In reference to my story about over-expenditures for putting technology
in classrooms, Denker echoed my sentiments that the technology director
acts unethically and ought to be reassigned. John also suggested
people/institutions who behave this way can end up not getting more
grant money and run the risk of going out of business.
Au contraire! Not if you are good with words/PR and not if you are
dealing with people who don't know better. Our technology folks have
been praised for doing a wonderful job, we have received national
acclaim for being one of the most-wired campuses in the US, and the
likelihood of more grant money is very high.
When $24,000 is spent for technology in a classroom, it comes out really
nice. The screens are motorized and automatically come down when you
turn on the system. There is a control console on the lecture bench
that has the same look/feel in each classroom. There is one set of
stop/play/pause/volume etc buttons that run either the VCR or DVD or CD,
whichever is selected. That is, you don't use the controls on the DVD
unit itself, nor the VCR, etc. They are all controlled remotely from a
common control panel. That way you don't have the quirks of learning
different button layouts. In other words, they try to make it idiot
proof. There is a preview screen for the professor that can either show
the same thing the students are currently seeing, or can be set to cue
up what is coming next. The student screen can be split, so for example
you can show power-point slides on the left while showing a DVD on the
right (or top/bottom). The professor uses an inertial wireless mouse
you hold in your hand so you can wander around the room and still
control things. (This, by the way, takes some getting used to.)
The console/lecture desk is custom built to match the decor of the room,
typically using solid wood or wood veneers. They are beautiful. This
whole thing really impresses the prospective students and their parents.
Makes them think they are getting a lot for their money, and certainly
the kid's education will be top notch.
So... what do we have? I believe I could install an easy to use and
perfectly adequate system (not as pretty, not as many bells and
whistles) for around $4000 to $5000. But the technology director wants
pizzazz, and so do the other administrators, and so do the admission
folks. They are not a whole lot different than politicians or sales
people. They are in the business of convincing people we are top notch
and we deserve your students and your gifts and your grants and your
respect. Demonstrating how well we manage on a small expenditure of
money does not figure into their equation, and they might be right.
Ethical? No. Right? Well, they're succeeding fairly well.
I am not immune to this. I drive a Honda Accord when I could drive a
Honda Civic, or less. But I am not driving a Rolls or a Bentley. Maybe
I would get more respect if I did. Hmmm... would that be worth it?
Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics and Chemistry
Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH 45817
(419)-358-3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu
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