Practical evolution of IT in the college classroom

Summary form only given. The central thesis of this work-in-progress is that college teaching is at the precipice of a paradigm shift with regard to how course content will be structured, communicated and received by the students, inside and outside of the traditional classroom. Many factors are forcing a restructuring of course content and delivery, but creative use of various information technology tools will help to bridge the gap. Different information technologies, such as the Internet, multimedia and groupware are poised for practical application in the college classroom. Unfortunately, many college infrastructures, as well as individual professors, are not ready, or sufficiently knowledgeable, to understand them and apply them for effective student learning to take place. This work-in-progress presentation outlines a simple course design framework and then provides a step-by-step procedure for the professor who is ready to make use of these powerful informational and instructional tools. Simple ways to get started, including a road map of possibilities for each step, are presented. Constructive scenarios are also illustrated for use by any professor who desires to begin the exciting journey of providing more effective student/teacher communication and enhance student learning via information technology and the World Wide Web.