Story # 3 Outline

St. Edward’s University touts its commitment to 100 percent “smart classrooms.” All classrooms are supposed to include: wired and wireless Internet access, a computer and DVD player with an integrated control system, a projector, amplified sound, laptop input accessibility, an 84 inch display screen and a wireless mouse.

For this story I will speak with employees from information technology, faculty and students alike to determine if the university is living up to its commitment. I will attempt to gain the opinions of my interview subjects about how beneficial they find classrooms to be.
To gain a larger sample, I will find out how our technology compares with other universities by questioning faculty about St. Edward’s vs. other institutions they have taught at, speak to transfer students about how SEU compares to their former institutions, and seek outside research through the web and solicit interviews by phone to find out what other universities are doing firsthand.


I will attempt to explore the issue thoroughly, and gain answers to the following questions:
-Where does the technology fee go?
-Is the spread of technology always even?
-Is it reliable?
-Have professors been trained to use it properly?
-How are students being trained to use it properly?
-How do other Universities compare?
-Are students satisfied with the level of technological integration in the classroom?
-What are the amenities like out of the classroom in study rooms, residence halls, etc?
-What are some of the most common malfunctions or concerns?
-How often is the equipment updated?
-How does our Internet service work, and what is the wireless like throughout campus?
-What are some ways that people have taken creative advantage of the amenities?
-In an increasingly technological age, can the students be more knowledgeable about the classroom technology than the instructors?



Multimedia Budget:

Photo; A photo of a professor or a group of students presenting using the classroom amenities.
Video: A video of students on campus engaging with different kinds of technology, integrate commentary from the students about how technology in the classroom fits with the technology they utilize in the outside lives.
Data: An interactive chart comparing St. Edward’s with benchmark schools in terms of the technology available and the amount of money spent through technology fee, etc.