Actually we are a for profit technical school and we have been told by our legal team that we are forbidden from using information we can find on the internet in any way. I wish it weren't so, because there is a wealth of great information out there and with some guidance the students could learn a great deal from the technical info on the web, and bring it back into our environment. Our company has very strict guidelines about the use of any copyrighted material. We can't make copies of printed text, even from a web site, nor can we even recommend a web URL unless as mentioned earlier, we own it. In the near future our campus is scheduled to roll out a new learning methodology involving electronic media, laptop computers, distance learning, computer testing, and hopefully email and blog communication with our students, but for now we do not.
Ardoush,
These are good points and often instructors do "lose" the students in classtime. This, however, should not happen. Class time should be used for those activities that require other students, collaborative discussions, planning, presentations etc. The actual alone work time should happen outside the classroom. Even for online classes, there should be real time chat sessions which help keep the students interact and work together in real time as well as the asynchronous activities that can be done outside of those times.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
Todd,
I have not heard of these kinds of restrictions before - do you mean that certain sites are firewalled, or that you are only given access to certain sites because of the course instructional design?
Dr. Ruth Reynard
The effect of new technology, brings students learning process to next generation of education system in this world. Internet and computers and MMC opens the doors for almost anybody, who are in the field of teaching or learning. On-line or Hybrid or On-campus, student are doing their study material on line, webbing, finding new information on Internet. But there is disadvantages of this technologies too, which I want to add here, we are loosing interactive face to face connection and discussion,we do not need to go to book store and buy books,siting together and discuss about our lives, our families,and so on.
There is other side of this new technology, that is do every body has access to network or not, how they can pay for it and more and more, I hope I explain my point of view.
The wide availability of Internet accesss from laptops and even smart phones has brought a ton of new information into the classroom discussion. In our school we use only in-house info and approved information web sites that we own or pay for. Part of the problem in making better use of the widely available technical information found online is copyright issues. We are a for-profit learning institution which limits what we can and cannot use as a means of training inmformation, even when it is freely available online. I do however encourage students to do some research online and bring in relevant information for discussion. If a student brings in an article that he found online I have no problem discussing the information s/he found. Even if the technical information is not accurate it offers a good opportunity for learning through discussion of the subject. I can not however recommend any particular technical information web sites or online resources - which is a shame. There are so many good sources of information that I would like to be able to recommend.
Gilbert,
Your point is a good one but should not be confused with learning context. While on any job, it is vital that individuals can learn for themselves and to their best potential. That happens when students learn how they learn best - vital for ongoing growth and development.
Ruth
Dr. Ruth Reynard
Technology just provides additional fora in which the students can learn; it is another tool in the teacher's kit box. I must disagree with what seemed to me to be the premise of this section - that educators must adapt their form of instruction to accommodate student learning preferences. In the workplace, most businesses/careers/professions provide little dispensation for such individual preferences. If the purpose of education is to prepare the student to become a functioning member of society, than it is better (for both the student in particular and society in general) for the student to come to the realization that the world is not designed to cater to his personal whims and that, at times, he must conform to the societal norms.
Atari, i like that. Anyway , I am old school. I have recently become an educator however through the years of dealing with RT students and new technology I feel very comfortable. My biggest challenge is getting my instituition behind me. I enjoy technology. My graduate years were spent on blackboard as well as class sessions. We as adults have so much to do. Allowing this blended education is a great concept.
So, flexibility and accessibility are key benefits, Pierre. How has this helped your students directly? Do you have some examples of using the technology with your students to provide greater felxibility?
The information related to the topics is easier to access, constantly available without any potential schedule conflict. The learning can come from non conventional educator such professionals, peers... and it can be also delivered through different formats at the same time.
The Internet does bring an immediacy to students, Ileana. It often does make the rpocess more interesting but requires a lot of intentional work and support from the teacher.
New technology helps to motivate many of today's students to learn material that may not be too interesting to them. Student are not limited to learn just what I have organized for them to learn. Instead, they can access various journals, videos, and forums to learn the material from other sources.
I agree that the new methods are proving to be a better way of learning as we must adapt to the ever changing world of technology. We must use the methods that students are most familiar with.
It changes input in the form it can be received by the student. Because of the various media that can be utlized, the student's learning style can be taken into consideration and the best media can be used to effectively communication the needed information.
The benefit, Katherine...? I would suggest synthesis and summary - two very important skills which are difficult to develop in students. The technology that brings information down to the smallest items (bytes)help with that process...
Initially, the Internet made vast quantities of information available. While there is a lot of garbage on the web, there is a lot of quality information as well. One of the great new learning opportunities/challenges is to determine what ‘is’ quality data and what’ is not’. With the advent of the mobile phone connectivity however, suddenly apps have appeared that prepackage the information into bytes (that may or may not have any validity). Students have come to rely on these mediocre applications that not only rob them of the opportunity to learn how to find quality information, but also rob them of finances in the form of monthly application charges on their Smartphones.
Yes, Kenny, the immediacy and connectivity are of huge benefit to students. Can you think of specific ways in which the instructional process benefits?
I think technology is great for todays learners.
They maybe in a out of class discussion or even just walking down the street and think of something pertaining to the class and have access to the info right away.
Yes, Paul, your thoughts on experiencing the technology first hand are important. It's kind of like teaching - doing it is what helps us learn how to do it :)
As I stated before, because of the times inwhich we live, New Technology is expected and often comes without really being seen. It always comes down to someone showing the benefits of New or Upgraded technology otherwise it can't really be apprechiated or the effects felt.
