1) Ease of installation. Many students are not technologically savvy, so a one-click installation without additional required programs (like java) is a must.
2) Ease of use! The student is already having to overcome barriers from the online environment, no need to force them to use a complicated software/ website.
3) Whiteboard. I teach math so a voice only communication is unacceptable as a teaching medium.
Herman Rucker
I want to be abreast of all (most all) technology tools and trained whenever possible to know and understand what is necessary. I like being open so that I can do the best for my students.
Valerie,
Love the first one! It has to work for sure. And work for what we want it to work for - work for us and for our students! Thanks!
Herman,
Hopefully there won't even be any installation. Them seamless it is to the students, the better. You are so right!
Thanks!
Maureen,
It's hard to keep up, but we must try. I learn a lot on my own, but learn a lot from my students as well. Keep moving forward.
The main thing to consider is the student. If they know how to access these tools, to be able to use these tools, and if they have the time and availability to get to these tools. This is what I have noticed in the past.
Heather,
When looking at things from the student perspective, it's amazing how differently we may view things. Good point.
The three most important that I feel are as follows:
1. Must be easy to navigate and comprehend.
2. Tech support must be provided on a 24/7 basis.
3. The techology tool should fit to the learning process and objective.
Lindsey Fillman
When assessing the use of technology in the virtual learning environment it is important:
To know what capabilities the students has at their workstation
To know what works best for the instruction and you are able to work correctly
Make sure all elements work and all students are engaged.
Lindsey,
For sure. If the technology is not easy to use, the students will not use it. That affects everything else.
Denise,
Good point. We have to make sure the technology works with various other technologies and that the students are engaged. Thanks!
When assessing technology communication in the virtual setting its my opinion to consider the three things;
1. There is always the question, is the person enrolled the one communicating or could it be a friend, wife, husband etc.. So considering the possibility of including something like Skype could assure you that the student is in deed involved.
2. Is the platform easy to navigate? We need to realize that more and more older students are now coming back to school via distant learning. So having a virtual environment that is user friendly is a plus.
3. Finally an important tool will be to keep the student motivated and in a continuous move forward
Greetings all!
In my opinion,
The three things that are important to assess are:
- The reliability of the virtual information or tool- if you work with a system that has errors, it can be extremely confusing to the students during learning.
-The ease of use and navigation- if a program is difficult to navigate, students will spend more time frustrated over operating the system than actually engaging in the learning process.
- The ability to engage the student- if software is boring or uninteresting, the students are more likely to simply point and click vs. actually engaging in the system itself. Interactive applications and interesting facts are good tools to include in the online learning process.
Chris,
I concur with Dr. Crews. To narrow it down to the three you chose is quite good.
Hi,
I think that the technology tools make sense and or flow. Are they user friendly? Some students are first timers and if they cannot function with the use of technology they will become frustrated. Secondly, for any technology tools, another would be support in my eyes. Can the student outreach to the school/help desk and be supportive. Lastly, will the end user (student) be able to maintain the consistency of the technology for the online course.
I responded to this question do not see why it did not post.
The most important three things to consider in regards to use of technology communication tools include; is it user friendly, will support and/or instructors be available to students, and cost. The platform would need to be user friendly so the students will be able to go through it with ease. Secondly, will there be support for any issues/questions the students may have. I think this is an important aspect as many have issues with tools on the LMS and they need to reach out. Lastly, cost; will the be sufficient for the school and will it cover all of the elements for the students/instructors.
Michelle,
Good list of things to assess. We have to make sure students can utilize the tools easily so that they will use them. Nice job.
When assessing the use of technology communication tools in a virtual learning environment, I believe are the three most important things to consider 1) Commonality/popularity. 2) Functions/ features available. 3) Ease of use/ flexibility.
Commonality/popularity: Tool commonality can be associated with convenience and users’ skills as well as tool stratification. According to accepting technology model, the use of information technology is specified by the willingness to use the specific system and the willingness to use is determined by the usefulness of the technology from consumer perspective and that convenience of technology has a direct and positive effect on the satisfaction of using such technology.
Functions/ features available: Tools in general are often compared based on their Functions (or features). Certain features may be more significant (or adequate) for certain application (or usage) than others. Too many or complex features can be of disadvantage. In addition lacking a needed feature can be can be a second disadvantage. So, I would look into that while comparing the tools and drawing corresponding conclusions or favoring one tool over the others.
Ease of use/ flexibility: may be related to the nature of the task within the tool. The ease of use and the and clarity of how to use can ease the learning of "few" who would be less familiar with the tool. The flexibility would be linked to students’ assessment of its extrinsic and how the tool helps students achieve suitable communication objectives with convenience.
When assessing the use of technology communication tools in a virtual learning environment, what do you believe are the three most important things to consider and why?
1. Will this method of communication be effective? I thought about using GroupMe, phone app, to communicate with my students. This app allows you to communicate with groups of people at one time. I tried out the app with my daughter cheer team. It worked well at first but when disagreements arise and the arguments went to the entire team versus just going to the individual. I decided against using the app.
2. Is the communication helpful? When adding technology to an online class, I first think about how this would be beneficial to the students. What will the student learn by using this technology? For those students who are not savvy with technology, will I have to spend additional time teaching them how to use it? If I do, this will take away from their learning.
3. What is the cost? Cost is important. Since there’s probably no reimbursement, I have to ensure that the technology I use is worth paying for if there’s a fee involved.
George,
Good questions. It's important to make sure the tools meet your and your students needs and it's easy to use. Thanks!
