We end up with all kinds of people in our adult classrooms don't we? Those who are well versed in technology and it's benefits and those who would prefer to stay in the 20th century!
In the adult classroom some variety in instruction is never a mistake. There are as many different styles of learning and preferred learning as there will be students in your classroom.
In the area of audio/video podcast and the adult classroom
the pro’s far outweigh the cons in my opinion. Honestly the benefits are so
numerous there really isn't room to list them in this environment, but here are
a few of my thought and reasons for both the benefits and drawbacks of
offering an audio/ video and podcasting in the adult classroom.
Pro’s
|
Con’s
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·
Podcast are another tool educators can use to
draw students into the learning process. Given the opportunities technology
offers in the classroom there is not style of student learning needs that
can’t be met. If our desire is to see students learn then our goal should be
to finds ways in which to engage students.
·
Students are used to having some measure of
control over their own interactivity. When adults have the type of control
and access to technology that they have why would we expect them to function
differently in the classroom? When they can look up a YouTube video that
shows them how to change the brakes on their car or how to use their new
camera, why would we expect them to put away those viable learning assets and
walk into a classroom online or in person with nothing but a textbook? We
shouldn't limit ourselves and them to only what we have always known. (Wlodkowski,
2008)
·
In an online environment the need to have some
sort of face to face activity can be vital for student success. Interacting
with a computer cannot take the place of the need to real person contact.
YouTube can offer some of that “face-time” even though it might not be in
person. One of my professors in this program put her weekly updates and
information on YouTube which allowed us to see her as a person and feel like
we had a face to put with the voice.
|
·
Educators need to make use of the technology
without hampering our abilities to teach hamstringing ourselves into
technological nightmares of not having time to teach because we are too busy
trying to be technologically savvy. We can make so much noise with our
gadgets and methods that nothing of value is taught.
·
Students can become used to being hand fed information
in such a way that learning can’t occur without entertainment.
|
We have experienced lots of different opportunities for
learning in this adult classroom in particular. Experimenting with those styles
have given us the chance to see what works best for us. What makes our learning
enjoyable, and what sucks us in so that we hardly notice we are learning at
all. If we stay engaged as learners of technology ourselves we can expect to be
a part of the cutting edge not falling so far behind that our classrooms and
students suffer for our ignorance.
References:
Watterson, B. (2005) The
Complete Calvin and Hobbes, Atlanta, GA: Lineheart Books. GoComics Retrieved
on October 9, 2013 from http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2013/09/25#.UlYN9NK-2uI
Kathleen P. King, Thomas D Cox. (2011). The
Professors Guide to Taming Technology. Charlottee: Information Age
Publishing.
Wlodkowski, R. J.
(2008). Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
I like your blog Dianna! I think you hit the nail on the head and made me think of just how viable podcasts and videos can be. Your statement, “When adults have the type of control and access to technology that they have why would we expect them to function differently in the classroom?” and then the example of adults utilizing YouTube to change their brakes on their car put it all into prospective for me (by the way…did you or your husband do that?) I think most times we over look the technology we have available to us and learn without even having thought about it. That is until it is in an academic environment. Seems as though a lot of thought goes into it when it’s applicable in or utilized in an academic environment.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ryan,
DeleteConsidering our access to technology everywhere but the classroom was exactly where I was going with that thought.
I think my husband used YouTube to do something like that on the car. I'm not sure whether or not it was the brakes, but whatever it was it worked!
Hi Dianna,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is fun to read. I like the Calvin and Hobbs cartoon. Which, ironically, situates some of my thoughts. You noted in the cons section (love the way you broke the information down into a table format) of audio/visual/podcast technology, “Students can become used to being hand fed information in such a way that learning can’t occur without entertainment.” This originally got me thinking about memory. I recall in the Characteristics course that we discussed how information that is different or unusual grabs the attention of the learner and that factor can help determine if the information continues to be processed into short-term or long-term memory.
I searched high and low, but maybe someone else can remember a video about scaffolding. I think it was from the course, Teaching Online in Adult Education. It was a funny video with these teachers singing and dancing about scaffolding, and if my memory serves me correct, the scaffolding song was a spin off from a top twenty hit. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF THIS VIDEO? Regardless, the video grabbed my attention and months later…I still remember it (even though I can’t find it). Stavredes (2011) notes, “Attention and perception are the processes by which the learner determines which information hitting their receptors is important” (p. 45). I think the entertainment component can help with this process because it often grabs our attention.
Aside from entertainment, now I am thinking about what other strategies an instructor could use to create such attention in the learners so that content can be processed into memory.
Thanks for helping me connect technology and the information I learned about memory in previous courses.
Ewilde
Stavredes, T. (2011). Effective online teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hi Liz,
DeleteI think as I was thinking about entertainment and learning the thing that struck me was that the responsibility for learning seems to be leaving the student and falling more on the teacher. We want our students to learn so we struggle to find the thing that engages them and causes them to buy into their own learning. At what point does the responsibility fall back on the student for their own learning without teachers dancing?
Sorry I can't help with the video. I don't think I've seen it! I think I might remember that :)
Hi Dianna!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog this week. The layout you chose made it really easy to navigate and I thought you highlighted some crucial points that were covered in the text this week; specifically how audio/visual technology can address the needs of students with different learning styles. King & Cox (2011) have discussed multiple times that one of the advantages of utilizing technology is that it can help us to address the needs of various students. I think one of the challenges of education, whether in a face-to-face or online classroom, stems from this. The use of audio through podcasts or narrated digital presentations can help those students who learn better by listening than reading. One the same note, a video presentation may help a student to feel more connected in an online course where they would not have felt as engaged without it. Lastly, I want to note that you are correct about the overuse of technology as a potential issue. Although I think technology can be great, if it is not used correctly or overused it can be more a distraction than a blessing.
Reference:
King, K.P., & Cox, T.D. (2011). The professor's guide to taming technology: Leveraging digital media, web 2.0, and more for learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Thanks Amanda! I tried to make the blog simple and readable. I tend to skip over things that are too crazy without looking at the content so I tried to make it something I would read!
DeleteI think overused technology can also take the place of teaching sometimes. A little like when we put 3 year olds in front of Sesame Street and hope they stay entertained. WE as teachers need to make sure we don't overuse it and keep our students from learning.
Hi Dianna:
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic blog! I love your layout because I was able to get to your major ideas and point quickly. I totally related to your statement: " In an online environment the need to have some sort of face to face activity can be vital for student success. Interacting with a computer cannot take the place of the need to real person contact. YouTube can offer some of that “face-time” even though it might not be in person. One of my professors in this program put her weekly updates and information on YouTube which allowed us to see her as a person and feel like we had a face to put with the voice." The professors in two of my previous EDACE courses used YouTube video to also gave their weekly course updates and summaries. These personalized vidoes did make me feel more connected to them. In addition to the videos, they held online office hours and connected with me via Skype. All of the above communication paths are great for engaging and appealing to diverse student learners. You no longer feel like an abstract student number; instead, one feels that the professor really cares about your academic progress and well-being.
Second, you are absolutely correct in stating, "Each student uses different methods and processes to absorb information. Our job as adult educators is to help students find those areas so that they can be better learners." Our reading assignment not only actively supports your statement, but also strongly encourages us as educators to move away from "instructor-centered to student-centered learning strategies" (Oomen-Early, Bold, & Gallien, 2011, p. 52-53). In this course, I feel that Dr. K embodies the above approach and perspective.
Best,
~Aja
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References
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Oomen-Early, J., Bold, M., & Gallien, T. (2011). Using online asynchronous audio communication in higher education. In K. King & T. Cox (Eds.), The professor's guide to taming technology: Leveraging digital media, web 2.0, and more for learning (pp. 33-65). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Dianna,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog this week! I think you made excellent points, in particular that we should seek out ways to engage students! It does seem silly that we expect students who are surrounded with technology in every aspect of their lives to not also expect or be more engaged in learning if we utilized the same technology. I agree that it is our responsibility to find ways to engage our students for the benefit of their learning. Furthermore, I love that you mention the fact that sometimes we can be so caught up with the entertainment aspect of incorporating technology into our lectures that we can overlook the educational components and lessen the value of our teaching. Too often I see this with our newer residents who are teaching the paramedics. They incorporate all these great videos that are related, but more of entertaining connections between lecture topics. Soon you see the lecture go from a couple fun videos to mostly entertainment and far less lecture material of any educational value. That is certainly a key piece that instructor need to keep in mind when designing lectures that will incorporate technology!
Great post!
Kayla