The effectiveness of classroom technology in small engineering institutions

There is no question that the use of technology in the learning process is a viable tool. In large institutions the rapid move to adopt classroom technology is motivated in part by the desire to reduce costs and to enhance learning in large undergraduate classes. The approach brought faculty and students closer, made large sections manageable, and reduced the heavy dependency on teaching assistants. However, this movement is creating the unexpected perception that technology in the classroom is synopsis with good engineering education. The perception poses a dilemma for the limited enrollment institutions such as Wilkes where the presence of faculty in small classrooms is a tradition as is the close working relationship between the faculty and students. Are we to encourage and propagate the myth? or are we to resist and spend our time explaining why we are not doing it? This paper attempts to outline the plans used by Wilkes University's science and engineering departments to meet the dichotomy posed by this technology challenge.