I would like to say that the first thing to consider is how well the tool enables the student to meet the learning objective, but the real world truth is that the first thing to consider is what the tool will actually do--as opposed to what you think it will do, or what the LMS company implies it will do.
My experience is that an instructor may find that the version of a tool that his or her school has purchased with its LMS may not be the top line version with all the bells and whistles. Moreover, the school administrators may have an erroneous idea of what the tool can do. Take the "virtual classroom" as an example.
I have worked with several virtual classroom programs. Adobe Connect remains my favorite (thus far) because of its variety of methods of presentation, its easily mastered methods of student-teacher interaction, and (sadly)its extremely useful mechanisms for controlling students who wish to intimidate or disrupt the learning of others. However, the version purchased by my previous school did not include the ability to record sessions for later student use. (If some students could not attend the scheduled session, they were either out of luck or I would have to take time away from something else to schedule additional one on one sessions.)
In the same vein, the system I am using now does not allow the recording of sessions. However, it also does not allow microphone interaction, limiting the students and myself to chat string only. (This current system is not Adobe.)It is essential for the instructor to explore the tool's use fully before making use of it.
Getting back to the topic, however, after considering what the tool will actually do, the instructor needs to evaluate the tool in relation to the student body. What is the skill level of your class; are your students computer savvy or computer-phobic? Do they type, peck, or thumb text? Does your school provide the students with computers and, if so, what types of programs are available? If not, will the student who is trying to do your course on a smart phone, for example, be able to see both a PPT presentation and the chat string in your virtual classroom?
Unfortunately, not everyone who is put into an online class has the same unlimited access to a personal computer the instructor does. I have had students enrolled in a fully online school without a computer of any kind; in such cases, it is unlikely that a student who must use a public library computer to complete a course will have the time to attend VC presentations since that student may only be allowed to use the computer 1-2 hours a day, 5 days a week. Does that disqualify the virtual classroom from use? By no means, though it will necessitate finding additional tools to use with that student.
More commonly, instructors need to take into account the cost/availability of a particular program--are there free versions online, and if so, how hard are they to download? The instructor may also need to consider any language and/or learning disabilities that may necessitate offering scaffolding or other alternatives. If your class has English Language Learners, what can you do to make the tool in question as appealing and serviceable to them as to your other students?
In the case of online schools below the college level, it is also important to consider student age, parental concerns, and privacy considerations. For example, if I were using a Wiki type tool with 9th graders, I would want to make sure it was not accessible by anyone outside the course. I would also want to check it on a regular basis to make sure it was being used as intended, and not as a dating service.
Finally, the instructor must decide whether the tool will enable the student to meet the learning objective and how that will actually happen. This is the moment to decide whether additional directions are needed for both the tool and the product or procedure through which the student demonstrates learning. A good instructor will reassess this after every class is completed, tweaking and clarifying.
As you can see by my post, I have taught various grade levels as well as college students in an online environment. Are the participants in this class supposed to be looking at online teaching solely from the perspective of teaching college students, or should we be exploring the rapidly expanding world of kindergarten through 12th grade online education as well?
In my opinion, ease of use is very important. If the instructor is uncomfortable with using a particular, program or if the technology if not very intuitive to use, the instructor and/or student will become frustrated and intended purpose will be lost. Another factor to consider is whether this technology meets your course objective. In other words, is the technology meeting the learning needs of your students? The purpose of learning in an online format is to convey knowledge within a framework of course objectives. Thirdly, technology should not overwhelm students with new learning technology that may take time away from the student learning course content.
Hi Chrissy,
Many times, a particular technology does not work and customer support is not available when you need them (1am). Access to tech support 24 hours is a very important factor to consider.
David,
What a great post. I agree about the technology tools. I actually use YouTube clips even if they are not as interesting if they are short and task specific, or I have student figure out how to learning in the way they prefer. They don't care for that strategy much but that is the real world learning environment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Todd,
You are right, but I have to ask. Does your school require students to own a computer?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kathy,
Wow, what a great post. You make such good points through out your post I don't know where to start. I think one of the most important point you make beside the technology achieving the learning objective is the practicality of the technology doing that it is suppose to do and providing instructors with the information they need to to assess. this doesn't always happen and it is so frustrating. Also, the skill set of the students makes a big difference in the experience of the student. We cannot ignore that.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Sharon,
You make a great point. Even in an online course students can "feel" through comments and directions if the instructor is comfortable with the technology. If you don't trust the technology, why should the students. Good post!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Sharon,
It is and I have to say we don't have it at my institution. It is interesting when we "bill" our online learning as anytime, anywhere we need to back that up with support. (that is not always what happens).
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
That's unfortunate, but it is a reality.
I believe three of the most important issues to consider are:
1. The ability for the tool to be used by all attending the course without much explanation.
2. The tool to be effective in fulfilling the needs of the instructor and the students.
3. The technology behind the tool to be able to be run by the minimum standards asked for.
There are a lot of items a tool must do in order for it to be effective. As an instructor, you also need to only use the tool to the level that the entire class can access. Some advanced functions on tools are not able to run on all systems and may be too complex for the level of the student. Determining the technological ability of the students, understanding the minimum system being used and also determining the needs that the tool must fulfill take some time and experimentation.
Matthew,
Great post. It doesn't need to be over complicated for the instructor or the student. You don't want it to be the learning or teaching barrier.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi Kelly,
The three most important things that I consider are (1) Capability, (2) Effectiveness, and (3) Usability.
(1) Capability: The tool must meet the learning needs of my students. It doesn’t matter how user-friendly the tool is. If it doesn’t meet the learning needs of the students, it will not be is not a good fit.
(2). Effectiveness: The tool must be effective for the delivery methods that my college uses and in particular for facilitating the courses that I teach. A tool that is effective for facilitating information technology courses may not be good for facilitating fine arts courses. Also, a tool that is a good fit for facilitating synchronous learning may not be good for asynchronous learning.
(3) Usability: The tool must be intuitive enough so the facilitator and learners can learn how to use the tool within a short period of time. A tool that requires steep learning curve might take learners two or three weeks to master. In a course that typically last for five weeks, some learning will have only three weeks to complete their assignments.
Wendy,
I agree that an facilitator should be able to successfully navigate and work with the technology so that the instructor can answer student questions about the tool because an online facilitator should be able to wear four pairs of shoes that are instructor, social director, program manager, and technical assistant. As a technical assistant, the instructor should be able to answer questions about the tool.
Yvette,
Yes, there are so many tools out there and employing more tools than needed can overwhelm both instructors and students. A tool cannot be selected only because it is user-friendly. It has to meet the learning needs of the students. The tool should be able to help an instructor achieve course outcomes.
I think the 3 most important things to focus on are: the general technology aptitude and capabilities of the audience you will be working with (and not to use technology that might be too advanced), used a myriad of tools to convey information to "reach" more students, offer to assist students that might be struggling with certain technology in the classroom environment.
The three most important technology tools include the learning objective, how well the tool functions, student learning styles. Staying focused on the leaning objective is primary to course success. The technology tools can be fun and are necessary to keep the students engaged, but if the support and technology are not user friendly, the students will become frustrated and disengaged. The learning style of the students should also be assessed to see if the proper tool is being used to maximize student engagement. By asking for student input within the course, the instructor can adjust their teaching style to match the learning style of their students by adjusting the technology tools being used I also think that in our evolving technology, it is important to have backup presentation options, when there are system updates.
Mary Z Johnston
Technology tools are the basis of all we do in online teaching. I believe that the three most important things to consider are your course goals/objectives, your time frame and how you hope your students reach those said goals, and most importantly, your students' needs and learning styles.
There are several things to consider when using tools online. The first is the relevance of the tool to the purpose. For instance, since wikis allow for editing, they would not be a good selection for final submissions as this could create havoc in grading. Another consideration is the student's ability to access and use the tool. Lastly, I believe it is important to gain student feedback on their thoughts about using the tool, so that revisions could be made, if necessary.
I would say that the very first thing to consider if who your audience is; this will inform every aspect of your course design. Secondly, is the content--what are the best methods of delivery? Finally, you need to consider the best means of assessing the learning.
1. The level of technology the students have access to and their competency with technology.
I have students who are in a trade school environment, and are not very computer savvy. They have limited access to technology and have struggles with basic computer skills. So to bombard them with advanced technological tools would only frustrate them and therefore inhibit the learning process and the achievement of desired course outcomes.
2. Making sure the technology tool matches the function appropriate for learning the course content.
3. Ensuring that the technology tool will help students achieve the desired course outcome sought.
