Figure 1 Using the above figure to illustrate the different kinds of software available on your campus, you should standardize software up through and including the multi-disciplinary software layer it. That is to say, the department would be responsible for creating opportunities for developing expertise in the use of these tools. To reiterate, standardization of software tools enables effective training, professional development, and user support within the context of reasonable financial constraints. I should also add that it encourages multi-disciplinary sharing of expertise and it fosters more effective communication and collaboration among students and faculty. It does mean that one type of computer is dominant and the other is used when mission-critical disciplinary objectives require one or the other.
Standardization also means that the same basic software tools are used on both platforms.
A well-designed training program has the following characteristics. It provides instruction on how to use other learning resources including help functions built into software It is supported with additional resources and services designed to complement the training It is conducted by persons with expertise in training Basic User Support Training by itself is not enough to meet users on-going basic needs. If faculty are going to embrace the responsibility for their tools, they will need the resources to accomplish this objective where and when they need them. Distributed Support Even if all the resources described in the previous section were available and a robust help desk function were in place, people still need people to help them and work with them to develop their abilities. And they need people with whom to share their ideas so they may discover new ways to continuously improve what they do.