Supporting Objectives
1. A formal means of regular evaluation of information technology programs and use will be developed and performed through the University's Office of Information Technology.
2. The University will appoint an external information technology advisory board via the Marshall Technology Institute to periodically review the strategic plan, and to provide outside perspective regarding technology innovation and its potential role within the University.
Educators
need to understand how their uses of technologies such as computing, video and
telecommunication are enabling improvement in their educational strategies. We
also need to know whether such improved strategies help assure equitable access
and promote desired improvement in what students have learned by the time they
complete the program, while containing the growth of program costs. The
Flashlight Project has been developing and testing survey items, interview
questions, cost analysis procedures and other evaluative tools that educators
can use to answer such questions.
The Flashlight Project develops survey items,
interview plans, cost analysis methods, and other procedures that institutions
can use to monitor the success of educational strategies that use technology.
Local evaluators can
use Flashlight to design two types of study: (1) a longitudinal study of
courses in a course of study that uses (or is about to begin using) technology
in instruction; and/or (2) a cross-sectional comparison of courses or sections
that require technology use with comparable courses or sections that do not
require the use of these technologies.
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Objective |
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Current Capabilities |
1 - Not at All |
2 - Slight |
3 - Somewhat |
X 4 - Fairly High |
5 - Very High |
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Desired Capabilities |
1 - Not at All |
2 - Slight |
3 - Somewhat |
4 - Fairly High |
X 5 - Very High |
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Plan to reconcile the difference between current and
desired capabilities |
The Flashlight Project is composed of three modules: Current Student Inventory (CSI), Faculty Gap Analysis (FGA) and Cost Model. The CSI is implemented only in WebCT courses. This needs to be expanded to all courses that utilize technology (video, technology enhanced, etc.). The FGA needs to be fully implemented. The cost model will also need to be utilized for all courses, regional campuses location, educational strategies. |
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Measurable/observable initial, intermediate, and long
terms student outcomes |
This type of assessment will help use define technical problem areas, faculty development issues, cost analysis and impacts of educational strategies and combinations. |
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Necessary skills and knowledge |
Faculty will be expected to obtain core competencies in the areas utilization of technology resources that they use in the educational process. |
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Processes that need to be in place |
MU policies and procedures for standardizing and analyzing surveys. Results from the data need to be reviewed at several levels with actions plans for expanding positive options and resolving negative complications. |
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Professional development plans |
Faculty will need a formal faculty development programs for the technology thet they utilize in their course. |
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Hardware Requirements |
The Flashlight Project is fully installed on a Marshall NT server. |
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Software Requirements |
The Flashlight Project is fully installed on the muonline.marshall.edu/faculty/ page |
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Evaluation Measures |
Script files will need to be written to produce a report and statistical analyses from the database. |
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Timeline |
1999-2000 |
X 2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
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