Niki,
Comfort is a big factor in online learning. We do not want students who are frustrated early in the course and not trying any more. Keep communicating with and motivating your students. Thanks for your input.
Melissa,
Access is key to many things in the online environment. You are thinking on the right track. Thanks for your input.
When assessing technology tools, I focus on the tool's purpose, user-friendliness, and efficiency.
First, the tool must fit the intended purpose. That is, if I need to communicate with 30 students at once, the tool needs to be able to complete this task without unnecessary lag time or other issues.
Secondly, any communication program should be intuitive in nature. I should be able to look at the screen and immediately have a pretty good idea of the function of each aspect of the tool. A good program doesn't need a user's manual.
Finally, I look at the efficiency of the tool. Is this the easiest tool to use, or am I going to be putting more effort into maintaining a website than it would take to call each student individually? Either the tool needs to save me a lot of time, or it needs to enhance communication (and learning) to such a degree that it's worth the time invested.
Joy,
Great input. The tool is key to the process. Purpose, user-friendly, and efficiency. Excellent description. Thanks for your input.
Along with that troubleshooting guide, it helps to have a list of people to contact for any given area of concern the student may have. If you're having trouble with this particular aspect of the technology, see this person.
Lori,
Nice. If additional people are willing to serve as a resource, that's terrific.
Thanks for your input.
Transitioning from a traditional to online is very challenging. Base on my experience, what I believe to be important are the following:
1. Computer literate- Does the student have the basic skills to navigate a computer without hours of training.
2. Subject- It is very important that the necessary tools are available and functioning properly to help and guide the students in an online setting.
3. Resources- Are there resources available and assessable for the student’s if needed.
Rashunda,
I totally agree with you. The size of the group is very important when considering the right communication tools. I find that when communicating via email or instant messaging, one misused word can cause misrepresentation.
Marie Osuna
Hello James,
I agree and do the same. The first week of class I have a live lab on how to navigate the system. I believe the most student fail a course simply because they don't know how to navigate the system and give up trying.
Marie Osuna
I believe that the three most important things to consider are
1. How will the technology enhance the subject
2. Will the students have more difficulty with the subject and loose the added information that the technology provides,
of course what information I would like to provide and the necessary system requirements.
MARIE,
Right on. We do have to understand what the student knows and how you can help them move forward to achieve the set learning outcomes. Resources and the course content are important and the instructor has to be competent in providing course content in the best way for students. Thanks!
MARIE and James,
You bring up some very good points. I like the "live lab" idea the first week. Some instructors also give a quiz on the syllabus and a quiz on the navigation system to make sure students know what's in the syllabus and how to get around in the system.
MARIE and Rashunda,
The communication tool must definitely meet the needs of the size of the group. We can cause situations where we or the students are overwhelmed when we don't pick the right tool. We want a tool that enhances the communication, not hinders it.
Thanks!
Monica,
Right on. I like that you ask questions so that we can all think about the answers. And, you're right, we shouldn't use technology just because we can, but use technologo to enhance the teaching and learning process. Nice job.
I believe that the three most important things to consider are:
1) How well the instructor will be able to use the communication tool.
2) How well the students will be able to use the communication tool.
3) How well the communication tool will get the instructor's message across and whether this is the best tool for the content.
Three things that I think are important when assessing the use of technolohy tools would be:
1-What training is available for students in order to use the tool?
2-What will a students "get" from using the tool?
3-How will using this tool help the students learn the work?
1. The material to be covered - which tool is the most appropriate.
2. Students' access to the tools - some tools may be more readily accessible than others.
3. Which tool provides for the most effective way to gather formative and summative feedback.
Chanda Ghose
I believe it is important to consider:
1. Availability - the communication tool must be widely available to all students and should be able to be used from virtually any computer. A student (and instructor) should be able to access the communication tool from secondary or public computers in the event his primary computer is unavailable
2. Portability - users should be able to access the communication tool while on-the-go. Those who learn and teach in the online classroom appreciate the ability to attend class via a smart phone or tablet. Communication tools should be easy to use on the go as well.
3. Privacy - students, instructors, and administration should be comfortable knowing that the communication is secure and the content is private.
lindsey,
Nice list. Thanks for adding to the conversation and pointing out the the communication tool is the center point for effective communication.
Thanks!
Ben,
Many times people forget to assess the tool. They just use it and move on. Your questions will help others see how to quickly, but effectively assess the communication tool they are using.
Thanks for your input.
