The Instructional Technology Group Strategic Plan 2007-08 / 2009-10
The Instructional Technology Group strategic plan is based on the evolving use of technology by Emerson College students, faculty and staff. Instructional Technology staff carefully considers the wider academic support structure and has drafted a plan to optimally collaborate with such units in new ways to best support teaching and learning.
Instructional Technology Group Mission
The mission of the Instructional Technology Group is to support faculty with the integration of appropriate educational and communications technology within the curriculum. Instructional Technology collaborates with faculty in the assessment, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of instructional technologies to enhance teaching and learning.
Goals and Objectives
GOAL ONE:
Support and empower faculty with the effective use of technology for teaching with careful attention to individual pedagogical styles and instructional goals.Objective 1: Support faculty with the creation and development of digital teaching materials such as course Web sites, narrated videos, games, images, and text-based information resources. Support faculty with the pedagogical uses of classroom-based technologies and collaborate to develop innovative teaching strategies.
- Capture and communicate teaching strategies and pedagogies related to the classrooms and contexts in which they are implemented.
- Introduce teaching strategies and pedagogies based on faculty successes and learning theory.
- Create, develop and distribute digital teaching resources among faculty.
- Fully utilize the creative potential of our course management system in order for at least 80% of Emerson courses to have a consistent online component.
- Guide faculty and curriculum developers in defining and implementing an e-portfolio for assessing and presenting student work.
Objective 2: Evaluate the impact of technology use on student learning.
- Evaluate and assess the impact of technology use on student learning college-wide as well as in specific courses.
- Conduct student focus groups to gain insight into the impact of course Web sites and other instructional media projects on student learning. Conduct other types of formal user-testing of course sites and other digital projects.
- Communicate student responses to learning through instructional technologies to the faculty.
- Assess and better understand faculty experiences with instructional technology.
- Draw upon faculty and student classroom experiences, current faculty technology use, and technology availability.
Objective 3: Strengthen the connections and the sharing of best instructional technology practices among Emerson faculty.
- Sponsor and host events such as faculty panels, brownbag lunches, presentations, seminars, and faculty orientations to demonstrate successful uses of instructional technology. Current events include the Exemplary Course Project and New Technologies : New Connections.
- Communicate effective instructional technology practices among faculty through printed resources such as ibooks, posters, and flyers. Continue to share practices through campus newsletters such as ITNews, Emerson Today and Faculty Focus.
- Communicate best instructional technology practices among faculty through digital media such as the Instructional Technology/Library blog, video documentaries, the Instructional Technology Web site, the WebCT information screen, the Emerson Channel, and other outlets.
- Communicate successful uses of instructional technology among faculty with common course and programmatic goals such as the CC100 faculty.
GOAL TWO:
Research and introduce effective tools and techniques that are congruent with Emerson faculty pedagogies. Present technology trends to enhance instruction both online and in the classroom.
Objective 1: Identify innovative tools complementary to the Emerson curriculum.
- Stay current with educational technology efforts through local institutions, professional consortia and industry communications.
- Research software, hardware, tools and technologies that have potential use as educational games, simulations and repositories.
Objective 2: Present innovative tools to Emerson faculty and implement accordingly.
- Draw upon faculty and student classroom experiences, current faculty technology use, technology availability, and student interests to help identify appropriate tools.
- Suggest appropriate, innovative technologies to faculty through informal faculty interactions and individual consultations.
- Demonstrate the possibilities of such technologies through scheduled events and other departmental communications.
GOAL THREE:
In light of rapid information technology convergence and subsequent faculty and student needs, develop new ways to collaborate with campus technologists, librarians, and other academic units to better support teaching and learning.
Objective 1: Identify specific areas where Instructional Technology complements the Emerson Library services, and support faculty collaboratively. Increase the number and types of events, information resources, and projects with the Emerson Library.
- Create and foster communications to combine Instructional Technology and reference librarian skills, knowledge, information, and resources while offering support and sharing best teaching practices for faculty.
- Collaborate more closely with implementing new faculty and graduate student orientations.
- Increase communication and collaboration on projects.
- Increase the number of faculty-focused sessions such as brown bag luncheons and faculty panels on teaching and learning with the Library.
- Support faculty with teaching information literacy by developing resources and communicating successful strategies.
Objective 2: Further develop the collaboration with campus technologists by sharing experiences, resources, knowledge and skills through communication channels and by collaborating closer on projects.
- Identify specific ways Instructional Technology complements the roles of campus technologists and collaborate on projects accordingly.
- Work toward creating new ways to communicate, share experiences and resources with campus technologists. Host events showcasing projects, new technologies, and evolving approaches of support.
- Increase the number of interactions and creative ways to support faculty in teaching with technology with the School of Communication technology manager.
- Develop practical resources and communicate successful strategies to teach students technology literacy.
Objective 3: Increase the collaboration with departments such as Graduate Studies and the Writing and Academic Resource Center to better contribute to the success of faculty and students in teaching and learning.
- Contribute to and help develop information and curricular resources that support the success of such departments.
- Increase the amount and use of instructional resources and types of support for student success with technology assignments through the Writing and Academic Resource Center.
- Increase the Instructional Technology Group’s contribution with creating and developing artifacts of faculty best practices with instructional technologies.
GOAL FOUR:
Increase support and awareness of learning-style diversity, information literacy, and technology literacy.
Objective 1: Understand the evolving profile of the Emerson student population in order to effectively respond with technologies, resources and services to enhance learning.
- Consult with Academic Affairs, Graduate Studies, the Writing and Academic Resource Center, and Student Services as well as academic departments regarding student needs and consider how the Instructional Technology Group can address those needs.
- Identify and create resources to support faculty teaching and student learning of information literacy.
- Keep apprised of new technologies and techniques to support students with varying learning styles, and support accordingly.
- Keep apprised of Emerson student learning styles through Emerson faculty, staff, classroom observations, formal reports, and support accordingly.
Objective 2: Demystify the terminology and concepts surrounding technology through everyday practice and communication.
- Integrate simple explanations of relevant and popular tools and techniques into our consultations, literature (online and print), conversations, and culture.
GOAL FIVE:
Raise the visibility of Emerson College faculty use of instructional technology.
Objective 1: Showcase faculty teaching and technology use outside of Emerson.
- Post successful teaching strategies through Emerson online and print communication channels.
- Present faculty successes with instructional technology through regional and national conferences.
- Contribute successful faculty instructional technology strategies to professional knowledge bases such as Merlot.
