UMBC FaCT

Implementation

FaCT aims to widely implement the use of technology in teaching and learning at UMBC. The key to doing this is creating a supportive technical, academic and administrative environment.

Technical Integration

The Instructional Management Systems (IMS) Consortium has developed specifications for an integrated system to serve instructional purposes at educational institutions.

Originally, IMS was attempting to develop prototype applications compliant with its own standards. However, IMS developers realized that the real challenge is to describe how components of a system might operate together rather than to try to build an entire system.

Software tools provided by the USM's Microsoft License Agreement are likely candidates to be end-user applications at UMBC. Accordingly, FaCT training is designed to help people use these tools and understand how they integrate together and can be used across the web to serve educational purposes. Training will be guided by an assessment of the various needs of UMBC faculty and the tools available to them.

In addition to better training with Microsoft tools, FaCT will be supported by plans to integrate student services software and central university operations. For instance, faculty may want to download class lists from the student information system. UMBC has recently introduced a new system called myUMBC, which gives students, faculty and staff a dedicated site for information and applications personalized for their needs and interests. The FaCT project will work with University Computing Services to train faculty to use improvements to myUMBC that will create an integrated education infrastructure.

Across the Curriculum

For one instructor to add information technology support to one course may be valuable for the teacher and students. However, the greater value comes for students when the curriculum is enhanced so that information from one course complements information in another. Specifically, the tools for learning should not be something that a student needs to re-learn for each and every course. A student typically wants to focus on learning course content, not its method of delivery. A set of linked courses that are offered across the same medium and in the same way can be very valuable to students. To this end we will strive to work with faculty who come together to enhance an entire degree in a concerted fashion. Our intended test case is the Flexible Masters Degree in Information Systems.

Across the University

FaCT is supported by the various administrative and support units that might be involved in faculty training on educational technology, including the new Faculty Development Center, University Computing Services, the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery, and the Office of Instructional Technology. Our larger vision has to do with all students and staff being comfortable with these tools. We are concerned with education of everyone in our university and feel faculty are key to this. Our equipment plans are also consonant with the goal of helping everyone be empowered.