June 1998
by Claudia Rebaza // Vision
In Vision for this month, Claudia Rebaza writes about faculty members at universities and colleges who are wary of adopting technology into their teaching methods. She discusses some of the causes of such reticence (frustration with lack of training, support, space, and equipment) and suggests a number of strategies designed to make the transition from traditional educational methods to technology-assisted ones simpler and more attractive for teachers in general.
by Ed Neal // Commentary
In this month's Commentary, Ed Neal critically examines Jerald Schutte's oft-cited study on the benefits of incorporating technology into the classroom. Neal takes Schutte and a number of other researchers to task for inaccurate and/or inconsistent research methods in studying the effects of technology on the quality of teaching. He then makes a number of suggestions that address these problems in order to help educational researchers produce more reliable data.
by Charles Morrissey // Case Studies
Charles Morrissey focuses on management education, specifically on ways in which management programs at business schools have (or have not) mirrored the methods of the larger business community in adopting technology into everyday use. In his Case Study, he presents a detailed analysis of this topic, combining a number of research sources into an overview of the general state of things in this area of higher education.
by James L. Morrison // Featured Products
In the Featured Products section, Morrison describes how Microsoft Word enhances his use of the Nominal Group Process (NGP). He explains the utility of the NGP in facilitating class discussion and how he uses Word to perform some of the tasks associated with the NGP technique.
Spotlight Site
New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA), our Spotlight Site for this month, is consistently rated among the best schools of its kind in the country; the school's B.F.A and M.F.A programs in Computer Art in particular demonstrate creative uses of technology. The school has produced some of the foremost graphic designers and computer animators working today, placing them into jobs that are moving beyond the traditional realms of the entertainment and publication industries. The increase in Internet business and the corresponding demand for skilled computer-based commercial artists make these programs a sign of things to come.