Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
The Challenge Continues
March 30-April 1, 2003
The Berry Informational Technology (B.I.T.S.) Student Work Program: An Effective Environment for Collaborative Learning, Leadership, Technological Training, and Certification.
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By: Amy Cornelius, Paul Macaluso |
Abstract
The Berry Informational Technology (B.I.T.S.) program is an apprenticeship opportunity associated with student work. The program gives students the opportunity to seek technological training in areas such as building computer systems, trouble-shooting, networking, Web development, and user and technical support. In addition, students work collaboratively and with faculty and staff in problem-solving, attend workshops in management, supervision, and technology, as well as obtain certifications in various areas. Two measures of the program's success are its 90-95% student retention rate and that 24/25 returning students have passed the A+ certification exam.
Description
The Berry Informational Technology (B.I.T.S.) program is an apprenticeship opportunity associated with student work. At the end of each summer those who are accepted into the B.I.T.S. program attend a "Boot Camp," which is a two week training period conducted by IT staff. During the training period, the staff gives students an introduction to information technology, including information on how to build computer systems. In addition, B.I.T.S. students participate in the Berry Outdoor Leadership Program, which aids in the development of cooperative learning, trust, and leadership.
Students in the B.I.T.S. program build and maintain all of the college's computer systems. Last year alone students built 400 systems for college faculty and staff. The B.I.T.S. program includes eight different "tracks": Training Center, Macintosh Support, Networking, Web Development (for those with background in HTML or Php), Technical Training, and PC Support (with staff technicians). Incoming students are encouraged to rotate through at least 6 of the 8 tracks in order to increase the breadth of their knowledge and experience in different areas of computing and technology. In addition, two tracks that are available to upperclassmen are Technical Help Desk and Macromedia Flash.
One requirement of the program is passing a certification exam each year, such as the A+ certification exam. Information technology staff assigns readings and quizzes to aid students in their preparation. Also, students create various learning aids to assist each other with exam preparation. Overall, the program has a 90-95% retention rate and 24/25 students have attempted and passed their A+ certification exam. Furthermore, 15 of these students have attained multiple certifications (e.g., MOUS, HTML, NET +).
Proceeding