STAC Seeks Student Input on College Technology - January 31st., 2008

Replace all chalkboards in the College of Education with whiteboards. Provide every student 1000 pages of free printing each semester. Train faculty and students to use existing technologies more effectively.

These are just a few of the ideas that students have suggested to the College of Education Student Technology Advisory Committee (STAC). The committee was formed last year to fill the need that Learning Technology Center Director Paul E. Resta saw to provide more student input to the College’s technology purchasing decisions. STAC met in the fall to establish its mission and goals and to develop a Web site, www.edb.utexas.edu/stac, where students can send in their technology suggestions and find information on student technology resources.

STAC Chairman Michael Mayrath, a graduate student in Educational Psychology, is now meeting with other College student organizations to tell students about the committee and its Web site, and to begin gathering student opinions on technology issues.

“We’ve had some interesting discussions,” says Michael. “For example, many students are interested in seeing more PowerPoint slides and podcasts as online study aids for their courses, but they understand instructors’ concerns about how class attendance might be affected.”

STAC’s goal this semester is to develop a set of student technology priorities, which will be presented to the College of Education Vision Plan Committee when it meets in the fall. The Vision Plan Committee will use the student input to develop the College’s request for Information Technology funding.

STAC’s next meeting is Monday, February 4 at 2:30 pm in the Learning Technology Center’s Model Technology Classroom, SZB 439E. For more information or to make a technology suggestion, see the STAC Web site. If interested in joining the committee, contact Michael Mayrath at mmayrath@mail.utexas.edu.

—Laurie Caldwell, LTC Communications Coordinator

Related Links:

• STAC Web Site