New technology allows the student to access the content more efficiently and in a way that is more user friendly. For example, the addition of the ".com" key on the key pad. This key allows for efficiency. Another example is the creation of the IPad or the notebook. This allows for a ready access that is quicker than accessing the laptop or desktop.
stacey,
Yes, and for students to interact with and author content. Good points!
Dr. Ruth Reynard
In general, technology allows for a variety of content input. From chats to video tutorials to interactive applications, there are multiple methods to present students with content.
New technology enables students to receive and process content more in line with their style of learning. It enables them to access other resources of information that support the content. The content can be presented in written, audio and visual formats that can be viewed and accessed multiple times. In the classroom if students miss important lectures or presentations they will be at a disadvantage.Communication technology allows discussions and contact with the instructor to be ongoing and not confined to the time limit in a classroom.
Because I teach in the online environment, new technology is a great benefit to my students. As technology advances, my students have more options to seek out information and engage with me and one another.
Technology also provides students with more opportunities to become better information seekers. They have more avenues than ever to locate information, answers, and knowledge, which will help them develop those skills for their future careers.
Michael,
Have you found chat tools beneficial in helping students think more critically?
Dr. Ruth Reynard
Chat session can be designed in a way to further explain course content and add in the instructors real life expereience to support the course content. Recorded chat sessions can then be download by students and listened to as a pod cast.
Peter,
So,, are you seeing pros and cons here or do you see mainly cons?
Dr. Ruth Reynard
It means that they try to submit with smart phones instead of PC's. It means that they feel it is all right to use text grammar instead of proper grammar. It means that we have discussion as to what is and what is not acceptable writing format.
I use new technology to stimulate my students to develop their ability to become pro-active. Instead of using me, as an instructor, as an instrument to answer questions I urge them to go search the internet for the answers to their questions. In the "real-world" work place there is no longer a teacher to fall back on. At this point in time they need to be able to hold their own and they have better chances if they know where and how to access information. Truly successful folks know how to access the information and what information they should hunt down in order to advance themselves. It is key to help students develop exactly that quality of discernment. With an endless amount of information at their fingertips via the internet (accessed by laptops or mobile devices) it's all about knowing what information to access and how to do this most efficiently. New technology offers a platform to connect socially, to create and to access information. My role as teacher is no longer one of handing over information in a one-way direction but I am now more in a role of teaching students how to access, absorb and assimilate the information that is accessible from various digital sources. I then help the students to practically apply the knowledge they have gained in to the development of a technical skill set. Even this area can be developed through online open sources. Ultimately as a Visual Communication instructor I make use of audio/visual resources to help my students develop their aesthetic sensibilities.
Rebecca,
Yes, there are still gaps in use of technology so instructors have to be aware of this. Managing this learning curve in class makes sense.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
I think one misconception of students today is that they are "all" tech-savvy individuals. It's my experience in several institutions where I've worked that this just isn't the case. With that being said, I've used a flipped class model of teaching in the past that required students to watch lecture content for "homework" and then the in-class time was spent with the nitty-gritty technology components. This allowed me to have more hands on time with the students on a group or individual basis and worked very well.
I think one of the benefits of utilizing new technology is it allows students to become active in the learning process instead of passively receiving the information. I think it is important for us as teachers and facilitators to provide support and direction related to discovering information on the internet. For example, teaching students to filter through the scholar selection allows only scholarly research to be presented and limits the amount of information that is unreliable and untested.
Thomas,
Yes, this enriches the learning incredibly. I look forward to having more netowrks of students from the developing world connecting with students from the developed world - the implications for learning are incredible for everyone!
Dr. Ruth Reynard
This is interesting. I kind of had to step back and think about “teaching styleâ€. I teach a lot of design software and students can easily become overwhelmed. I tend to like to demonstrate the tools in a synchronous chat then supplement with streaming videos. But thinking back on your comment – I still am using demonstration as the key method of instruction so my teaching style hasn’t change but my tools have changed
Made me think – good post
It has moved learning beyond the classroom to make it available all the time to students no matter where they are or what they are doing. I have frequently had students in my classes that are active duty military taking part in class from remote firebases in Afghanistan or on naval ships on patrol. Learning is not an activity available to anyone, anywhere.
Rebecca,
Yes, student expectations are central to the challenges now facing instructors in their instructional design and delivery. Good points!
Dr. Ruth Reynard
Students want to be able to access their course from anywhere. That means that institutions have to stay on top of changes in technology so that they offer students the means by which they can participate from their phone, their laptop, their tablet, or what have you. I have noticed that some online institutions have developed mobile apps to accommodate these needs, but not all of them have. It is important that instructors have these options as well. If I am expected to be available to my students most of the time, I should be able to access my course through mobile technology as well.
BRIGITTE ,
Good points! Always remembering, of course, that we should be flexible enough to allow students to introduce their own applications if needed. We can't always know what is the latest and best :)
Dr. Ruth Reynard
Since the technology is moving forward rapidly and new applications are integrated constantly into society, I believe that we the teachers must adapt to new applications and become aware of those students needs of how to effectively integrate these applications in the learning environment to meet the market demand. Thus, we can foster a learning environment, which will apply to all types of learners in the growing age of technology.
