COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AT SMITH COLLEGE
Eighty-five percent of Smith students have their own computers - either brought from home or purchased, at a discount, at the college's computer store. For the student without her own computer, two 24/7 computer laboratories are at her disposal. Professors use computers in their class routine. They assign readings from Internet journals, communicate with students via the Net and e-mail as well as post quizzes and exams on line.
Technology enhances the educational process in many new ways. It provides wider access to resources and broadens class interaction between student and instructor. Introduced this year (on a pilot basis) is a class management program called CourseInfo, produced by a higher education software company, appropriately dubbed Blackboard Inc. This program allows instructors to create and maintain course Websites without learning HTML or other Internet programming languages. It enables faculty members to incorporate Web resources into their classes; namely, set up class-wide Web chats on topics pertinent to the course, send messages and announcements to students and track students using assessment tools provided. More contact with students means increased opportunities to impart information.
Today is the computer's day. Its impact is altering the processing, memorizing and conceptualizing of information. Distance learning (attending classes without leaving one's home) is accomplished by computer monitors and interactive television. At Smith there is a drive on campus to provide every undergraduate with a Web-accessible computer.
Withal, sophisticated technology will never replace real people - students and instructors. It is important to use this powerful tool so it fades in the background and is the means to support the higher purpose of adding to the education process. It is
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questionable that computers will become the sole resource of reading materials. (Can you imagine giving up the luxury of "curling up" with a good read?)
A particular bonus of technology on campus is the introduction of BannerWeb (part of the college Website) which allows students to access curricular details and register for courses on line. A monumental project, aided by a large Mellon Foundation grant, was to digitize the most frequently used images in Smith's fine art collection and post them on line for student use. No more need to share slides with 10 or more students in the art library.
Electronic communication is a marvelous tool and goes a long way to broaden exposure to educational materials. However, many professors still believe that person-to-person contact, when available, far outranks the impressive but impersonal technology.
Eric Sean Weld-News Smith Spring 2000.
A rather impressive college Website, cleverly called Daily Jolt, has been created by several creative Amherst College students. It is a wonderful tool which lists a myriad of activities occurring on or around campus, has chat rooms, allows for surveys to be conducted and even tells you what meals are being served on which days in any of the dorms. That is only a brief description of the information available. After locking into a specific Website, you can also link to a number of other colleges who use this Website program.. It is worth a visit. To go there: www.dailyjolt.com You may even find your alma mater among those using the site. In any event you can impress your grandchildren with your awareness. No fuddy-duddy you!
You can visit the general Website for your college or university and review with nostalgia and pride the current campus scene. Each school has its own site and is probably relatively easy to access.
I first tried: www.smithcollege.edu and when that didn't work I was lucky with www.smith.edu |
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