Yes, Anwar. Internet technology makes this possible, however, changes must be made in the design of instruction to facilitate this. What kinds of design changes do you think are the most important?
Indeed. Jay, and, in turn, what does this kind of access mean for students in their learning process?
Hello Dr. Reynard,
The design change needs to be updated with the technolgy and other knowledge based information which may need up to date data. Other changes may be needed based on the curriculum and terminal course objective changes.
Anwar
Houston, Texas
Computers have brought a big help to teaching and teaching methods, it helps keeping in contact with students more and that they can send projects to you even if they are late. Plus being able to show different views and how other cultures work around the world, the internet makes it like a mobile library for instructors and students
I love your point here, Scott, about the global network that is now possible for students.
The internet has enriched the learning process by increasing the available resources to both the instructor and the student. For example, both parties use the library to support learning. Now, the library and data banks can be accessed more directly and with greater speed to get the material needed.
With the use of modern technology, especially the internet, the advancements in how the concepts can be delivered far exceeds what can be done with still images and whiteboards.
The internet also allows for the students to learn at their own pace and to have repetition of material as often as they need to grasp and idea or concept. Something not possible in a classroom setting.
Great points, Jamie. Additionally, the Internet provides an opportunity for individual publication and participation in communities and knowledge building sources like never before. These all have incredible implications for teaching and learning. How have you maximized the potential of the Internet in your own teaching?
There is a lot of information available but you must be careful with copyrights, etc. when using them in a class room .Some classes are also limited to only certain materials and info.
With the ability to find almost anything on the web, it means that in some cases that a student may have more up to date information then those of that are teaching. A great example would be that at Ford, they produce sevice publications in paper form and also make that information available on the web. If a book is writen with a mistake, it is very costly to reprint. However, Ford can correct that information on the web with a few key strokes. Therefore the information that can be accessed by the student may be better then the information we are trying to teach.
Yes, Robert, so correct steps should be taken to secure copyright permission which is why planning often takes longer for technology-enriched courses than traditional courses.
Absolutely, John. That is why the immediacy of the Internet can not only augment courses but truly support the learning of the students. This does present challenges, however, to teachers as to how to integrate new information and knowledge consistently.
I am not sure the question is framed properly. The internet has been around for 30+ years, but at first had no discernable effect on the instructional process due to lack of access and speed. It is only in the last 10 to possibly 15 years has widespread access and increased speed made the internet truly significant in the instructional process.
The increases in data transmission speed have made the most significant changes in the instructional process. In the early 1980's bulletin boards could be accessed by lightning slow 110 baud modems. In the early to mid 1990's ISP's were offering screamingly slow 300 bps dialup service. The milennium saw cable modems and DSL lines start to spread higher speed access. The increases in speed have made possible the transition from asci text, to rich text, to Flash based rich media, to video.
Instructor/student communications have changed from text only, to rich media, to email and IM to now even video via Skype or others. Cell phones and Ipads have video cameras that can be used for video conferencing.
The instructor/facilitator has changed from being the font of all knowledge in the lecture hall to being the conduit and guide for the learner to conduct their own course.
Great summary of the history of the technology, Roger. Your last sentence is the central challenge for instructors using this technology in the instructional process. However, not only does the role of the instructor change, but there is now the opportunity for students to be front and center.
I am coming from a mainly paper based teaching and record keeping system. This has made a huge change in the speed at which we can administer and monitor all our dad and get it back to the Students, I think it keeps the Students on their toes also and makes them work harder.
Good points, Jack. The "speed" you mention is a great way of describing the direct connection and communication made possible by the technology. This, in turn, changes the pace and design of instruction.
I found the internet has strengthened the foundation for learning. At this moment in history, technology has not replaced the instructor; however, the internet has opened up many portals for the learner to explore. This advancement in technology has created the opportunity for a learner to expand his/her knowledge beyond the classroom and at the same time share the new knowledge among others. This allows others to learn and increase their knowledge base.
In addition, no longer is the learning process passive. No longer are students required to be stationary while learning. Students are no longer content with hard cover text. The internet allows a learner to explore, using technology to enhance the learning process with the flexibility for learning.
I believe the best description of our current learning environment is electronic mediation. Since advance technology is a variable of time. I will also reason, the changes the internet has brought to electronic mediation are similar to the changes the fountain pen and paper brought to literature.
In early days, the advance development of paper and ink allow, individuals to express themselves easily and quickly, then transfer their knowledge to others. Liquid ink and paper increased the ability of people to store and retrieve documents from categorized files. As this technology transferred into the classroom were by students could retain and later retrieve documents. This methodology of learning created an environment much like the computer whereby early teacher used the library to “mediated between teacher, learner content and application/demonstration.â€
In the classroom, an effective teacher must learn to mediate the learning process from multiple sources. The classroom computer becomes an enhanced presentation module. The learning processes are from the teacher and student. The challenge with the internet is that students can search for information faster; however, the internet is not categorized like a library. Students are often searching and finding incorrect information. The internet with all its wonders has changed classroom academic content and creates challenges for an instructor to maintain higher academics in the classroom. This is especially true in the lower grades. In addition, the internet has reduced all student competence. Whereby, student are finding sources and accepting it as academic, then challenge the instructor. I find that many students would say “what do you mean; I found it on the internet.â€
Excellent points, Walter. How have these changes affected your teaching methods and instructional design? How do you maximize the technology while maintaining academic rigor? These changes have challenged the very core of teaching and learning and many instructors feel overwhelmed rather than empowered. What are your thoughts?
This is a good summary of the many changes the Internet has brought to teaching and learning, Walter. I'm not sure what you mean by "reduced all student competence". Can you explain?
The idea that students require guidance as to what resources are credible is not new, just more challenging with the vast amounts of information now available.
