I agree that developers do not need to be technological wizards. It is most important that developers understand the components of ISD.
I think that while online course developers do not have to be technological wizards, however, the more knowledge that the online course developer has of html, CSS, JavaScript and flash the easier it will be to communicate with the technology and IT departments in the development of the course. Many schools use course management systems for the infrastructure of the course, so the course developer has to design the content that will be appropriate for the course and will meet the student learning objectives.
I do not think we need to be wizards with the computer but online instructors should have a basic understanding of how the online classroom functions and comfort level working with computers. The beauty of most online classrooms is that there is likely a tech expert to help sort through any problems that might pop up.
Amie,
Oh so true! If we were at a campus and the printer stopped working, there would be someone there to help troubleshoot!
Shelly Crider
I agree...as long as the institution has a supportive technology staff for online courses. It is important for online instructors to be able to go to a technician and discuss what they would like to provide their students and have the technician be able to translate that into appropriate technology. The instructor is not supposed to be a subject matter expert in technology - they are to be an expert in their respective field. The institution should provide the technology expertise.
Bobby,
Excellent post! There must be some sort of communication and interactivity!
Shelly Crider
Not necessarily "wizards", but there has to be a certain degree of computer competency and literacy in order to be able to understand key concepts of online class design. This is essential for knowing how to structure an online classroom, and how to best meet student needs.
In my experience in designing online classrooms was those teachers who were "cyberphobic" were less likely to use the online classroom in the manner it was constructed for. Many just use the classroom as place to "dump" learning material for students to download. There was no interactivity, discussion boards, or anything that resembled a classroom.
I have notices in the past when I was an Online student how some student had issues with the learning environment.
Antonio,
The students can feel the frustration from the instructor as well. I hope instructors have plenty of training time.
Shelly Crider
Having some knowledge does makes things easier to implement, but when it comes to teaching, I have seen many instructors that are not computer savvy and it does not take away from them a bit. I myself have extensive computer knowledge and been have assisted in the development of two courses. They were both classes that I taught and it was brought to me due to my techie background, but as far as work flow, it does not take a technical background to know what comes first.
This all depends on the access level the college grant him or her. A developer with full access privileges might be required to be a technological wizard. However, one with limited privileges most likely would work at a more basic level.
Dr. Felicia,
Excellent post. Online instructors should be able to navigate a computer.
Shelly Crider
I believe that developers of online courses must have some computer expertise. The best arrangement in my opinion when developing a course is to have at the minimum a team of course/subject matter expert and instructional designer. The team as a whole must have technology knowledge. Then, if possible and to ensure that everything works the way they are supposed to, an IT expert can still review the course once the team finishes.
Althea,
I like a student who can see both sides of the fence. This helps when the student is confused and can only see one side of the story.
Shelly Crider
Soledad,
Oh so true! Education is power, so keep on sharing your education!
Shelly Crider
I both agree and disagree (seems to be a theme for me in these forums). Authoring programs are so user-friendly, programming knowledge and experience is not required. Still, it is important to be familiar with the instructional media delivery systems and how our students use these, in order to best engage and interact with them.
I am functionally illiterate in the use of social media, which my students live in and thrive on. I feel I am missing opportunities to reach them, even though I am computer literate and use a lot of media in my onsite classrooms.
Developers do not have to be wizards, but should know and be very familiar with the use of the various forms of instructional media and understand how their learners use them.
Education is always good whether it is in criminology or technology. Of course education of any kind is good.
But the question was how much technological expertise does it takes to take a computer class or to teach one? Well I feel you need to know enough to get around the computer. To be able find answers and question that you might need.
Soledad,
Education is always good whether it is in criminology or technology.
Shelly Crider
Well I feel some people do have a lot more technological expertise which can make it easier. Having technological expertise is always a plus.
Peter,
Oh thank you Peter!! We do need to speak to our students in "normal" tone!
Shelly Crider
