Student Technology Fee
The purposes of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education technology fee are: (1) to acquire, install, and maintain up-to-date and emerging technologies for the purpose of enhancing student-learning outcomes; (2) to provide equitable access to technology resources; and (3) to ensure, ultimately, that State System graduates are competitive in the technologically sophisticated workplace. All hardware, software, databases, and other capital equipment procured with these revenues are strictly limited to clearly articulate learning experiences for students.
Samples of tech fee success stories:
Establishment of a Technology-Based General Chemistry Lab:
A new computer-based lab consisting of a computer and a MicroLab interface unit with built in pressure sensor and colorimeter, plus probes for temperature and pH has been installed for students enrolled in Chemistry courses.
The computerized workstations provide for students’ experimental data to be acquired directly into the computer for manipulation and display in a number of formats. It has been established that this approach leads to a greater engagement of students with the relationships between the various streams of data.
The computers in this lab enable students to make graphic displays easily and rapidly, providing an opportunity for a more discovery-oriented approach. Some of the more repetitive measurements can be made automatically, allowing the students to use valuable laboratory time more productively.
Students enrolled in Chemistry courses are utilizing this new technology lab as of spring 2004 semester.
BCL lab for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics:
As role of technology in the life sciences continues to grow at an ever increasing pace, the demand for more powerful computers to run more sophisticated software and interface with more demanding hardware and peripherals has also increased.
Although all areas of biology are being revolutionized by the integration of technology, the areas of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics have experienced an explosive growth in the use of computers to collect, analyze and integrate huge amounts of data.
The routine use of computers and computer-driven lab equipment have become an integral component of many courses including Recombinant DNA, Cell and Molecular Biology, Immunology, Microbial Physiology and Biocomputing as well as student research projects.
Students have access to appropriate computer hardware/software as required in order to gain hands-on experiences in the discipline and are also able to use current and future industry standards in this new lab provided by the student technology fee.
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