Taking Risks...

I'm not sure if we're creatures of habit or just plain lazy, but once we find a teaching style that seems to work we tend to repeat the same pattern from term to term. This isn't to say that we don't update our course content; involvement in research always provides new illustrations and examples. But the "hard part" of how we teach doesn't change for many, sometimes in their entire career.

Each past issue of IT Connections has shown examples of faculty who dared to try new approaches to teaching that made use of information technology resources. This issue highlights faculty who are real risk takers, often incorporating IT resources that may or may not have value in the teaching/learning process. Blogs, SMART Boards, multimedia resources, and virtual worlds have the potential to engage our students in new and exciting ways. They also may not help us achieve educational objectives and be seen as a waste of time and resources.

What I admire about the faculty who are trying out these approaches is not that they are using IT resources, but that they are seeking new ways to connect with students who have very different learning styles than students of the past. Today's students are always connected to the Internet, and blogs provide a method for connecting to faculty and fellow students. They work in teams, and SMART Boards provide an excellent way to collaborate. They are visual learners, so multimedia tools are effective. And they are often familiar with virtual worlds such as Second Life, making them comfortable using such tools as educational environments.

Of course there are many who are doubtful that investing in IT resources to support these activities will amount to much. In my early days of teaching, similar concerns were expressed about the role of microcomputers and the Internet. My answer for those who doubt the role of IT today is the same as in the past: it all depends on who is teaching. Faculty featured in this issue of IT Connections, as others at the University of Oregon, are thinking deeply about how students learn. In so doing they are constantly making adjustments in how they use resources and engage students with course material. Their end goal is not using technology, but being effective as teachers and creating an environment where their students can learn and excel.

In this edition of IT Connections we also welcome our new Director of Academic Information Services, Helen Chu. Helen brings many skills and talents to this newly created position at the university, but perhaps the most impressive is that she is an innovator in her own use of IT resources in teaching and research. Beginning at UCLA, Helen has built a career as both a teacher and facilitator with IT resources. At the University of Oregon she will manage the Academic Information Services unit within Information Services and work closely with schools and other academic units in supporting the academic mission of the university. We are excited that Helen has joined us and look forward to taking risks with information technology under her guidance with the ultimate goal of enriching the academic experience of our faculty and students.

Sincerely,

Don Harris
CIO, University of Oregon