Penn State Intercom......March
15, 2001
Faculty become the
students in new
technology assistance program
By Tony Coray
Computer and Information Systems
Faculty members who
want to expand their use of technology in the classroom or simply learn
new computer skills can now draw on the expertise of some of the very
same students they teach, thanks to a new program being launched this
spring. 
The Technology Learning Assistance Program (TLAP), sponsored by the Schreyer Honors College, the Center for Education Technology Services and the School of Information Sciences and Technology, pairs faculty interested in acquiring technology skills that will enhance their teaching with qualified student tutors who can help them meet their goal. The TLAP can help faculty learn to manage students' grades electronically with Excel, use online discussion tools like CourseTalk or even develop an entire Web site for a course.
"It's a terrific opportunity for faculty who are ready to advance themselves technologically but may feel overwhelmed by the process," said Carol Dwyer, TLAP program coordinator. "Probably 40 percent of our faculty already are hooked on technology and comfortable using it in the classroom. The TLAP is here to serve the other 60 percent."
Currently the program is only available at University Park, but Dwyer hopes to expand it to include other campus locations in the near future. And while priority is given to instructors who teach honors courses, any full-time faculty at the University Park campus can apply for a technology learning assistant by completing an application that assesses their current level of computer proficiency and identifies projects and skills they would like to develop. The form is online at http://cac.psu.edu/tla/facapp.html, and the deadline to apply for fall 2001 is March 30.
The program, which has been in a pilot phase for two semesters, already has received enthusiastic reviews.
"I was inspired by some of the sample Web sites my technology learning assistant showed me and thrilled when I realized creating a similar one was within my grasp," said John Moore, associate professor of English and comparative literature. Moore's assistant, Donna Lau helped him develop his own Web site and made the potentially stressful experience a rewarding one in the process.
"Donna was enormously helpful," Moore said, likening their relationship to one of a supportive teacher and an awkward schoolboy. "I needed and received lots of patient attention, and an explanation of details that were probably self-evident to her but were revelations to me."
Students who work as technology learning assistants also learn a great deal. Because they are responsible for outlining and implementing a timeline for the project, they acquire strong communication, problem-solving and project management skills. And in exchange for the 45 to 50 hours they spend tutoring faculty over the course of the semester they earn one IST credit they can use as an elective. They even may choose to be paid a wage if they repeat the program for a second semester.
But perhaps the greatest benefit st udents receive is the opportunity to develop a one-on-one relationship with a faculty mentor.
"Dr. Strohm taught me as much about communications and advertising as I taught her about computers," said Kamal Aboul-Hosn about his faculty mentor, Susan Strohm, senior lecturer in the College of Communications. "In a lot of ways, it was as though I was taking an introductory class in communications."
"I listed the TLAP on my resume and I was frequently asked about the specifics," adds Lau. "I think employers value this kind of experience."
In the course of its two pilot semesters, the TLAP has grown from 10 to 26 faculty, with more than half of the students who enrolled as assistants in the fall returning to work with new faculty this spring. Dwyer, who plans to expand the program to serve 60 faculty in fall 2001, is thrilled with its early success and the direct way it fulfills the Center for Education Technology Services' goal of empowering faculty to improve their teaching through technology.
"In the end we all win," Dwyer said. "The faculty gain skills, the students grow professionally and we realize our mission to serve them both."
For more information on the program, visit the TLAP Web site at http://cac.psu.edu/tla/, e-mail tlap@psu.edu or call Carol Dwyer at (814) 863-7765.