Education Department

Technology

The Unit Allocates Resources across Programs to Prepare Candidates to meet Standards for their Fields
All programs have equal access to computer technology, the library resources center, and two educational project rooms. Allocation of budgetary resources is made based upon the recommendations of COTE that emanate from the assessment system. It Provides Adequate Resources to Develop and Implement the Unit’s Assessment Plan.

The Unit has sufficient personnel and technical resources to implement the Unit’s assessment plan.
The Director of Assessment utilizes at least two student assistants to assist in the collection and entering data into databases and has sufficient technical support to conduct the assessment system. As data are retrieved, they are entered into databases with aggregated results made presentable statistically for presentation to stakeholder. Thus, the Director has resources to store, aggregate, synthesize, and to present data. He has access to management tools for collecting and dispensing academic data including a relational data base called the Teacher Education Student Tracking System (TESTS); additional and preliminary analysis of data through Excel; and the merging of data to SPSS for final statistical analysis.

The Unit has adequate Information Technology Resources to Support Faculty and Candidates
The College became the first wireless campus in the United States during the 1999-2000 academic year, The wireless network provides on-line access for all students including candidates to access the internet via laptop connections from any location within proximity to campus. Dial-up Internet access allows faculty to communicate with colleagues, and students and to conduct research from virtually any location. The College has also partnered with Dell Computers to provide students with laptops that are configured to the campus network at affordable prices. As a result, many students are provided with seamless connections through campus technology. In addition, teacher education faculty and candidates have access to classrooms and laboratories equipped with computer equipment to facilitate teaching and learning.

Pedagogy and professional classes are conducted in smart classrooms, and two computer laboratories are dedicated for use by teacher candidates and faculty. A classroom laboratory located on the second floor of Hogue hall in proximity to faculty offices is equipped with four multimedia desktop computers, one high end multimedia computer for linear digital video editing, digital video editing hardware and software, color laser printer and scanner. These computers are configured with standard campus wide software in addition to a variety of P-12 content software. A second classroom laboratory designated for teacher education includes 30 computer work stations, projector, screen, audio, VCR, DVD player, room controller, visualizer, instructor computer terminal, digital video camera, digital camera, and lighting control. The workstations have standard campus software as well as selected departmentalized software. Teacher education faculty deliver pedagogical and professional courses this laboratory. In addition to technology resources on campus, the Unit selects field and clinical sites in schools with sufficient technology.

The Maves Art Center has a Macintosh computer laboratory with media and graphic arts capabilities for use by art majors and teacher candidates. Music Education majors have access to a second Macintosh laboratory located in Marston Hall. Science candidates may use two computer laboratories located in Snyder Hall. The Majority of classrooms afford faculty and students opportunity to use technology in teaching and learning.

Faculty and candidates also have access to digital cameras for use both on campus and during field and clinical assignments. Candidates have preferential access to a newly equipped classroom laboratory in Marston Hall. The smart classrooms dedicated to teacher education are configured with projectors, screens, audio equipment, VCRs, DVD players, room controllers, visualizers, podium/cabinets, digital cameras, digital video cameras, and lighting control.

Faculty and Candidates have Access to both Sufficient and Current Library and Curricular Resources and Electronic Information

Faculty and candidates have access to the Ruby E. Dare Library that houses more than 128,000 books, 500 periodicals, and five daily newspapers, in addition to more than 5,000 audiovisual items, including CDs, and other formats. The library belongs to the Illinois Library Computer Systems Organization. This group maintains ILLNET Online, an online library catalog that allows patrons to search the Ruby E. Dare Library collection and the collections of the 44 other academic libraries in the organization. The Library provides online access to many databases including indexes to periodicals, full-text articles, and reference works. The Library has a computer classroom and computer laboratory with approximately 45 workstations.

In addition the Media Resource Center, the Educational Project Room, and the Education Resource Room provide all candidates and faculty technical equipment and teacher education materials. 93 A staff of professional librarians, a paraprofessional, and student assistants are available to assist candidates. The Educational Project Room, previously referenced, is for the exclusive use of all teacher candidates.

A Math/Science Resource Center located in Snyder Hall is also for the exclusive use of teacher candidates enrolled in methods and science education courses. It offers many resources in science and mathematics education, concrete materials for use in lessons, and children’s literature with accompanying math and science lesson ideas. This facility adjoins the classroom where science and math methods courses meet and is used heavily in curriculum planning activities for the field components of these courses. The mathematics curriculum that is used at the field site is housed in this facility for use by candidates in their campus-based work, as well as in developing lesson plans.

Last updated: October 21, 2004