In my last post, I discussed how to get the online learning experience off to a good start. Now, I want to examine the role technology plays in “keeping the ball rolling” in the early to middle parts of the course. In addition to the capabilities of CMS, Web2.0 technologies offer the possibilities of user-defined, multimedia content and online collaboration.
There are number of things to consider before deploying Web2.0 technology in a course. The primary consideration, as Dr. Paloff mentions in the video, is whether or not the technology helps the student achieve the learning outcomes and objectives for the course. There is no point in deploying technology for technologies sake. Another consideration is usability. In other words, is the technology easy to adopt across the diversity of experience within the student population. If the technology is not easy to learn, then it will distract the student from objectives of the course. A third consideration is accessibility. Do all students have access to the required software? Can students with disabilities use the technology? Again, technology should be an enhancement, not a distraction.
Here are the technologies I plan to use as an online instructor:
Blogs – a great way for students to share their thoughts with the learning community and get feedback from the community.
Voicethread–another great way to share and get feedback. Voicethread is geared toward sharing media(audio, video, presentations¸ text) and providing comments via text or audio.
Wikis – a great way for students to collaborate on projects. Wikis make it easy students to create a community document and discuss a project in progress.
Podcasts – a portable resource for the students. Podcasts can be downloaded to an mp3 player or smartphone and accessed by the student “on the go’.
These are all technologies that help the students meet the course objectives, are easy to use and easily accessible.
References:
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2010). Enhancing the Online Experience (video presentation)
Stephen, Nicely done. Your post was concise and complete. I appreciated your comment about using technology thoughtfully, and not just for technology's sake. I also appreciated your reference to the mobile computing revolution and its benefits for the student "on the go."
ReplyDeleteI agree that technology should enhance the experience, not be a distraction.
ReplyDeletePodcasts are an execellent idea for students on the go, which most students are. While I am familiar with them, I had not thought about using them in an online classroom. This would be a great tool to utilize!
Hi Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI like that you added accessibility and usability as considerations. It is very important that the students are able to use and have access to the technology selected by the instructor. I also liked using podcasts for classes. I could listen to them on my commute to and from work. I am glad that Walden is bringing them back.
Speaking of podcasts, I'm not sure everyone realizes this, but you can download an mp3 of each week's Pratt and Paloff presentation. I have been doing this over the last few weeks so I can listen to them during my commute.
ReplyDeleteIn the resources section for each week, check out the download link on the right-hand side of the media player.
Stephen