Chapter 3
How to get technology training
DWU faculty have made it clear that no single type of forum works
best for their professional development needs. While some professors
would readily attend workshops and seminars, as long as their schedules
permit, most prefer information and training to be provided in asynchronous
formats that can be encountered at their own time selection and pace.
Both groups will be accommodated to the extent possible.
Organized campus training
Instructional Technology offers periodic workshops
throughout the year related to technology and learning. The current
schedule of workshops is listed in the Professional
Development section of this web site, along with a description
of each. Interested participants may register online.
Workshops can be customized for academic divisions or departments
or other special interest groups at DWU. Contact Mike Albright at
x2638 or mialbrig@dwu.edu to
discuss specific needs and schedule events.
Online user guides, tutorials
Online user guides and tutorials related to the
technologies we use at Dakota Wesleyan are located in various places
in this web site, according to topic.
Personalized academic technology consultation
Mike Albright, DWU's Instructional Technology Specialist
funded through the Title III grant, will be happy to meet with any
faculty member to provide assistance in the use of academic technologies.
Some areas in which Mike can help, and this is certainly not a complete
list, include the following:
- Converting a conventional face-to-face course, or components
of a course, to an online environment. This might involve just
a small number of course activities or an entire course.
- Providing assistance in creating learning materials for a course.
See the section entitled Digital Media Production in Chapter 4
below for examples.
- Thinking through instructional problems. Why aren't students
learning? What alternatives might we have for teaching this material?
Technology might not be the solution.
- Locating online resources or activities that might provide valuable
learning experiences for students.
- Learning to use the tools available in the Jenzabar course management
system, or any other software application available on your computer.
Mike is here to provide the support you need to use technology in
your teaching. Please don't hesitate to contact him at x2638 or mialbrig@dwu.edu.
Teaching and Learning with Technology Roundtable
(TLTR)
Dakota Wesleyan's Teaching and Learning with Technology
Roundtable (TLTR) was inaugurated at the beginning of the Fall 2004
semester. A TLTR is an informal group of people, representing diverse
parts of the university, who meet regularly to discuss topics related
to the improvement of teaching and learning with technology. All
members of the university community are invited to participate. While
the main intent of a TLTR is to provide a forum for a discussion
of issues, many times the topic of the month provides professional
development opportunities.
For more information about the Roundtable, see the TLTR discussion
in Chapter 5, below. For the current meeting schedule and topic descriptions,
see the DWU TLTR pages in this web
site.
Commercial training providers
At least four commercial training providers operate
in the Sioux Falls and Rapid City areas. These companies offer workshops
and seminars on a wide variety of topics and provide excellent opportunities
for professional development not otherwise available at the university.
These events typically range in time from two hours to two days and
cost between $50 and $500, and sometimes more. The registration fees
and other expenses, such as travel, must be borne by DWU employees
themselves or their departments, although funding may be available
through the Bush grant (see Rocky Von Eye) or the Title III grant
(see Kevin Kenkel).
See the following for topics, dates, locations, and costs:
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