farris institution, their department, and the we incorporated our newfound knowl- found that faculty had a more positive process of teaching undergraduates. edge, along with other faculty develop- attitude toward computers after receiv- During the annual summer training ment principles, into a program that ing introductory training on their uses for new faculty in 2002, the veteran both encourages and equips faculty to and capabilities.9 Additionally, Zhao instructors of the general psychology use technology in teaching. Instructors et al. found that to successfully imple- course tried to prepare both themselves who complete this program have shown ment technological innovations, faculty and the new instructors for the laptops significant improvement in integrating need to know how to use the appropriate that would arrive with the freshmen, technology into the classroom: A survey applications.10 all of whom take this core course. The asked new instructors “To what extent In accordance with this research, before attempt was a resounding failure—pri- do you feel prepared to integrate new starting classroom modeling or sessions marily because no one had prior experi- technology (e.g., laptop computers) into on how to teach in the faculty develop- ence incorporating laptop technology classroom activities?” They responded ment workshops, all incoming instructors into the teaching process, and we had no with an average of 2.25 on a five-point receive training on the basics of using a one to provide a model for us. Addition- Likert-type scale ranging from “Not pre- computer; an explanation of programs, ally, faculty resisted allowing students to pared” to “Well prepared.” After com- applications, and technology available bring this technology into class. As one pleting the program, the same instruc- for use; and an orientation to the typical instructor exclaimed, “That thing is not tors responded with a 4.5 (p < .001). classroom. It is important that the new coming into my classroom!” The academy’s introductory psychol- instructors feel comfortable with technol- It is never easy to change the way ogy course is now in its third year of ogy before trying to incorporate it into a you teach. West Point was not alone in integrating technology. Our experience lesson plan. facing these problems, however. During shows that a three-phase process accom- Unfortunately, if technologists lead the this same period, the Office of Social plishes faculty development most effec- introduction to technology, the faculty and Economic Data Analysis reported tively. The three phases are learning, experience often ends with a basic comfort that at least 50 percent of instructors practice and feedback, and continued level in the mechanics. The key to our identified themselves as educational development. development program is that it resides in technology novices, and only 42 per- the domain of faculty colleagues, and the cent felt prepared to use technology in Learning secret weapon is the core faculty who have the classroom.6 The first phase encompasses train- already experimented with and learned Before the second semester started ing in available technology, classroom how to use technology in the classroom. in 2003, we asked for instructor volun- modeling of the technology, learning The second element of the learning phase teers to incorporate laptop computers how to encourage student participation, requires the presence of this core group. into their classroom work and teaching and initial feedback from experienced strategy. Four of the ten general psy- instructors. Classroom Modeling chology course instructors volunteered. and Participation The resulting quasi-experimental study Technology Training Several studies11 have shown two revealed that the integration of laptop The first key is to develop the faculty’s key elements to successful