Academic Experience

Active learning with technology: bringing students, faculty and information together.

You will be joining a community of people devoted to creating and sharing information activities that can be enhanced by information technology. Finding answers to the following questions can help you understand how technology is used to support learning and collaboration in your areas of interest or possible major(s).

Coursework - in and out of class

Q. How does the campus use technology to enhance teaching, learning, and access to information in your areas of interest? Examples include online syllabi, Web-based discussion groups and project teams, and electronic portfolios.

A. Hofstra University faculty use many types of electronic resources to enhance their classes. More than 480 faculty use Blackboard to deliver syllabi, course handouts, facilitate group projects and provide web-based communication with their classes. The Hofstra Libraries are committed to providing a competitive variety of electronic resources. These resources include full-text journals and articles, electronic books, electronic reserves for individual courses, and many other resources. And in fields where hands-on experience is important, such as the Departments of Audio/Video/Film or Computer Science, Hofstra provides specialized resources required for these majors.

Q. Are classrooms technology-enhanced?

A. Hofstra University believes that appropriate technology can enhance teaching and learning. More than 95 classrooms have been enhanced with technology. Hofstra created a new, state-of-the-art facility for the School of Education and Allied Human Services, in which undergraduate and graduate classes are taught. This building, featuring wireless (throughout), SMART interactive white boards and multimedia in every classroom, is the prototype of classrooms going forward.

Q. In both introductory and specialized courses, are there opportunities to collaborate with other students using technology on project teams?

A. This varies by class, as Hofstra University faculty are free to integrate technology where appropriate in their classes.  All students have campus e-mail, access to the "Groups" feature in the My.Hofstra.edu Portal, and their own file space and Web sites. Many faculty use Blackboard to promote group discussions and collaboration. Students can also use the campus network and free collaboration tools and groupware tools that are available on the Internet, like IM applications and voice/video applications like Skype.

Q. Does the school give credit for courses taken electronically (online/at a distance) from other institutions and sources of instruction?

A. The Office of Admissions makes a determination for each transfer student as to which courses will or will not be accepted; this includes both in-class and online courses. Acceptance of a course is determined based on a number of factors including how well it matches existing Hofstra University courses. The Office of Admissions does not accept transfer credits from correspondence schools.

Support Services

Q. How does the campus provide access for students to work with multimedia (audio and video)?

A. Each of the open-access labs and computer classrooms has computers that are no more than two years old. Each has sufficient memory for multimedia applications and each has CD-ROM/DVD capabilities. The labs support a suite of graphic and multimedia software applications that provide for multimedia development. Many courses in the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, the School of Communication and the Department of Computer Science offer the opportunity to learn and develop multimedia applications.

Q. Are library collections and resources - such as catalogs, research databases, special collections, course reserves, full-text electronic journals, books, and streaming media - available online and accessible off-campus?

A. The Hofstra University Libraries believe that students should have access to all electronic materials from off-campus as well as on-campus, except where licenses explicitly restrict their use. Hofstra provides this access through the same username and password used for all other information systems at Hofstra, and provides access through the My.Hofstra.edu Portal and from the Axinn Library Web site. These resources include the public catalog, research databases, special collections, course reserves, more than 17,000 full-text journals, 18,000 electronic books, and other research services such as Lexis/Nexis Academic Edition, The New York Times Archives and ARTstor.

Q. Does the library deliver documents electronically, either via e-mail or through Web posting? Does the library charge a fee when information resources that are needed are not available in its collections?

A. Students can request documents via the ILLiad interlibrary loan system and have them delivered electronically via e-mail. Hofstra University does not charge students for any interlibrary loan request. This self-serve system can be used from on-campus or off-campus.

Q. Does the library provide research assistance in a variety of ways, such as in person, by phone, by e-mail, and through Web services? When are these forms of assistance available?

A. The Axinn Library provides research assistance at several levels. One-on-one assistance is provided at the Reference Desk and on the telephone. Many faculty bring their classes to the library for in-depth coverage of resources available in support of their course or subject matter. For Zarb School of Business majors, a required course is offered in business research. Finally, the Axinn Library has assembled an extensive Web site (www.hofstra.edu/library) offering subject area guides and resources to aid researchers in those topic areas.

Looking toward graduation and a career

Q. Does the campus offer general or profession-specific training programs to ensure you are fluent in current information technologies when you graduate?

A. A number of majors make extensive use of computers throughout the curriculum, e.g., audio/video/film, finance and computer science. Many others require computer use within their courses. Therefore, students must be proficient in information technology to complete these courses. M.B.A. students are expected to be admitted into the program with proficiency in IT and online remedial courses are available for those who are not. Additionally, the University College for Continuing Education offers many courses in computing and information technology that students can elect to take to augment their academic coursework.