I believe when you are online with the student the best tools to use would be our live labs that are offered, there you can answer the questions and go into more detail of the topics and studies than in the classroom itself.
Another tool would be to utilize the discussion forum and have a great response to every student and to encourage more responses for the group.
The third tool would be the use of the student services and what they can offer to struggling students. Redirect them to where they can receive more of an understanding of the resources for them.
Rakisha,
What a great post. You really should make sure it fits well with the learning process and that both you and the student can use if for the purposes needed.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
When using technology tools in a virtual learning environment, I believe the most important things to consider are the type of technology selected, functionality of the technology, and how will the technology aid in the teaching process.
When selecting technology it is important to make sure the technology meets the needs of the instructor and the students.
The functionality of the technology is also important in that the student should be able to transfer learning to other components of the course using the technology.
Technology in the course should also stimulate learning and should be user friendly.
Jorell,
It is ok if the students don't know the tool, the secret is to ensure they have success in an unfamiliar tool to give them confidence in using it. You don't want the barrier to learning to be the technology.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jorell,
I agree with you, particularly with the effectiveness of a tool to get your intended message across. So many time we get information into an application but we don't get what we want out!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yvette,
Yes, we need a think about learning with a combination of tools if possible. Not only do you want to give them ample opportunity to learn but to learn differently It doesn't hurt students to look at learning in a different way also.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yvette,
You make a great point. I find at many institutions, there is not a consistency among faculty with how technology is used. This can cause real issues with students also.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yvette,
Great post! You are right, if the tool is too expensive students will not have access to it. Also, if you make a student buy it and YOU don't use it, it can set students up for problems in the next course. You don't want the technology to be a barrier to the learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The three most important things to consider are:
• The tool itself. Does the tool fit with what you are attempting to accomplish. Will this tool be effective in getting your intended message across.
• The audience- their level of comfort with the tool you are choosing to use. If students have never used, say a blog; it might be a good idea to do an introductory session for blogging. You want to use new tools, but you also want the student to be interested and not intimidated by the tools. The goal is still learning.
• How comfortable the instructor is with the tool. There is nothing worse than not knowing how to fully operate a tool you are introducing to your classroom.
Thanks,
Jorell Lawrence
Hello Bill,
I agree; students must feel comfortable with the software being used. If not, they will quickly lose interest and shy away from the software/tools being used.
YES! Important, very important. You must have a tool that can be configured to appeal to different learning styles!!
Great point!
Jorell
The three most important things to consider are:
• The tool itself. Does the tool fit with what you are attempting to accomplish. Will this tool be effective in getting your intended message across.
• The audience- their level of comfort with the tool you are choosing to use. If students have never used, say a blog; it might be a good idea to do an introductory session for blogging. You want to use new tools, but you also want the student to be interested and not intimidated by the tools. The goal is still learning.
• How comfortable the instructor is with the tool. There is nothing worse than not knowing how to fully operate a tool you are introducing to your classroom.
Great point. With all the discussion surrounding technology tools, we must consider the various learning styles our students will indelibly possess. We have all had enough training about learning styles to know that students will have a variety of them - even individually - many students learn using more than one learning style.
We must take into consideration the need to have several different types of technology tools that might use a variety of learning styles. This way, no student gets 'left behind'. Good comment; thanks for sharing.
Great comment. I agree in that as technology has moved forward, so have the options of the technological tools available to us - such to the point that there are so many out there, it can be easy to overwhelm students. Especially when so many students in the online environment are returning to the learning environment after a long period of time away from formal education. Many online students are also non-traditional students who may not be comfortable with a high level of technology. It is our responsibility to find what works, provide the resources for the students to get acclimated to it, set expectations, methods of communication for assistance and stick with that. Thanks for sharing.
When using technology tools in a virtual learning environment, the three most important things to consider are:
1. Effectiveness - how well it gets the job done. A technology tool is only worth using if it is effective in getting students to understand the information it was designed to teach or reinforce.
2. Access - how easy it is to obtain. No matter how effective a particular tool is, if the students cannot access it, it won't matter. A tool that involves technology that is too expensive or out of reach for the students cannot help them.
3. Ease to use - how easy it is to utilize. If the technology an instructor selects is too difficult or challenging or not user-friendly enough for students to utilize effectively, they might get frustrated with it and elect not to use it - then it cannot do the job.
These are the things I consider when selecting technology tools to use in a virtual environment. Although there are many factors to consider, I believe these are the three of utmost importance.
Michael,
You make a great point. You want to make sure students have some success with using the technology. That can be the best way to ensure confidence and improve success!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi Chrissy… I absolutely agree with your "more is not better approach"… And I think the number one thing we have to keep in mind is each respective student's technological literacy level… Most students are not able to use the tools that are available right off the bat in an online course, and we need to keep that in mind.
Mike Crowley
Garry,
You make great points. It does help when everyone in the program is using the same technology similarly. We as educators also have to keep current. It is easy to go from pioneer to luddite very quickly.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Nancy,
You make a very important point. The tech help must be prompt as the technology is also the facilitator.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Technology tools for On-line teaching can be valuable. They must however allow flexibilty to the faciltator so they can adapt its use to the leaners needs. The alo must be current. With constant technological changes learners often can find instructor media tools are out dated and loose students interest. Lastly they should offer interactive abilities to engage a learner.
With any new form of teaching, online can be challenging without the proper instruction on its use, both for students and the instructor. Ease of use is very important, for if any user becomes too frustrated, the whole purpose will be stopped before it even begins. So a well designed program is a must.
Tech help is vital for any class. AND must be prompt. Students need to feel there is knowledgeable help and it is effective in solving the problem.
Communication between users is necessary to keep the progress moving forward. Success is the goal.
