Doctoral Thesis focuses on DSU’s College of Education and Technology usage

Madison, SD -- A case study of the Dakota State University teacher education program was the focus of a doctoral thesis by a graduate student at the University of Wyoming. Gerald Bowler, a student in the Department of Adult Learning and Technology and the Graduate School of the University of Wyoming, recently completed his dissertation on integrating and modeling technology into teacher education. While researching the subject, he discovered Dakota State University and its commitment to technology in education.

“It is always valuable to have an in depth evaluation of what we are doing from an unbiased source,” said Dr. Jerald Tunheim, President of Dakota State University. “His findings that we should be a national model for schools of education that want to integrate technology is extremely flattering and is a validation for our efforts.”

“The main findings showed that teacher education programs should place a greater emphasis on the impact of technology on society and its implications in education,” said Mr. Bowler. “DSU justly deserves the recognition of being an institution that has demonstrated exemplary use of technology in their teacher education program.”

The study allowed Mr. Bowler to look closely at DSU’s programs and its technology emphasis. From there, a model was developed for implementation at Southern Utah University. Mr. Bowler’s research included interviews with faculty, students, and graduates as well as visiting campus for observation.

“We are delighted and honored to have a faculty member from another higher education institution in the United States conduct a study of Dakota State University’s teacher education program to learn how we integrate and model technology in our program. The study presents very impressive results and comments about our teacher education faculty’s skills and the preparation of our students and graduates in technology,” said Dr. Tom Hawley, Dean of the College of Education at DSU. “Based upon his findings, he developed a model for implementation by the College of Education at Southern Utah University to help them make technology an integral component of their teacher education program. Without question, his study confirmed that we were doing an excellent job in preparing our graduates for integrating technology into their teaching.”