DEVELOPING UNIVERSAL STUDENT ACCESS

TO EDUCATIONAL COMPUTING

Introduction

West Virginia students are eager to gain an education that has a broad foundation, yet is relative to their needs by enriching their future opportunities. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of computing. Not just in the manner in which computers are operated or programmed, but the use of computers as tools for accomplishing administrative and academic tasks. Governor Caperton’s K-12 initiatives have developed the computing skills of elementary and secondary students. However, higher education continues to face enormous challenges regarding the implementation of computer technology for instructional applications. Employers expect graduates to have computer skills and students react positively to the use of computers in their educational experience. Yet, institutions and systems are hesitant in mandating the use of this valuable learning tool.

 Proposed Program
One of the fundamental elements of academic computing is to ensure universal access to hardware, software, and networks. "Universal Access" is defined as creating a method in which all students have a personal computer or workstation, typically a laptop configuration, available twenty-four hours per day for the length of the academic term. The device should have network connectivity to teachers (in and out of the lecture hall), fellow students, and the World Wide Web.

Wake Forest University has established a basic requirement that all students will have a laptop computer to be used within the on-campus classroom and without. By Fall 1996 these students will be involved in a learning environment that is not hindered by the limitations of stationary computer labs. By virtue of their laptops, they will carry their laboratories wherever they go. The Wake Forest program has fully incorporated technology into all academic disciplines. Through a partnership with IBM, this prestigious private institution has taken the risk of advocating change in the instructional process through technology.

University of Minnesota at Crookston has made a dramatic change in its academic delivery by using technology. Originally, a technical school and located in the farthest reaches of the state’s northwest, UMC was faced with possible closure three years ago. The campus CEO, Chancellor Don Sargent, took a bold step and decided to change the manner by which education would be delivered. Requiring all students to have IBM laptop computers and insisting faculty to begin teaching via a mediated modality, the chancellor has created a remarkable new learning environment for residential, commuter, and distance learning students. UMC is now considered to be setting the pace for its sister institutions in Minnesota and has no concern about losing its charter from the state. Although tuition has risen, so have admissions. Students, in-state and from out side the Minnesota boundaries seeking to learn in a high tech atmosphere are finding UMC a most inviting location.

California State at Sonoma has taken a similar approach, except for the format. Apple computers have been required of all students enrolling in the institution this year. Faculty development programs are increasing the awareness and ability of the professors to present material in a meaningful way through computing. Class lectures, independent learning, and off-campus instruction is taking place through Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI).

These three examples from different parts of our nation are individual initiatives by individual institutions. The California State University System is embarking on an exploratory process. However, West Virginia is unique in seeking a statewide approach to computer access. Such a strategy meets the concerns of developing greater effectiveness in education while providing a vehicle to examine an avenue for reaching more cost-effectiveness in the state’s academic programs. For some, this task is perceived as too monumental. For others, it is merely the next obvious step for education.

Universal access focuses on the student as a learner, an independent participant in the education/learning process, not merely a consumer of teaching. One needs to only pass by a computer or software retailer today to see the self-initiated learning that is taking place outside of the classroom. People seek to acquire new computer skills and learn new facts by expanding on their ability to "compute" their way into new virtual libraries. Students and their families make significant investments in computers and interconnections. A plan for greater computer access is a reinforcement to this behavior and extends this opportunity to all students by providing hardware, software, and appropriate interconnectivity to maximize effectiveness of these tools in the hands of faculty and students.

It is understood that no one strategy exists as a remedy for overcoming the challenge of improved learning productivity. Without a rudimentary change in the manner which the learning/teaching methods take place, the application of technology will be a "bolt on" that will only add cost. Administrators, faculty, and students must realize that the process of teaching and learning will dramatically change in the next decade. Using the computer as a tool to deal with this change is a basic premise which will lead to a greater concentration on the student as a learner.

Advantages

Access to the Increasing Base of Information
Any librarian will attest to the exploding level of knowledge. It is growing at a pace that no longer permits the traditional means of capture and retrieval. Educators and ultimately the economic environment students seek to enter demands that individuals have the ability to access this expanding foundation of information. Searching through this ever multiplying foundation becomes the challenge facing information explorers.

Access to information means having a networked computer. Effective access means having computer access from places of work, homes, classrooms, and library. Simply having laboratories stipulates the student is place bound. As the need for electronic mediated information increases, so does the requirement for having the portable tools for tapping into the storage system. Existing levels of support through classroom converted to multiple terminals limits the ability of the student find information and confines the instructor to less challenging assignments. Having his or her own computer, connected to the Internet, provides the individual an appropriate avenue to information sources and links to academic programs involved in electronic interactive learning.

Changing Modality of Education
As West Virginians approach the new millennium, they will find the trend of learning becoming more student oriented and less instructor centered. Computers will play a significant role in changing this orientation. The National Learning Infrastructure Initiative recognizes this change is currently in progress. In its report to the State Higher Education Executive Officers, NLII reports that the use of technology can not merely be an "add on", but must become a necessary part of the education process with teachers developing modules which are interactive.

One such example of this new modality of instruction can be found at the University of Minnesota at Crookston. Donald Sargeant, Chancellor of the institution, reversed the traditional methods of teaching at his school.

In 1993 a major initiative was unveiled. It included the following:

• All full-time students and faculty were provided notebook computers.
• Computer technology is required in all courses.
• Faculty, students, and staff communicate via electronic mail.
• Off-site dial-in access facilitates the UMC library and other electronic information bases.

The institution has reconfigured the learning environment. Instructional design development is provided to professors increasing the use of computer based instruction within the classroom and outside the normal teaching realm. Students are required to demonstrate computer literacy and physical facilities have been retro-fitted to accommodate the new modality of electronic teaching. Most all locations; e.g., classrooms, library, cafeterias, and residence hall rooms have network connections. Modem connections are adequately supplied for commuting students, availing access to faculty and course learning modules from anywhere.

Enhancing Communication
Communication between faculty and students can be enhanced through the use of computer networks. E-mail has rapidly come to the forefront of many institutions as faculty and staff uses the medium for business and personal correspondence. With students coming on-line, the effect will be greater. Dialogue list serves will provide opportunities for students to asked the unasked in-class question. Professors can spark significant discussion via the Internet, with all class members benefiting, not just the one who asked a question.

Moving from the teacher-centered to a student-centered learning environment will place a premium on the presentation skill development of students. Individuals involved in mediated courses soon realize the importance of formulating a cohesive message. Merely having information is no longer adequate. Knowing how to appropriately share that information becomes equally important. Students discovered this in a 1993 initiative involving West Virginia University and Marshall University. Fundamental English composition classes were combined via computer networking with students in Morgantown and Huntington sharing assignments and evaluating each other’s writing. Classmates of the Internet began to be more honest with critiques and demanded that communication be done with clarity. Again, this was most often student initiated, not a criterion of the instructors. As with speech communication courses and composition writing courses, students will learn the new methods of communicating pertinent to their career development.

Adapting to Technological Change
The rate of technological change is often at odds with the pace at which most higher education institutions can keep. The economics and decision-making processes can effectively render traditional programs of technology development irrelevant to "real world" applications. Involving students in the process through computer acquisition can stimulate all market forces to operate, and potentially enable the rate of technology application to better match the rate of technology development. Universal computer access programs will be the catalysts by which students, faculty, and institutions realize a greater expectation of technology advancement.

A side bar to this advancement is the development of students’ own comprehension of technology adaptation. New methods of learning and acclimating to the use of computers will give all graduates new abilities in sensitizing needs for the work environment. Not only will these tools of technology have more acceptability and creativity, but colleges and universities will also be placing graduate who know how to and when to upgrade their needs. No longer will employers complain that college graduates need to be retrained. Graduate will come to them with the latest in skills and the attitude that lifelong learning is an accepted norm.

Maximizing Learning
With the explosion of knowledge previously mentioned, students must have the ability to make the right choices in selecting material for presentation and to follow up with relationships among the megabytes of information available. The use of the interactive mode of question and response gives the student the time-tested format of inquiry to retain more and increase the graduate’s knowledge base. Student-centered activities result student-outcome based evaluations.

Universal access to computing reinforces the learning over the teaching of material. With the expectation that a career will change several times during a lifetime, students must be cognizant of the ability to think critically and make decisions. Process becomes more important than fact. Facts can be relegated to storage in data banks, libraries, or digital archives. The use of computer applications becomes essential to accessing these facts and employing them in the most appropriate manner. Students will require expertise in gathering material, storing facts, and analyzing documents as individuals or within networked groups. Thus, the exposure to the computer in the normal realm of a college education should be seen as a most relevant means of maximizing the time spent on learning.

Enhancing Equity
Universal access programs can help ensure that all students have equal access to technology and to the learning it supports. The disadvantaged student should not be left behind because more affluent students have superior tools for information access. Without a commitment to universal access, West Virginia institutions run the risk of developing a caste system of "those who have and those who have not".

A provision of universal access will negate the concern of course work and communication restricted to the traditional lecture or office visit. The networking of computers expands the normal parameters of classroom activity, e.g., only the most assertive participating, limited time for discussion, forgetting to ask the important question. E-mail and computer conferencing provides outlets for additional student-faculty and student-student interaction which is neither time limited or place bound.

Challenges
Developing instruction through mediated venues represents a major shift in the thinking of many educators and supporters of higher education. Beyond the shear magnitude of the equipment and software implementation, the culture which has prevailed in educational disciplines will be affected. Professors who have developed their standard delivery methods often find little need in creating a new set of parameters. Students find they can no longer expect to be "spoon fed" by teachers. External constituencies who provide resources and send their children to West Virginia campuses must be fully apprised of changes taking place. Relationships with other institutions and accrediting agencies require a full disclosure to ensure acceptability and positive responses. Without the active engagement and support of these groups, implementation of a universal access program may not only fail, but can actually be damaging to the long-term prospects of technology development.

Integration Within the Culture of Education
Studies support the notion that change is perceived as a disruption by organizations. Education, the largest organization in West Virginia, can view the implementation of technology into the most fundamental elements of the organization, teaching, as a major threat to "status quo". This incursion on the sanctuary of learning will demand change in the way higher education views the instructional process.

As technology is approached and instruction becomes more studentcentered, institutions will need a transitional period. Additional work from the faculty, adaptation of new curricular elements, reporting and scheduling transformations, and pedagogy development will need to be addressed throughout this organizational culture. A recognition will need to be made of this phenomenon and the budgeting, phasing, and management necessary to its implementation. Some of these concerns include:

• Preparation time- Educators will realize that the amount of time and the nature of class preparation will change. While technology may or may not increase the amount of time necessary to prepare instruction, it certainly will modify the manner in which an institution’s personnel will approach the instructional components.

• Control of class- Active use of technology will require instructors to relinquish a degree of control to the students. Many faculty members have become used to being seen as performer, a role that provides considerable rewards to the ego. For some of these professors, becoming a facilitator instead of the "all knowing" sage will represent a loss of power and eminence. It is likely that this aspect of the cultural change will proceed slowly, and that in some cases the individual faculty will desire to continue playing the role formerly held.

• New faculty skills- Faculty will no longed be able to limit their role to that of content expert. Current distance learning models in West Virginia have provided technicians to formulate the messages and deliver the class lectures to students throughout the state. While instructors will not be compelled to be masters of instructional design in technology, they will need to understand the basics of the equipment and the authoring systems which will allow the most effective use of the technology. Faculty development and actual learning from students will become intrinsic to those who want to excel with mediated courses.

• New student skills- Students will be faced with overcoming the comfortable habits that constitute many of the current academic cultural paradigms. If the student-center mode is to be successful, it will require the student to become more self-motivated. No longer will students be permitted to sit in a classroom and passively absorb information, often persevering until being rewarded with a degree. New responsibilities on students can not be legislated nor mandated by an institution. However, through an integration of curriculum reform, access to communication and its resources, student investment in communication infrastructure, and encouragement from faculty, many of the passive groups can become actively involved in their own learning process.

• Faculty/Student interaction- Technology promises to facilitate a wide variety of asynchronus interactions between faculty and students that enhances the level of communication. However, there remains the perceived threat to some faculty who are unable to effectively use these methods and time differences. E-mail, and electronic delivery of course material are foreign to many faculty who believe this to be too impersonal.

• Class time, when students sit in front of the lecturer while taking notes, will be re-evaluated. Ubiquitous access to technology will permit the professor to give out notes ahead of time in electronic form. But, what of the in-class interaction? On-line sharing techniques will be required to accommodate this need for interaction.

• Faculty Concerns- Institutions which have implemented universal access policies and created a new aura of learning have been faced with a need for faculty acceptance. Indeed, any change in the learning environment must be founded on faculty initiative. Some of the reasonable concerns voiced by faculty include:
  • Immediacy. Many question the need for making radical decisions too quickly. West Virginia’s higher education community consists of the state’s intellectual banks. It is the faculty’s duty to question and debate any new initiative. With many of the answers yet unknown, the validity of these new realms of instruction must be discussed to the satisfaction of those who will be most closely involved with the process.
  • Ulterior motives. Faculty are concerned that the real motivation for universal access programs is to merely save money. Using technology to replace faculty threatens the security of jobs and careers. Increasing access, expanding workloads, and boosting productivity can be readily perceived as teaching more students with fewer faculty.
  • De-personalizing education. The interjection of the computer and its related platforms of technology is perceived to also conflict with the basic crux of the educational process, student-teacher relationships. As indicated earlier in the discussion on culture, this becomes of greatest concern with those instructors who are most interested in student achievement. It will be imperative that faculty understand these concerns and learn to deal with them via the new avenues of communication. However, it will be the faculty who will determine the means by which this can be done in their respective disciplines.
  • Affordability. This issue most often rises with faculty discussions on the welfare of their students. West Virginia students are cited as one of the most needy classes in the nation. Faculty is committed to providing a low-cost education for those who are willing to partake of it. It is not uncommon for the state’s faculty to recommend the use of paperback texts as a student cost savings principle. Further, faculty voice the concern that funds used for the technology improvements necessary for computer access are confiscated from funds stipulated for other fundamental expenditures.
  • Faculty development. Many faculty fear that they will be forced into areas of technology which they lack expertise. This is particularly true of senior faculty members who have not utilized the computer in their own studies and/or have developed more traditional approaches to course development. The perception exists that time spent of learning new technologies may better be spent on disciplinary research and application to pedagogy.
  • Hands on laboratory. It is understood that computers may not be able to fully simulate all laboratory activities. Many disciplines must have real time learning experiences which can not be duplicated in the "virtual reality" domain.

• Student Concerns- With the few instances available, it appears that student concerns with computer requirements reflect those of the faculty, namely affordability, educational focus, and skill development. Students at University of Minnesota at Crookston and Sonoma State University in general appear to worry about their peers and the requirement for investment. However, it is also evident that students see having the computer and its related skills as one of having a competitive advantage over those who are without these same components.
  • External constituencies- While students and faculty are obvious two key groups related to the implementation of instructional technology, it would be a mistake to underestimate the influence of external constituencies on the decision-making process surrounding this concept. Such groups include community organizations, employers, technology vendors, alumni, granting agencies, and general political and financial supporters of higher education. Any of these groups can serve as a catalyst for action, either positive or negative. While most of these groups are usually in favor of technology advancement in higher education, it must be understood that they want to be involved in the development of technology initiatives and informed as to their outcomes.
  • Articulation and Accreditation Relationships- The promise of "any place any time" use of institutional resources inherent in universal access programs, together with the expansion of distance learning opportunities, could potentially make it easier for students to obtain their degrees by enrolling in course at more than one institution. Articulation of course between institutions may soon constitute a grater impediment to such educational cross-enrollments than the technical and pedagogical problems association with making it a reality.
  • The development of new learning paradigms and access modalities raises a question of what constitutes a course, and how it is that educational content is packaged and marketing by institutions within West Virginia and by those outside the state. This query brings forth the issue as to what constitutes a course. What is equivalent to the now standard accepted norms of classroom instruction? What forms or formats are acceptable? What are the final outcome expectations of students and what role should the faculty play in evaluating the outcomes?

Of final concern is the issue of accreditation. Accrediting agencies are now bringing the use of technology-based courses and programs to front. Course and program integrity continues to reign supreme; however, the manner in which these programs are reviewed will require adjustment. Current criteria for accreditation will need to be revised to recognize the increasing importance of information technologies in creating a rich and productive learning environment. For example, library content, a long established axiom, may soon be calculated in an alternate manner. Instead of volumes and units, it may be databases which are counted.

Funding
Placing computers in the hands of students will not be an easy task. For all the benefits and concerns expressed earlier in the document, it remains an access-to-dollars issue. Technology and its related personnel development is a major cost factor. Placing computer laboratories on campuses is seen as an institutional commitment and investment. Placing computers in the hands of students is a student commitment and investment.

In an informal survey of students, parents, and vendors during Summer ‘95, West Virginia University Academic Computing Services discovered a common denominator in the amount most expected and accepted to pay for a personal computer. Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00) per semester was a common figure selected by the majority of those surveyed. Vendors also provided information that indicated this amount would be suitable in furnishing an adequate level computer on a lease/purchase arrangement.

As demonstrated in the Fiscal Modeling portion of the Technology-Initiative Report, a significant means of helping students to acquire computers is a fund established by the state legislature. Based on the percentages of students receiving financial aid and the expected costs, a fund of four million dollars ($4,000,000.00) would be adequate to provide low interest loans to students in order that they can participate in the computer purchase/lease program.

Attached is a proposed vendor agreement depicting the typical arrangement which will provide acceptable service for institutions and students.

Proposed Plan for Computer Access

• Institutions will require incoming first year undergraduate students to have a personal computer with the specifications as determined by the state computer committee.

• A statewide negotiated contract for personal computers will be available to students and faculty in West Virginia state colleges and universities.
• Funding will be provided to assist eligible students in securing necessary computer acquisitions.\
• Each institution will establish a point (POC) of contact for student lease/purchase, operational help, and maintenance. These POC’s will be operated by either the institution or by vendors under contract with the institution.
• Appropriate campus infrastructure will be in place to provide the computer equipped student with access to e-mail, instructional programs, and the Internet.
• Faculty will have access to the necessary computer expertise to accommodate the use of computers in the classroom and for those students who are located at distance locations from the instruction.
• Faculty will be provided computer access adequate to communicate electronically with students and develop learning modules.
• Faculty will be incorporate interactive multimedia instruction.
• By August, 1997, each institution will integrate multimedia instruction in a minimum of five percent (5%) of its academic courses. By the end of the five (5) year planning period, (Year 2001), a minimum of twenty percent (20%) of academic courses will integrate multimedia instruction.

Recommendations:

• Technology is to be considered a tool for use by the faculty. Academic instruction must have faculty oversight.
• Technical Infrastructure must be in place for faculty/student computer use.\
• Human resource infrastructure must be in place to support the use of computers
• Institutions must determine the level of readiness, type of computers, level of necessary related technology, and application of technology
• The State Computer Committee should develop minimum functional levels of technology and should update these standard annually.
• Faculty must have access to adequate resources to provide preparation.
• Implement a time line will be developed by each institution based on the following:

1. Institutional assessment

2. Faculty development

3. Faculty computer distribution

4. Institution infrastructure development

5. Instructional software development for integration into a minimum of 5% of courses

Computers distributed to students

• Elements of quality control in program development must be part of the initiative ensuring evaluation, security, originality of thought, and opportunity for real world learning experiences.
• Computer selection should be a student prerogative within the criteria established by a State Computer Committee.
• The state should provide a support program for students requiring financial aid.

Computer Implementation Stages

• Appoint State Computer Committee (SCC) comprised of West Virginia computer and multi-media professionals
• Computer Committee develops minimum computer criteria
• Requests for Proposals developed for vendor applications
• follows standard purchasing practices
• Vendors apply
• Vendor RFP applications reviewed by SCC
• Vendor approved
• Institutions develop infrastructure capability
• Institutions initiate faculty development
• Institutions evaluate vendor contracts and determine appropriate procedures to be utilized
• Faculty adopt program modules
• Students notified of institution’s computer requirement
• Vendors provide computers
• Students acquire computers
• Faculty integrate instructional technology programming
• Students utilize computers

Administrative Organization

 The organization of Instructional Technology is viewed as many individual units going forward in a coordinated effort. With leadership from the Vice Chancellor for Instructional Technology, the initiative will include components such as WVNET, Bridging the Gap, HEITV, and a multitude of institutional departments engaged in the work of instructional technology. Distance learning, distributed asynchronous (anytime-anywhere) instruction, in-classroom multimedia application, computer-assisted instruction and mediated course development are some of the activities developed through the Instructional Technology Initiative.

 Most state systems of higher education have established some form of coordinated effort in the offering of technology based education. Of the twenty state systems reviewed, all have an administrative structure to provide for statewide coordination, though the organization of their structures varied widely. Organizational units employed consultive and collaborative models which built on institutional initiatives.

The organizational structure of the West Virginia initiative can be viewed as a multi-collaborative system with each level interacting with the other levels with coordination by the Office of The Vice Chancellor for Instructional Technology.

The Instructional Technology Advisory Committee
The Instructional Technology Advisory Committee will become a higher education advisory group in the use of technology dedicated to teaching. With the Vice Chancellor for Instructional Technology as an ex-officio member, the committee will be comprised of state and national leaders in technology. The advisory committee will counsel on general trends associated Instructional Technology and offer recommendations for local, state, and national partnerships.

Office of Vice Chancellor for Instructional Technology
The Vice Chancellor will serve as Higher Education’s advocate for instructional technology research and application. With a reporting line to the systems’ Chancellors, the Vice Chancellor has a role of consultation and coordination among institutions and others involved in the development of Instructional Technology. The role includes collaboration building among other state agencies, e.g., Department of Education, Department of Administration and the Governor's Office and serves as an essential link to other technology initiatives.

Agencies and Institutions
Institutions will be responsible for campus leadership and faculty support, ensuring appropriate faculty and student development, course development and delivery, computer access, and instructional design.

Initiatives which support the production and delivery of academic offerings through instructional technology include both on-campus instructional programs and courses delivered through distance learning.

• Institute for Instructional Technology- This granting agency sets criteria for institutional and/or inter-institutional initiatives through the integration of instructional technology. Proposals are sought for development of instructional applications. Grants are available to support the design of technology-enhanced instruction. A competitive proposal process will determine the awarding of grants for programming and faculty development. Marketing and licensing will be supported to make products available to customers beyond the State College and University Systems.
• Institutional Facilitators for Instructional Technology (IFIT)- Appointed by institutional presidents, this group is comprised of faculty or academic officers with expertise and /or interest in instructional technology development and applications. The representatives will facilitate the RFP process and make recommendations for funding to the Institute for Instructional Technology. The representatives will serve as institutional liaisons to facilitate communication among the institutions and the Institute for Instructional Technology.
• Higher Education Instructional Television (HEITV)- A tried and true delivery method, HEITV will continue much as it already exists through its institutional collaboration with the state Educational Broadcast Authority. Pre-packaged courses broadcast via the state public television stations are selected and scheduled through this consortium. New degree program offerings from West Virginia colleges and universities is encouraged.
• West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (WVNET)- This is West Virginia higher education’s service to all campuses for information transfer and networking. Additionally, WVNET serves data transfer for K-12, private higher education institutions, libraries, state government, health care providers and non-profit entities.
• Based on an assessment for possible increased capacity and network functions, WVNET’s administration structure should reflect its role in higher education and responsibility.
  WVNET will develop software applications, promote technology, design collaborative purchasing arrangements, and support grant proposals to public and private funding agencies.
• Institutions- Institutions are charged with the responsibility of integrating instructional technology within the academic disciplines. Faculty have the ultimate responsibility in the application of technology to instruction. While other support mechanisms may be developed through this instructional technology initiative, the institution maintains the right of supervision in course design, production, delivery, and assessment. Faculty and student development in technology are to be managed at the institutional level.

The accompanying organizational chart depicts the proposed Administrative Structure and level of responsibility of Instructional Technology in West Virginia State College and University Systems.

Organizational/Administrative Recommendations

 It is recommended that:

1. The Chancellors will appoint an Instructional Technology Advisory Committee with the Vice-Chancellor as an ex-officio member.
2. The Vice Chancellor will assume leadership and consulting roles to enhance collaboration among higher education institutions and with other agencies.
3. An Institute for Instructional Technology will be established to act as a granting authority for technology-based instructional program and faculty development.
4. The Satellite Network (SATNET) administrative organization will be reconfigured to accommodate expanded delivery of technology-based courses.
5. Each institutional president will appoint a representative to serve as the institutional liaison to facilitate communication among institutions and the Institute for Instructional Technology. The representative, identified as Institutional Facilitator for Instructional Technology (IFIT), will also facilitate the RFP process and make recommendations for funding to the Institute for Instructional Technology.
6. Higher Education Instructional Television (HEITV) will continue under its current administrative structure.
7. The administrative structure of the West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (WVNET) will be examined to assure that the network has the ability to accommodate its responsibility in the growth of instructional technology.
8. Institutions will be charged with the responsibility for determining and administering appropriate instructional technology applications for programs under their authority.

Instructional Technology Initiative

FISCAL MODEL

 Background
Instructional technology, like other support functions, reaches into all levels of academic programs. Whether it is considered as a teaching tool, classroom lecture formatting, or a course delivery mechanism, instructional technology must be included in the calculated costs of education. According to level of expenditures, it can be perceived in different ways: teaching materials, equipment, capital investment, campus infrastructure.

A survey generated by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education Distance Education/New Technologies Task Force reveals that a majority of the states fund instructional technology in the same manner as regular course delivery. . General state allocations are the primary funding source. Funds are distributed to institutions weighed by student credit hour production. Typically, there is no separate funding for distance learning or other instructional technologies. However, information from the Southern Regional Education Board is providing a glimpse at what many of West Virginia’s peer states are considering. Discussions at the recently formed SREB Technology Consortium demonstrate that state systems of higher education are exploring methods by which they can create an atmosphere of educational technology development. Many are watching the current initiative in West Virginia.

A recent State Higher Education Executive Officer’s report stated that as much as 10-15 percent of college and university budgets were linked directly or indirectly to information technology, yet these expenditures are seldom treated as separate and strategic resources like facilities or personnel. Instead the costs too often are viewed as merely another line item as opposed to a new and expanding form of strategic resources for promoting greater levels of efficiency and productivity across the institutions.

Hezel Associates, a research firm based in Syracuse, New York, which has done extensive work in West Virginia, publishes an annual state-by-state report on educational telecommunications. The 1994 issue states that "never before have we seen such dynamic growth of telecommunications in education". However only fourteen percent (14%) of institutions overall report having a policy or plan in place for financial assistance to students to purchase hardware or software. The vast majority of institutions report that less than one-third of their faculty makes use of software in the classroom, and even less of multimedia. In most instances, facilities simply are not equipped with computing and/or multimedia applications.

West Virginia institutions are faced with a four-faceted financial concern with technology:

• the internal intra-campus infrastructure (hardware and networks)
• the inter-campus networking requirements
• the external links to non-higher education entities
• the software needed to access and develop programs

Before examining the options for funding instructional technology, two specific points must be understood. First, there is a distinction between funds for building and operating the infrastructure and the charges for using it. Institutions have a great deal of experience in creating bricks and mortar structures. The instructional-technology infrastructure falls easily into this category. However, except for telephones higher education has a limited history in assuring the continuance of technology infrastructure. For sometime, colleges and universities have had almost free access to a world-wide bank of resources. Few disagree that this will end soon.

A second point is that most funding options in public higher education look toward a greater diversification and privatization. There is a general movement away from exclusive reliance on traditional sources such as state general revenues. State bonding actions with user-payment programs have become a most acceptable way to incorporate the huge levels of funding required by technology. While debt financing has always been the major source of capital outlay funding, primarily for land, buildings, and equipment. Only recently has telecommunications infrastructure been considered part of such programs.

The Plan
As submitted, this plan encompasses statewide initiatives with portions developed to compliment individual institutional strategic plans. The diverse perspectives represented by technology require specific approaches for the differing areas of development.

This plan proposes three specific methods to provide adequate funding for technology in West Virginia higher education:

• State Bond Levy for networking infrastructure
• Legislative Allocation for faculty development and program production
• Legislature established fund for financial aid lease/purchase of personal computers

State Bonding Authority
Campus Infrastructure- Funds will be made available to each state institution through a process much like the current School Building Authority used by West Virginia Public School Boards. Coinciding with institutional plans, the institutions would be required to follow established guidelines regarding infrastructure development and capability standards. Not unlike the financing of other capital improvements, retirement of these bonding measures would depend upon the institution’s ability to join local dedicated funds with those provided by the state.

Statewide Infrastructure- The State College and University Systems would seek funds from the Bonding Authority to develop a statewide network of adequate bandwidth connecting all state supported institutions of higher education, selected K-12 sites, and other dedicated state government or library locations.

Competitive Grants
Faculty Development- Instructional technology skill development will be supported through two possible venues through the Institute for Instructional Technology.

• Institutional Faculty Development- Funds will be allocated on a competitive grant basis to institutions which submit proposals for consistent programs of faculty development within the institution. Criteria generated by the Institute will provide guidance to the acceptable manner in which faculty skills should be acquired.
• Faculty Development within Program Production- Institutions may elect to provide faculty development within the context of program development. A portion of the competitive grant would be dedicated to enhancing faculty skills.

Technology-based Programming- the Institute for Instructional Technology will provide grants for faculty involved in developing course work involving instructional technology. CD-ROM, networking, and asyncronous learning modules will find funding possibilities based on criteria of statewide needs and system wide applicability. Awards will be made on a competitive basis through an RFP process.

Computer Fund
Computer Access- The goal to ensure all first year undergraduate students have personal computers is considered to be an institutional initiative with the primary costs to be borne by students. However, the state legislature, will provide a pool of funds which eligible students will utilize lease or purchase a personal computer. Institutions will continue to be responsible for networking and computer labs for full-time and part-time students.

Sample Funding Model

Budget 1996-97

 I. ASSISTANCE WITH CAMPUS INFRASTRUCTURE (Bond Authority)

II. STATEWIDE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE (Bonding Authority)

- interconnective with existing technology

- bandwidth for video, voice, data

- opening new geographic areas

 III. INSTITUTIONAL FACULTY DEVELOPMENT $ 400,000.00

 IV. PROGRAM/COURSE DEVELOPMENT $6,400,000.00

- (64 Courses @ $100,000)

 Technology-based programming

- competitive RFP's to institutions

- system wide application

- developed through Institute for Instructional Tech.

- priority listing based on statewide program needs delivered through the most appropriate technologies

 V. UNIVERSAL COMPUTER ACCESS $4,000,000.00

- considered an institutional plan

- costs to be borne by students with support from

________________________________________________________

  Total New Funds Needed $10,800,000.00

Funding Recommendations

 It is recommended that:

1. Campus and statewide telecommunications networks should be regarded as capital improvements and funded by an appropriate bonding mechanism. Funding under the School Building Authority should be explored.
2. Through the Institute for Instructional Technology, a program for faculty development will be established. Funds will be allocated on a competitive basis for institutions providing faculty skill development in instructional technology applications that are made available to all faculty within the State College and University Systems.
3. Through the Institute for Instructional Technology, a program for course development will be established. Funds will be allocated on a competitive basis to faculty and groups of faculty who develop technology-based courses which may be used in all West Virginia state colleges and universities.
4. A pool of legislatively appropriated funds will be provided from which eligible students will be able to lease or purchase a personal computer.
5. FUNDING SOURCES GIVEN CONSIDERATION
   1. STATE GENERAL REVENUE
   2. SPECIAL DEDICATED TAXES -Telcos, computers, video rentals, etc.
   3. SPECIAL GAMBLING RECEIPTS
   4. GENERAL BOND ISSUES
   5. INSTITUTIONAL RECONFIGURATION (consolidation of service)
   6. STUDENT FEES/ TUITION/ SPECIAL TECHNOLOGY FEES
   7. RESTRUCTURING USER FEES WITH TELCOS
   8. PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
   9. GOVERNMENT and FOUNDATION GRANTS
   10. PRIVATE GIFTS
   11. OUTSOURCING FOR SHARED PROFITS AND LOWER COSTS
   12. RECONFIGURE INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITIES (strategic plans)
   13. SALE OF EXCESS BANDWIDTH/TIME
   14. PROGRAM CO-SPONSORSHIP (companion book companies)
   15. CONTRACTING/ MARKETING OF TECHNOLOGY PRODUCED PRODUCTS
   16. STATE GOVERNMENT TRAINING CONTRACTED WITH HIGHER ED
   17. ATTACH STATE REFUNDS ON ALL STUDENT LOAN DELINQUENTS
   18. ASSESS 10% CHARGE ON ALL INSTITUTIONAL ENTREPRENEURIAL AND PROPIETARY REVENUE

Faculty/Program Development

The mission of faculty development in instructional technology from the perspective of a state college and university system should be to develop a mechanism by which faculty are encouraged to develop skills in technological modalities of teaching and learning. These technological modalities extend from utilizing microcomputer applications in the classroom to authoring packages and from instructional television courses to asynchronous distance education models and include course and curriculum design and/or developing quality instructional materials. Moreover, the system should encourage collaborative distance learning programming efforts among institutions and develop means to facilitate the sharing of resources between colleges and universities. Lastly, the system should develop a mechanism for statewide access to instructional designers and technologists (video specialists, computer specialists, and networking experts) to assist faculty.

In planning faculty development, Collins’ (1991) eight shifts in teaching and learning taken from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities survey "On the Brink" should be kept firmly in mind.

1. a shift from whole class to small group instruction,
2. a shift from lecture and recitation to coaching,
3. a shift from working with better students to working with weaker students,
4. a shift to more engaged students,
5. a shift from assessment by test performance to assessment based on products, progress, and effort,
6. a shift from a competitive to a cooperative social structure,
7. a shift from all students learning the same thing to different students learning different things,
8. a shift from the primacy of verbal thinking to the integration of visual and verbal thinking.

Faculty need to be encouraged to utilize instructional technology as a means by which the above teaching and learning shifts will be realized in their classrooms. With such an emphasis, then, the state college and university system can proceed to develop a faculty development support mechanism available at all state college and university system (SCUS) institutions.

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) has reported that less than a fourth of faculty regularly use technology for instruction and less than a fifth of campuses have explicit expectations for faculty development of instructional technology competencies (On the Brink, 12). And although many schools offer distance learning programs, the percentage of faculty who teach these courses and overall student enrollment in distance education programs remains low (Study of Communications Technology in Higher Education, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1994).

Geogegan (1995) has pointed out that "faculty have yet to integrate technology deeply into the instructional process because of the differences in attitude and support for early adopters compared with mainstream faculty." He further points out that "aversion to risk, low tolerance for discontinuous change, a lack of compelling reasons to buy into a relatively disruptive way to go about one’s work, and a standard vertical network in which mainstream faculty do their work are responsible for the overall low level of [technology] integration." Moreover, there is a lack of reward structures for faculty to become involved in instructional technology utilization. Few institutions provide promotion and tenure incentives for developing instructional technologies in the classroom. This is particularly true at smaller institutions (On the Brink, 13). Thus, any state technology faculty development plan should provide a mechanism for system faculty to be rewarded for making efforts to utilize technology.

State Colleges and Universities Update

The state college and university has many excellent efforts underway in order to prepare faculty to better incorporate technology into their classrooms. These include hiring instructional designers, providing workshops and seminars, videoconferencing, and sending faculty to conferences in order to receive training.

WV Graduate College is hiring a "faculty instructional specialist" (instructional designer) who will be responsible for helping the faculty incorporate technology into their instructional programs. Those technologies include compressed video, multimedia, audio conferencing, e-mail, Internet, computer conferencing, and satellite delivery. The range will be from how to produce a quality overhead transparency to how to design a distance education delivered course. Also, WVGC has a Computer Learning Center which is part of the Division of Continuing Education. Besides offering non-credit computer training to the general public and business, it fulfills an internal employee development function by providing training for faculty and staff in a variety of software packages.

At West Virginia State College, the EDNET staff have been part of a training seminar on Windows and Word for Windows. Production staff have gone to the Amiga Toaster school. In addition EDNET staff conducted a two-day distance learning training session which emphasized teaching on television. Thirty-two faculty attended the workshop. Ed-Net maintains and operates the higher education system’s satellite uplink facilities from which SATNET courses are broadcast.

WV Northern Community and Technical College has used a Title III grant to install an Educational Technology Center under an initiative entitled "Technology Across the Curriculum" which has resulted in a variety of technology enhancements to pilot courses and to provide faculty and staff training opportunities. Technology enhanced courses have been developed by faculty innovators in a variety of WVN’s academic divisions including physics, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, English composition, Internet research, computer telecommunications and networking, college algebra, and medical lab technology. Technologies implemented in these courses range from PC simulations and applications to complex faculty authored CD-ROM exercises (the ETC owns a CD-ROM recorder).

Bluefield State College’s Instructional Technology Center (ITC) is the campus support service directly responsible for distance learning delivery and training. It has provided formal graduate courses work for Hypercard authoring experiences for faculty and has offered training in distance learning utilization. It has provided Internet workshops for classes and faculty and has provided microcomputer applications workshops to faculty in Word Perfect, MacWrite II, Delta Graph, MacDraw, and MacPaint. It houses a Macintosh lab and networked IBM’s with several Mac and IBM multimedia authoring stations including a color scanner, a color printer, and CD-ROM and laser disc players. In addition the ITC includes television services, which produces SATNET courses each year and manages BSC-TV10, a local cable television channel. It also schedules satellite teleconferences which are delivered through the campus cable television system to classrooms in each academic building and to the Tierney Conference Center and Auditorium, a state-of-the-art teleconferencing facility.

In addition the college’s Engineering Department has offered several Internet workshops for faculty, and the Computer Center has offered faculty workshops in the BANNER student records system. In addition, the Computer Center and various academic divisions have made personal networked computers available to all faculty who request the service. In addition some two hundred plus microcomputers are available for student use in eight on-campus labs and two off-campus labs. Over five hundred microcomputers are available directly to faculty and students.

Currently, the college president, Dr. Robert Moore, has awarded five faculty development grants to selected faculty to develop existing courses into distance learning delivered courses for use on the college’s new point-to-point duplex microwave-fiber/codec system connecting Bluefield, Beckley, and Lewisburg.

Shepherd College has developed a Technology Five Year Plan to increase the use of technology in the classroom as part of its Strategic Plan. Included in the plan will be an increase in the graphic arts facility where the related program is designed almost entirely around using Macintosh microcomputers and supporting hardware. Support for technology has been planned for across the curriculum. Two small lecture rooms will be supplied with the appropriate equipment to present projected video materials to classes from such sources as microcomputers, CD-ROMS, laser discs, and satellite video conferences.

In addition, several faculty use V-SAT technology, providing two-way audio and video instruction between the James Rumsey facility and the South Branch campus. Workshops have been provided for faculty, staff, and the community on the Internet and Word Perfect. Demonstrations of instructional software and hardware have been provided and funds have been awarded to stimulate the use of computer software in the classroom. A multimedia lab with scanners, digital cameras and projection panels is available to education students from which occasional workshops such as the use of the authoring package Hyperstudio have originated.

West Virginia University has a number of initiatives underway to promote the integration and application of instructional technology through faculty development and support. A major effort is the Instructional Technology Resource Center (ITRC). This is a campus-wide facility designed to support faculty in the development and use of computer based instructional materials and other forms of instructional technology. Faculty may work on the design and development of new computer-based courseware, aided by technical support, and an array of multimedia development tools including high end personal computer workstations with sound and video capture capabilities, a color scanner, a color printer, a CD-ROM recording station, and a variety of authoring tools.

Another WVU project is Project 320. This system provides the delivery of audio/video and multimedia instructional programming to classrooms through the campus fiber optic network. Through a remote control, an instructor in a classroom can control the selection and operation of multimedia and audio/video resources located in a central facility elsewhere on campus. This project includes a faculty development program to familiarize University instructors in the use and capabilities of the system. A portion of the program will also include training in the integration of these resources into University courses.

In addition the Health Sciences Center at WVU has established a Computer-Based Learning Center (CBLC). This center provides an environment to support Health Sciences and related faculty in the development of computer-based instructional systems that may be used in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy. The CBLC also hosts seminars and workshops designed to familiarize faculty in instructional technology and to heighten faculty skills in these areas.

WVU has also developed the Instructional Improvement Network (IIN), a program to provide technical assistance to WVU faculty in instructional methods and procedures. The IIN operates on a consultancy and technical support model, offering guidance, referrals, mentoring, and other services to promote improved instruction at WVU.

In addition the university has an on-going Faculty Development Program with workshops and seminars designed to develop faculty awareness and skills in a variety of areas, including teaching and instructional methods. WVU also provides on-going technical support to faculty who use technology-enhanced classrooms. Moreover, an annual Computing and Technology Fair is held to provide faculty and staff with presentations, demonstrations, and vendor exhibits on a range of technologies. Lastly, the University Office of Extended Learning and the College of Human Resources and Education has pioneered the use of distance education to help meet the statewide educational mission of WVU. Several courses are offered each semester to remote areas of the state by satellite. It also provides teleconferences to faculty and staff for faculty development.

 Faculty Development in U.S. Higher Education

 Significance of the Computer as Textbook: the Network as Library

Surveys of faculty development indicate that the majority of workshops and seminars which relate to instructional technology are involved with computer technology; that workshops related to media design and use are on the decline; and that needs assessments and evaluation in planning faculty development programs are underutilized. This shows that the old paradigm of education is changing to meet the needs of students caught up in a world where technology is clearly ahead of all attempts to keep up with its development.

In 1992, a California State University system wide Commission on Learning Resources and Instructional Technology, chaired by a university president, was formed to stimulate instructional innovation and alternative delivery of academic programs. The CSU Chancellor allocated $3M to support multi-campus curricular prototypes through an initiative known as Project DELTA.

Believing that the computer is becoming the textbook of the 21st century and the network is becoming both the classroom and the library, the curriculum must be based on access to personal computing and network resources. Faculty must have this access. Students must have this access and must be supportive of such requirements and be fully informed about its financial, educational, and technical features. Students must have equal access to personal computers and network resources without regard to income, financial aid status, geographic residence, etc. The institution must demonstrate a high priority to such policies by providing funding, faculty and student training, on-site and network infrastructure, and equipment. Eventually, this access must extend to the home and the worksite. Also, this universal access must become multimedia and interactive. Lastly, the network must be open to change to allow new services and applications, without being wedded to one technology.

Defacto standards appear to include TCP/IP communications protocol, fiber optic wiring, ATM electronics, and hypertext navigational tools. All are basic technology components for each campus as well as state systems.

The Need for Collaborative Uses of Technology

Computer Conferencing

Besides these technologies, faculty and students are becoming more familiar with computer conferencing as a collaborative means of learning and sharing. The British Open University is moving away from a didactic model which de-emphasizes interaction and stresses written material to a collaborative model where students help each other to comprehend the instructional materials. When done in a computer conferencing environment, each student contributes to the group on his/her own schedule. Interaction with the instructor is facilitated because the instructor can participate in the conference with the students.

FORUM, a new conferencing software, works like a bulletin board but has the look and feel of the World Wide Web because it brings the same organizing principle of hyper-linking to group information bases. The linking occurs automatically from a pull down Link menu. Users can link documents and graphics to other documents or to highlighted text characters. It has a rules editor, which allows group leaders to specify how different classes of items are to be linked. Creating logical structures in a conference guides groups activity and expedites the group’s success. There is a history feature in the menu which allows users to go back to any previous link. This is a good means to computer conference and aid work or study teams.

Distance Learning by Two-Way Video/Audio

Perhaps the largest collaborative model of faculty development, distance learning, and technology integration has come from Iowa in the form of its state telecommunications network. In order to teach on the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), the largest state-owned fiber video system in the nation, faculty go through a three-phase model of training: an introduction to the equipment and distance learning, a technical integration phase, and an application phase. The system can be used for education and training, professional development, meetings, conferences, cultural events, electronic resource sharing, and data networking.

In the introductory phase, the concept of distance learning is discussed and an attitude toward distance learning is developed. Faculty has three important system experiences: 1. Experience in teaching with interactive television; 2. experience being a learner in an origination site; and 3. experience being a learner in a receive site. Importantly, group processes are used to draw conclusions. Twenty to twenty-five faculty are placed in these sessions which last three days.

Relevant information is divided into seven categories including:

1. Distance education: definition; learner characteristics; delivery systems.
2. Telecommunications
3. The ICN Network: system components; equipment operation; network scheduling.
4. Interactive television: definition; characteristics; resources needed.
5. Teaching with Interactive Television:
   --successful teaching strategies
   --interactive strategies
   --preparing handouts
   --good system presence
   --visualization
   --evaluation
   
6. Research generalizations about distance learning
   
7. Critical issues that institutions must address: compensation; released time.

The second phase of training involves technology integration. Here communication technologies are integrated into the presentation. These include demonstrations of CD-ROM, satellite downlinking, audio conferencing, computer presentations, computer networking, and desktop video. Computer presentations include integrating word images, still pictures (clip art or scans), motion images, and sounds.

The third phase of the training emphasizes instructional and training development. Training staff select an Instructional Design Model and show the training group how to implement that model. In one activity a trainer puts an objective on the overhead camera with today’s activities. This is discussed using group processes. Another phase of training involves student decorum at distant sites: students must sign an agreement to pay attention and be quiet. Student orientation involves them coming to the teacher’s podium and writing their name using the light pen and sharing a personal information sheet with the class.

This training program involves several proven training characteristics. The training is hands on. It actually uses the distance learning system. It limits the number of participants and provides an opportunity for practice. It makes the training highly interactive, makes the participants feel at ease, and provides positive feedback. It develops presentation software to train faculty. It also includes an experienced ICN user and most importantly, it mirrors good practice. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to share ideas and draw conclusions. In a later research article, the concepts underlying these activities are described.

The Need for Reward Structures

Another concern in faculty development activities in technology and distance education has been the need for some reward structure to support faculty in the move to utilize new technologies. A good example is Penn State’s approach. The Penn State Task Force on Distance Education was appointed in 1992 under the

chairmanship of the Vice President for Continuing Education. It was charged by the university Provost with examining distance education at Penn State in a national context and with bringing forward recommendations to address the role that distance education should play in the future.

Pertaining to faculty development, the committee recommended that distance education activities be mainstreamed into the faculty’ list of responsibilities so that a faculty member whether teaching, conducting research, or being creatively involved in distance education sees it as part of his/her work load and not as an extra or adjunct responsibility. A proposed funding mechanism would provide financial incentives to schools, colleges, departments, and faculty to participate in distance education. In addition annual awards to recognize achievement in distance education and support for continued accomplishment should be created.

In a similar action, the Florida Postsecondary Education Planning Commission recommended that all higher education entities develop incentives to encourage the effective use of educational technology by faculty. These include released time, credit for course revision and training, and increased workload credit for technologically delivered instruction (depending upon class size).

The Need for Technological Literacy as a Development Focus

John Scully has said that what tomorrow’s students need is not mastery of subject matter, but mastery of learning (Tally, 1989). Gooler (1989) points out that in order for future teachers to be effectively trained in using new technologies, university faculty must understand, use, and be able to teach about technology applications. Thus, the term technological literacy becomes the centerpiece of a faculty development program. Faculty development models, either centralized or departmental, have been developed and used successfully around four perceived faculty uses: instructional, creative, management, and personal uses. A computer/technological literacy program should match these contexts of usefulness with appropriate instructional programs. Universities must create opportunities for faculty to utilize the latest educational technologies and create opportunities for faculty to integrate these technologies into the curriculum (Anadam & Kelly, 1982).

Arizona State University (ASU) has developed its program by increasing computer hardware and software and concomitantly, offering workshops, demonstrations, orientations, consultations, and print and computerized materials. Minicourses on specific hardware and software are offered along with access to a substantial library of software products and documentation. Instructional units on using e-mail and networks are provided on-line. Librarians have provided demonstrations and consultations in compact disk technology and database searching. Even with this effort, the goal of having faculty use the computer, as a working tool in the preparation and presentation of instruction was not met.

This led to development of ALTEC, an Advanced Learning Technologies Laboratory, where the next generation of technologies which could be used to support instruction was made available to faculty. This became a state-of-the-art media demonstration room for faculty and staff which was developed from the concern that no facility existed on campus which provided faculty and staff an opportunity to experiment with new technology. An additional classroom with video projection, computer connections, and distance learning capability is available to help faculty incorporate modern technologies into their instruction.

Five major goals of this facility were determined: 1. to demonstrate new educational technologies; 2. to preview emerging educational hardware and software; 3. to provide consultation in the design and production of computer-based educational media; 4. to explore new applications of technology for instructional purposes; and 5. to provide a reference library on emerging educational technologies.

New technologies which were installed in this laboratory included laser disk, 8mm video, VHS Hi Fi, satellite downlink, and multi-image systems. Two internal staff positions were moved to this facility to provide full time service and four media specialists were placed in the facility one day each week.

A successful vendor program is being established to allow the technology to be loaned to the lab as a test site for new prototype equipment. The new lab is also a downlink center for National Technological University and Tie-In Network programming. Distance learning conferences are planned to link the main campus with the ASU branch campus. Finally, funds have been expended to acquire CD-ROM and interactive video workstations. It is hoped that the University Media Services will continue to fund the ALTEC lab as part of its normal operation.

In a similar bid to define and ensure technological literacy, Bank Street College of Education has created the Center for Children and Technology for the purpose of investigating how educational technology can best be used to support good learning and teaching environments. They use the facility as a testbed for educational research on technology using graduate students who are preparing to become teachers and administrators. They hope to train a cadre of technologically literate teachers and administrators to provide a nucleus for the future. They have developed a series of technology courses in order to prepare these graduate students. Courses include an introductory overview of today’s multimedia technologies including software applications, a HyperCard course, and a technology-supported collaborative group work course. The latter has proven popular with college graduate students and their students, but not to college faculty. The faculty seems to have difficulty making the transition from teacher to learner. This is more exacerbated by the fact that the college is making an effort to have technology integrated throughout the curriculum, so that they can be seen as modelers of technology to the graduate students. The writer has hypothesized that it is likely that a few ‘new’ faculty with technology training will be hired in order to "foster a technology culture in the institution" in which the students of those few will lead the rest of the faculty to it. They have also had success in utilizing the services of a technology expert who is also a teacher and understands curriculum issues and who has worked one-on-one with faculty to assist them in integrating technology into their classes.

How do we bring teachers to the levels of competence needed to educate students in a technological age? Inservices have long been used to provide large group instruction, but often they fail to induce change. Rather than focus the training as a one-shot inservice, the use of cognitive apprenticeships may provide continuing support after the initial workshop. The four components based on Collins et al. model (1989) and the Hord et al. adoption model (1987) consists of four key components: Instruction, Modeling, Coaching, and Empowerment. In the Instruction phase, a variety of strategies are used to teach knowledge and skills, focusing on heuristics and metacognitive strategies. In the Modeling phase, teachers are provided opportunities to observe varying degrees of expert performance. The performance is not merely talked about: it is actually modeled. In the Coaching phase, teachers’ attempts to perform tasks are observed and feedback is given in a collegial, nonthreatening environment sensitive to the teachers’ levels of expertise. Lastly, in the Empowerment phase, the expert utilizes the processes of fading, articulation, reflection, and exploration to remove himself/herself from the process to be replaced by teacher autonomy.

Examples of these techniques and processes are given in various technology integration faculty development seminars conducted in the San Diego, CA area. Support coaching teams are developed in order to provide a collaborative, supporting environment in which teachers can be empowered to incorporate the technology into instruction.

Overcoming Barriers

A recurring problem throughout all the literature is the tendency for faculty to resist integrating technology into their modus operandi. Reasons cited include lack of time, a philosophical disagreement, too complicated, etc. One of the most often-cited resistance modalities is the use of tradition as a means of arguing against change. An apparent academic argument is often over the concept of time. Time as defined in the traditional classroom is based upon the Carnegie unit, fifty minutes of instruction for each credit hour awarded. It is obvious in distance education and multimedia technology that the standard becomes knowledge of concepts rather than time spent learning the concepts. In a study of student performance following instruction by interactive videodisc versus a conventional laboratory, Leonard (1992) found that the interactive videodisc group required approximately one-half the classroom time used by the conventional laboratory group; there was no significant differences between the two groups for student grades on laboratory quizzes. Thus, the effective uses of instructional technology can reduce the time of instruction with no significant concomitant loss of knowledge of subject matter. Perhaps once faculty becomes familiar with the uses of modern instructional technology, these reservations can be overcome and will ultimately disappear.

A second and perhaps more pervasive barrier is to be found in a negative answer to a philosophical question: is the integration of technology into college courses necessary and beneficial? Many faculty are reluctant to incorporate changes in teaching because of what Geohegan (1995) refers to as an "aversion to risk, low tolerance for discontinuous change, a lack of compelling reasons to buy into a relatively disruptive way to go about one’s work, and a standard vertical network in which mainstream faculty do their work . . . ." Moreover, some researchers look at some parts of instructional technology as places where shoddy research has been done in the experimental design process. Lookatch (1995) argues that "research on the impact of technologies on learning has never established that using a computer or any other technology improves learning." He notes that multimedia research to this date suffers from a "Type I Error;" that is the researcher has found benefits that do not exist. Nichols (1994) has looked at educational technology from a philosophical perspective and notes that problems with educational technology are "inextricably bound to a too-rational-technical way of life," and thus are flawed. There evidently is no clear path to the use of technology either from research or from faculty practice. One of the greatest challenges, then, is to point out the benefits of utilizing technology in the instructional process and to develop mechanisms by which faculty who choose to use technology can become familiar with it and have technical support. An on-going dialog needs to center around faculty perspectives on the utilization of instructional technology in order to improve faculty attitudes toward technology integration. The dialog also needs to focus faculty research on appropriate and inappropriate uses of technology in instruction. Only then can some common ground be found and can faculty become facilitators of instructional technologies.

Conclusion

 A successful technology faculty development program will have the major goal of developing technologically literate faculty to develop students who can use technology to master learning. The hallmarks of such a successful faculty development program include:

1. access to state-of-the-art technology locally;
2. access to instructional designers and technology experts;
3. incentives in the form of rewards or released time, etc.;
4. collaborative, supportive modeling with follow-up;
5. training in use of appropriate instructional models for telecommunications delivery;
6. a committed administration.

With faculty development activities which allow for practice, skill development, and the integration of the technology into learning activities, faculty can successfully become empowered to master new technologies as they occur.

State College and University Systems of West Virginia

Instructional Technology Planning Team

Statewide Infrastructure Subcommittee

West Virginia is considered among the leading states in telecommunications infrastructure. Even with more fiber optics per capita than any state, West Virginia has critical last mile connectivity issues that hinder ubiquitous statewide access. Telecommunications development in West Virginia parallels the paradox of economic development. On one hand, some areas exhibit leading telecommunications deployment, while other areas are sorely lagging in network access.

The mission of the subcommittee is to analyze existing telecommunications infrastructure and propose considerations to advance an effective telecommunications network that supports multiple use applications. Given individual interests, profit and not-for -profit telecommunications enterprises, and overall statewide needs, an added purpose of the subcommittee is to examine potential collaborations that would advance increased statewide access.

 I. TELECOMMUNICATIONS SUMMARY:

The current configuration in West Virginia places state government at the heart of the telecommunications discussion. While many believe that neither state government nor higher education institutions should own the telecommunications infrastructure, much of the organizational management does rest with coordinating government entities. Section IV of this paper attempts to delineate in greater detail state government's role as well as that of other major participants in the telecommunications infrastructure.

State government serves as the regulatory negotiator for telecommunications services of state agencies. This coordinating function is driven by market demand and, as time and dollars allow, by strategic planning. There are a number of positive telecommunications initiatives in West Virginia that drive statewide telecommunications investments. Some notable accomplishments are (for greater details on each of the following components see Section IV):

 _the ability of state government to negotiate off-tariff rates for the CENTREX services;

_the existing telecommunications interconnects:

_WVNET - an educational telecomputing infrastructure with potential to increase capacity to include broad bandwidth services.

_EBA Microwave - limited to specific regions, but a cost-effective means of transporting full motion video and audio signals.

_WV Ed-Net - offers multipoint distribution statewide and nationally if cost control for satellite time can be contained

_MDTV - full T1 transmission with two-way video and audio and planned expansion to create multiple hubs with "spoke" outreach sites.

_IS&C - State government's CENTREX and video conferencing systems offer voice, video and data options in key geographical areas of the state.

_the high degree of fiber optics located within the state provides the infrastructure for increased usage capacity and reliability; and

_advanced telecommunications investments by regional telephone companies, interexchange carriers, and cable companies ( SONET, ATM, fiber cabling).

These are only a few examples with statewide applications. Multiple campus initiatives that provide regional telecommunications options are described in Section IV - Higher Education. These initiatives, designed to fulfill campus missions, are often grant funded with little consideration for statewide compatibility resulting in a number of independent systems. As compatibility articulations are developed, more systems may become interconnected increasing access and usage.

 II. ISSUES:

Multiple instructional technology options and ventures are available in West Virginia with new initiatives beginning on almost a monthly basis, however challenges still exist. These challenges include cost, geographically under served areas, compatibility of platforms, general leadership, and investments for the future, which are all subject to federal and state legislation. The following paragraphs address these issues on a one-by-one basis with concluding considerations.

A. Federal Legislation:

The proposed FCC Legislation impacts higher education instructional applications in several ways. At the time of this writing, it would appear that Congress and the President are considering the most far-reaching telecommunications bill in over half a century. It is highly likely that the regulatory environment will be severely curtailed and nearly every technology industry will be free to become involved in open competition for video, voice and data services to customers. The ultimate economic, social, and educational implications can only be hypothesized at this point.

Decentralization and deregulation bring greater consumer choice and access. This authorizes greater accent on learner driven information access and, in turn, impacts the ways in which curricula is formulated. While greater choice is becoming available, technologies are becoming more integrated. This results in a convergence of information technologies industries where hardware and software, delivery modes, products and services will be virtually indistinguishable.

 Cost:

Purchasing Negotiations:

State Government and Higher Education clearly comprise a definite majority of customer telephone/data line usage. While this volume of usage should constitute significant negotiating clout, the amount of usage of these combined agencies is so commanding that a major cost reduction for government (including education) would probably mean charging more to residential customers, who already pay among the highest costs in the nation for local service. Current basic rates are frozen through January 1998 as part of Bell Atlantic's Incentive Regulation Plan. Other states have aggregated services to negotiate with telephone companies for educational rates based upon assurances of usage levels. These negotiations incorporate rates for interexchange coverage over LATAs and provide a comprehensive standard rate of usage across systems. This collaboration demonstrates cost effectiveness through a strong relationship among state government, K-12 education and higher education to utilize bulk buying power for greater statewide access.

Higher education is subject to state policies and procedures for purchasing or contracting for services. Typically, telecommunication services have been subject to the contracts arranged through the Department of Administration as approved by the Attorney General's Office. As described in the above paragraph, negotiating for best price may present an ethical dilemma. What are reasonable costs for higher education without sorely taxing state residents or strongly impacting profit margins for telecommunications investments? What purchasing authority should higher education have to act separate and apart from or in concert with state government? How might the Senior Administrator use his/her statutory authority to establish telecommunication rates as suggested in SB 377?

 Strategic Planning:

Telecommunications industry is upgrading and evolving at a rapid pace. Telecommunications infrastructures require an ongoing investment, much like buildings and highways. Capital for telecommunications infrastructure must become part of the strategic planning process, not the result of one-time expenditure. The issue is most poignant in the example of the grant funded higher education campus initiatives versus the State College and University Systems' centralized support of the electronic telecomputing network. Grant funds should be capable of augmenting the infrastructure, not acting independently from it.

A prime example is the State College and University Systems' 1987 procurement of an uplink network. This system had a one-time investment with little dollars relegated to upgrade, maintenance, and strategic planning needs. While studio production, telephone bridge, and microwave costs have remained constant since 1988, the cost of satellite time has doubled. These costs, both C-Band and Ku-Band, are expected to continue rising as much as 200 percent over the next few years. Along with the rising cost, the availability of satellite time is a growing concern. During the previous two years, WV Ed-Net has had to book transponder time on several different satellites. This means that classes are on a different satellite or different channel each class meeting, making it very difficult on the downlink site facilitators.

To effectively manage the satellite cost and availability difficulties, WV Ed-Net is recommending that the delivery of programming be changed from analog satellite to digital satellite technology. A digital system would increase the amount of satellite time and simultaneously lower the cost significantly. The digitized satellite time would be on one satellite and one transponder, solving the issue of constantly alternating satellite and /or channels. The system would require hardware upgrades to the WV Ed-Net uplink system and the downlink systems around the state, but the hardware costs could be offset from the savings in satellite time of current purchase requirements.

While line charges and satellite costs continue to tax higher education budgets, start-up costs are frequently the most troubling. Higher education has relied on granting agencies to support technology initiatives and therefore are frequently subject to applications with a specific focus other than statewide compatibility. There has been some attempt by the Distance Education Oversight Committee to review all request for distance education equipment to provide some oversight of SCUS directions in distance education. However well intentioned, this process is not enforced and thus frequently forgotten in technology purchases and compatibility issues.

Collaboration:

The idea of collaboration is not new and makes exceptional sense for aggregate purchasing. It also behooves this small state to collaborate in the delivery of services for geographical accessibility. The State College and University Systems cannot afford to own and operate a satellite uplink system for its exclusive use and therefore must develop collaborations if it wishes to maintain such a system. Additionally, as the educational telecomputing network (WVNET), responds to increased requests from public education, state government and other public and private sectors, it must also formulate a fair use cost structure to support the demands on the infrastructure that complements its higher education agenda.

C. Geographically Underserved Areas:

While some areas have a moderate level of access to fiber, ISDN, computing resources, and T1 facilities, other areas are restricted to rotary-dial and intermittent service. A quick glance at the map in Appendix --- indicates that the only technology link to some higher education institutions is WVNET, while other have multiple access routes. It is little wonder that the majority of satellite courses have been proposed and delivered by the four institutions with access facilities. Other institutions have opted to invest in locally oriented compressed video systems. As the public demands greater access, the state infrastructure must be prepared to deliver. Designated areas are sorely lacking in infrastructure development. It is important to examine telecommunications access throughout the state to avoid creating a "have" and "have not" information access environment.

D. Compatibility of Platforms:

When creating a multimedia network, great caution must be used in selecting equipment. For example, it is possible that two locations will be unable to connect their video conferencing systems because of disparate communication protocols. This type of problem is common, especially in emerging technologies. To help in reducing the number of compatibility problems, the acquisition of standards-based equipment is very important. Many standards now exist and are being created daily that help ensure the compatibility of different manufacturers’ equipment. If the standards do not yet exist, establishing a particular manufacturer’s equipment as the one of choice may be in order.

Another problem often found when creating a multimedia network is the incompatibility of application software. For example, it is possible for a piece of software at a certain location to be unaccessible by anyone at another location due to incompatibility in the access software or communication protocol. Great care must be given to end user application and compatibility.

With recent adoption of compression standards, more compressed video systems are (theoretically) compatible thus linking institutional networks together. An example of interoperability is MDTV and SWVCC's British Telecom System. The question remains which of these systems are compatible (or have been tested) and what type of connection does it take to link networks beyond regional boundaries.

E. Leadership:

All of the above-discussed issues are dependent upon leadership to conduct planning, provide management and oversight and negotiate effective collaborations. Too much has been left to individuals and individual institutions to attempt to navigate the planning, purchasing and management processes for telecommunications development. Coordinated leadership is imperative for effective management of the intricacies of telecommunications investments. There are three (3) main areas that require responsive leadership: general management, resource management, and support management.

General Management:

Resource Management:

Support Management:

 F. Issues Summary:

 Investing for the Future: Through Collaboration

The key to collaboration is providing an appropriate application for the greatest number of users. As evident throughout this paper, there are multiple agencies involved in the telecommunications infrastructure. It is also clear that no entity can forge a statewide infrastructure in isolation. Other states, such as North Carolina, Iowa, and Virginia, have created strong collaborations to develop a statewide infrastructure shared by education, government and citizens alike. West Virginia must also develop such liaisons to address the geographical and economic challenges within a disparate population base. While West Virginia needs to explore internal collaborations, it should also examine collaborations with neighboring states that have similar needs or telecommunications brokering options.

A planned telecommunications structure is one that serves the greatest number of people effectively. States with defined or budding infrastructures have had strong leadership and commitment from government, education, health care, business and industry. Through collaboration, leaders in other states have developed fiscal plans for appropriate telecommunications investment that includes nonprofit sector, Public Service Commission, vendors, and state citizens. At this time, there are at least four different statewide committees examining telecommunications: the Rural Development Council, higher education's Technology -Initiative Planning Team, WV Department of Education Technology Task Force, and the Distance Learning Initiative originating from the National Guard and Department of Defense interests. This example of energy consumption with similar, but defined emphasis, should be coordinated to maximize the potential. The Vice Chancellor of Instructional Technology may serve as a catalyst and play a pivotal role in uniting and guiding such a link between numerous agencies, but he or she must have the support and authority to assertively pursue an active telecommunications agenda.

Through An Investment Plan:

Telecommunications is not a one-time investment. It requires planned upgrade and maintenance. In addition, of all monies dedicated to the telecommunications infrastructure, a complementary amount should be channeled into faculty development and programming. As education moves more to a life-long learner-centered focus, greater access to information with greater speed and increased convenience becomes ever important. All of this means that higher education must move from one-time or auxiliary funding of informational technology to incorporating it within the strategic planning efforts of institutional fiscal investments.

III. CONSIDERATIONS:

Senate Bill 547 provides the impetus and direction for significant change in higher education. The emphasis on instructional technology further enhances the role of higher education in meeting the challenges of the emerging Information Age. Educational access in the Information Age requires a telecommunications network that provides users with access to a broad range of resources at a convenient time and location. It requires a vision that redefines students. Higher education must respond to the needs of perpetual learners, who demand access to education anytime and anyplace. To achieve access in the Information Age, West Virginia higher education must advance its telecommunications infrastructure through the following considerations:

 1. A high-speed, broadband backbone networks connecting institutions of higher education in West Virginia. This full-service network must include switched, bandwidth on demand, and integrated voice, video, data and imaging technologies.

0. The backbone must adhere to industry standards. The standards should be distributed to all campuses and the public at large as a basis for compatibility planning and implementation.
1. All campuses must assess campus network infrastructures and develop plans to implement campus infrastructures that will integrate with the high-speed broadband network.
2. In addition to campus networking, the State College and University Systems must explore collaborations that will expand statewide network access to communities. Collaborations should include, but are not limited to: WV Department of Education, WV Library Commission, business and industry, State Government, and community organizations.
3. A management structure must be designed for the statewide operation. Additionally, each college or university must determine appropriate organizational and management structures for system compatibility, end-user support, and technological oversight.
4. Aggregate buying through collaboration of multiple agencies is a necessity in a state with the population and geographical challenges of West Virginia. Funding sources and equitable cost structures must be explored for successful implementation and maintenance of a statewide telecommunications infrastructure.

 Recommendations:

1. (Who prepares and submits to whom?) Prepare an analysis of the technological structure, timeframe and funding required to upgrade WVNET to a full-service broadband network that includes connectivity to all SCUS campuses. This plan should also detail compatibility standards and management structure. A plan draft should be submitted for public input no later than September 30, 1996, with a finalized plan submitted to the SCUS by December 1, 1996.
2. The Vice Chancellor of Instructional Technology should lead a coordinated effort through the Instructional Technology Advisory Board as well as other avenues within the state to examine potential collaborations that offer recommendations for aggregate purchasing options and community based network access. These findings should be submitted in concert with Recommendation #1.
3. The college and university plans for infrastructure development should define campus initiatives to establish a campus infrastructure (including technological and support services) that supports connectivity to a full-service broadband network.
4. The SCUS will develop a long-term telecommunications investment and usage assessment plan that provides for network upgrade, maintenance, and programming development.

IV. Existing WV Telecommunications Infrastructure:

 A. STATE GOVERNMENT:

 1. WV Enterprise Organization:

An understanding of the state as an enterprise organization is important. The State of West Virginia as an enterprise organization operates a large intrastate broadband network offering different forms of network connectivity to State entities: administrative, public safety, public and higher education and political subdivisions. Prior to 1990, separate networks were operated by different entities. In 1990-91, network consolidation took place moving all separate analog services to a consolidated broadband digital network facility offering voice, data, video and image transport. Intelligent multiplexors were deployed to key State locations and geographic areas of concentration to allow dedicated bandwidth facilities for individual end user applications. Bandwidth is available in forms from 9.6 kbs up to 45 mbs depending on the application requirements.

The majority of the network operates using segregated 1.54MB facilities, however, the major LATA crossing from Charleston to Clarksburg is served by a 45MB facility. Entities utilizing the broadband network include WVNET (West Virginia Network of Educational Telecomputing), WVEIS (West Virginia Education Information Service), state lottery, Department of Corrections, State Police, and IS&C (Information, Services and Communications - Department of Administration). The Communications Center of IS&C is the coordinating party for the network. The network is managed through special assembly agreements with Bell Atlantic West Virginia, Citizens Telecom, and AT&T. A topology map of network facilities is included in Attachment 1.

In 1994, the need arose to address routed network traffic. Negotiations were pursued and the networking agreements with vendors were amended to offer frame relay services to network users. Conversations are underway to migrate WVNET and WVEIS to frame relay. The State Police are preparing to migrate to a routed network using frame relay as part of NLETS 2000 (National Law Enforcement Teletype System). The IS&C Data Center system operates a large system data with rates of 19.2 KBS Digital Data Service (DDS). There is some high speed links running at 128 KBS and 56 KBS as well. Integration of routed traffic is being considered.

State contractual agreements are now being developed so that they do not tie the State to specific technology platforms. Such language is being included in all new procurement in order to facilitate the ease of migration to new technologies that may evolve during the life cycle of a contract.

2.State Government Network Management:

As enacted by the West Virginia State Legislature and Governor Caperton, on July 1, 1990 the Information Systems Services Division of the Department of Finance and Administration became the Division of Information Services and Communication (IS&C). This unit has Statutory responsibility for establishing; developing and improving data processing and telecommunications functions in the various state agencies; for promulgating standards in the utilization of data processing and telecommunications equipment; and for promoting the more effective operation of all branches of State Government - including higher and public education.

IS&C has responsibility to facilitate telecommunications activities among State spending units and the vending community. The Communications Center manages the State consolidated broadband digital network, known as ETN (Electronic Tandem Network) and as the aggregating agent of non-network related services for the Enterprise. These services include switched traffic telecommunications (voice and data), inbound services, premise-based communications systems (public and private), and communications card services. The Communications Center serves as the State Enterprise Single Point of Contact (SPOC) with the vending community. In this role, the Communication Center facilitates strong relationships between individual spending units and the vendors, but has the single point responsibility for issue escalation and service continuity.

B. TELEPHONE:

1. Local Exchange Carriers:

There are nine West Virginia Exchange Carriers with Bell Atlantic being the primary carrier serving 85% of the state. Other major carriers include Citizens Telcom, and Mountain State Telephone. Together, the three primary carriers comprise 98 % of the access lines in the state (See attached map). The three major cities of Charleston, Huntington and Morgantown are each configured with an interconnected ring of electronics capable of providing automatic protection switching.

West Virginia, within the Bell Atlantic territory, was the first state in the nation to be totally digital in switching and interoffice facilities, with over 100,000 miles of fiber installed. SONET (Synchronous Optical NETwork) based fiber rings serve the cities of Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Martinsburg, South Charleston, and Dunbar.

SONET is the network transport platform, which allows for the broadband transmission and increased survivability of new and emerging standards-based technologies such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). ATM will allow for simultaneous high-speed transmission of voice, data, and video. Together, SONET and ATM provide the foundation for interactive, multimedia applications.

The use of Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) for lower speed video/voice/data transmission is available through Bell Atlantic as part of the "ISDN Anywhere" project. ISDN provides access to services such as the Internet, video-conferencing, and distance learning.

 (Info from other Telcos)

2. CENTREX as a Local Services Technology

In 1972, State Government in Charleston converted its local dial tone service to a local exchange company (LEC) offering known as CENTREX. This is a telephone company central office based Private Branch Exchange (PBX) that is commonly used as a local dial tone solution for large corporations, particularly those with multiple locations in a geographic area.

In the late 1980s, regulatory changes started to take place and the LEC, Bell Atlantic West Virginia (BAWV), was given the freedom to negotiate off-tariff pricing for customers who had specific needs on an individual case basis. As a large user of the CENTREX services and with need for State Government to lead the move forward with digital technology, BAWV approached the State and offered to negotiate pricing for long term solution to the State's dial tone need. This solution was to be technologically transportable as well as cost effective. With the prior policy understanding that CENTREX was going to be the State's local service vehicle, an agreement was structured to offer immediate and long term cost savings while positioning the State to stay at the forefront of dial tone technology.

Since its inception in 1987, the contract has undergone many revisions in an effort to continue savings programs and keep the system technologically current with features that meet the State's changing needs. The change orders by date are:

• January 5, 1988 - Allows for mileage based pricing for Central Office loops and allows for the provisioning of CO based Local Area Networks (COLAN) for use in conjunction with CENTREX services.
• March 23, 1988 - Adds CENTREX service for 13 other cities in which West Virginia State Government has a major presence.
• June 7, 1990 - Converts from analog to digital CENTREX. Extension of contract term to June 30, 1994.
• September 27, 1990 - Adds 16 additional CENTREX nodes and provisions for ISDN services. Extension of contract of all services to March 31, 1995.
• May 16, 1991 - Revises pricing for ISDN services to be on tiered scale.
• May 22, 1992 - Adds central office based voice processing as a feature to the contract.
• August 22, 1994 - Extended the contract through 1999, reduction in per line costs of $.10/line/month and additional reductions by either eliminating monthly feature charges or reducing the per line per month charge for features. The "turn-up" to the State of its MACSTAR system which is used to manage systems feature installation/modification and rearrangement. New pricing for ISDN BRI at $20/BRI rather than the $42/BRI.
• July 8, 1995 - Provisioning of new Voice Processing Platform.

3. WV Facilities Based Interexchange Carriers (IXC):

Overview:

An interexchange carrier is a network services company that provides a variety of services from long distance to 800 toll-free and 900 services to high speed data connections between Local Access and Transport Areas (geographical areas established under the consent decree with the Justice Department and AT&T divestiture in 1984), interstate and international locations.

 The Interexchange Carrier (IXC) network infrastructure in West Virginia is relatively strong with several carriers owning and operating network facilities with others leasing network facilities. At this time, there are over 100 long distance carriers that have applied or are certified with the Public Services Commission (PSC) to do business in West Virginia. For the sake of reviewing West Virginia's infrastructure, the following carriers and their respective networks are included:

• AT&T
• MCI
• Sprint
• LDDS WorldCom
• LCI

At present, three companies, AT&T, MCI, and Sprint, own and operate networks with facilities ranging from fiber to digital microwave in West Virginia. These carriers boast a Point of Presence in each of West Virginia's four LATAs (Local Access and Transport Area). Cities with a Point of Presence include Charleston, Clarksburg, Martinsburg, and Bluefield. This provides customers with a choice of services within the LATA, however, this does not mean that all services offered by each company is available to all residents within the LATA. In large part, the deployment of network services is dependent on a number of factors such as those listed below.

• Economic viability - If an investment of equipment, software or facilities is required, a sound business case with a quick return of investment (within five years) must accompany a request. In some cases market demand is insufficient for deployment of new technology.

Technological availability - Carriers may operate different technology platforms in different regions of the country. If a company operates different switches (Northern Telecom, Rockwell, etc.), compatible software may not yet exist.

Topology:

AT&T - AT&T maintains the most fiber miles within the state of all the IXCs and, with their digital microwave facilities, operates the largest IXC network. In addition, AT&T is the only major carrier to maintain a network switching center in West Virginia. The switching center is located in Charleston and hosts a 4ESS. Other carriers have not joined their networks in West Virginia and maintain network "spurs" which offer no alternate routes out of state. AT&T's completion of a fiber route between Charleston and Lexington, Kentucky, via Huntington will strengthen a solid network in West Virginia. Fast Automatic Restoration (FASTAR) is or will be deployed in Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, and Clarksburg. In the event of a network outage on a given route between those cities, traffic can be rerouted in minutes to another physical path. AT&T is in the process of deploying SONET technology in their network that will allow service restoration in seconds.

MCI - MCI does have alternate Digital Microwave routes in the Northern Clarksburg LATA with a major junction site just outside St. Mary's, WV. The Charleston LATA is served on a "spur" from the St. Mary's site. A network "spur" is a route that extends into an area with no alternate routing. Recently, a digital microwave route from Charleston to Huntington to Ashland, Kentucky, was sold to RAM Communications in Ashland. MCI does not have network switching equipment in the state, thereby "backhauling" traffic to a switch outside the state.

Sprint - Sprint's network facilities in West Virginia are entirely fiber optic with "spurs" terminating in Charleston, Bluefield, Martinsburg, and Clarksburg. Sprint, like MCI, does not have a switching hub in West Virginia. It also "backhauls" long distance traffic out of state. Sprint's presence in the state has been downsized in recent years with few technicians remaining.

LDDS Worldcom - Worldcom has grown primarily by mergers and acquisitions with smaller companies or resellers. Although they do have a network presence in the state, much of their facilities are leased from other carriers.

LCI - Little is known about LCI's network infrastructure in West Virginia. It is known that they do not own or lease any facilities in the state, but are reporting revenue from sales. Based on information currently available, it can be hypothesized LCI is reselling another carrier's facilities.

C. MICROWAVE:

The Educational Broadcasting Authority (EBA) operates a 626-mile microwave interconnection system (See map). The microwave system provides a two-way video with associated audio and audio only transport system utilized by multiple agencies across the state (See attached report). Higher education schedules at least one link of the microwave approximately ---- hours annually. The microwave system has a hub at Maulden Mountain that connects to EBA stations in Beckley, Huntington, and Morgantown, with additional hops to the Nitro production facility, EdNet uplink, and the Capitol complex in Charleston, the Beckley Mine Academy, and Bluefield State College. The main route of the microwave system (Morgantown to Nitro; Beckley to Nitro; Huntington to Nitro) was constructed in 1981-82 with marginal periodic upgrades. The Bluefield - Beckley link via East River Mountain to Kopperston Mountain was purchased by the college in 1995.

Since 1976, Higher Education Instructional Television (HEITV) has served West Virginia colleges and universities by offering courses via the local Public Broadcasting channels. Over the two decades more than 50,000 students have earned college credit by viewing courses on public broadcasting stations and attending a limited number of campus class meetings. The high-quality courses are designed and produced by experts in field from major universities around the country, frequently on location around the world. During five of the past ten years, HEITV has been in the top four states nationally with the number of student enrollments.

Public radio, also operated through the EBA, distributes programming to transmitters utilizing audio subcarriers on the microwave system. The public radio signal originates in Charleston and is fed to eight full-power transmitters located throughout the state.

Planned upgrades to the system are sorely needed. Higher education pays the EBA $6.00 per hop per hour for microwave usage, but is limited financially to provide support for the major upgrade expenditures. Use of the microwave subjugates the LATA land-based costs and provides signal transport, but is limited in geographic distribution, access times, redundancy, and signal consistency.

D. CABLE SERVICES:

A relatively new player in the West Virginia telecommunications transport relationship with higher education, cable companies have made a definite impact on many college campuses and the surrounding communities. New federal legislation has opened the doors for cable companies to participate in the telecommunications transport arena and for telecom carriers to participate in video and cable television services. Cable TV's coaxial cable with a 10Base5 standard Ethernet cable into the home or business PC could provide distributed data transmission, or citywide Internet access via cable TV.

An important component for higher education to consider is the availability of dark fiber on the cable company's local and connecting fiber networks. For example, Century Communications operates a five-channel close-circuit dorm network on the Marshall University campus. In addition, a hybrid fiber-coax network to provide information and entertainment and a wide area high-speed data network currently is under construction connecting campus to 55,000+ residents in Cabell and Wayne Counties. At WVU, Century is proposing an information and entertainment service for residence halls. Fiber P.E.G. Access service interconnecting campus to 75,000+ residents in Monongalia, Marion, and Taylor Counties is being installed and upgraded. The cable company also provides a high speed data network for local transport of Mountaineer Doctor Television (MDTV) and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Greater info from the cable companies requested.

E. EDUCATIONAL TELECOMPUTING:

West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (WVNET) is an agency operated jointly by the State College and University Systems of West Virginia under the oversight of the Senior Administrator. There are four (4) main functions performed by WVNET: 1) operate a large data center that provides mainframe and specialized computing environments; 2) provide software support at the system level and for applications; 3) provide purchasing services such as: statewide contracts for frequently purchased computing hardware and software, recommendations and purchasing for schools without specific expertise, and systemwide maintenance contracts that provide significant price reductions; and 4) provides primary Internet access for the State. WVNET connects all public higher education campuses, many private higher education campuses, many public schools, nearly 180 public libraries, state government, multiple health care providers and other nonprofit entities.

The current network is leased through a state government contract that provides 56KB digital circuits to each campus with ongoing upgrades to T-1 frame relay lines to 26 campuses from the central facility in Morgantown (See appendix for map depicting configuration). A minimum of eight (8) 28.8bps dial-up modems will be located at each of these campuses for use by faculty, staff, students, and associated users. These modems will provide Internet access on a dial-up basis. All communication equipment, including modems, will be managed from Morgantown. The first round of modem installations will provide 304 modems across the state. The modems will be secured and the use will be charged back to provide a revenue source for support and further expansion of the service.

 As a result of the World School Project, most public K-12 schools in the Bell Atlantic Service Area are being connected via 56KB frame relay to WVNET. A special server is located in Morgantown and maintained by WVNET for the State Department of education. Its purpose is to provide a platform for public school teachers and students to explore and incorporate Internet resources.

In 1990, the West Virginia State Legislature created the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS). The law provides for a uniform, comprehensive information management system for state education. All schools and county boards of education are to be connected on-line to the regional computer centers at each of the eight (8) RESA offices. All regional computers are connected to the communications front-end of the state mainframe computers. This connection provides for interfacing the WVEIS network with other state agency computer files. The original network connections were 19.2kbscircuits. Through Bell Atlantic World School Project, the connections in the Bell Atlantic service areas are being upgraded to 56kbs frame-relay circuits and will be shared in order to provide Internet access for the schools. However, the connections in the non Bell Atlantic service areas remain at 19.2kbs circuits.

The Department of Education and the Arts was awarded a grant on behalf of the West Virginia Library Commission for infrastructure establishment. When completed in 1997, the grant will provide Internet access as well as access to all automated library systems in the State. Approximately 180 libraries will benefit from this grant. In addition to the networking, several servers and client machines will be placed at various sights. The smallest, most rural libraries will have access to the same on-line resources as the large libraries.

Also of interest is a grant awarded to Northern Community College for the integration of instructional technology. The grant is a Title III initiative, "Technology Across the Curriculum", utilized to create an Educational Technology Center supporting technology implementation in the classroom. Technologies implemented in these courses ranged from PC simulations and applications to complex, sophisticated faculty authored CD-ROM laboratory exercises. Electronic data storage and retrieval methodologies (gopher, lynx, listserv) and electronic communication techniques (DEC VAX Notes Conference, DU-MOO) were used to enhance course instruction.

WVNET is exploring and testing the emerging technology of ATM with the desire to merge the current network into this technology as the need arises for function and bandwidth.

F. VIDEO and AUDIO SYSTEMS:

1.Higher Education:

The higher education institutions of the State College and University Systems of West Virginia utilize some shared resources, but also have invested individually in telecommunications systems. This section provides a brief overview of the diversity and involvement of the SCUS and individual campus initiatives.

1a. Ed-Net

In 1987, the West Virginia Board of Regents funded an uplink and downlink system for public colleges and universities. The uplink is located on the campus of WV State College in Institute, WV. It is managed by the WV Educational Network (WV Ed-Net). While Ed-Net is located and, at this time, administratively reports to WV State College, Ed-Net is theoretically a department of the State College and University Systems of WV. Ed-Net provides scheduling, uplink services and technical support for classes for higher education.

Along with the uplink, WV Ed-Net's facility includes two broadcast studios, one of which was the first Electronic Classroom in the state. The studio has three remote controlled cameras and an overhead camera that replaces the traditional blackboard. The telephone bridge with access to 72 phone lines, provides two-way audio communications for both satellite and audio only classes in addition to administrative phone conferences for many state agencies is located in the facilities of WV Ed-Net. WV Ed-Net also has several rooms on the WV State College campus that are wired to receive satellite teleconferences originating at other locations around the nations.

The uplink system is capable of transmitting two signals to a satellite simultaneously, providing programming to over 300 downlink locations around the state. Sixteen of these downlink sites were funded by the same funding as the uplink system and located at the college and university campuses in state.

WV Ed-Net is interconnected with the EBA's microwave system. Programming can thus originate at studios located at Bluefield State College, Marshall University and West Virginia University, or any of the three public television stations. WV Ed-Net is also connected to a studio at the Charleston Area Medical Center by fiber optic cable, the location of West Virginia University at Charleston. Higher education courses delivered by satellite more than doubled from 1990 to 1992 and have become stable at approximately 40 courses per year due to a fixed cost structure and rising satellite costs. The potential for increased course delivery is reflected in the increased number of course proposals received from campuses each year. WV Ed-Net is currently investigating new technologies to provide increased access at greater affordability.

When not producing and/or uplinking classes for higher education, Ed-Net produces teleconferences for businesses, governmental agencies and other educational systems. Ed-Net also produces programming for cable distribution. With both C-band and Ku-Band downlink dishes, Ed-Net receives a variety of teleconferences. The small conference room in the facility can be used as a receive site and is equipped with a speaker phone for audio conferencing or telephone call-in. Monies generated from these contracts help fund staff and also equipment repair and upgrade.

1b. Bluefield State College - Distance Education Network:

Bluefield State College has installed a duplex microwave system between its Bluefield campus and WSWP-TV in Beckley. WSWP-TV serves as a hub from which a fiber connection from BSC's Beckley Harper Road site and BSC's Greenbrier Community College Center (GCCC) is connected to the duplex microwave link from BSC's main campus. The WSWP-GCCC link utilizes a Bell Atlantic T1 line connected to British Telecom codecs. Electronic classrooms are installed at Lewisburg and Bluefield. In addition, a new tv studio/electronic classroom complex is being installed at BSC. The college's cable television channel will broadcast from the new tv studio to its service area while electronic classrooms at BSC, Beckley, and Lewisburg will be used for fully interactive classroom instruction.

1c. Marshall University - T1 Interconnect:

Three compressed video systems are in various stages of development. Originating in Marshall University's Instructional Television Services' electronic classrooms, courses are currently delivered to Logan and Williamson via Bell Atlantic's T1 lines with support from multipoint switches at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. Three other sites, Pineville, Madison, and Hamlin, are planned for 1996. Two other systems have been funded for T1 service to Point Pleasant and West Virginia Graduate College. All three systems use British Telecom Compression equipment with technician assisted remote controlled camera and audio configuration at origination sites and student operated equipment at distance sites.

1d. Marshall University - Cable Connectivity:

Augmenting Marshall University's 20 channel two-way broadband cable system, the institution has developed an agreement with Century Communications, Inc., to provide residential and commercial service through fiber optics in the Huntington region. Forty fiber optic links have been installed at ITUS's master control providing potential connections to over 40,000 locations.

1e. Marshall University - VSAT and ISDN:

The Marshall University Research Corporation (MURC) and the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Flexible Manufacturing have developed systems that transmit and receive instruction through the West Virginia Teletraining Network's VSAT system as well as desktop conferencing via Bell Atlantic ISDN telephone lines. Connected to the main campus by an infrared link, the downtown Huntington facility utilizes its own remote controlled electronic classroom to produce credit, continuing education and research/consultation teleconferencing modules.

1f. West Virginia Institute of Technology:

• Please provide information.

1g. West Virginia Graduate College:

West Virginia Graduate College moved into a new facility in June of 1995. The new building in South Charleston is equipped with electronic instructional enhancements such as coaxial cabling in multiple rooms which offers video transferability, Category 5 wiring for data and voice accessibility, electron screens, white boards, and variable lighting options. The Graduate College operates a CLI-Eclipse interactive video system with one unit stationed at the Graduate College and an additional mobile unit, currently placed at WVU. This unit utilizes ISDN capabilities transmitting at 128 kbps.

Through Board of Trustees support, West Virginia Graduate College and Marshall University will invest in interactive video systems using T1 lines for connectivity between campuses. It is anticipated this endeavor will provide connectivity to Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College's interactive video system.

1h.West Virginia Northern Community College:

West Virginia Northern Community College's Interactive, two-way audio-video TELECOM system was the first operational compressed video system in the State College and University Systems. It was installed in 1987, and was supported by a Title III grant. Pilot faculty delivered six courses via TELECOM system in the first semester of its operation, reaching students on both the Wheeling and New Martinsville campuses simultaneously. Since then, an average of twelve to fifteen courses is offered each semester.

Two identical electronic classrooms, one on the Wheeling campus and the other on the New Martinsville campus, are equipped with three video cameras, giving the capabilities of broadcasting the instructor, the classroom, or a display area suitable for close-up work. The system includes video recording and playback equipment (1/2 and 3/4 inch) and a PC with suitable converter to display the computer screen on the system.

NOTE: Add information from revised report:******

1i. Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College(SWVCTC) - Two Way-Video:

SWVCTC operates from four campus locations: Logan, Williamson, Madison, and Pineville. Southern’s interactive classroom project delivers high quality two way interactive instruction between all the campus locations via British Telecom compressed digital video CODEC units using T1 digital telephone service. All of the classrooms employ the same complement of audio, video, and control equipment. This allows each room to serve as an originate or receive site. All of the sites can be bridged together via British Telecom Multi-Point Control Unit located at the Logan site. Scheduling and routing of classes is done from Logan or Williamson.

All of the classrooms use 3 CCD color cameras for recording instructors and single CCD cameras for overall classroom shots. Large screen monitors are ceiling mounted for viewing return video and still graphic images from the other sites. Ceiling mounted microphones are used for pick-up room audio and to aim to student camera. The instructor wears a wireless microphone which also serves as a device that allows the camera to track the instructor’s movements. This eliminates the need for the instructor to control the camera. High quality speakers are wall mounted for return audio. The teaching console was designed by the vendor with the assistance of the SWVTC staff. Construction allowed for cut-outs and recessed areas for equipment placement and handicapped use. Locking covers are provided for security when the room is not in use.

The room control system is operated by a virtual "Touch panel". This panel has menu pages for VCR, camera, audio and other devices. The menus may be rewritten whenever new devices such as computers or videodisc players are connected to the system. The panel is located in the teaching console and can be secured against authorized users. Allowances are made to permit an operator (other than the instructor) to operate the system from an off-camera position. The controller electronics are located inside the teaching console.

1j.West Virginia University - Ku-Uplink:

A Ku-uplink is located in the Concurrent Engineering Research Center (CERC)

building on the Evansdale campus of West Virginia University. The Ku uplink facility is capable of transmitting and receiving Ku--band satellite broadcasts and has an electronic classroom to produce and display programs. CERC's production facility provides for recording/playback using BetaCam SP, SVHS or VHS formats; 2 robotic and 1 mobile cameras; computer graphics, slide projector; Scan Convertor for converting computer images to video; and an electronic classroom which can seat up to 100 persons. With the campus fiber optic backbone, the CERC facility will be able to send and receive programs from campus buildings with fiber connectivity. Currently, a fiber optic connection with Radio & Television Services (R&TV) at the WVU Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center allows Ku uplinking from R&TV studio.

1k.West Virginia University - MDTV:

Mountaineer Doctor TeleVision (MDTV) is a two-way compressed video communications network that allows rural hospitals and physicians throughout West Virginia nearly instant access to the medical, educational and technological resources of the hub sites. AT&T was awarded the contract for the use of T1 telephone lines through which MDTV provides state of the art interactive communications with hub sites. Once a part of the network, sites can communicate in point-to-point or multi-point configurations.

Cameras and monitors at each site permit 24-hour per day video communication for patient medical consultations, emergency assistance, continuing education programs, student and resident educational programs, and other services. MDTV technology permits the transmission of heart and lung sounds through electronic stethoscopes.

It is important to note that MDTV is grant funded for health care applications. MDYV is a hub and spoke concept network that links West Virginia's Academic Medical Centers to rural hospitals around the state. The first hub site at the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center (RCB HSC) in Morgantown supports Grant Memorial Hospital in Petersburg, Davis Memorial Hospital in Elkins, St. Joseph's Hospital in Buckhannon, and the Veterans' Administration Medical Centers in Clarksburg and Martinsburg. The Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC), in conjunction with the Charleston Division of the RCB HSC, has developed a second hub site which supports facilities located in southern west Virginia including Boone Memorial Hospital in Madison and Braxton County Memorial Hospital in Gassaway (See map). Expansion plans include locating a hub site at Marshall University and the Osteopathic School in Lewisburg, as well as three Community Health Centers.

2. State Government - Department of Administration:
The Department of Administration has awarded contracts for a video conferencing system supporting 384 KB ISDN with internal inverse multiplexing. The video conferencing system is scheduled to begin operation in the Fall of 1995. This system with PC based card design, auxiliary data ports, computer interface facsimile interface, file/data transfer capability, camera with pan, tilt, zoom and camera presets also includes a 27-inch color monitor, telephone conference add-on, and fax-modem. An additional flexible document camera is also available on state contract. The video system will be interactive among eight initial sites with additional site availability based upon independent purchase through state contract. The system supports interactivity among the following locations: State Capitol Conference Center, Charleston; James Rumsey Voc Tech Center, Martinsburg; WV Northern Community College, Wheeling; NRCCE (WVU), Morgantown; Robert C. Byrd High School, Clarksburg; WVU-P, Parkersburg; Marshall University/WPBY, Huntington; and Raleigh County Voc Tech Center, Beckley.

The primary utilization is anticipated to be government and community meetings. It is estimated that education will also provide instruction during the evening hours.