the evolution of computer classrooms at msu: writing places and spaces

The Evolution of Computer Classrooms at MSU:

Writing Places and Spaces

Roland Nord & Wayne Sharp20 May 2003

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 2

If you visited any of the computer labs at our colleges and had some kind of Geiger counter to measure student energy, you would discover that the greatest student activity and energy is now occurring in computer labs.

Ron Bleed

How use doth breed a habit in a man!William Shakespeare

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 3

What is the history of CAW at MSU?

Heaviest user of academic computing center > 50 composition sections per semester sections meet 4 hrs/wk: 2 hrs in computer

lab and 2 hrs in traditional classroom

Primary access to 3 computer labs WH 118 (part of the ACC) AH 204 (satellite lab/converted classroom) AH 203 (satellite lab/converted classroom)

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 4

WH 118

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 5

AH 204

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 6

How did we plan our most recent lab (AH 203)?

Committee forwarded requests to Wayne Sharp, director of ACC different than current labs increase collaboration (based upon a

workshopping model)

Committee reviewed floor plans, choosing a plan that we believed would increase collaboration move the teacher from the front of the room

into the center of the room

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 7

AH 203

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 8

How do we measure our success?

Survey instructorsSurvey students

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 9

What classroom do instructors prefer? Why?

N = 14

4 chose WB 118 (E pattern)5 chose AH 204 (U pattern)4 chose AH 203 (clusters/tables)

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 10

Is the computer lab crucial for student success?

N = 14

What effect did your use of technology have on your students’ performance in Composition?

All instructors Instructors teaching in AH 203 AH 204 & WB 118

decreased their success 0 0 0 no apparent effect 1 0 1 increased their success 9 5 3 crucial to their success 4 1 2

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 11

Is the computer lab crucial for student success?

N = 14

What effect did your students’ use of technology have on their performance in Composition?

All instructors Instructors teaching in AH 203 AH 204 & WB 118

decreased their success 0 0 0 0 0 0 no apparent effect 1 1 0 0 1 1 increased their success 9 10 5 5 3 3 crucial to their success 4 3 1 1 2 2

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 12

How are the computer classrooms used?

N = 14 (all 2 hours per week in lab)

Depends upon instructor?

Individual online

Collab online

Collab offline

Discuss large grp

Discuss small grp

Demo Lecture

Faculty 21 15 16 10 13 8 14 Adjuncts 28 11 5 13 11 22 13 TAs 27 15 8 14 12 12 11 Mean 25 14 10 13 12 13 12

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 13

How are the computer classrooms used?

N = 14 (all 2 hours per week in lab)

Depends upon instructor?Depends upon classroom?

Individual online

Collab online

Collab offline

Discuss large grp

Discuss small grp

Demo Lecture

Faculty 21 15 16 10 13 8 14 Adjuncts 28 11 5 13 11 22 13 TAs 27 15 8 14 12 12 11 Mean 25 14 10 13 12 13 12 AH 204 26 17 10 12 12 14 11 AH 203 24 14 8 14 14 13 11

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 14

How do students collaborate in the lab?

Side-to-sideBack-to-backbut never across tables… except for offline collaboration

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 15

Do students’ perceptions differ from instructors’?

Assessment of student & instructor CAWR skills Expertise with word-processing programs

to produce attractive and effective documents

Expertise revising or editing documents online Students rated instructors lowest in this

category. Instructors rated themselves lowest in this

category.

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 16

Do students’ perceptions differ from instructors’?

Assessment of student and instructor CAWR skills Expertise with library catalogs and

databases to locate research materials appropriate for your needs Students rated themselves lowest and their

instructors highest in this category. Instructors rated students lowest in this

category.

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 17

Do students’ perceptions differ from instructors’?

Assessment of student and instructor CAWR skills Expertise with Internet search engines to

locate information appropriate for your needs Instructors rated themselves highest in this

category. Expertise with email and Internet chat

Students rated themselves highest in this category.

Instructors rated students highest in this category.

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 18

Instructor vs. student perspectives on CAW

Tasks were defined by instructor perspective (e.g., discussion, demonstration, or lecture); student may use the computer for all the tasks.Thus, student computer use > individual online writing (25%) + online collaboration (15%)Many students value privacy, selecting those workstations farthest from the instructor

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 19

Questions?

20 May 2003

Roland Nord—COTF “Writing Places and Spaces” Slide 20

Contact information

roland.nord@mnsu.edu

http://krypton.mnsu.edu/nord