meet or manage?

OK - so perhaps I ought to post about the session I presented (slides available at the link) - Meeting or Managing? Responding to student expectations through policy and practice

I think (?) the session went pretty well though it was quite scary stuff. Approx 250 people at the session and I was tied to the lecturn by microphone cables ("please speak clearly this session is being recorded")... concluded it is harder for me to speak standing still. Also felt slightly odd about the number of people attending the session from what we might call a very, very close geographical proximity. There was a lot packed into the session. I talked some about the survey and its design but mostly about what we did with it. Got into some strange places around Bb consistency (which we have already learned doesn't really travel transatlantic) but overall it was well received - no one left during the presentation which is a good measure at Educause (think I earned extra brownie points by ending the formal bit early for questions so those who wanted to avoid lunch crowds could slip out discretely).

Here is a little extra competition for you....of the 15-20 people who came up at the end what did 14-19 0f them ask for?? - the slides may offer a clue. I have a fabulous apple related prize for the first person to guess (and I have another apple related prize for the first person to guess what the apple related prize is....and it needs to be exactly right)

btw if there are any other sessions that capture your interest here is the link to all the Sessions with Available Resources Speakers are asked to post by 14th Nov so the list may well grow some more.

Answering the Value Question: Does Technology Impact Student Success

CIOs concerned with perceived value of all IT services
- study to profide evidence, examining the technology for student perspective across 16 community colleges in Maryland
- it investigated student skill levels, usage patterns, preferences for technology, value for students perspective

(eek - there must be 250+ people in the session)

Answering the value question:
This study is heavily based on ECAR study, Chickering and Gamson and drilling role of LMS. There are a lot of common elements in this session to what I'm going to talk about tomorrow. I'm wondering how unusual student use/expectation surveys really are any more. The speakers are making it sound as if they are doing something really different, but I don't think it is - I need to make sure I don't do the same thing tomorrow.

They haven't started talking about the focus of the session yet, they are claiming technology does impact upon student success but the study examines whether students like the features of technology, not correlated through to success. No they haven't looked at student performance impacts, no they aren't looking a representative sample, no they haven't considered anything other than student satisfaction. All the things that I thought the session was going to be about are all the things they would like to do in the future (but no plans as yet)