Technology aids connections, learning among UW-Madison staff

New developments in technology occur constantly, but a group at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is staying on top of the changes and finding ways that faculty and staff can take advantage of them.

The Community of Educational Technology Support (ComETS), an unofficial university grassroots organization with about 200 members, gives individuals from different areas of the university an opportunity to connect and pursue shared professional development. The group offers a chance to hear from authorities in technology fields, discuss new educational models and ultimately implement their ideas in special-interest groups.

“ComETS provides a forum to start managing possibilities in technology,” says learning support specialist Lisa Jansen, a member of the organizing committee.

The ComETS planning committee is made up of staff from a variety of schools and colleges, as well as library affairs and the Division of Information Technology (DoIT). The group follows up on suggestions for events, such as a recent talk featuring Larry Johnson, CEO of The New Media Consortium, a nonprofit group dedicated to the exploration of new technologies.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) developed out of members’ desire to pursue ideas brought up in the discussion sessions. Jansen says three SIGs are currently up and running, including:

— A “clicker” group, which focuses on the utility of classroom clicker technology for teachers and learning curve of students when clickers are incorporated into lectures;

— A social networking group that evaluates the effects of Facebook and other networking Web sites and their potential applications for campuses; and

— A gaming and simulations group, which looks at the possibility of integrating virtual online classrooms into the current educational model.

Although ComETS is self-organizing and not affiliated with the university, UW–Madison departments and groups often turn to ComETS for advice and support. DoIT, when examining new technology for classrooms across campus, looked to the group to help provide reviews of the potential new equipment.

In the search for a new chief information officer, the administration asked ComETS to meet with the review committee to evaluate potential necessities for the position. ComETS alsonetworks with other university-sponsored initiatives, including the Teaching Academy, the Teaching and Learning Council and the annual Teaching and Learning Symposium in May.