FIT: Survey Answers

These answers were collated from the questionnaires which were used to foster discussion at the Summit. They reflect participants ideas about Information and Technology Fluency activites already taking place, future activities and skills critical to IT fluency. Roles & Activities participants saw supporting Information and Technology literacy

Research regarding changes in teaching, learning, assignments, and consequences of using it.

Projects or other assignments to

encourage students to be reflective about their experience.
integrate Information and Technology with content issues.
develop higher order thinking skills when solving problems.

Snyder's course [CSE 100] transitioned to SLIS [School of Library and Information Science]

Using the web for:

communication
an explanation of how technology works
critical thinking

Training instructors to use and train their students to use computer based instruction.

Solving technophobia

Continued work in the FIG (freshmen interest group) program.

Upgrade classrooms to provide support for those that are interested in using technology in classrooms. UW Tacoma will be involved in a faculty institute in Tacoma to provide classroom support.

CARTAH

Assess new students' skills & fluency when they enter, and assistance in planning their course of study appropriate to their skills

Activities participants saw supporting Information and Technology literacy skills

Work with pre-service teachers

Consult with groups beyond the UW

Work with LIS and UWired

Snyder's course [CSE 100]

Camps and institutes for students and faculty

CBT (computer based testing) systems

Build smart classrooms to increase use

Use a computer classroom/lab where classes are held and students drop in.

Create course web material and web based tools along with the training to make them work.

Use research mentors

Work with individual courses, also offer stand alone workshops

CTILAC provides for faculty, training, resources, help with activities and assignments, forum for sharing

Use Freshmen Interest Groups (FIGs) to establish basic information skills for first year students enrolled in FIG learning communities.

Using text databases, obviously word processing, peer review, email groups, using libraries gateway.

Issues or skills participants believe are critical to supporting Information and Technology Literacy

Basic computer skills

Thinking types:

Critical thinking: evaluation of information and sources in print and on the web
Algorithmic
Abstract

Ensuring that technology skills are viewed as a starting point, rather than an end product of critical thinking

Providing appropriate support (examples, models) for new types of learning, and ways of showing them so students know

Snyder's talk

Find out student needs

Enough infrastructure and support people

Administrative mandate: providing objectives, time, and resources to produce the desired goal

Be consistent-- demand that students use Information and Technology skills/capabilities throughout the curriculum

Train the trainers, are faculty/librarians FIT?

Deal with institutional resistance

Training students in computer technology use and eliminate technophobia

Ideas participants would like to see implemented

Administrative support

Larry's commentary to get 3 integrated areas of fluency

Teaching:

Project based approach to FIT throughout all disciplines--important for Information and Technology, and also for critical thinking and for learning
Step by step incremental teaching, designed to increase confidence and self-esteem
The FIT class, CSE 100, proposed as a pilot for Spring '99, but with discipline base

Engage students in this dialog

Development of an atmosphere that supports new types of learning skills

Information and Technology projects in every class

Linked courses

Student/GSA/faculty pairing

Technology intensive courses

Sharing resources, physically between departments

Consider a required technology fluency course, and research intensive courses in disciplines that incorporate technology.

Building necessary infrastructure

Participants were asked: Whose responsibility is it to educate students in Information and Technology literacy?

Everyone's, but:

seriously focusing on computer science, library science, school of communication since information and technology literacy is an every changing state.
there needs to be systemic coordination as well.

It will be a collaborative effort including faculty, staff, and librarians. Administrative support will be necessary in these collaborations.

All the faculty, through good use of Information and Technology in their courses

Bring undergraduates into this mission

K-12 and at UW