FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVES: TECHNOLOGY
FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVES: TECHNOLOGY
We've all gotten emails about students who end up with no working computer, internet cut off due to non-payment, you name it. Some students even start school with no computer and use a public PC, or one at work.
While not having internet or a computer may not be the best scenario, we need to come together with the student and find ways that the course tasks can be accomplished. The situation is: the student is in your class and expending funds to be enrolled, so why do we discourage a student who already has some technological strikes against them?
Here is an actual email from a faculty member to a student in Class #1 of the AABA program:
From: Negative Instructor
To: Struggling Student
I am surprised that the school is allowing you to begin classes without a computer
email me when you submit please
Let me translate the email: Student- I have no confidence in you; you are not going to pass the class anyway so you might as well drop out
Sabrina,
WOW, what an interesting point. I agree with you there should be a much more compassionate way to handle this situation. However, I am VERY concerned when I find students registering for online courses with no computer in the house. Dependency on a public machine really becomes an issue.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I love using both aspects for learning content. It seems as though a lot of students rely on teachers to be available for them at all times and need assistance more often.
You make in interesting point. The excuses in a traditional classroom are often related to technology, but in the e-classroom when there is a technology related excuse how can you tolerate it when it is not only the preferred method of communicating but the only method of learning exchange. How do you avoid this?
How do you avoid the technology problems though?
Lisa,
True and we have wean them from that. It is really the nature of the generation. I find students can be more self sufficient if we let them. Many students have found if they ask for help they will get it instead of them looking for it themselves.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr. Wilkinson,
I must wholeheartedly agree here. While I would have never permitted an instructor to speak to a student in that manner, I would have also never set the student up for failure.
Allowing a student to register for an online class with the promise of obtaining a computer "soon," "I'll do it at a friend's house," or "mine will be fixed when the term starts," is setting the student up to fail because ultimately, these things never happen.
There needs to be a certain expectation set and a minimum technological specification met so the student is given every opportunity to succeed in an online course.
There are always exceptions to be made; however, they would be the exception for me and not the norm.
Milka,
I give a technology knowledge test to see where students "stand" in technology ability. My institution has a technology tutorial that students must take. I take that information and have frank discussion about gaps of ability. I then send them to resources that can help them. Some students don't do it and it hurts them; others have gone through the whole process and it helped them in my courses and future courses.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Milka,
I keep as much of the technology within the LMS. Dependence on technology that cannot be controlled in technology that is not "purchased" . I read about technology others use and review the applications. That information can be valuable. I will say sometimes it just happens.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Mischelle,
You said it well. It just seems we set students up for failure.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
