UNIVERSITY PLAN PUTS EMPHASIS ON COMPUTERS (FOURTH IN A SERIES)

Doug Downs took an essay test on Plato. But he didn't bother with pen or pencil.

He and his Southeast Missouri State University classmates wrote out their answers on computers in a new computer lab.

Such technology would have been a revelation to the Greek philosopher.

"Plato would sit back in shock; the poor guy would not know what to think," Downs said.

Downs said it is easier to write an essay on the computer than to write it out long hand. "The fact is, many of us can type faster than we can write," he said.

With computers, students can move around paragraphs or easily rephrase a line.

"If you find something in the wrong spot, you just press a few keys and move a whole block," he said.

Downs said students have access to an almost limitless amount of information via computer networks such as the Internet.

From classroom computers to interactive television, technology is transforming the learning landscape at Southeast Missouri State University.

The university plans to make even greater use of such technology in the coming years. It is an integral part of the school's strategic plan.

"It allows us to tailor-make education," said Dr. Charles Kupchella, provost.

Students and faculty glean information from the Internet. Computer networks offer access to information from Harvard and other libraries.

In Oregon, a freshman college course is being offered on e-mail.

Four New York state colleges are on line with a mid-wife program. With the exception of internships, the program is taught over the computer.

The possibilities are seemingly endless.

Thanks to the networking of computers, no longer are colleges separate islands of learning.

"It blurs the barriers between colleges," said Dennis Holt, assistant provost.

"It widens the community of students," he said. Many students at Southeast, for example, regularly communicate with friends at other colleges by writing to them via electronic mail.

"We really are in the midst of a second computer revolution," said Holt.

A national report suggests that the use of e-mail, networking of computers and the Internet will revolutionize the use of computers.

Southeast is building more computer labs and giving students more access to the information superhighway.

"We can't expect all of our students to buy a computer so we have to have really good labs for them," said Holt.

Southeast hopes to have all of its computers in the academic division networked together by the end of fiscal 1997, and all of the campus computers on the network by the end of 1998.

The electronic network will allow employees and students to communicate directly with each other and with those at other universities.

One of the goals of the strategic plan is to use computers to streamline campus operations.

"We think we can improve campus productivity and reduce paperwork," Holt said.

For instance, employees could record travel expenses on the computer. "There would be no reason for employees to fill out travel expense forms," he said.

The university's facilities management department is computerizing all its work orders. That way, employees can readily keep track of the status of various campus repairs.

Students, faculty and staff could hold fewer face-to-face meetings. Instead, they could communicate via computers.

Holt, for example, held long-distance "class discussions" with his students while he was at a technology conference in Portland, Ore.

He left notes on e-mail. The students read what was written and typed in their comments. Holt then responded to what the students wrote.

He said there was more discussion via e-mail than if he had been in class.

Downs said electronic mail expands discussions because students don't have to limit their thoughts to class time.

"If I come up with a thought at 2 a.m., I just put it on there and everybody reads it in the morning," he said.

Computers aren't the only changes in the classroom.

The university wants to offer more courses to outlying centers via interactive television. Students and professors can talk to and see each other via TV cameras and monitors.

Holt said such technology allows the university, community colleges and vocational-technical schools to reach out to the region.

All of this technology costs money. Holt said the university will end up spending millions.

The technology is changing so rapidly that the university must look at replacing computers every three years, Holt said.

Downs, who wants to be an English professor, said all this technology will benefit students just as long as there is plenty of power.

"We are almost helpless when the power goes off," he said.

Wednesday: The series concludes with a look at Southeast's plans to improve campus facilities and operations.