Impact of Technology and Multimedia

•    What impact does technology and multimedia have on online learning environments?

   

    Technology has a huge impact on education and learning environments. One of the largest impacts that are more recent is the advent of eBooks. Using electronic devices for dissemination of the information has moved from static text on pages, to interactive links to multimedia and in some cases actual multimedia in reading itself. One prominent example is that of anatomy or biology books. Through he use of digital media, the authors are able to make 3d models and interactive examples of the human body at work, geological phenomena at work and also break down body parts and other elements to give the reader a more concrete example of actions or environments that were never before possible Having this form of interaction, assists the users in understanding and drawing connections to the information that is being presented aiding in better knowledge transfer and better retention of the information presented.

•    What are the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing technology?

    What needs to be considered before the introduction of new technologies, or certain technologies is the applicability of the technology to the curriculum, the comfort level of the instructor with the technology and the comfort level of the learners with technologies. Not all students are digitally adept, and in some cases, some teachers are still learning about common technologies that are present in the world. The idea behind the use of and integration of new or current technological aspects for education is to know the community that you are teaching too (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Using tools like twitter, texting, or instant messenger could put some people off, as they are not exposed to them. So gauging your students and their comfort level is crucial when you are dealing with distance learning.

•    What implications do usability and accessibility of technology tools have for online teaching?

    Usability and accessibility can affect how the students interact, how often and how they communicate using the tools available.  Using twitter, as an example, may be a good way for shot concise immediate communications, but not everybody uses twitter and those that are new to it, like me, find following people very noisy. Using instant message is good if there is a controlled forum and it is used to interact with students for an immediate need. Using some of these also allows users to be more mobile, and are more likely to incorporate more interaction due to the fact that many of these are web 2.0 technologies and allow uses to be on the go when responding or interacting.

•    What technology tools are most appealing to you for online teaching as you move forward in your career in instructional design?

    I think that, in my case, using eBooks and interactive / collaborative methods such as wikis or Google docs will allow for better interaction team building and introductions to new technologies that are on the rise.  Being able to interact with the students, get their thoughts and perspectives, and keeping them engaged is crucial when dealing with distance learners. As has been pointed out many times, distant learners can feel isolated and alone. As though they are soldering on through the experience by themselves. Allowing for more interaction, easier interaction and faster responses alleviates a lot of stress that students often feel and allows for a more complete educational experience.

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. M. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conrad, R. M., & Donnaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Wide Wide World of Wisdom:

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    The Internet is vast, it is expansive and it is growing exponentially everyday. Since its inception in the late 1970’s, the Internet has housed an opportunity for communication, and collaboration that is unparalleled in the history of history of the world. In our current utilization of technology, and ever expanding mobility of that technology, through the use of tools such as Web 2.0 in conjunction with tablets and smart phones, distance education is gaining more traction than ever before. With environments such as 2^nd life and online collaborative tools such as blogs, wikis and social media outlets such as twitter and Facebook, the every expanding tools used to reach each other is continually changing and becoming more integrated into our everyday lives more than ever. The importance of knowing these tools it tantamount to the success of any educator using or starting to use electronic means to reach out and educate the masses. In our particular scenario here at Walden, the need to know these tools is crucial as we are going to be the facilitators or creators of such content and environments that are utilized for disseminating information to minds raging from elementary and high school, to the university level utilizing synchronous and asynchronous environments. Knowing how these tools are used by the students is important as well so that we as facilitators and instructors understand how to reach out to students make their experiences interactive, educational and challenging all at the same time.  As the reading states “social presence, that is, getting to know each other as three-dimensional people, is the foundation of building trust and presence for teaching” (Boettcher, Conrad, 2010).  Having this presence is what allows for lower anxiety from most first time users of online education, and better utilization of tools for the programs being taught.

         
       It is also imperative that communication channels are open and available so that the learner to learner (L-L) and instructor to learner (I-L) channels are open and receptive through out the course or program the student is enrolled in. Having set schedules, goals and outcomes as well as getting feedback from the students is vital to get buy-in and investment from the students. This investment of time and cooperation, allows the students and teachers to enhance the knowledge that is gained, make relevant the content and also ingrain new knowledge with what is already learned by the students. This is an important factor so that the students see the value of the education they are involved in and to maintain that curiosity that is within all students. After all they are there to learn, as are we, and that is what drives us all.

           
     While all of this is important, using the tools for collaborative communication and education is vital to the success of any course. Putting relevant information into the content systems, having the content systems accessible and easily navigate able adds another layer of acceptance from the students to the class and also lowers the anxiety level for many students that have never taken part in a distance education environment. Though most online students are familiar with social media sites like Myspace or Facebook, the environment of a CMS or LMS may be very intimidating. Using icebreakers and getting to know you areas in the CMS allows for a user to familiarize themselves with the operations and functions of the systems. As well having postings that are not graded but more of a scavenger hunt style for content on the web, gets the user used to posting into discussion forums and how the discussion forums in the CMS work so that they can follow strings of conversations and reply and add to the learning environment, which over all is the point of the educational environment presented, to enhance learning and bring a community together for the sharing of knowledge and interaction.

Conrad, R. M., & Donnaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.