Life in the FAST Lane
The Faculty and Staff Training unit (FAST) at West Chester University offers many opportunities to “keep up to speed” with technology,
trends, and best practices. Nearly every week, we see new academic technologies released.
There are more tools today available to faculty and staff than ever before. Faculty
can use technology tools in new ways to engage students, work more efficiently and
provide deeper collaborative online environments for students. Staff can increase
their communication and efficiency skills sets by learning the latest tools and techniques
available at WCU.
Our purpose is to provide learning opportunities that support faculty in the design, development, and delivery of their courses, and to connect the campus community with available technologies and best practices to support their daily objectives.
FAST will customize a session to match the specific technical needs of an audience and offers multiple delivery models and resources to accommodate their respective learning styles. While face-to-face instructor-led sessions are most common, FAST also hosts webinars, coordinates department roadshows, customizes on-demand playlists via LyndaCampus, and organizes the annual RECAP Conference hosted by the Division of Information Services & Technology.
The FAST schedule is updated continuously, and new topics are introduced when new systems and technology are rolled out to the university. In addition to software and systems training, FAST also conducts technology demonstrations and leads general IT information sessions for all WCU orientations.
Information Sessions
This past year, FAST introduced new sessions both on demand and in face to face formats. When WCU adopted Microsoft Office 365 and OneDrive, FAST organized multiple Information Sessions for all faculty, staff and students to gain insight and knowledge about the product.
On Demand Training
Another exciting addition this past year to West Chester University’s Technology Tool Resource list is LyndaCampus, an unlimited access, library of high-quality training videos and tutorials dedicated to specific skills, subject areas and software. LyndaCampus allows you to expand your professional and personal skills in a user-friendly, online platform, available 24/7. You can learn business, software, technology and creative skills on your own time, at your own pace. To help spread the word of this great technology resource, representatives from Lynda.com joined the campus in an Information Session to promote its use as well as to answer questions from faculty, staff and students about adopting this resource.
Technology Resource Overview
As more technology tools become available, it is important that the University be made aware of these resources and how they can incorporate the tool into their daily routine. FAST developed a Technology Resources Overview presentation to provide New Faculty and Students a brief overview of the tools WCU has to offer. This presentation was recognized as being so valuable to new faculty, staff and students that it was requested to be presented to existing faculty and staff in their own department meetings. The presentation is continuously updated as WCU technology tools change and enables the faculty, staff or student, whether new to WCU or not, the ability to use the resources as soon as they return to their computer!
The Road Ahead
In addition to information sessions, many workshops and webinars are offered monthly
to provide a deeper dive in the use of the specific 
Technology tool. With a better understanding and hands-on experience with the technology
tool, we hope that it will help to improve the university community’s technical proficiency
to increase academic and job productivity.
Get into the FAST lane! Visit the FAST website training schedule to see what is coming up in 2019!
For questions or comments, email fast@wcupa.edu