Ed-Tech list members,
More great news from IT! Wireless access is now available to all employees at UM, without any fees. Faculty and staff can register their computers and use them wirelessly, just like the students. A new link on MyUM's "Life at UM" page allows you to register your computers. See www.miami.edu/wirelesscanes for a short guide. Full instructions, for both Windows and Macs, are at http://www6.miami.edu/canenet/quickstartguide.pdf where you will find the Quick Start Guide that was created for students. I would guess that these instructions will work for employees, since we will have to set the "WirelessCanes" name into the wireless network settings, as described in the Quick Start Guide, since it doesn't announce its name. (DISCLAIMER: If someone manages your computer for you, please contact them before doing anything to change settings on your computer.)
As with the Microsoft software for students, I am just a messenger, passing on what I have heard. I had nothing to do with this happening, but I am certainly happy to hear about it. If all faculty have wireless access in the classroom, those who want to will be able to experiment with new ways to use computers in the classroom. I have talked with one professor at a university that has ubiquitous computing: every student and faculty member has a portable computer, with wireless network access. He has the students go to the course Blackboard site at the start of each lecture. The students all go to that lecture's Chat Session (in the Collaboration area) and have side "conversations" about the lecture during the lecture. At the end of the lecture (no more than 15 minutes in this class) the professor goes to the Chat Session and reviews, on the projector in front of the class, the transcript that the students have created. He clarifies items where the students were confused, adds material where the students started off in new directions, answers questions that were not answered by other students, and recognizes good answers, questions, and thoughts that are in the transcript. His 15 minute lecture turns into a 30 to 45 minute learning activity, with most of the time controlled by the students. He never has to ask, "Are there any questions?" because there are always questions being collected during the lecture in the Chat Session.
This is, for this professor, a great example of a learning system that recognizes that "learning" involves more than "listening." The virtual classroom allows the students to process the information and discuss it, as it being presented, thereby improving and increasing their learning. The virtual classroom allows the professor to see their thinking and process that immediately after the presentation, thereby improving and increasing their learning. Rather than insisting that students turn off their computers during class, this professor uses the computers to engage the students in valuable learning activities.
Before I hear from too many people, let me say that I certainly see how participating in the chat session can reduce attention to the lecture, so the students might miss something. The lecturer might have to go slightly slower to deal with this. And the students might have to both type and listen at the same time. Using a chat room during a lecture is not automatically a better way to do things. It could be worse. It probably will work for some people and not for others, both students and faculty. It will take practice and reflection, and hopefully some scholarship in this area, for us to better understand how we might use this tool to create learning system that foster the learning outcomes we desire.
I would love to hear of examples like this at UM of the use of faculty and student computers in the classroom to enhance student learning. Now that the cost of wireless access is no longer a hurdle, I hope more faculty will begin reflecting on ways to use computers in the classroom to achieve the student learning outcomes that they desire.
REMINDER: There are still openings in the Lunch and Learn Session on Wikis, Wednesday, September 13, 12:20-1:10 PM (Period E). Go to http://snipurl.com/wikiway for details and the (required) registration form.
Bill Vilberg
Assoc. Dir. of Instructional Advancement
305-284-3944
As of today, wireless on the Coral Gables campus is now open to all University of Miami employees, as well as all students. All devices still need to be registered, but users are now able register their wireless device by simply visiting MyUM (http://myum.miami.edu), then select “Life at UM”, and finally selecting “CaneNet and Wireless Access” under Other Functions.
While devices still need to be registered, all Employees automatically have access and no paperwork is required to begin using the wireless cloud. All the employee needs to have is their CaneID and password and then they can surf away.
Enjoy,
Stewart Seruya
