Sharon,
You make a great point. Even in an online course students can "feel" through comments and directions if the instructor is comfortable with the technology. If you don't trust the technology, why should the students. Good post!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kathy,
Wow, what a great post. You make such good points through out your post I don't know where to start. I think one of the most important point you make beside the technology achieving the learning objective is the practicality of the technology doing that it is suppose to do and providing instructors with the information they need to to assess. this doesn't always happen and it is so frustrating. Also, the skill set of the students makes a big difference in the experience of the student. We cannot ignore that.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Todd,
You are right, but I have to ask. Does your school require students to own a computer?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
David,
What a great post. I agree about the technology tools. I actually use YouTube clips even if they are not as interesting if they are short and task specific, or I have student figure out how to learning in the way they prefer. They don't care for that strategy much but that is the real world learning environment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi Chrissy,
Many times, a particular technology does not work and customer support is not available when you need them (1am). Access to tech support 24 hours is a very important factor to consider.
In my opinion, ease of use is very important. If the instructor is uncomfortable with using a particular, program or if the technology if not very intuitive to use, the instructor and/or student will become frustrated and intended purpose will be lost. Another factor to consider is whether this technology meets your course objective. In other words, is the technology meeting the learning needs of your students? The purpose of learning in an online format is to convey knowledge within a framework of course objectives. Thirdly, technology should not overwhelm students with new learning technology that may take time away from the student learning course content.
I would like to say that the first thing to consider is how well the tool enables the student to meet the learning objective, but the real world truth is that the first thing to consider is what the tool will actually do--as opposed to what you think it will do, or what the LMS company implies it will do.
My experience is that an instructor may find that the version of a tool that his or her school has purchased with its LMS may not be the top line version with all the bells and whistles. Moreover, the school administrators may have an erroneous idea of what the tool can do. Take the "virtual classroom" as an example.
I have worked with several virtual classroom programs. Adobe Connect remains my favorite (thus far) because of its variety of methods of presentation, its easily mastered methods of student-teacher interaction, and (sadly)its extremely useful mechanisms for controlling students who wish to intimidate or disrupt the learning of others. However, the version purchased by my previous school did not include the ability to record sessions for later student use. (If some students could not attend the scheduled session, they were either out of luck or I would have to take time away from something else to schedule additional one on one sessions.)
In the same vein, the system I am using now does not allow the recording of sessions. However, it also does not allow microphone interaction, limiting the students and myself to chat string only. (This current system is not Adobe.)It is essential for the instructor to explore the tool's use fully before making use of it.
Getting back to the topic, however, after considering what the tool will actually do, the instructor needs to evaluate the tool in relation to the student body. What is the skill level of your class; are your students computer savvy or computer-phobic? Do they type, peck, or thumb text? Does your school provide the students with computers and, if so, what types of programs are available? If not, will the student who is trying to do your course on a smart phone, for example, be able to see both a PPT presentation and the chat string in your virtual classroom?
Unfortunately, not everyone who is put into an online class has the same unlimited access to a personal computer the instructor does. I have had students enrolled in a fully online school without a computer of any kind; in such cases, it is unlikely that a student who must use a public library computer to complete a course will have the time to attend VC presentations since that student may only be allowed to use the computer 1-2 hours a day, 5 days a week. Does that disqualify the virtual classroom from use? By no means, though it will necessitate finding additional tools to use with that student.
More commonly, instructors need to take into account the cost/availability of a particular program--are there free versions online, and if so, how hard are they to download? The instructor may also need to consider any language and/or learning disabilities that may necessitate offering scaffolding or other alternatives. If your class has English Language Learners, what can you do to make the tool in question as appealing and serviceable to them as to your other students?
In the case of online schools below the college level, it is also important to consider student age, parental concerns, and privacy considerations. For example, if I were using a Wiki type tool with 9th graders, I would want to make sure it was not accessible by anyone outside the course. I would also want to check it on a regular basis to make sure it was being used as intended, and not as a dating service.
Finally, the instructor must decide whether the tool will enable the student to meet the learning objective and how that will actually happen. This is the moment to decide whether additional directions are needed for both the tool and the product or procedure through which the student demonstrates learning. A good instructor will reassess this after every class is completed, tweaking and clarifying.
As you can see by my post, I have taught various grade levels as well as college students in an online environment. Are the participants in this class supposed to be looking at online teaching solely from the perspective of teaching college students, or should we be exploring the rapidly expanding world of kindergarten through 12th grade online education as well?
I would agree with you, Bill. The intended leaning outcomes are the key driver to selecting technology tools.
First, the technology must be accessible by all students (MAC issues should not exclude a student).
Also, the technology must be user-friendly to the students, and easy to learn (one class I teach requires Microsoft Project, which does not run on the MAC and the YouTube and other tutorials teach specific features of Microsoft Project but are not set in the "context" of an interesting project and so they do not engage the student).
Finally, the technology should facilitate assessment--in the way this self-learning course is doing now--by having activities/feedback and self-scored short quizzes.
Amanda,
You are right. You don't want the technology to be the barrier. I also like your comment about technology helping the flow of the course. That is an important part of the learning equation.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr. Naomi,
Great post and thank you for sharing your strategies. Being able to adapt to different technologies will help model life long learning; a skill we want our students to have.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hello!
I think the three most important things to consider are how well they meet the needs of the students in that classroom; how well will they meet the objectives of the course, and how accessible they are for the students to use. If the students can't access the technology easily, they won't put forth the effort and will feel defeated. Also, the technology needs to flow with the class and the needs of the class depending on which subject you're teaching and how you're presenting your material.
Amanda
Hi Dr. Kelly,
It will become increasingly essential for faculty to utilize technology while performing their jobs in concert with the ability to assess the technical strengths and skills of their students. Being technical perceptive and aware of technical requirements is an important component of the faculty members’ job. Moreover, I believe that most online faculty members embrace technology and look forward to opportunities to learn new instructional strategies to engage their students. It is utterly impossible to downplay the impact and importance of technology! Please find below some of the technology tools utilized in my classrooms:
Breeze Technology – I always use the “Live Chat Sessions†as a training session and to get to know my students. This helps them with their work ethics and also orients them to the online environment. Breeze is a great way to enhance interaction between students and I have found that the majority of my students prefer me to type instead of using voice because it is easier to go back and review the material. Also, many of my students attend my early chat sessions while they’re at work, so they cannot have their speakers on.
I have found that utilizing PowerPoint presentations in my Breeze chat sessions are very powerful and provide a great resource to engage the students in my classroom. PowerPoint helps the student’s keep track of the topics and also enable them to download and use it along with any of the class notes. I also use the Polling Feature; however, this feature is not much use if only two or three students show up. Students also like having the ability to download information about the units. I have also used the Survey Feature, File Share and Web Pods. I have not had the opportunity to use the White Board. The students like when I use the survey feature and gain their opinions about the topics being discussed.
IM – AIU’s instant message feature is a wonderful tool and is a convenient way to communicate with your students. I enjoy this feature because generally, I tell my students that I am online early in the mornings and if they have questions, they can contact me. My students take advantage of this and can always contact me and have a private discussion.
Email – Email is another convenient way to keep in touch with my students to promote learning and engage students in my classroom. My students’ have commented about how they appreciate my quick responses.
Announcements - Generally, I post announcements daily regarding upcoming chat sessions and topics. I usually provide tips for assignments and let them know that I am here to answer their questions. I always post reminders for upcoming assignments and let them know that I am available during the chat times and during office hours.
Small Group Feature – This feature is great and is very easy to create small groups. The only area of concern usually involves the group projects and I always post the assignment requirements on the group discussion boards. I also discuss the group projects in my chats to keep them motivated to do a good job.
As technology and information gains momentum... AIU’s and their HR manager's quest will be to keep up with the change and share the power. Much of the value in an organization lies in knowing what resources are needed for the company and employees to be successful and taking appropriate actions to make them a reality. The success of AIU and its’ leaders lies not just in knowing what needs to be done; it consists also of a continuation of changes, developing new skills and learning. This requires a skill in managing change, which will enable them to excel and reach objectives in the present and future.
Best...
Dr. Naomi Sealey
Jennifer,
Where do instructor needs come into the picture?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr. Naomi,
How do you decide what to use. There are so many tools it can be overwhelming for both instructor and student.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Fits the course content, promotes learning, students can easily understand and use.
Course content, curriculum, technology and tools are essential considerations. Furthermore, it is obvious that learning styles must also be taken into account since there are many modes of delivery. In addition, there are myriad’s of learning styles models. Online learning provides a plethora of avenues and technology to communicate to students. Some communication techniques include, live chat sessions, instant messages, emails, discussion forums and announcements.
Best...
Dr. Naomi Sealey
Muriel,
I agree with you. Access to computers should be the most important consideration. You don't want the technology to become the barrier.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I believe the three most important things to consider are student access to the tools (user friendly or not). Additionally, time (long videos vs. short) and the effectiveness of the tool in relation to the material.
Stephanie,
You make a great point. We owe students to have frank discussions about technology usage in an online course. Technology is the conduit not the barrier.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
