Many University of Memphis students are graduating without the proper technology training they need to be considered potential employees in a competitive technology-workforce. Advanced Learning Center Associate Director S.J. “Sandy” Schaeffer III plans to change that.
As technology in the workplace and in other aspects of life changes rapidly, so does the need for college curriculum to adapt with the future.
“The Advanced Learning Center is charged with providing technological assistance to the faculty, to help develop their skills so they can incorporate Web TC courses and a variety of things (into their class),” Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer was inducted into the Frye Learning Institute Feb. 1 for his participation in a project that will infuse information technology (IT) “fluency” into the current curriculum.
“Fluency is different than literacy,” Schaeffer said. “We’re seeing a generation of kids coming into school now that were born after the creation of PCs, so they grew up using a mouse, storing files, chat rooms, and downloading music from the Internet - all those things people under the age of 25 take for granted as skills ... not everybody has those skill sets.
“In order for the United States to be as competitive economically as possible, we need to develop technology fluency.”
Students must meet a computer literacy requirement by either completing COMP 1200, by passing The U of M Computer Literacy Examination or by demonstrating competency as approved by the appropriate dean, according to The U of M’s Undergraduate Bulletin. Schaeffer said he feels these requirements leave much to be desired.
“We are probably not achieving IT fluency for all graduates across all the disciplines. There are pockets of great success and areas that are lacking, so we do definitely need to step it up,” said Schaeffer. He also said he believes The University is not using its Smartlabs to their full potential.
“I think that we will get more out of our current investment in Smartlab technology and will probably create demand for more Smartlabs on campus,” he said.
One of the biggest challenges Schaeffer has to face is getting The University’s faculty and staff involved with the goal.
“Part of The University’s goal is to strive to be excellent in assuring that our faculty, staff and students become information technology fluent,” said James Penrod, vice president for Information Systems and Chief Information Officer for The University.
Penrod, who elected Schaeffer to the Frye Institute, described information technology as any kind of information that can be digitized and formatted.
“Fluency is kind of a new concept, which takes literacy a step beyond,” he said. “Literacy to this point has been focused on people learning some basic skills related to the use of technology and the basic concepts around technology that gives you some kind of basic understanding. Fluency strives to go a step further by helping you come to learn how to learn about technology, so you keep developing your skills as the times change.”
John Ellis, associate director of the FedEx Emerging Technology Institute and director of the Advanced Learning Center, began this multi-stage project by organizing the Advanced Learning Center. The effort took about a year and a half. This project earned him the title of the first U of M faculty member to be inducted into the Frye Learning Institute.
“(Schaeffer) is doing a really incredible job, top notch,” he said.
But Schaeffer said he still has much work ahead of him.
“The next stage in this IT fluency effort is to actually get the curriculum together,” Schaeffer said. “IT fluency in biology is different than IT fluency that’s relevant in philosophy, versus computer science, versus anthropology. All the different disciplines on campus will require different technological skills. “The challenge now is to get with all the different departments, all the deans and different chairs, to get them inspired to jump on the bandwagon and embrace the idea of IT fluency.”
Schaeffer’s coworkers said his appointment to the institute is a well-deserved honor.
“The Advanced Learning Center is a relatively new organization, and Sandy has done a great job,” said Marjorie Luttrel, chair of the IT Academic Advisory Commission. “He really seems to understand the priorities of the center.”
No one can be sure what lies ahead for IT fluency, but Schaeffer said he believes the future looks bright.
“The project basically is to lead the campus in fluency curriculum development,” he said. “What shape that takes, that’s what’s evolving. If I knew the answer to it then I wouldn’t be going into the project.”
