Higher Education and Information Technology

The availability of information technology, and especially of internet/online technology, is changing the face of higher education. It goes far beyond the use of PowerPoint presentations or the presence of laptops in class. Online course management systems, both for live and distance courses, has added a whole new dimension to learning.

Online learning is now dynamic and interactive. It is possible to email, instant message, blog, or engage in assigned discussion forums. Wiki technology can be used to conduct class projects. Occasional polls can be take to assess the progress of the class. In fact, if distance learning is structured and maintained properly, it can be more interactive than live classes, students connecting personally with other students and with the professor.

Beacon University has recently changed from the Blackboard CMS platform to Moodle, an open source system. With Blackboard it was "what you see is what you get"; with Moodle the sky is the limit as to what creative things we might include in a course.

Every course and every section of a course at Beacon has a Moodle site. Not only distance courses but live courses utilize various aspects of the course management system. (Obviously, distance courses are designed to take full advantage of the options available.) The result is that there is a thinner and thinner line between distance and live students. It means that all Beacon University students are required to be computer savvy and internet savvy in order to gain the full benefits of their work at Beacon.

It also means that all faculty, and not just distance faculty, face the challenge of continually growing in their digital skills. Our "Moodle Noodles" IT department do an excellent job providing assistance to both faculty and students. Our distance learning coordinator, Virginia Cornett, is always available to faculty and students to assist in the process.

We place a high priority on web-enhanced learning at Beacon and are strongly committed to growth in all areas. We also understand the need to bridge the "digital divide," making computer access to our students a priority. The future of higher education means more, not less, involvement with information technology. Our commitment is to move forward together, working hard to see everyone have a successful learning experience.