Technology in the Classroom

Technology has moved overtly into the classroom.  Chapters, tests, goals, and pedagogy are all laid out in on-line sources, to be used as needed.  This is terrific, when leveraged properly.

There is still the challenge – How to use such gifts to good advantage?

We have all heard students lament, “But what does this mean? Explain it to me?”

Teachers should, and do.  Good teachers view this as a stepping stone on which to build.  They enlarge on the subject and put learned concepts in context.  

I will use programming as an example.  Codecademy.com, code.org, and learnstreet.com are just a few of the on-line instruction sites for programming.  I have watched student enjoy these and master the lessons, but still not understand what a variable is, where it should be placed and why it must be typed by data type.  They still don't understand the nuances of different kinds of loops, or different kinds of programming languages, for that matter.  In this case, when teaching, I introduce the activities with an overview, and punctuate the learning, in certain spots, to cement understanding.

On-line and pre-created sites add to a teacher’s arsenal.  Good teachers, and there are millions, know where to place these materials.

Adding the POP

I am currently putting together an introductory course in Computer Concepts.  This can be a pretty dry subject to some students, so my main concern, once I've got the structure down, is what to add to make it POP.  I need youtubes, and online PowerPoints, some audio and maybe even some video clips.  That is the fun part.  I do not want my students sleeping.

The Good Things about Online Learning

The wonderful thing about an online tutorial or lesson is that it can be revisited.  If a student misses a class in a classroom, the student misses the material covered.  Even if the teacher agrees to go over the material, the student only has the time that the teacher allots for that review.  In contrast, with online lessons, the student can review anything that he or she does not understand.  Lessons can be introduced in sections so that students can review one or all parts of that lesson. 

The other fantastic thing about online courses is that the student need not always do the lessons in a particular order.  Some students do not think in a linear fashion.  They need to explore side areas when questions arise about those areas. If a lesson is constructed so that a student can explore many areas of the subject in any order, this can sometimes allow for better understanding.

Of course, there will be instances where the student must follow a step by step progression to take advantage of the scaffolding (steps to build a structure for the student) created by the teacher.  In addition there will be times when it is more beneficial for the student to do the lesson only once. 
For many students, though, especially those that have difficulty with traditional schooling techniques, this more open strategy relieves a lot of pressure and allows the student to concentrate on the work at hand.

THREE MAIN CHALLENGES OF ON-LINE EDUCATION

On-line courses are created the same way as regular courses initially. As many teaching texts and websites will tell you, to create any course you still need to:

1. Decide which students are included in the course, the length of the course, the prerequisites.
2. Decide on the learning outcome.
3. Create the steps needed to reach that outcome, and divide them within the allotted time so that everything will be adequately covered.
4. Assign assessments to determine if the students have learned what they should have learned.
5. Reevaluate based on student grasp of material as discovered by assessments.

That is the beginning, but does not guarantee a successful on-line course, BECAUSE ON-LINE COURSES HAVE THREE MAIN DIFFERENCES, OR ADDITIONAL STEPS.

FIRST- ADAPTING THE COURSE

Once the course curriculum has been determined, it must be adapted to the online venue. Instruction that is hands on, such as learning to take blood samples for nursing, for example, would be difficult to teach online. Having the students read a text and answer questions online is much easier, if somewhat boring. This brings us to the second step.

SECOND – HOLDING STUDENT INTEREST

If you simply have assignments that could have been given in a classroom, but aren’t , and are missing the lecture, then you would have lost your students. They still need the feel of classroom interaction in order to maintain interest. Because they do not have a teacher right there in front of them, they also need a very strong sense of goals. They need to feel that they are learning something that they want to and need to know. They need to feel that this isn’t so difficult, that the goals are attainable, and sort of fun. The steps in the process must be more detailed so that they are easily understood and give the students a feeling of accomplishment. You do not want the students to feel that it is too hard for them if the teacher is not there before them.

THIRD – THE TEACHERS PRESENCE

The teacher is not going to be there before their eyes, but the students must, nonetheless, feel that the teacher has their back, that the teacher will answer their questions and help them over the hurdles. The teacher must have a real voice as someone they can trust. Students do not want a robot or some assignments stuck up on the web. Once they lose interest, they will not learn as much