Faculty Technology Survey
Fall 2002
A total of 135 part-time and full-time faculty (27% response rate) responded to the 2002 Faculty Technology Web Survey during the last week of October. The Office of University Planning administered the survey for the purpose of gathering information on how the faculty are using technology in their teaching. Thirty-seven percent of all full-time faculty responded while only 7 percent of part-time faculty responded. Ninety-seven percent of faculty responding to the survey teach in Cullowhee and 95 percent teach at the undergraduate level. Almost half of the faculty responding teach in the College of Arts and Sciences (49%), while almost one quarter teach in Applied Sciences, ten percent in the College of Business, and 16 percent in the College of Education and Allied Professions.
Faculty Training
Over 50 percent of faculty responding agreed or strongly agreed that they need instruction or training in course development for the web, instruction with the use of technological hardware such as scanners, cameras, etc., and training in developing web pages. Less than 50 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they needed assistance in moving traditional in-class towards on-line web-based environment, learning to use palm devices or wireless computing devices, having a faculty mentor assist them, or receiving adequate technical support for using technology.
Requirements in Undergraduate Classes
The majority of faculty responding to the survey reported that they make assignments for undergraduates requiring a word processing program (81%), email to communicate with students (90%), email to communicate with an entire class (55%), and access the Internet (79%). Almost 50 percent reported that they make assignments requiring a presentation package (46%) and over one-third (35%) reported that they required the use of a departmental computer lab.
Courses and Web Sites
Twenty-one percent of the faculty reported that they are teaching two courses this semester, 42 percent three courses, and 29 percent four courses.
Of the 73 faculty that use web sites with their courses, the majority reported using web sites with one (21%), two (23%), or three (44%) courses.
Using the Web
Over half of faculty reported posting syllabi on the web (60%), 59 percent reported they occasionally or frequently posted assignments on the web, and 60 percent reported providing links to on-line resources on the web. Almost half reported that they posted lecture notes on the web (40%), provided examples of assigned projects (40%), and helped manage class content and instruction (46%). Only a small percentage of faculty reported conducting on-line discussions on the web (18%), using student chat rooms (8%), and giving exams or quizzes on the web (17%).
Effect on Teaching Effectiveness
Sixty percent of faculty reported increased interactions between faculty and students and the ability to provide rapid, frequent feedback to students. Half of faculty reported that active learning opportunities for students increased (50%) while 42 percent reported that their expectations of students increased. Forty-six percent reported that their teaching effectiveness increased as a result of computer technology.
Please feel free to contact Renee Corbin in the Office of University Planning if you have any questions at (828) 227-7239 or by email at corbin@email.wcu.edu.