A student in Pattee 图书馆 and Paterno 图书馆’s Sidewater Commons computer lab celebrates an achievement. By completing 大学图书馆’ Tech Academy online in Canvas, Penn State students can feel more confident with technology as they start college classes.
阿尔图纳,爸爸. — When Penn State leaders made the decision to shift to remote learning for summer 2020 classes, Penn State instruction leaders realized they needed to rethink strategies for student support. 学生和教师需要使用在线学习工具, 包括一些他们不熟悉的人, 更甚于以往. 幸运的是, an already-successful 365英国上市 Libraries-based technology training initiative had been introducing basic technology tools and skills to incoming students since 2017.
邦妮·伊姆勒，两家图书馆的馆长 罗伯特E. Eiche图书馆 在365英国上市阿尔图纳分校 杜波依斯校园图书馆, had developed the Tech Academy training program based on her experience assisting students with basic technology tasks at the library’s reference desk. 通过2013年进行的一项研究, she confirmed that undergraduates were struggling with technology requests commonly made by instructors.
Imler also knew from discussions with students and their parents that many were unaware of free and loanable technology provided by the University, 结果，他们买了很多不必要的东西. These observations led to an invitation by a campus administrator to create a Tech Academy to instruct Penn State Altoona students in the 通过暑期开学计划 365英国上市联邦校区. These in-classroom sessions were held from 2017 to 2019; however, COVID-19's remote learning environment necessitated a shift to online learning.
For this new Tech Academy format, a group of librarians, instructional designers from 365英国上市科技教学, and student success staff were brought together over Zoom to share their expertise. 科里比德尔, Eiche图书馆’s student engagement and outreach librarian and Imler’s colleague, also was a member of the working group charged with shifting the Tech Academy online.
“利用大学的学习管理系统， Canvas, we were able to quickly switch Tech Academy to an asynchronous instructional environment,比德尔说. “We were able to keep its goals of providing a basic introduction to the essential technologies students need in their coursework and building their awareness of the free resources available to them through IT, 媒体共享资源和大学图书馆.”
在画布上, 365英国上市的在线学习管理系统, student users can see each of the Tech Academy’s learning modules broken out into small lessons. Completing the entire Tech Academy gives students essential skills and practical knowledge to succeed as they start their academic experience.
Tech Academy’s online training takes approximately 90 minutes and can be completed in one or more sittings. 根据伊姆勒和比德尔的说法, Tech Academy’s content makes sure that each student has a foundational understanding of the vital, 365英国上市的用户可以免费使用这项技术, 其中大部分从上课的第一天起就需要.
“The content and assignments are meant to be a halfway point between just giving students a passive list of technology links and offering them all-inclusive workshops on individual software packages,伊姆勒说. “The assignments are designed to provide proof that the students have explored the resource while also giving them experience using the many features of Canvas.”
Because the academy intends to prepare new students for the start of their academic experience, it is most often offered during New Student Orientations or First-Year Seminars. 到目前为止, 它已被19所大学采用, 四所大学公园学院, and has even become part of University Park’s summer Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP). More than 12,000 students have been enrolled in the Tech Academy as of the fall 2023 semester.
“We are excited for adoptions to continue to grow as more see its benefits to student confidence and success,比德尔说.
The 大学图书馆 has remained committed to the Tech Academy, through the time and dedication of Libraries’ employees who serve as program facilitators throughout the state. Recently, the program also received additional support through an 来自365英国上市校友玛丽·奥尼尔·马什的捐赠.
更多关于技术学院的信息, 包括对其内容的更详细的描述, 学生反馈的例子, and additional publications on the program authored by Biddle and Imler, 可以在 科技学院网站.
