Office of Information Technology

Since the microcomputer’s integration into many curricula to enhance the teaching and learning experience, many colleges and departments have struggled to provide and maintain computer-based laboratories and classrooms. The increased use by faculty of instructional technologies has created a “support service crisis,” as noted by the Innovative Technologies Center, which serves faculty who develop and use enhanced instructional technology in their laboratories and classrooms.

Due to limited funding available, there is insufficient technical staff available to support the many new computing laboratories on campus. Over the years various support approaches have been tried, but while progress has been made, many areas continue to need basic technical support for their computer-based facilities.

The challenge is to meet the technical support needs of college or departmental computer-based laboratories which could benefit from the knowledge of basic procedures and principles of running an efficient computer laboratory as well as limited hands-on technical support.

The elements of a well designed and efficiently run computer lab have been distilled from many years of experience by the Office of Information Technology in the development and maintenance of both large/small and public/departmental computer-based laboratories. These elements can be documented and combined with day-to-day support options to provide the departmental labs with an opportunity to develop and expand the technical skills of staff in their areas.

The use of technology in the teaching and learning environment puts a strain on budgets in many areas. The DLABS program proposes to provide a first level of technical assistance to those departmental labs with little or no direct computing technical support. This effort will be directed towards a “bootstrap” approach for colleges or departments to build on for future self-supported technical expertise. Departmental labs with existing staff may benefit from the documentation and organizational structure information to be provided and would be eligible to request this type of support.

DLABS main focus will be to provide technical expertise to selected departmental computing labs on the Knoxville campus which do not have directly assigned technical support staff. Secondary levels of support may be provided to staffed labs. A yearly review process will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and to determine if further assistance may need to be provided beyond a one year period.

To best utilize the limited resources available to this program, departmental computing labs will be selected through the yearly technology fee funding proposal and evaluation process. Requests for services will be reviewed with the Office of Academic Affairs. All proposals will be prioritized by deans and/or unit heads within colleges before submission.

The call for DLABS proposals will be included with the annual technology fee funding requests for departmental labs. Starting this year, the proposal process will run during November and December. Awards will be announced the first week in February. This new schedule has been established to work in concert with the yearly departmental budgetary process.

The actual type of support awarded will depend on the individual needs of the requesting departmental computer lab and the resources available within the OIT organization such as the Lab Services group and other OIT groups as required.

Summer 2003
• Develop proposal process.
• Begin development of "best practices" documents and determine distribution process.
• Secure office space/acquire necessary hardware & software

Fall 2003
• Coordinate training plan and training materials.
• Develop effectiveness evaluation process.
• Select several departmental labs for Fall Pilot Project.

Late Fall 2003 - Early Spring 2004
• Call for proposals. [Nov-Dec]
• Evaluate proposals. [Jan]
• Announce proposal awards [Feb].
• Work with departmental labs to define technical support needs.

Spring 2004
• Provide documentation.
• Deploy technical support operations.
• Monitor program utilization and service effectiveness.

Summer 2004
• Begin evaluation process for program performance and effectiveness.
• Define and implement revisions to program as necessary.

Fall 2004
• Repeat Phase II and III cycles