Claire,
I agree - the collaborative nature of new technolgy can help develop these skills in students. Do you have some actual examples of how this has taken place with your students?
Dr. Ruth Reynard
These days, students need to be able to function in a digital world, so any technology use is a valuable skill. I'm designing a course on transliteracy (the ability to not only read and write, but to also collaborate and contribute to online content in a variety of formats (social media and web 2.0). These types of digital literacy skills are necessary and much needed for students entering the work environment - and for life-long learning purposes.
I agree completely. Even this current course we are taking. I know it is built in a shell similar to the other courses, but the cours is how to use technology to teach dynamically and assess holistically. I would love to see samples of this embedded in this course instead of the multiple choice questions which only test knew information learned, not application of knowledge.
Rebecca,
I agree and are changing student expectations, thought processes and time on task. Huge impact on teaching and learning.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
New technology gives students different ways to understand subject matter rather than a structure that only shows one way of doing things.
Two skills come to mind Innovation and problem solving. Some outcomes are best handled with a step by step guide or instruction that leads to completion with reasonable accuracy. However if none of those exist then the students should be able to create one based on how well they have learned the subject matter or understand the process. Problem solvers will use their knowledge to overcome obstacles that others may deem useless or impossible. Assessments can be designed to bring out those skills the students didn't realize they had. Once they discover what they can do they will never again say "I can't".
Given that many of my students are adult learners, going back to school after a long stretch in the workplace, online classes can be as much about learning to negotiate technology as about the content of the course. I try to make the acquisition of skills like posting to forums, uploading and downloading files, and conducting online research integrative. Meaning, these tasks are part of the weekly objectives of the course. For many students, learning how to access an online library and conduct scholarly research is a bid deal, and the result is often a feeling of significant accomplishment and a sense of empowerment.
Edwin,
Verty true...ths skills of problem solving and collaboration are always looked for by employers and both can be developed using new technology. Good points!
Dr. Ruth Reynard
I find that a more interactive, flexible, nonlinear learning environment often leads to students developing the ability to be better at independent learning. Students that need to use a variety of resources, such as e-textbooks, electronic classroom resources, virtual library searches, and valid World Wide Web sites develop, over time, the ability to draw upon multiple resources in order to achieve their educational goals. I believe that this type of learning is more reflective of the type of problem-solving techniques that are used in the real world. Such learning techniques accustom student to draw upon multiple resources just as they will have to once they enter the in real world of the workplace.
Dariusz,
Very well said...yes the "soft" skills and the ongoing learning skills needed for success can be directly developed usuing new technology.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
New technology can be very beneficial to professionals in their careers. So, learning this technology as a student gives them an advantage in the workplace.
Additionally, developing the skills needed to learn new technology more readily can be highly beneficial to professionals.
Sunshine,
Well said...yes, using new technology helps with the learning process and with professional preparation of the students. Good points!
Dr. Ruth Reynard
It helps students develop better communication and research skills. They are learning to use tools to create their own spaces such as blog tools, Wiki tools, and various networking tools both on their computers and smart phones.
Ideally the most important skill is critical thinking. Technology, in and of itself does not develop critical thinking. It is the skillful use of technology that provides comfort and competence in information literacy, in accessing knowledge via multiple means and the ability to access information almost at will. What is also needed in my opinion is the ability to filter what one reads or sees to judge evidence, reliability and validity, logic and credibility.
David,
Very true...technology only provides tools. However, do we really value the kind of literacy and critcal thinking that is developing with the use of current technology? Do we still value "older" skills more?
Dr. Ruth Reynard
I am not sure. I think this might be generational and I think baby boomers need to understand Gen X and Gen Y motivations and means of operating but also vice versa because for good or bad most bosses will be baby boomers for many of these people.
David,
Yes, there are generational challenges as we try to understand each other...in the face of the reality of new techology, however, these challenges like others are being pushed more strongly. In other words, whether or not it is intuitive to one group, we are all interconnected now and openly communicating, so we must be willing to fairly consistently explore beyond all of our comfort zones :)
Dr. Ruth Reynard
Technology develops motor skills, and sensory skills. Because technology can capture more than one sense, students begin to use these scenses more often. This may possibly carry over in their homework assignments.
I could not agree more Dr. Reynard. But true communication means that everyone works at it.
I teach at a career school where the average age of students is 33 years of age. Students who have been out of school for a while, have a family, may work full time or unemployed. Many of these students lack the basic skills needed for today's workforce including personal skills and technical skills. Technology comes in handy to teach the students the technical skills and develop accuracy and speed on the computer besides learning Microsoft Office and a few other applications in their respective fields. These new skills contribute to the students level of confidence and self-worthiness. Students come out of such classes with a sense of pride that they are able to do things they were not able to do before.
In my area of practice, we're constantly encouraging our students to work on honing their critical thinking skills, which should help to improve overall decision-making for them. Adding new technology oftentimes forces a learner to come up with individual plans for integrating this new tech into their former behaviors, especially as it relates to studying. Leading a learner away from standard paper and pencil tools to paperless methods via wireless applications can definitely help the student grow.
