By Dr. Philip Baczewski, Associate Director of Academic Computing

The View from 35,000 Feet (Literally)

With the rapid pace of change in technology, its sometimes useful to take a moment to assess what value (if any) that technology carries. We can easily get caught up in day to day details such as new passwords, unfamiliar interfaces, and even the necessity to use technology that was previously reserved for technical gurus or personal assistants. But sometimes, keeping technological change in perspective requires taking in a broader view of where that change is leading.

Information and network technology has had an impact on all facets of American Society, but has greatly affected institutions of higher education. Part of the reason for this is that the Internet was born in higher education. We were early adopters and developers of that technology. It's not surprising that technology is now intrinsic to all functions of a major university, from administration to classroom instruction. Those who find the technology intrusive should remember that institutions of higher learning were first to adopt another world-changing technology: the book.

So, how do we get a better perspective on technology in our professional lives? I'd suggest a start by reviewing Baczewski's number one axiom of information technology (at least the number one axiom for today):

Institutional Information technology is not necessarily intended to increase your personal productivity.

Institutional Information technology is intended to increase an organization's productivity, with sometimes negative results for your personal productivity. However, information technology can increase your personal productivity if you embrace it and abandon less efficient technologies.

Yes, you may prefer writing with a pencil and a yellow pad of paper, but a bit of practice with typing will let you record the same words directly in electronic format. The benefit to you is that editing becomes much easier once you understand how to use the technology to move text around and even catch those misspellings that are endemic to a language like English. The benefit to the organization is that you no longer require the services of someone to transcribe what you wrote on the yellow pad to a format that is useful to others.

A corollary to the axiom above is that information technology does not always save money, but it is a benefit if it increases institutional productivity. This raises the question of what exactly is productivity in higher education? I think that measure can be made in a number of ways, but in public higher education, I'd suggest that one measure is the range of people to which we can extend learning opportunities.

This latter rationale applies directly to UNT's ongoing project to implement new information systems. It is an institutional goal to extend higher education to some who would ordinarily not have access. The Internet provides a conduit for making that extension possible. But, we can't accomplish this goal without also having a way to communicate and operate our business over the Internet.

So it comes down to whether technology is an imposition or an opportunity. As a technologist, I'm inclined to argue on the side of opportunity. I see a benefit to being able to update my contact information with Human Resources any time I need to via a web interface, rather than having to wait for the paper form to be sent out once a year. I see a benefit to being able to communicate in a number of ways and time frames.

This doesn't mean that I think that computing and information technology is always easy to use and is always more efficient than an older method. Often it is not. But it is up to a number of us to make that technology more efficient to use as it matures and becomes an increasing part of our work life. Sometimes that process can only be accomplished with experience - the experience of individuals and the experience of the institution as it employs new technology.

I guess you could argue that it is an imposition that I am writing this column on an airplane as I fly to an academic conference in Seattle. Shouldn't I have this time to relax and enjoy the view? Perhaps, but I feel that having access to this technology makes me more productive and, more importantly, lets me manage my time more productively. I suppose I could be doing this with a yellow pad instead of a laptop, but with this method, there's a lot less eraser dust. And while I love my view of campus from my office window, the view from 35,000 feet can sometimes be spectacular.

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