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The university’s decision to dedicate a set amount of dollars each year to every School and College on campus guarantees continued funding to support technology functions. Currently the School of Education gets $217,000 a year from this source for this support. Deans can add to these dollars as needed, but they are a steady source of revenue for technology and cannot be used for human resources. Information technology is modern and widely used in the School of Education. Over 90 faculty and 30 support staff have new computers on their desks. Candidates may use computers for homework, computer instruction, and library searches from any of the three computer labs housing 72 computers (Mac/PC). Over 30 classrooms are fully mediated with computers, ceiling projectors, visual presenters, and DVD/VHS players. All School of Education computers are connected to the campus network for printing, file-sharing, email, and web-browsing. Large portions of JRP and at least one seminar room on every floor are wired for WiFi access.
The “Sandbox” is an experimental/tutorial area that supports assistive technologies, digital video editing and specialized software. A library and service desk offers photocopying, large-format printing, tech support by student tech helpers and technology consulting to all patrons. Candidates and faculty may check out laptops and use them wirelessly in the building, as well as camcorders, digital cameras and audio recorders. Two-way interactive video classrooms and a portable unit may be reserved for distant instruction, career interviews, collaboration, observation of remote classrooms, and virtual presentations. All technology services are state-of-the-art and supported in a professional, customer service environment. Candidates experience faculty and support staff that are adept in their technology presentations and problem-solving. The friendly but business-like atmosphere models that of a well-run, K-12 school. The candidates in turn are polite and enthusiastically collaborate and explore using the technologies available to them.
The School of Education purchased the electronic data warehousing and portfolio system, Tk20, to support faculty work in documenting student performance related to KSDE and NCATE standards. When fully implemented, the actual purchase and implementation of this system will have taken over 2 ½ years, due to state purchasing requirements and university concerns about data protection and privacy. Currently being used in a pilot project with faculty and students, the plan is to have it fully implemented with faculty in licensure preparation classes in fall, 2007. As part of the overall plan to strengthen the assessment system of the unit, an Assessment Coordinator was hired in fall, 2006, along with an Assistant in Teacher Education, specifically to support the assessment work related to NCATE. In addition, a Tk20 on-site Coordinator was assigned by reallocating functions to the staff person assigned to the Edwards campus.
The Learning Resource Center (LRC) is located in JRP Hall, where the majority of the unit’s courses and departments are housed. The LRC provides materials that help supplement and support the courses taught in the School. General collection books about teaching, math, language arts, special education, and other education-related topics are available, as well as a textbook collection with curriculum materials that can be used in developing elementary and secondary school lesson plans. Most of the materials are recent publications and are used largely in courses teaching candidates to create sample lessons. The available children’s books and chapter books are especially popular for students developing lesson plans and in literature-related courses. The Frank Strong Children’s collection is one of the jewels of the unit.
Although most class reserve materials are available online through the main KU Libraries, the LRC also has some class reserve materials held at the desk for the convenience of students. Educational journals are also available for in-library use. Technology such as laptops and camcorders may also be checked out for class use at the LRC desk by students, staff, or faculty. Book materials and DVDs may be checked out by any KU student, staff or faculty member. For more research-oriented books and databases with online articles, the KU Libraries are utilized. Their website has access to databases such as ERIC and Wilson Omni File Full Text for finding education-related articles online. The KU libraries also have the ability to send some materials electronically or via inner-library loan to other areas across campus.
Access to Education Resources at the University of Kansas Libraries. The KU Library system is a founding member of the Association of Research Libraries. KU Libraries currently house more than 3.5 million printed volumes in six buildings on the Lawrence Campus and on KU’s Edwards Campus in Overland Park. The Law School Library on the Lawrence campus provides even more resources. KU Libraries also serves as a regional depository for U.S. government information. The two main libraries on the Lawrence campus have 200 or more computers in public areas that provide Internet access, productivity and media software, and access to library databases. The Libraries also provides wireless access to students and faculty who want to use their own laptops while working in the Libraries.
Currently, KU Libraries provides access to more than 1000 electronic journals in the field of Education and subscribes to more than 250 Education journals in print. Most Education monographs arrive in the Libraries automatically as part of the Libraries’ approval plan, but the subject specialist also special orders more than 200 monographs annually using the Education Discretionary Fund. The university commits over $3,000,000 annually to add to its collections; nearly $50,000 is allocated to the School of Education.
University subject specialists are those librarians who have primary selection, retention, and fund management responsibilities for the Libraries’ collections. They also serve as the Libraries’ liaison to academic departments. They provide specialized library instruction in their subjects of expertise in the classroom setting or through individual consultations. The subject specialist dedicated to the KU School of Education has served it for eight years.
All of the libraries participate in an instruction program, which is designed to further the University’s teaching mission. The program consists of orientation tours, course-related instruction, instructional publications, assistance with planning and design of library research assignments, and formal workshops. The Education subject specialists works with Education faculty to plan library instruction sessions that help meet the objectives of research assignments. In 2006, the subject specialist met with approximately 550 Education students, in the classroom and through one-on-one consultations. The Libraries Instructional Services program offers workshops and desk-side coaching in the use of software applications for productivity, media, and Web development.
