I could not agree more John! Because we have so many students who are "later in life" or simply later in education, they do not always have the strong foundational skills we think they do. Making it simple and easy to use/understand are key.
Stephanie Thompson
Chrissy, I completely agree. I know that the more we ask of students, the more confused they can become. I like an effective, simplistic approach because the students benefit from it and there is value to it. Great point!
Stephanie
I think the three most important things are first and foremost, simplicity. It has to be easy to use for both students and instructor. In fact, I feel it is more important for easy use by the student than the faculty.
I also think the tools need to be engaging and worthwhile. We need to make sure students are drawn to using the tool and see it as valuable rather than something else they "have to do".
Finally, the tools really need to help support the overall objectives of the course and learning outcomes. Otherwise, why would we have and use those tools? If they aren't benefiting both student and instructor, we don't need to be using them.
Thanks! Stephanie
Nicholas,
Great points. It does have to fit the instructor needs. The instructor needs to make sure they know who they are going to use it.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Khal,
You make a very good point. You must have an understanding of how the technology works and how the students will use it. That is so important
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
As instructors at AIU Online the use of technology is one of the competencies we must develop and we have an opportunity to be present in the classroom through the use of technology. The three most important things to consider are:
1.Using the Virtual Classroom with Adobe Connect to organize content and present information to students in a manner that catches their attention.
2.Choosing the tools that will most aid in achieving the specified outcome. For instance, I might need to use a screen capture in my database system design class to demonstrate the installation of database software for the assignment if students do not fully grasp the concept and are unable to complete the task using installation guide.
3.The tool should not require a learning curve for students and it should be user friendly.
Paulette
First the tool must be understood and easily used by both the instructor and the students. If it is too complex then neither will be satisfied and students will become frustrated quickly.
Second, the tool must be appropriately matched to the purpose. If it is not well suited, the the intended outcome will unlikely be met.
Finally, the tool must be compatible with the LMS and usable for most PC's. Otherwise students may not be able to access it or configure their PC's to allow access. Again this would cause frustration for all - instructor and student.
Most of all any tool must engage the students.
I think the three most important things to consider is if the technology (1)conveys the needed information, (2)fits the needs of the instructor in terms of use and presentation, (3) fits the needs of the students in terms of access, interest, and appeal.
Dr. Wilkinson,
Before applying technology tools in a virtual learning environment, I believe that I must ensure the following:
1. Familiarity with the functions of the tool.
2. Presence of all the functions the assignment requires to meet the learning outcome.
3. Student familiarity with all the necessary functions to make sure that all learning objectives are successfully met.
Jeremy,
I agree with you. Ease of use and usefulness for both students and for instructors is so important.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Josh,
You make a great point. You have to make sure that there is a "map" on how do navigate to keep students' frustrations to a minimum.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The 3 most important things to consider are usefulness to students, relavancy to course and ease of use.
There are a lot, but I believe these are the top.
I think one of the important things to consider is what will most help the student. I have seen with a couple of online schools that I work for that they provide technology that will allow for the different learning types to participate and feel comfortable. So, the material each week is presented in pdf format, with videos to watch on their own or in live discussions with the facilitator.
I think it is also important to consider that not everyone taking an online class is going to be technologically savvy. You would think that they would be, but I run into students each session that need that extra help. So, I think it is important to create tools that are very user-friendly and self-explanatory. Recently I taught a class, where the school had provided the students with a video link, but put it up in a strange format. So, students had to first figure out what browser add-on they needed to view the file. And it just got more confusing for them then it should have been.
Finally, I think it is important (as the unit 1 materially presented) to take into consideration which tools would fit best with the particular class. If it makes sense for students to participate with blogs and journals, then that would be great. Maybe a wiki would be better. It all just depends on the class and assignments.
Jacqueline,
You have to set the expectations and stay true to them. I think at times they will continue bad habits just to see if you are going to hold them to the standards.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Frances,
Great post. I really agree with you. Technology should not be used just because it is new, it needs a purpose.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Anthony, I've also noticed that with young or younger students, right out of high school, there use of technology is with social media, such as Facebook and Instagram and to some degree, the student is experienced in technology, but not for a learning environment. I spend a great deal of time the first couple of weeks reiterating "complete spelling of the word, complete sentences".
carol,
You make such a great point! The technology we use with the activities within a course must be connected and easy to use. I do think we make learning confusing by having students use this technology to do this and then another technology to something else. There has to be some connection.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The technology tools should fit what is needed to get the information to the students. It should be simple so that the student is not overwhelmed with not only with using the technology but also in understanding the requirements of the assignment. Training should be required for the instructor and the students. Students must know where to find information and assignments in the classroom in order to be successful. Without the requisite training, students may become frustrated and not do well in the class. Changes should be made as needed in the technology and/or specific use of a technology tool as feedback is received from students. After all, student learning should be the end result for using any technology in the classroom.
I must first speak as a student. I've been in far too many courses that it is very clear that there has been a message to the instructor to "increase interactive technology." The result was a hodge-podge of activities or activities that would have been better served in a different manner....or they are mindless tasks. Which is why I'm here.i want to make sure I provide relative and meaningful tasks. I don't mind learning along with the student, but I need to be a couple steps in front of the learning curve. So first is matching task and technology to create meaningful and relevant learning. Second, kind of piggy backs on the first, and I'm sure has been mentioned already, but sometimes as an instructor I am so impressed by something I've found that I want to share it. Only to find I overwhelmed my students, so second would be not to overwhelm. Be considerate of all levels of technical knowledge of the students. Third...make it user friendly for both student and instructor.
John,
You make a great point! Technology must support or contribute to learning. Anything else is just noise.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
