About Instructional Services
Instructional Services is a department within The University of Iowa's Information Technology Services. We provide technology support for the University's instructors and researchers. IS is guided in everything we do by our Vision and Mission statements, developed with the advice and guidance of our advisory committees.
- Vision Statement
- Mission Statement
- A Brief History of ITS-Instructional Services
- FY05 Business Plan (PDF, about 500K)
- FY06 MidYear Report – Key Projects (PDF)
- FY06 MidYear Report – Measures (PDF)
Vision Statement
Students will:
- Have anytime, anywhere access to course-related information
- Use all types of media in their learning endeavors
- Use tools that allow them to track their own progress and adapt to their learning needs and styles
- Have access to learning materials at a self-selected pace
Instructors and Researchers will:
- Have a basic understanding of technologies relevant to their discipline
- Have a suite of tools to apply technology to instructional and research applications
- Have access to resources (information, people, and technical) to assist in applying the tools and producing learning materials, on their own and with support
- Have opportunities to explore emerging technologies and continually update their knowledge of technology and its application to instruction and research
- Provide a bridge between research and classroom instruction
To accomplish this vision, Instructional Services works collaboratively with instructional and technology support staff from around campus, and shares information and resources as appropriate to meet the needs of faculty.
Mission Statement
ITS-Instructional Services is a central resource which provides support for the University's instructional and research missions. Our primary goals are to:
- Enable faculty to better accomplish their endeavors in instruction and research through the use of information technology,
- Stimulate consideration of new technologies,
- Collaborate with faculty in development and investigative projects,
- Communicate with and inform the University community about information technology resources in support of instruction and research, and
- Facilitate services for faculty from other information technology support groups across campus, including other ITS groups.
Instructional Services is a versatile organization, striving to meet our goals through continued exploration, implementation, and refinement of new technology, methods, and support options.
A Brief History of ITS-Instructional Services
In 1998, Information Technology Services (ITS), with support from the Provost's Office, charged a committee of University faculty, administrators, and staff — the Learning Technology Support Review Team (LTSR) — to recommend actions that ITS could take to respond to learning technology needs on campus. The committee, under the leadership of Tom Rocklin, Director of the Center for Teaching, recommended a number of actions, including the formation of a new structure within ITS.
Following consultation with faculty leadership groups on campus, including the Faculty Council and the Information Technology Advisory Council, ITS responded to this recommendation and formed a new group. Two predecessor groups in ITS — Second Look Computing and the Instructional Software Development Group — merged into a single group named Academic Technologies. Other staff were added to provide additional services.
During 2001, AT took another step towards the future, merging with two research-supporting technology groups on campus, the Image Analysis Facility and the Advanced Research Computing Services group. They took the moniker Research Services within the AT structure, and began leveraging ITS resources and AT's existing abilities to serve faculty across campus who use technology in research.
In early 2007, Academic Technologies was merged with another group within ITS, Campus Services, to form a group called Campus Technology Services. This name, while descriptive within the organization of ITS, is not descriptive enough to describe what we do. So we identify ourselves as ITS-Instructional Services.
