Benefits of Technology in Course Design and School Curriculum

Aug 18, 2013

PIDP 3240 Journal #2

Benefits of Technology in Course Design and School Curriculum

Objective:

According to Bowen (2012), almost every student brings a laptop and a smart phone to class. He makes clear that knowledge is available to them from both the classroom where educators deliver lectures, and from many other internet related sources.  Educators can create a community of engaged students by designing courses that motivate students to learn and stimulate “… their minds and their technology and not let them sit passively.” (p. 213) To Bowen, the use of technology as a tool in course design and in the creation of collaborative learning environments is referred to as the ‘naked classroom’ which allows teachers to take advantage of technology to eliminate boredom and stimulate critical thinking in the classroom. The objective of this journal is to reflect on the benefits of new technology in transforming the traditional classroom into one where students become active learners, work collectively with each other and apply lesson plans to the real world.    

Reflective:

            It sounds a great idea to integrate new technology (computers, internet, social media, etc) into course design and improve communication skills broadly, but in my experience, educators who started their carriers prior to the 1990s either lack personal experience with technology and social media or resist using it.  In this case, the solution is easy: the education system must find time to train educators to understand and learn how to incorporate technology-based projects into their course designs and also into their interactions with students. For example, when a lecture is recorded, it allows those students who struggle with understanding the content to listen over and over until they feel comfortable with it.

Interpretive:

            I was the teaching assistant for an introductory sociology course about three years ago and ran tutorials for two large groups of students two times a week. Almost all my students used Facebook and communicated with each other on a daily basis. A few of them expressed their shock when they learned that I never used Facebook and asked how I could live without it! I responded that I did not want my personal information to be public and also I did not have time to spend on Facebook to communicate with virtual friends!  Although I was fascinated to see how the younger generation embraced e-communication in communicating with each other and with the world instantly, I did not deeply understand the advantages and benefits of e-communication until three weeks ago when I started our PIDP 32040 course. I should admit that I was one of those traditional facilitators who was stuck on engaging students in class discussion by asking them questions and encouraging them to debate with each other. However, I quickly realized that students were bored by this technique and the class attendance was going down. When I started using YouTube and short documentaries, the class attendance went up and students were more passionately engaged with their peers during class discussion.    

Decisional:

According to education researcher Schacter (2001) on the improved attitude of students, when technology is used as a classroom learning tool, students’ attitudes toward learning and their own self-concept improves. To validate Bowen and Schacter’s arguments, when technology is incorporated into the course design, it facilitates the delivery of content to students in a practical way, enhances engagement between student-to-student and student-to-teacher and helps students develop useful workforce skills.

Today’s world demands educators skilled in using new technology and e-communications methods. In understanding and facing this basic fact, I enrolled into this on-line course to learn how to be more successful and effective as an instructor in today’s world. I believe when I know how to use technology effectively in my classroom activities, I will be empowered to provide mentorship to my students and help enable them to become successful members of the 21^st century workforce. To me, the use of technology in the classroom is not only about learning, connecting and engaging with students, it is also about encouraging them to share their knowledge with everyone worldwide.    

References

Bowen, J. A. (2012). Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning. San Francisco: A Wiley Imprint.

Schacter, J. (2001). The Impact of Educational Technology on Student Achievement: What the Most Current Research has to Say. Retrieved from http://www.mff.org/pubs/ME 161.pdf Last visited on Aug 17, 2013