Communication in a virtual learning environment is the most crucial element for success. The college must be able to communicate the policies and procedures to the students and staff to provide direction and guidelines. The instructors need to be able to communicate the class material in a manner that allows for the course objectives to be met. Students need to be able to communicate not only with the instructors but peers as well. When assessing the use of technology communication tools for the class room all of these stake holders must be taken into consideration.
Tools to facilitate communication must be assessed to ensure they meet the specific needs intended for the respective audience. The tools need to be easy to use so that users are not frustrated when needing to use them. The type of communication needs to be appropriate in reference to synchronous and asynchronous delivery. The selected medium, that the information is being delivered in, needs to support the objectives.
There are different communication needs required to facilitate the virtual environment. Assessing the tools capability to meet specific needs is crucial. A tool that is highly effective for posting up discussion boards and maintaining threads would not be a good fit for providing an interactive lecture on course material. E-mail programs are fantastic for providing communication threads with students and instructors in regards to class issues, but will not provide the student the synchronous communication they may need to resolve specific issues. Instant messaging allows the student synchronous communication providing the platform for interacting in a real time scenario. The tool needs to be judged by its ability to meet the needs of the specific type of communication required of its usage.
Ease of use is essential to the effectiveness of a communication tool for use in the learning environment. Tools that are not intuitive to the students can result in higher stress and less desire to use them as primary means of communication. Tools that are difficult to use can cause students to feel they are not ready to work in the virtual environment; teachers may develop their lessons so as not to have to use the tools and therefore might be giving up valuable opportunities to leverage new capabilities.
The last element I would like to discuss is the appropriateness of the medium being used to communicate in. Adobe connect provides a rich environment for chats that can be viewed at the time of the presentation in a synchronous mode or archived for asynchronous viewing. The adobe chat allows for a classroom type environment to be presented to the student where material can be presented in a visual and audio format with those in the chat able to share comments and ideas in real time. The archived chat allows the student to review the material but not the ability to interact with the chat. Discussion boards present a medium for posting up threads of ideas to build upon in an asynchronous environment allowing students to work on their schedule. Assessing the tools for the appropriateness of the information to be presented in the best medium is essential to determining its effectiveness.
Thomas,
Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful response. And, I agree with your first statement whole heartedly! Thre are so many ways to communication, but no matter how you do it, it is essential. Thank you.
Hello Juanita,
I agree that the price of accessing or using a tool can affect students.
I think of that expenditure as an investment, and that the payoff to the student comes over time, well the end of the course.
That being said, if I have a choice between two resources that equally meet the requirements of the course, I will choose the less expensive.
Best wishes,
Michael Luzius
What is the easiest for your students to learn to operate.
What is available to everyone.
Is it going to meet the needs of the course.
Michael and Juanita,
Thanks for continuing the conversation. I like to view the technology as an investment as well, but like to use the same technology more than once in the students' program of study. For example, if they are required to purchase a Web cam, it shouldn't just be for one class but many classes in the program of study. Thanks again for your input.
Jeanice,
Accessibility and ease of use are important. We don't want too much a learning curve as that will reduce the use and effectiveness of the communication tool. Thanks for your input.
When assessing the use of technology in a virtual learning environment, I believe the three most important things to consider are: 1)my audience, 2)the difficulty of the material 3)my student's experience with technology or computers. I would have to consider my audience or the student demographics to assess their understanding of course expectations. There are some concepts that need explaining. We can read something five times, but once it's explained once, it becomes clear. I must also consider my student's experience and skills using a computer. I've found my more seasoned students actually like conversing over the phone.
All three are essential to effective communication in the classroom.
M. Allen
Mamie,
Again, this comes back to knowing your students and the course content. Thanks.
If I want a synchronous environment to develop a virtual classroom I might want to use Adobe Connect Professional. The three most important considerations would be:
1) Notifying the students of the essential technology needs with enough time to determine if they have any problems with the hardware or software.
2) Is the information I am communicating appropriate for a virtual classroom application.
3) The last consideration would be to evaluate the relative success of the communication while it is occurring and after the session is completed.
David,
You bring up very good points. Thaks for your input.
One of the issues is that some of the students cannot upload at times via the education moodle, and then they have to upload via e mail which makes it very difficult for other students to be able to reply to the posts.
We have just begun to teach paralegal education classes on line, and the technology to use is paramount. We use moodle replies plus e mail; in order for the students to gain the most from class, they have to be able to read and assimilate large amounts of material, post answers to questions, and then post replies to other student's replies.
Mike,
Yes, I can see how that would be difficult. I wonder what the technology glitch is taht they can't use Moodle?
Mike,
I can only imagine. Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
I believe the three most important things are: is the technology current-does it match what the course is discussing. 2) Do the students have the proper requirements on their computers 3) Does it allow you to reach a variety of learners.
Gretchen,
Excellent. You are thinking about what the students can access and how. Nice job.
They have to adequately support the course communications requirements and be compatible with the LMS. If it's not compatible with the LMS then it's useless and if it's not capable of supporting the instructors requirements it's limited at best.
They should be easy to learn and use. Students have different levels of technology experience and capabilities. If the technology is not user friendly and/or takes a significant amount time and effort to learn then many students won't bother with the tool.
3- Cost is my third factor. Students will be reluctant to invest a substantial amount of money into technology that may only support one class.
Dr. Tena Crews,
There are many considerations when accessing the use of technology communication tools in a virtual learning environment. Three important considerations are:
1. Does the technology have a purpose and value for the students? The technology communication tool need to enhance instructor-to-student and student-to-student communication.
2. The ability of the students to use the technology communication tool. Technology can be intimidating for students, and it is important that they can be provided with clear information on how to access and use the tool.
3. Is the tool most effective for one on one communication or with a group of students.
Beth Burak
rick,
The LMS is a big factor. Students need to have access to be able to communicate effectively. Accessibility is key. Thanks.
Beth,
Your list gives us many things to think about. Thanks for your input.
