Gary Girty, Department Chair of Geological Sciences, made the point about "activity and no content" by pointing out that certain faculty think that technology is all glitz and no substance:

Gary: There are some faculty who just refuse to get involved. We still have some faculty members that think technology provides activity and no content. They think that the students think they're learning because they're clicking buttons and looking at screens, but they're not really learning anything.

Moreover, according to Eric, a large number of faculty members are committed to the "knowledge delivery" model of teaching, which is not conducive to an effective use of technology.

Eric: We have a substantial part of our faculty that is very much about, "Here's the knowledge. You write it down. I'll give you a very difficult test and that will measure your capabilities. If you do really well on it, then you must be really smart."

But faculty are not the only ones resistant to a more student-centered teaching approach. Eric has felt resistance from his students, who are also accustomed to the "knowledge delivery" model.

Eric: One of the biggest frustrations is that a lot of students don't want to take responsibility for their own learning. They just want you to tell them something, and then they'll write it down and they'll give it back to you on a test. I've realized that I can't please everybody, and if someone doesn't like what I do, I have to come to grips with it and accept that they don't like me.

Shane, Eric's former student, has also noticed the student resistance.

Shane: He is very good at facilitating which way the group should go. If you are thinking in the wrong pattern, he is going to steer you back in the right way. But a lot of students aren't used to learning in that kind of environment. They are used to learning from a teacher who is standing up in a classroom telling you the answer instead of helping you discover things for yourself, make your own discoveries, and learning in that way. Myself, I've learned ten times more in that way than I have in the [traditional way].

Even Gary Girty, the Department Chair of Geological Sciences, has been approached by students in Eric's courses who cling to the read, memorize, regurgitate method.

Gary: There have been a couple instances now where Eric's students have talked to me and said, "I don't want to put my stuff on the Web. I don't want to get involved in this. I think that's ridiculous." And I suggested, calmly, that they have a quiet talk with Eric and explain this. And I think everything will work out fine. And that's exactly what has happened. Eric will work with them, help facilitate whichever direction they want to go. His main strategy is, "You're in control."