Active learning with technology: bringing students, faculty, and information together

You will be joining a community of people devoted to creating and sharing information -- activities that can be enhanced by information technology. Our answers to the following questions will help you understand how technology is used to support learning and collaboration in your areas of interest or possible major(s).

Course work in and out of class

1. How does the campus use technology to enhance teaching, learning, and access to information in your areas of interest? Examples include online syllabi, Web-based discussion groups and project teams, and electronic portfolios.
   
   With the implementation of the notebook requirement, more faculty incorporate using technology in the classroom than ever before.  The college actively encourages the use of such electronic resources through the Teaching and Technology Center,  the Blackboard and Moodle course management systems, and the implementation of the notebook computer program.  Often, classes use electronic discussion forums, electronic reading lists, and other online resources. Most courses use some additional forms of instructional technology, including faculty web pages, CDROMs, presentation technology, technology-enabled classrooms, and video on demand.  
   
   
2. Are classrooms technology-enhanced?
   
   Yes.  Since 2006, all classrooms at Bridgewater State College are technology-enabled.  This means that each classroom is equipped with projection technology, VHS/DVD players, sound systems, an instructor computer with network accessibility, and a Tech Help hotline.  In addition, students and faculty can access the Internet via the wired and wireless network from classrooms on the BSC campus.  To view a current list of technology classrooms and the equipment available, go to http://it.bridgew.edu/support/techclassrooms.cfm and http://it.bridgew.edu/support/tiers.cfm. 
   
   
3. In both introductory and specialized courses, what opportunities are there for students to collaborate with other students using technology on project teams?
   
   Many introductory level courses have taken advantage of the new notebook computer program by having students work collaboratively using notebooks in class.  As the program continues and all students have notebook computers, we expect more advanced and specialized courses to also utilize the technology.  
   
   BSC provides collaborative software tools through its Blackboard and Moodle course management systems. Courses offered through Blackboard and Moodle often use customizable discussion boards, file exchange, and chat rooms for project assignment work and group exercises. 
   
   
4. Does the school give credit for courses taken electronically (online/at a distance) from other institutions and sources of instruction?
   
   Courses taken electronically are accepted as long as they meet the general criteria for transfer credit required by Bridgewater State College. The College Catalog states:  
   
   Transfer credit toward the degree will be granted for course work completed at other accredited institutions of higher education. A minimum grade of C- is required for credit transfer. 
   
   

Support services

5. How does the campus provide access for students to work with multimedia (audio and video)?
   
   Members of the campus community can borrow AV equipment (camcorders, tape recorders, digital cameras, etc.) from IT Support Services in Maxwell Library. Students can access streaming videos through class Blackboard sites and campus websites. The Library's Video System features faculty selected videos that students can view in library carrels. In addition, the Art and Communications Departments have media lab facilities for students to use graphic design or video production software.
   
   
6. Are library collections and resources -such as catalogs, research databases, special collections, course reserves, full-text electronic journals, books, and streaming media -available online and accessible off-campus?
   
   The Maxwell Library at BSC offers access to over sixty electronic databases in various disciplines. Webster, Maxwell Library's online catalog, lists all currently held serials. A current list of periodicals listed by academic discipline is also available.  Many of the electronic databases on Maxwell Library's Information Network are available from off-campus. To access databases from off-campus, students need to have a BSC user account and the web browser set up per the directions on the library's Remote Access page.

   In addition to the above resources, the Library's Web page provides information on library services and staff, electronic resources, and library collections. It includes information about Massachusetts-area library catalogs, Internet resources organized by subject as well as informational handouts. Visit the library Web page at http://www.bridgew.edu/library.
   
   

7. Can the library deliver documents to students electronically, either via email or through Web posting? Does the library charge a fee when information resources that students need are not available in its collections?
   
   Document Delivery Services, formerly Interlibrary Loan, allows members of the BSC community to obtain materials not available at the Maxwell Library. The office is located on the main floor of the Maxwell Library, beyond the reference stacks.   Desktop delivery of certain Document Delivery requests such as journal articles and chapters in books is available. This service can forward copies received electronically to BSC e-mail accounts. Books cannot be delivered through this method.  View more information on Document Delivery Services on the Library Web page.
   
   
8. Does the library provide research assistance in a variety of ways, such as in person, by phone, by email, and through Web services? When are these forms of assistance available?
   
   Library instruction and research assistance is offered to both classes and individual students through the Reference Department and Educational Resources Center (ERC). Students majoring in Education should contact the ERC for more information at 508-531-1304. All others should contact the Reference Department at 508-531-1394.
   
   Students may view Frequently Asked Questions on the Library web page, see the various online Help Guides, or Ask a Librarian when they cannot come to the library for assistance.
   
   

Looking toward graduation and a career

9. Does the campus offer general or profession-specific training programs that will ensure you are fluent in current information technologies when you graduate?
   
   As part of the college's general education requirement, each major includes specific technology learning objectives and training appropriate to the discipline.  In addition, the implementation of the notebook computer program, the campus-wide wireless network, and the growing use of the Blackboard and Moodle course management systems allow BSC students to achieve a higher level of technological fluency.  More courses at BSC include a technology component than ever before. This allows students to learn computer skills as part of their course. As the notebook program continues, we expect even more classes to incorporate technology into the curriculum. BSC also offers both for-credit and non-credit computer courses. One-on-one help is available by phone, email and at the IT Support Centers located in the Maxwell Library and the Moakley Technology Center.
   

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Last Modified: September 14, 2009

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