The Academic Use of Technology at Robert College

Purpose:

Part of the mission of Robert College is to:

• prepare students for success in college and university
• utilize contemporary and progressive methods and teaching styles
• serve as a model and function as a catalyst for educational innovation.
• Information Technology plays an important role in each of these aims.

The purpose of this document is to expand the initial "working definition" of Information Technology and clarify the statement of its use in the academic program of Robert College. This document is to be used by department heads and their department members to establish and maintain curricula that incorporate Information Technology in contemporary, innovative and relevant ways.

Based on the specific skills listed below, departments draft one, two and three year plans to achieve these goals within the context of their department. The school uses these plans to determine faculty training needs, equipment needs, recruitment criteria and technology budgets,

This document and the curricular development plans that result from it are reviewed (and extended by one year) on an annual basis.


Definition of Information Technology

"Information Technology" (IT) is defined as machines, systems and media that store, process or transmit digital information. Similarly, "IT Literacy" is defined as the following set of knowledge and skills:

Students can apply a wide variety of technical tools to solve problems, communicate, find information, produce work and function effectively in an increasingly technological world,
Student have a firm technological base on which to build a lifetime of learning
Perhaps most importantly, students have been exposed to many fields and applications of technology and are alert to technical solutions, adaptable to technological change and aware of the impact of technology on our lives.
Robert College identifies six major IT areas. Throughout their education at Robert College, students are exposed to each IT area and its applications in a wide variety of disciplines.

1. Information Storage and Retrieval (SR) - [save files]

2. Information Analysis and Modeling (AM) - [create graphs]

3. Digital Communication (DC) - [send email]

4. Information Presentation (IP) - [prepare multimedia presentation]

5. Measurement and Control Systems (MC) - [use a scientific probe]

6. Ethics (E) - [identify plagiarism]

[most recent review by the Department Heads Committee in Spring 2003]

[see the approved IT Skills List]