Professors find tech. helpful, complicated
By Crystal Forester
Staff Reporter

Professors say they thought adding new technology to the renovated classrooms would allow them to explore different methods of teaching, but that they are often irritated with malfunctioning or too complicated equipment.

Ann George, an English professor, said she enjoys showing movies during her classes because it helps get students more involved in the learning process, but that she often has trouble getting the equipment to work. The controls on the equipment are hard to understand and difficult to work with, she said.

“It does waste time in class, but it is worth it to bring other media into the classroom,” George said.

Beginning in summer 2001, 118 classrooms had updated technology installed and more rooms are scheduled for renovations, said Larry Kitchens, director of Instructional Services. Often Instructional Services finds that cables aren’t plugged in properly or not at all, Kitchens said. The fact that all of the equipment is still under warranty has cut down on the cost of maintenance, he said.

“With the amount of people we have pushing the limits of the equipment, damage to the equipment is not a big problem,” Kitchens said.

Rhonda Hatcher, a mathematics professor, said there is always a good possibility that the equipment will work, so it is a good idea to have a backup plan.

“The technology is a good tool to use in the classroom, even though it tends to not work part of the time,” Hatcher said.

Jodi Campbell, a history professor, said the technology in all the classrooms was one of the reasons she decided to work at TCU. Campbell said she often shows maps and images during class and finds it tiresome when the equipment breaks.

“Any kind of technology has the potential to break down,” Campbell said. “It has an enormous potential to enhance the learning experience for teachers and students.”

The ability to use the laptop outlets for Powerpoint presentations and DVD and VCR players is a benefit for the teachers because it makes lectures more visual for the students, said Claudia Camp, a religion professor. Camp said the equipment is not useful in some of the rooms that it was installed in and that the professors should have been consulted before it was installed.

Instructional Services offers a class at the beginning of each semester for teachers to show them how to work the equipment in the classrooms, Kitchens said. The class is held in small groups to give teachers an orientation with the equipment, he said. Instructional Services also encourages teachers who don’t feel comfortable with the equipment to have a one-on-one session to learn the equipment, Kitchens said.

“The technology is new in the classrooms at TCU,” Kitchens said. “More and more teachers are gaining experience using the equipment. With the teachers becoming more experienced we are seeing a greater use of the equipment.”

Crystal Forester