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A&E of Technology... "Assessment and Evaluation" - looking at the impact of technology on learning

A&E of Technology
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Assessment & Evaluation Ocotillo Forum
July 30, 1998 at District Office room 311

Participants

Introduction / Overview

• General way of inventorying technology and use
• Come up with small set of questions for self assessment on technology
• Student attitudinal survey => common questions
• Can we, as a group, come up with an inventory/survey for all?

Comments

• Defining a menu of things each of us thinks need to be done; we haven't really defined what Ocotillo means when we say assess/eval technology => going through the right process
• Asked colleges to define a technology working plan; plans need to have an inventory of whatever technology is available for political purposes
• bond election 1994 authorized Governing Board to sell bonds to get money to continue technology agenda, build buildings, etc. Money runs out 2001
• Governing Board can elect to have a bond election in 2000 but probably won't have one until 2002
• we have no data on costs for buying, maintaining, or future planning (over time) to justify money given
• Plans to assess college learning by college faculty initiated by NCA; separate plans generated but could argue that only one is necessary for entire district => for computer literacy need to come up with one definition that is all encompassing for the colleges, universities, and community we serve
• Is it this group's 'job' to track the inventory? (counting hardware) => get information from IT departments (ask them to put information in a standard format with assessment of 'usability')
• Who should be the group that knows this information? Property control, quality of equipment => presidents? Assign team?
• Would also allow us to be accountable for last bond
• Done an inventory through CTC at GCC => meets our needs; question is, is collecting data useful for college, or district, or both?
• What is the status of the technology plans? => each DI is supposed to send a copy to ADLS; to date, none have been turned in
• Bond election is not a very effectively mechanism to get money for technology upgrades => may need a technology fee; a predictable fund every year
• Philosophical question => who pays? Students or tax payers?
• What are the students buying? Car and then computer... What are their priorities?

Faculty use of Technology

• Problem seems to be rising -- are our faculty current in use of latest technology versions of technology? => apparently we are not.

see also: National Standards for Technology in Teacher Preparation an ISTE Accreditation and Standards Committee

Technology Inventory / Computer Literacy

Three areas we are talking about in terms of technology inventory are equipment, training, use for computer literacy

• Is computer literacy part of assessment plans now? If not, two ways to determine definition of 'computer literacy' and assessments to determine:
1. Each college can go through process and define computer literacy individually and then determine how to assess
2. This group can work together and come up with one definition and common assessments.
• Is it possible to come up with a 'rolling definition' of literacy in order to keep up with technological innovations?
• This would have to be an iterative process
• Suggestion that Ocotillo group go to resources at campus for definition rather than come up with one on own => technology committees that are cross-disciplinary? Each faculty member may have a different view
• Technology changes year after year so need to be able to compare data through time
• Tools will change => better question is 'do the tools help the learning process?'
• Don't think a longitudinal/over time study will work because criteria changes; can look year by year comparing to 'district' norm
• Some data can be tracked year by year; depends on data
• Can we use Flashlight to survey attitudes? (Andrea Greene will check on it)
• DIs to nominate 2-3 (1 from computer science + 2 others) to work to define computer literacy and how to assess it
• What are the best practices on assessment?
• Pass through larger group until have definition
• Hesitate to use one measure
• As an alternative, can we use Ocotillo instead of convening a 'supergroup' to discuss at college roundtables ideas on definition of computer literacy and how to assess (broader range of input) ?
• If can put information in and get what you want out, you are computer literate...

A Conceptual Framework

• Where are we now?
• Where do we want to go?
• Who knows what?
• How are things classified?
• How much does it cost?
• Can we take this information and use it?

Summary

This framework defines the areas that should be addressed for "assessing/evaluating" technology, covering three broad areas and viewed for students, faculty, and staff, as well as a whole.

• The "inventory" items can be defined from common items seen from college technology plans to be submitted to Dr. de los Santos. The Ocotillo chairs and DIs will review plans at Nov 13 meeting and begin a rpocess of culling common inventory items that can be summarized for a Maricopa baseline picture of technology.
• Using the Ocotillo roundtable process, committees at each college can begin defining the elements of "computer literacy" that would be measurable and meaningful. By sharing, we can develop a definintion that supports the Board's End statements.
• It is possible that the Flashlight surveys can be used (or some other survey) to create a suite of attudunal measures.