UMD ITSS: Evaluating Information Technology on Campus

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Evaluating Information Technology on Campus

What to ask about information technology when choosing a college or university.

Questions taken from the EDUCAUSE Online Guide to Evaluating Information Technology on Campus...

Academic Experience	Administrative Experience
Social Experience	Requirements, Services & Costs

Academic Experience

Q: What percentage of campus courses use electronic information to enhance the course (for example, syllabi, reading lists, discussion groups, demonstrations)? A: We do not report an actual percentage here, because our campus does not require faculty to report this data. Nevertheless, a significant number of faculty use technology tools to enhance their courses. Over the past three years, 120 of our 434 faculty have participated in the Tech Camp experience. Examples of faculty member projects at Tech Camp are listed at the Tech Camp web site. Moreover, faculty participate in ongoing technology training workshops, described at our technology training web site.

Q: Are technology resources available, used effectively to enhance the learning experience, and designed to prepare graduates in your major for successful technology use in their careers? A: The campus supports a variety of technology resources for course enhancement. These include web tools and services available for faculty and specialized software for use in a variety of disciplines. UMD is the home of Portfolio, a web application available to all University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff for managing personal, educational, and professional records on line in a secure computing environment.

Q: What library resources are available online (catalog, databases, special collections)? A: The UMD library has extensive online resources. The library catalog is online, Interlibrary loan requests can be submitted online, and there are many electronic reference and full-text databases available. Further information can be found at the UMD Library website.

Q: What electronic reference materials are licensed and how accessible are they from outside the library (for example, in the residence halls or off-campus)? A: Hundreds of databases and indexes are available electronically from the UMD Library web site. All are accessible to UMD students, faculty, and staff, from on or off campus, after authenticating with your user name and password.

Q: How does the campus help students develop computer skills? A: All UMD students are required to take freshman composition, during which many basic computer skills are taught. Thereafter students learn computer skills related to their particular disciplines within the courses for that discipline. Our freshman course, Introduction to College Learning, has a significant technology component, and is elected by approximately 60 percent of incoming freshmen each year.

Q: Does the campus allow students to receive credit for courses taken electronically from other sources? A: Yes, as long as the course is from an accredited institution of higher education. In addition, UMD offers electronic courses through UMD Continuing Education. Some of the CE Individualized Instruction (INI) courses are offered electronically via the web, and plans are to convert more of them to this format over time

Q: Does the campus have a specific computer/IT competency requirement for all undergraduates? A: UMD has an online computer literacy guide for students. Many of these skills are taught in freshman composition or Introduction to College Learning.

Q: Are course reserves and other materials available online/via the Web site? A: Yes, see our Library web site.

Q: What percentage of faculty has a networked computer available to them? A: One-hundred percent of regular UMD faculty has a networked computer available to them.

Q: What percentage of faculty use e-mail regularly? A: Email is used regularly throughout UMD for daily business. Although we don't have a good way to measure the exact percentage of faculty who use email regularly, we approximate that it is at least 90 percent

Academic Experience
Q: What percentage of campus courses use electronic information to enhance the course (for example, syllabi, reading lists, discussion groups, demonstrations)?	A: We do not report an actual percentage here, because our campus does not require faculty to report this data. Nevertheless, a significant number of faculty use technology tools to enhance their courses. Over the past three years, 120 of our 434 faculty have participated in the Tech Camp experience. Examples of faculty member projects at Tech Camp are listed at the Tech Camp web site. Moreover, faculty participate in ongoing technology training workshops, described at our technology training web site.
Q: Are technology resources available, used effectively to enhance the learning experience, and designed to prepare graduates in your major for successful technology use in their careers?	A: The campus supports a variety of technology resources for course enhancement. These include web tools and services available for faculty and specialized software for use in a variety of disciplines. UMD is the home of Portfolio, a web application available to all University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff for managing personal, educational, and professional records on line in a secure computing environment.
Q: What library resources are available online (catalog, databases, special collections)?	A: The UMD library has extensive online resources. The library catalog is online, Interlibrary loan requests can be submitted online, and there are many electronic reference and full-text databases available. Further information can be found at the UMD Library website.
Q: What electronic reference materials are licensed and how accessible are they from outside the library (for example, in the residence halls or off-campus)?	A: Hundreds of databases and indexes are available electronically from the UMD Library web site. All are accessible to UMD students, faculty, and staff, from on or off campus, after authenticating with your user name and password.
Q: How does the campus help students develop computer skills?	A: All UMD students are required to take freshman composition, during which many basic computer skills are taught. Thereafter students learn computer skills related to their particular disciplines within the courses for that discipline. Our freshman course, Introduction to College Learning, has a significant technology component, and is elected by approximately 60 percent of incoming freshmen each year.
Q: Does the campus allow students to receive credit for courses taken electronically from other sources?	A: Yes, as long as the course is from an accredited institution of higher education. In addition, UMD offers electronic courses through UMD Continuing Education. Some of the CE Individualized Instruction (INI) courses are offered electronically via the web, and plans are to convert more of them to this format over time
Q: Does the campus have a specific computer/IT competency requirement for all undergraduates?	A: UMD has an online computer literacy guide for students. Many of these skills are taught in freshman composition or Introduction to College Learning.
Q: Are course reserves and other materials available online/via the Web site?	A: Yes, see our Library web site.
Q: What percentage of faculty has a networked computer available to them?	A: One-hundred percent of regular UMD faculty has a networked computer available to them.
Q: What percentage of faculty use e-mail regularly?	A: Email is used regularly throughout UMD for daily business. Although we don't have a good way to measure the exact percentage of faculty who use email regularly, we approximate that it is at least 90 percent

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©2003 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Last modified on 08/31/02 Contact ITSS | Privacy

Did you find what you were looking for? YES NO
©2003 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Last modified on 08/31/02	Contact ITSS \| Privacy