The Academic Technology Advisory Council (ATAC) assists the Provost’s Office and CIO in setting directions and priorities for the use of instructional technology needs at the University of Iowa.

To help committee members create a strategic plan for the technological needs on campus, ATAC hosts an annual Student Technology Panel Discussion during the spring semester.

Maggie Jesse, Senior Director of the Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology, facilitates the student panel discussion, asking questions such as, “How prepared were you to use the technology available on your first day on campus, and how well did the technology match your expectations?,” and,  “Is there any particular technology or application that you wish your professors would utilize?”

The panel is comprised of first-year to graduate students from a variety of major areas of study.

The annual Student Technology Panel Discussion provides important insights into how students use technology in different areas of their learning, as well as the improvements and directions they hope the University will pursue.

The major takeaways from the panel discussion included:

• Overall students are satisfied with the technology at Iowa
• ITCs are still useful for students, however it’s clear that students are increasingly using those resources more as places to gather for group work, and to utilize printing services
• Students understand that the appropriate implementation of TILE classrooms and pedagogies are critical to student learning
• In-class laptop usage is much greater than in past years
• The frequency of e-text book usage is higher than in past years

Be sure to attend next year’s ATAC Student Panel discussion in February to keep up with the ever-changing technology needs and feedback from students, and check out the Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology events page, for specific dates and information to come.