Report Profiles IT Training at U.S. Universities

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Report Profiles IT Training at U.S. Universities

4/20/2007

By David Kopf

Dublin, Ireland-based research firm Research and Markets has released a new report that tracks how various institutions of higher learning in the United States are trying to improve the computer literacy of their faculty and students.

At the core of "Trends in Training College Faculty, Staff & Students in Computer Literacy" is the question of whether colleges and universities should create their own computer literacy training programs or purchase commercial solutions and services. The report aims to help clarify issues such as:

Finding the best way to help faculty master new technology;

Appropriately budgeting for training;
Training distance learning instructors;
Balancing formal and ad hoc approaches to training;
Determining student computer literacy standards; and
Integrating subject-specific computer literacy into curriculums.

To better understand the issues, the report profiles various colleges and universities, including Brooklyn Law School, Florida State University College of Medicine, Indiana University Southeast, Texas Christian University, Clemson University, the Teaching & Learning Technology Group, the Appalachian College Association, Tuskegee Institute, and the University of West Georgia.

The solutions to these issues were as varied as the institutions profiled. Some examples:

Indiana University Southeast developed a new major to fill the gap between casual IT training, which is inadequate for many students, and the computer science major, which isn't practical enough for other students.
The Appalachian College Association, which seeks to improve the quality of Appalachia's higher education instruction, developed a unique training approach that educates both instructors and student together via three-day workshops.
Florida State University College of Medicine integrated training for medical students into virtually every course it offers, along with broad institutional support, which includes outfitting students with laptops, and providing enough support personnel to service them.

David Kopf is a freelance technology writer and marketing consultant. He can be reached at david@dkcopy.com.

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David Kopf, "Report Profiles IT Training at U.S. Universities," Campus Technology, 4/20/2007, http://www.campustechnology.com/article.aspx?aid=47595

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