Perhaps the most applauded of all recent additions to the Stonington Campus are those improvements within its information services department. Boasting state-of-the-art technology, the department offers current students a key to the 21st Century; preparing them for the challenges of that computer-oriented era. According to department director Ghamini DeZoysa, the importance of being able to meet those challenges is evident by its new and more significant role within the institution. "In the old days we simply used to be called the computer department, but what we're doing here now is bringing in new technology to be used in education for instructional purposes,'' he said. "We now have some of the latest equipment for teaching -- pentium-based computers in our five new computer labs, a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) lab, state-of-the-art video conference facility and audio-visual equipment, an automated test scoring system and, both students and teachers have full access to the Internet for research purposes. (These) modern teaching tools can rival that of most institutions of higher learning...and the benefits to students and teachers alike are numerous.'' Such tools, he said, will enable students to work at their own pace and allow the lecturer to customize teaching to different learning styles. And because learning is known to be motivated by electronic equipment, computers and graphics, making such instruments available will only enhance the educational process of students, perhaps even leading them to explore beyond the normal curriculum. And where financial constraints might otherwise prevent certain students from completing degree requirements, the video-conference facility at the College will now allow some of them to do so locally while maintaining a full-time job. Benefits to lecturers also exist, said Mr. DeZoysa. Such equipment affords lecturers the ability to individualise learning as, with proper training, they can even make software tools available which will create courses that appeal to different learning styles. Also, with Internet access, lecturers may participate in numerous discussion groups world-over as an aid to their professional development, collaborating with colleagues in overseas institutions with similar didactic and professional interests. Internet access puts updated materials within reach of instructors faster and allows them to conduct research, while home pages enable them to publish their expertise, availing it to colleagues and organisations worldwide. "We are, however, only in the beginning stages,'' he said. "We are now instructing teachers how to use the technology so that they become familiar. But they have already switched to teaching on PCs. All the computers are networked together so that the students can do their work and send it electronically to their instructors. The way things are taught will change for the better. Instructors will be able to customize teaching programmes so individual students can go in and follow something on the computer instead of having all in the same class with some not able to flow at the pace which has been set. "We've also upgraded our networks in the College so information is flowing from all parts of the campus. This aids in putting in office automation so that staff can more efficiently work at things and can send information across campus or via the Internet to other parts of the world with ease. However there is a long way to go in training and we are putting a lot of weight in training. The first phase should soon be completed at which time the College will be at the same level of any institution in the world, or maybe a little better off, simply because we've just bought that equipment.'' A new library system, he said, will allow students to have access to more electronic equipment by year's end and various Internet courses are ensuring that they are able to use that technology once in place. A Computer-Aided Design (CAD) lab -- a first for the College -- will aid those studying architecture and drafting and the video conference centre is large even by North American standards. "It can handle up to 35 in the room so it's by far one of the larger installations even in North America,'' said the director. "What it does, is put you face-to-face with the people on the other side. It can be one person, or a group, and you can talk to each other and see each other on the screen. My experience with the system is that 15 minutes in, people tend to forget that they are in two different places.

The idea of putting this in was to allow programmes taught in other universities and colleges over here. People can get some experience and exposure to what's happening there but they don't have to travel to do it, so cost is reduced. "And we have a new lecture theatre which is being equipped for multi-media presentations and has very up-to-date sound systems. It is going to be state-of-the-art, and as good as any movie theatre in Bermuda.

These things are very major changes in the College, and things we must be doing to keep in line with what's happening in the rest of the world.'' PHOTO The LAMB allows control at all points in the room Informations director, Ghamini Dezoysa shows off the College's state-of-the-art tele-conferencing unit Members of the support staff at Bermuda College MINI SUPPLEMENT SUP