Press Release

CONTACT: Debra Humphreys
(202) 387-3760 (ext. 422)
E-mail: humphreys@aacu.org

College Leaders Gather to Discuss the Impact of Technology on Student Learning and Intellectual Development

Washington DC—November 3, 2001—Hundreds of college faculty and academic leaders gathered at the Wyndham Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, to participate in a meeting sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The meeting addressed the subject of technology and higher education from a new angle. Instead of focusing only on the growth of on-line learning opportunities, this conference examined the question:

What impact is technology having on students' learning outcomes and their intellectual development in college?

The meeting recognized that while some students are now taking classes exclusively on-line, many more students continue to be educated in traditional classrooms. Those classrooms are being transformed by the incorporation of new technologies. This conference brought together researchers and practitioners to discuss what impact these technologies are having and the promise they hold for improving teaching and learning in the coming decades.

Meeting presentations examined the ways in which the use of technology in the classroom and in their daily lives is influencing students' intellectual development and critical thinking skills. It also examined such pressing questions as: How will the technological revolution change the design and financing of educational institutions? What are the most important questions that need to be answered regarding equity and access to the technological revolution in education?

Sessions also covered such topics as assessment of student learning through electronic portfolios, research on technology and issues of student attention and concentration, academic dishonesty and technology, building communities on-line, creating lab experiences on-line, using technology in faculty development, and the human and institutional costs of incorporating new technologies into the teaching and learning process.

The keynote address was delivered by Peggy O'Brien, a national leader in educational technology. O'Brien is the executive director of Cable in the Classroom (CIC). CIC is a project funded by the cable industry to enhance resources to improve learning in the nation's schools.

Another special event at the conference was an evening program featuring The Harlem Project. This project is the result of a collaboration among Thirteen/WNET, Columbia University's Continuing Education faculty and students, and residents of Harlem's New York City public housing projects. It uses technology as a vehicle to provide a community-based learning environment.

In addition to O'Brien, featured conference speakers included: Judith Ramaley, assistant director for education and human resources, National Science Foundation, Jack M. Wilson, chief executive officer, UmassOnline, Arthur Langer, chair, Information Technology Programs, Columbia University's School of Continuing Education, Stephen C. Ehrmann, vice president and director of the Flashlight Program, The TLT Group, and Lee Knefelkamp, professor of higher and adult education, Teachers College, Columbia University.

AAC&U is the leading national association devoted to advancing and strengthening liberal learning for all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Since its founding in 1915, AAC&U's membership has grown to more than 1000 accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.

AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.

For additional information about AAC&U programs and publications, visit www.aacu.org.