Elizabeth,
You are so right. the ease of the technology can make or break an online course. Technology that is reasonable to use can even improve confidence in online students.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kurt,
Great post. You are right it has to support the learning environment and it has to be reasonably easy to use.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jared,
These are great ideas. I too use screen capture. I actually grade using lecture capture. Students do appreciate it.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
If you are going to use a technology in a virtual learning environment you must make sure that:
1. It meets the needs of the students.
2. It correctly conveys the material that teacher is trying to help the student absorb.
3. It is user friendly meaning that the student as well as the teacher can use it's functionality with a certain ease.
These three things together can foster a comfortable environment that is conducive to learning because we all know how scary technology can be!
Elizabeth
The three things I think are most important are:
1. How well can I use this tool/technology to support the student learning environment.
2. How well can I use this tool/technology to support my instructional tasks.
3. How well can I use this tool/technology to organize and present the information and assets I need to use in the instructional tasks.
Kurt
Richard,
You are correct. It is going to be more of a challenge when we go with smartphones!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
1. The choice of tool should be easily accessible to both student and instructor.
2. That the chosen tool serves the purpose for communicating and supporting that "module" of information being presented to the student
3. Consideration that many students may be using a different computer platform for their information (example: Mac OS vs. Windows)
So in summing this up, while the technology for online education has opened the doors of educational possibilities, there are still certain realities that need to be addressed, and as we progress with this technology, the "holes" are slowly being filled.
I've been using screen captures for a number of years to demonstrate activities for online students. In particular, I've found this to be very useful for courses such as Linux, where students may be intimidated by the topic but seeing it in action may ease their concerns.
It seems like the use of screen captures as a learning tool has grown in importance recently. I'm aware of a couple of different schools that have recently started making a greater push to integrate screen captures and recordings into their content.
I think one of the most important things to consider in this regard is what tools will be used for instructors to create this content. Ideally, the school will provide tools such as Camtasia or others that make recording and capturing easy. For instructors doing this on their own, however, it can be challenging. I've personally used a product in the past called Microsoft Expression Encoder, which seems to work quite well for short captures.
At any rate, I believe this is an area that will continue to gain focus in the years ahead.
Diane,
You have a great post and understand what you need to do regarding teaching online. You make a great point, nothing lowers the credibility of an instructor is fumbling through technology.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I am a novice at teaching on-line, but applying classroom use of technology to the on-line environment, I would say it is critically important that the instructor learn as much as possible about the technology prior to using it. Nothing sets a negative tone quicker than the instructor not using the technology correctly or effectively. 2. Ease of understanding how to use the technology is important because not all students have grown up using hi-tech devices. If the environment is too complicated some students will be lost before they begin. 3. Clear instructions about how to use it and easy access to support is important. If students know they can ask questions and get answers they will make the effort to learn to use the technology.
Stephanie,
True, you should identify how the technology will be used and what its role is in learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Stephanie,
How does learning styles play a role.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
lindsey,
What a great point!!! An instructor can't "bluff" their way through the technology. Students will know!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Steven,
What a great post. You have concisely stated what is important. We can lose sight of that.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Clara,
Great post! You are right. If the technology doesn't work, you can force it. Disaster ensures!!!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
1. Ease of use/knowledge of technology
2. If the technology fits the content
3. How the technology piece fits into learning styles of the learners.
1. Ease and availability
2. Amount of content (chunks)
3. Various learning styles.
I believe are that the three most important things to consider are:
1) How comfortable the instructor is with the technology. I believe instructor's should be as authentic as possible in being true to who they are, but adapting to change.
2) How comfortable the student will be with the technology. If the technology does not work for the student, there is no benefit in using the tool.
3) How effective the tool will be in teaching the students and getting the instructor's message/ course material across.
The three most important things to consider are:
1) Availability-The tool needs to be affordable and easily available to the students.
2) Appropriateness-The tool needs to meet the requirements of the instructor and the students.
3) Easy to Use-If the tool is too difficult to use than it would not be effective.
The three most important things to consider when trying to incorporate technology tools in a virtual learning environment are:
1) What are the needs of the instructor?
2) What are the needs of the student?
3) How can the function/application of the technology tool help in achieving the module/course goals?
If the tool cannot answer all three questions in a positive manner, then that tool should not be implemented without attempting to see if there are other alternate tools that will best satisfy the situation.
