Twenty MUSC faculty members spent Aug. 17 through 21, the week before fall term, learning how to apply technology to their teaching.

Sponsored by the university's Information Technology Innovation (ITI) internal grants program, the faculty members attended a series of workshops and a distance education seminar presented by Syllabus Press, a national organization which focuses on hands-on instruction for faculty and administrators in the use of new educational technologies.

Deans and department chairs nominated the faculty who attended.

Each attendee could select from a range of sequenced courses focusing on World Wide Web publishing or multimedia course development. Workshops were held in the computer classrooms at the College of Charleston, where each faculty member-turned-student could have a computer and put newly acquired skills into practice under the guidance of an instructor.

Most of the instructors were real-world faculty members themselves and therefore understood the needs and issues that must be wrestled with in the transition from comfortable and familiar traditional teaching methods to the challenges of more interactive, technology-based opportunities.

The instructors told how they use multimedia, distance and internet components in their teaching. They discussed the "why" of developing multimedia and distance education programs and the types of material suitable for each type of presentation.

Those who attended say the investment of ITI funds was worthwhile, providing a sizable number of faculty with improved skills, new ideas for their own courses, and an opportunity to network with MUSC colleagues who have an interest in applying technology to their teaching.

Bill Stillway, Ph.D., an enthusiastic attendee, plans to invite all attendees to an AppleTree Society meeting this month, where they can discuss ideas, exchange experiences, and perhaps begin collaborating on projects.

Faculty attendees at syllabus workshops

College of Dental Medicine Dr. Robert Gellin; Dr. Elizabeth Pilcher; Dr. David Whittaker College of Graduate Studies Dr. Barry Ledford; Dr. Eleanor Spicer

College of Health Professions Dr. Robert Hadley; Dr. Alan Junkins; Dr. David Morrisette

College of Medicine Dr. Edward Brown; Dr. William Stillway; Dr. Gabriel Virella

College of Nursing Dr. Gail Barbosa; Dr. Hannah DeToma; Melaina Jones

College of Pharmacy Dr. Debbie Carson; Dr. Kathy Chessman; Jeff Osmer; Dr. James Sterrett

Department of Library Science & Informatics Lisa Eichholz; Marcia Reinhardt

Among the anonymous responses to the workshops and seminar were:

• “I learned what's out there and what we should be doing in this area.”
• “The workshop opened my eyes to what I can easily do to change lecture style with the right software and an initial investment of time.”
• “Based on what I learned, I intend to make significant chnages in our PA program web page. I want to make it a useful interface for the two-way exchange of information for our students. I'm also encouraged to attempt web-based interactive instruction with our students.”
• “I would like to see all classrooms made web-capable.”
• “This really got me excited about putting a web course on the net with grading, chat rooms, evaluations, and etc.”
• “This will have a definite impact on my work for the next several years. There were several things that I learned that will help to improve what I'm doing with my ITI grant. By this time next year, our department could be doing this in-house.”—This was my first exposure to any type of distance-learning possibilities. I was overwhelmed by the current technology available to educators.”
• “This was my first exposure to any type of 'distance-learning' possibilities. I was overwhelmed by the current technology available to educators...made me feel the only limitations I would have would be my imagination. Then I came back and found my walls still in place; walls being time (lack of FTEs) and money. Despite my walls, I'm determined to try something to break out of the traditional mode of classroom instruction.”
• “I learned a lot that will be useful to me in my web projects in education.”
• “I came away with a strong sense that not only is multimedia teaching very ‘do-able,’ but it could solve many problems that our college is currently facing.”