As technology is used more in classroom instruction, some professors see teaching heading toward a more individualized, Internet-supplemented education.

“[Teaching in the past] was predominantly large group presentations; now we are seeing a very significant transition towards more individual-based activities,” said Mike Albright, instructional development specialist. “I think that the transition is going to continue. We’ve seen this turn before — the transition to student-centered learning as opposed to teacher-centered learning.”

Albright said the increasing use of the World Wide Web in the classroom helps get students more involved in their educations.

“[This kind of] technology creates a more flexible institution,” said Scott Chadwick, assistant professor of organizational communication.

Chadwick said the World Wide Web provides teaching tools, such as WebCT and Classnet, that are not available through face-to-face teaching.

“[Programs like] these enable communication that just isn’t possible in a regular classroom,” Albright said.

Albright said a computerized teaching program called WebCT, which allows teachers to supplement and deliver their curriculum with information from the Web, was licensed to the university last April.

Chadwick said this technology also gives teachers “multiple channels” from which to deliver information to their students. Chadwick said he sees a trend toward more “distance education,” which is learning via television or cable.

“I think we have to look at the roles of technology. What does technology allow us to do that is more informational than face to face interaction?” Albright said.

Albright said this technology offers opportunities for simulations and communication.

“I’d say it’s more accessible. We have much greater capabilities in terms of graphics and communication; more people have access to it,” said Pete Boysen, senior systems analyst for the Durham Center. “I see more accessible, faster capabilities; we will probably be doing more 3-D kinds of activities [in the future].”

Boysen said in the next 10 years, he expects to see computers doing more of teachers’ work.

“Some of the instructional management will be taken over by computers to ease the load off faculty so they can spend more time working with students rather than grading things,” Boysen said.

However, some experts said more advanced technology will gradually lead teachers to expect more from students.

“Students information access has gotten much easier, the speed with which students can generate documents,” Chadwick said. “But as a result, I think teachers’ expectations have risen.”

Boysen said students’ expectations also will rise.

Some students said personal interaction may eventually become obsolete.

“People depend more on technology than relating to other people,” said Brianne Brooks, freshman in architecture.

Kelly Meierkord, freshman in landscape architecture, agrees society is headed toward more computer interaction.

“I think we’ll see more logging on to the computer as a way of going to class,” she said.

But Boysen said some computer uses, such as e-mail and chat programs, help personal interaction.

“In some cases, it’s actually encouraging it,” Boysen said.

However, some professors said personal interaction has not changed.

“Research shows that if you have people interacting [digitally], they can have the same interaction as when they see each other face to face,” Chadwick said.

Albright said it is unlikely that the concept of a university will disappear.

“I don’t realistically see that happening till we are all dead and gone. It’s not likely that the majority of teaching will take place on the Web until the mid-21st century,” Albright said.

Boysen said technology will likely change more in the next decade — “more than it has in the past 10” — and ISU needs to keep up with the changes.

“We have to stay up to date with the software and hardware changes and be willing to look at different ways of doing things than we have been in the past,” Boysen said. “I think [ISU has] done a fair job, but we could do better and invest more resources in software for use by students.”

Albright expects this trend to continue to change.

“Obviously, the World Wide Web didn’t exist 10 years ago, so this whole transition towards Web-based teaching has occurred recently,” Albright said. “I think when you compare the kinds of learning opportunities that are available now that weren’t available then, it’s just mind boggling.”