For Release October 2, 1998
Universities to Demonstrate Technology in Higher Education
Governor to Speak to Award Winners
PIERRE—Fifty-seven faculty members of South Dakota’s public universities will demonstrate technology in higher education teaching and learning in an exhibition at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City on October 8. Governor Bill Janklow, who created the special competitive grant program, will address the award winning professors and others at the demonstration, which is open to the public. The exhibition is being held in conjunction with the Board of Regents regular business meeting.
In January, when Governor Janklow created the Faculty Awards for Teaching with Technology, he said that the purpose of the grants was to give faculty time and resources for redesigning courses to integrate applications of technology into their disciplines. In April, when he announced the award winners, Governor Janklow said, "Those faculty who won the awards show imagination in applying technology to instruction. College students today will enter a work world totally immersed in technology. We owe it to them to ensure that they are prepared to compete. The way to reach the students is to reach the faculty first."
All tenured and tenure-track faculty at the six public universities were eligible to submit a grant proposal. A team of external reviewers from higher education evaluated the proposals. Each grant recipient received compensation, while redesigning the course during the summer, and support funds that could be used for travel, training, equipment, and software associated with the project.
"We appreciate Governor Janklow’s investment in the faculty of our universities," said Regents President James O. Hansen. "He challenged them to be creative and we think that they rose to that task. These faculty will now serve as mentors to other faculty as they also develop and adapt their courses to apply technology in their disciplines."
Regents Executive Director Robert T. Tad Perry added, "The Governor’s foresight in wiring and equipping the universities for the Governor’s Electronic Classrooms has pushed South Dakota to the forefront in using technology to collaborate in delivery of instruction. And he knows that equipment without the time to learn to use it is an empty promise. So this grant program for higher education faculty is another innovative step. Teaching the teachers is an integral part of the whole adaptation of technology to learning. The students are the beneficiaries of this whole process. South Dakota cannot afford to be left behind."
"The future of education lies in technology," said Beata Derryberry, a student at Black Hills State University in one of the redesigned courses. "My career as a teacher will be greatly affected by technology. Through this course, I am being exposed to many different technological tools and educational software. The information I gain from this class will help me be more proficient as a teacher in the technology age," she added.
The exhibition will be open from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Surbeck Student Center on the campus of SDSMT, 501 East St. Joseph Street, Rapid City. Governor Janklow is expected to address the gathering at 2:30 p.m., MDT (3:30 p.m. CDT). His address will be carried on the Internet at http://www.hpcnet.org/SDEdNet. To view the live webcast, it is recommended that viewers have a Pentium class computer with multimedia capability and a High Color or True Color video card. Necessary software includes Windows 95 or later, Internet Explorer or later, and Media Player 2.1 or above (available for free download at www. microsoft.com). The Governor’s address will be followed by a panel discussion among award winners.
The Governor’s address and the panel discussion will also be broadcast over the RDTN for viewing at the studios on the university campuses. The public is invited to attend either the demonstration at SDSMT or the RDTN broadcast at the universities.