By Anne Vail, Director of Client Services
As many of you are aware, the STAC (Student Technology Assistance Center) quietly went away last year and underwent a significant restructuring to better serve the needs of classroom instruction and our QEP initiatives with the eBriefcase. With a renewed focus on the support of technology in the classroom and with the provision of support being provided for students by students, Class TIPS (Technology Instruction/Peer Success) was born. Although the permanent staff position has yet to be filled, Client Services is ready to slowly roll these services back out to campus for fall.
Class TIPS within Client Services is the place for students to learn both new technologies and technologies new to them. Our tech-savvy tutors are pros, harnessing and using technology in a socially and professionally responsible way and teaching other students the skills they need to complete course assignments through hands-on, one-on-one, and small group sessions. The tutors also help new students use and maximize WCU’s eBriefcase.
If you’re a faculty member who sent students to STAC previously or know your students might need help with course assignments requiring the use of technology, we would love the opportunity to come to your classrooms and spend a few minutes to talk about the services we have to offer. And don’t think this is just for the harder stuff! While we can help with some of the more advanced skills, we also can help your students with the basics of Excel and PowerPoint, if the need is there. The only requirement we have is that the need for support is directly related to a classroom assignment.
Did we mention we can now provide support for distance students, too? Our tutoring model has gone virtual! With an active Internet connection, all a student needs to get help with the technology used in a class assignment is an appointment with a Class TIPS tutor. It’s that easy!
We’ll also be available to assist your students with the eBriefcase as we move farther along into the semester. Class TIPS is the only location on campus available to directly support students with eBriefcase needs. The eBriefcase is currently in development and will proceed with a planned pilot in Spring 2010.
For more information on Class TIPS, visit classtips.wcu.edu. If you’d like to schedule a brief intro in the classroom for your students, please contact Anne Vail.