Technology
and media provide the skeletal structure and backbone for online learning
environments. In working with building an online learning environment, I have
learned that there are many components that can go together in various setups
to make the learning experience interactive and intriguing for the students at
hand. Technology advances at a quick rate, so keeping up with the trends that
are used in social networking formats can also be used in an educational
setting online so that there will be familiarity and a greater sense of comfort
for students. Multimedia can reach students with different cultures and
learning styles. From audio to video to pdf files to other formats used,
multimedia provides options for students to approach the lessons at hand and
understand the main idea of the subject through different contexts.
The
most important consideration for an instructor should be in implementing their
presence. "The teaching presence provides the framework for guiding
learning and setting out the goals and expectations for the course learning
experiences." Before understanding what technology should be used for the
course the instructor should understand that they are the main tool to provide
the education to the students. It should come from their own skills,
understanding and confidence in being able to instruct the material at
hand.
One
technological tool I find most appealing is blackboard and Twitter. Though I am
not a hardcore "tweeter" (?) I feel that this tool can make a strong
impact in the field of instructional design because of its ability to provide
an excess amount of information to an unlimited amount of people. The format of
using 140 characters or less can provide the students with a quick summary of
the subject matter and hand and through the use of shorter website links such
as TinyURL or Bitly, this provides opportunity for sharing information in a
quicker format without having to take extra time out for searching or typing
long URL's. Blackboard has piqued my interest since going to school through
Walden University because of its simple format. Being that I have had prior
experience with Moodle, I enjoy Blackboard because of the interface and the
different options I have to communicating among peers while keeping all my
information in one location without getting lost.
Boettcher,
J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple
and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Izzi,
ReplyDeleteThere are so many different technololgies available for an online classroom the possibilities are endless. With all the technology tools out there, there is absolutely no reason any classroom should not engage and capture the students attention.
Instructors must have a presence in their classroom. They can't use technology tools to suffice for the contact that instructors need to be having with students.
Heather
I like the idea you bring up regarding presence. Even though it is an online course it is important for the student to know there is a person available to them to support and provide guidance when needed.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Heather that with all of the technology tools available today, there is no reason to not engage the learner. It is important through the design of the course that it is developed using the tech tools that will support it and allow for the most learning and engagement possible.
Misty
Izzi,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your blog posting this week. In it you wrote an enlightening sentence. "Before understanding what technology should be used for the course the instructor should understand that they are the main tool to provide the education to the students." The phrase "the instructor should understand that they are the main tool to provide the education to the students".
Even as late as 10 years ago, instructors were totally responsible for the education of their students, but as researchers and theorists have validated through research, learner-centered education with students being increasingly responsible for their education (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010) is a win-win for the student, their teachers, and the educational process.
Great post!
Penny
Reference:
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Izzi,
ReplyDeleteMy favorite section of your post is this: "Before understanding what technology should be used for the course the instructor should understand that they are the main tool to provide the education to the students. It should come from their own skills, understanding and confidence in being able to instruct the material at hand." I love that you speak not only to the need for instructor's to remain front and center, but also to the need for instructors to be competent and confident with the technologies they use. Excellent point!