Process and Facilities as Critical Success Factors in Training and Supporting Faculty To Use Multimedia/Computer Technologies.

As the College of Staten Island (New York) completes the installation phase of establishing the computer network and installing computers in most faculty offices and teaching laboratories, the priority activities have become faculty training and curriculum development. Members of the Pedagogy and Media Committee have coordinated campus-wide media-focused demonstrations and special events to promote faculty awareness and to create broader interest; they have sponsored hands-on workshops featuring elementary through advanced media technology applications. As faculty developed interest and expanded their proficiency in multimedia technology, various other catalytic events occurred on campus, which included computer laboratories going online for several academic departments; some faculty using programs they individually developed in their classroom instruction; and all faculty and staff and many students gaining access to electronic mail. To support faculty who use technology as a part of their regular classroom instruction, the college administration provided funding and space for a faculty center, located within the Library, which offers faculty access to a range of sophisticated software and equipment. Training needs of faculty were provided through a faculty-to-faculty mentoring program. The program features exposure to media/computer applications that underpin and enhance classroom instruction; its purpose is to provide a standard for quality control and strategies for the effective implementation of these instructional technologies. Faculty who are selected to participate in the program keep a log of their activities and are asked to make a presentation at the end of the semester. Preliminary evidence suggests that faculty interest in implementing educational technology in the classroom will remain strong. (AEF)