Initially, the program is being offered only at the Storrs campus, although Barker hopes to expand it in the future. The students bring to the undertaking the same mix of enthusiasm, curiosity and willingness to experiment with which they developed their own computer skills. They say they are looking forward to working with faculty and expanding their own technological abilities. Barker stresses that educational technology should not be an end in itself, but a tool to promote effective teaching and learning. As faculty moved from writing on a chalkboard to writing on a white board, nothing changed in how they teach.
Students can read the notes, but they have no added value.
You might as well give them a piece of paper. If used well, however, educational technology can help faculty teach and students learn more effectively, he says. Part of the responsibility of faculty members is to foster student responsibility. And that requires a more hands-on, interactive approach to learning than just lectures, he says. All are possible on-line.