GSE retools approach to technology
New Center for Study of Technology in Education provides support to faculty

By PATRICIA DONOVAN
News Services Editor

After more than a year of planning provoked by the explosive growth of technology in education, the Graduate School of Education has marshaled its resources to support a new intellectual community within the school that will enable faculty members to engage one another around issues of technology.

The Center for the Study of Technology in Education (CSTE) was developed by the school's faculty and is directed by Hank Bromley, associate professor of educational leadership and policy, and a specialist in the social and cultural implications of these new sciences.

Bromley says the faculty envisioned three goals for the CSTE: to prepare professors and students to use technology well-that is, wisely, appropriately, creatively and effectively; to support research on the best uses of technology, and to support research and teaching on the broader social meaning of the changes technology provokes.

Bromley points out that the emphasis is on the importance of a scholarly community to support GSE students and faculty as they examine technology from multiple perspectives and develop a shared understanding of what it may contribute to their professional lives. "There is a dramatically increasing reliance on technology as an instructional tool by educational institutions at all levels, a fact that demands thoughtful attention," Bromley says. "In this case, we do not consider technology an end in itself, but as something embedded in a broader framework through which it serves a wider educational vision."

The point, he says, is not that everyone should 'do' technology, but that everyone should do what matters to him or her. The expectation is that the CSTE will help the faculty develop greater insight into what the growing presence of new technologies means for each of them in their many areas of concern.

The idea for the CSTE was not imposed by the school's administration, but arose out of 1998 strategic planning exercises that involved a large number of GSE faculty.

One group mapped out a general strategy for dealing with technology within the school. It recommended the establishment of the new center and developed a proposal.

The CSTE replaces the Center for Educational Resources and Technology, known as CERT. Bromley said the initial plan was to redefine and expand the role of CERT. He noted, however, that its function became confused with the Baldy Technology Node in the minds of many people. Both the node and CERT were headed by Thomas Shuell, professor of counseling and educational psychology, who was assisted by Bromley. Both node and CERT offered technical support, shared some personnel and were located in close proximity to one another. Both now report to Michael Kibby, associate dean for information technology.

"We wanted to keep the name and refocus the function, but that confused a lot of issues. So this is a fresh start," Bromley says. "We'll continue to offer the services once available through CERT, as well as new activities. Because budget constraints preclude a large number of support staff, we will operate the new center in a more participatory manner. Anyone who contributes to its operation is a voting member. This gives faculty members greater sense of ownership and a larger stake in its success."

The center basically belongs to its members and they all have an equal say in what goes on there. They not only choose the director, but vote on policies and priorities, allocate the center's resources and then pitch in to make things happen.

Bromley says the only reason he's the director is because the other members asked him to take the job.

He says that faculty members wanted the center to take advantage of the GSE's existing resource base in educational technology and to contribute to the school's new emphasis on urban education. Specific center operations are directed by member committees:

-The CSTE Research Committee will direct the center's research mission and is headed by Douglas Clements, professor of learning and instruction, recognized nationally for his research into the application of technology to the teaching of mathematics. The committee supports and shares research on the best uses of technology in different educational settings and helps instructors recognize obstacles to its use.

The Research Committee recently issued a call to all GSE faculty interested in research applications of technology. It will assist such efforts by assigning the school's two graduate research assistants to work on specific projects and by helping locate funding sources to support further research.

Additional assistance for GSE faculty and student research is provided by the school's Data Analysis Laboratory (DAL), also housed in CSTE. The laboratory offers consultation for both quantitative and qualitative research projects. It can provide assistance with research design, data analysis (including the use of SPSS and NUD*IST software) and interpretation of results.

- CSTE Curriculum Committee operations are headed by Dorothy Rissel, associate professor of learning and instruction. This group assists individual programs within the school by helping them determine what students should know with regard to various technologies. The committee also will determine how best to incorporate such topics into the GSE curricula.

-The CSTE Faculty Development Committee has not yet been established, but will work with a soon-to-be-hired instructional consultant to create an environment that supports faculty members as they integrate technology into their own teaching practices.

"We are very interested in providing technical instructional support to graduate students and faculty," said Bromley. "We want to show them new ways to use technology for curriculum development, research and teaching."

- The CSTE Colloquium Committee headed by Greg Dimitriadis, assistant professor, and Raechele Pope, visiting associate professor, both in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, will continue the CERT Colloquium Series.