1. Availability to the students
2. Ease of use for students
3. Does it truly add to the delivery of the instruction?
1. Ease of use with the student and the instructor is an important factor to consider. The technology should be relatively simple to use by the instructor and student. If the technology is too complicated for the instructor, it will not be implemented in the classroom. If the student is having trouble with this technology, the student will become disengaged and open communication will not take place.
2. Any technology has to enhance the communication process and not distract from the communication process. Having the newest ‘gadget’ in your class is not a reason to implement. An instructor has to see if the technology will help student communicate with each other and the instructor effectively.
3. The cost of technology is another factor to consider as well. Students may not be able to afford the technology especially if it is not included in the course tuition.
Cheryl,
Concise, but appropriate list. These are all essential when considering communication tools. Thanks for your input.
Sharon,
I especially agree with your statement about using the newest "gadgets." We should use technology just for the sake of using technology.
Thanks!
I think that:
1. Ease of Use.
2. Ease of Navigation.
3. Useful resources for responding to questions.
are three tool that are needed in a virtual learning environment.
Pam,
Ease of use and navigation go hand in hand. If it's not easy to use, many things (such as communication) will fail. Thanks for your input.
1. Is the technology the proper choice for the type of group meeting ( small , large, or social media).
2 Is the chosen technology tool the necessary tool to get the message across effectively for the students to learn the content.
3 Is the the technology in the way of the lesson. Does it take more time and energy to learn to use the tool than the lesson itself? Will the students ( and sometimes the instructors) become so frustrated that they become disengaged?
Bonus - but no less important: Is there support to help guide students through the process if they run into technical difficulty?
Mary Johnston
I believe that three of the most important aspects are:
1. User-friendliness of the tool. Students need to be able to easily use the tool. Some environments may be more challenging than others. Since communication is critical, it is very important to have something in place that can be easily used.
2. Technical support. This is critical with any type of technology. If something is not working properly, students need to have the ability to get help as quickly as possible so that they can move forward.
3. Cost. In today's corporate structures, companies are looking to save as much as possible. Having a good communication tool is important, but it needs to be something that is also cost-effective.
I would argue that the three most important things are:
1. Ease of use. Both the facilitator and the student need to be able to use the communication tool without major complications. In order for there to be ease of communication, the technology must be user friendly.
2. Objective of the communication tool. Is the tool designed to be more academic in nature or more social? Are students expected to use the medium for short chats or more lengthy posts? The social aspects are important to incorporate, but first, more academic mediums may be more suitable to the classroom.
3. The ability to grow with the communication tool. As the students and facilitator become more comfortable with the technology, the more tools that can be unlocked will ease communication and vary instruction. Indeed, technology can help with individualized instruction.
Being able to keep the students attention
making sure the student comprehends what they read
being able to identify if the student is enjoying the lesson on hand
you need to know all these 3 things in order to be successful teaching an online course
I would have to say the 3 most important things to consider is:
1. Making sure the student understands what they are learning.
2. Making sure the students don't loose interest in what they are learning from the on line course.
3. Does the students retain what they learned from the course.
Kathleen,
Great list. Thanks for bringing up the point about content retention. Thanks!
Craig,
Nice list. Thanks for bringing up the point that cost is a factor along with support and ease of use.
Scott,
This is a great list. They have to be easy to use or students won't use them. Very important. Thank you.
I believe the three most important things to consider when assessing the use of technology communication tools in a virtual learning environment are 1. Who is your audience? This is not just the age but also the demographics and size of that group. 2. What technology can my students actually use and understand? This can be as simple as choosing a tool that is easy to navigate and effectively conveys the message I am trying to communicate and also let the student communicate with me. 3. Does the function of the tool meet the need I have and enhance the students learning experience? The choice I make should allow me to teach an objective in my course and let the student increase their means of comprehending that topic.
Three things to consider include:
Ease of use -- Questions to ask before choosing a method: Does the student know how to use the technology, or how quickly can he or she pick it up?
Availability -- Questions to ask: Do students have to be plugged into a computer? Do they need a specific program or app? With all of the devices available today, some students do not have every imaginable gadget, and so the tech chosen needs to be accessible by as many students as possible.
Functionality -- Will the technology do what you want it to do? It is obviously not reasonable to give a lecture on Twitter, for example, and even answering a question in that venue may be difficult.
Hi everyone! Because students have a variety of access, experience and needs, I, too, find it difficult to limit it to only three things – but here goes!
1. User-friendly. Will my students, the ones who have never used this type of system and do not use computers often, be able to use this without frustration?
2. Accessibility. If my students have limits on bandwidth and high speed computers (for example, are limited to public library access), will they be able to participate or use this technology without significant lag or other technical issues?
3. Cost. Will the cost of this technology mean that some of my students may not be able to afford it? This may mean they cannot participate or do not have access to the same resources as other students.
~ Nicole
1. The main reason is to get the message across effectively. Lectures (avoid "death by powerpoint") are useful for about 12 to 15 minutes ... then an activity to educe feedback on student learning (or even online presence !!) and a brief summary/introduction to resume instruction. I disagree with the CEE quiz answer that states "Asking students for feedback every three to five weeks sets up a pattern of communication to obtain feedback on an ongoing basis." ... at Briarcliffe, we only have 6 weeks of instruction per class (the last week being students' review) and so WEEKLY feedback is critical.
2. Ease of use/familiarity for both instructor and student (It is important that the technology communication tool enhance, not hinder, the communication process.) The "reliability" factor is part of "ease of use".
3. Student response ... if the students do not use it, it is not effective. Each class, instructors are required to set up a "Questions about this course" forum ... and in 3 years I have never had a student post a question there ... they use email. Similarly, I have become aware that students do not read the required weekly "Announcements" that I post... so I post the required "announcements" but then also copy and email the same info individually via Briarcliffe "roster" email.
In summary, "communication" has specific steps (beginning with "clear thought as to WHAT is to be communicated" and ending with "message received, understood and feedback confirms this".) and the technology communication tools must stand up to the same specifications.
