Integrating Technology into Teaching

1. Integrating Technology into Teaching Introduction

2. Why Go Digital? • If you do what you always did, you will get what you always got. • are you satisfied with what you get now? • things are changing in our classes • class sizes • student characteristics • time constraints

3. Does technology improve student learning? • No • But some things do • good teaching • communication • student participation in learning • And technology can facilitate these

4. And technology can facilitate these • good teaching • Flashlight study and self-reflection • better structure and organization (Wilmoth & Wybraniec 1998) • increased comprehension • instructor self-assessment (Edwards, Cordray & Dorbolo 2000)

5. And technology can facilitate these • communication • spend less time facing the blackboard (Wolmoth & Wybraniec 1998) • those who would be silent in class (Manning 1996) • more human contact online than in class (Polin 1999)

6. And technology can facilitate these? • student participation in learning • increase in student interest (Wolmoth & Wybraniec 1998) • motivating self-regulating study behavior (Brothen 1996)

7. Conclusions from the literature • Do not use technology just for the sake of using it • Define your objectives*** • plan your goals for each class session • choose technologies that meets the following litmus test1 • the teaching-learning task is essential to the course • the task could not be performed as well—if at all—for the students without the technology. • Caveats • time • rewards

8. Let’s begin by separating tasks and environments • In class • instructor tasks • student tasks • Out of class • student tasks • assignments, study, preparation • instructor tasks • course management activities

9. In-class Activities • Instructor: deliver information and promote understanding (Von Nostrand 1993) • the peacock • not meant to be pejorative • describes the lecturer • midwife • builds rapport; emphasizes interdependent and connection rather than competition • encourages dialogue, diversity and active participation • evokes rather than orates • is learner-centered; focuses on process as much as content

10. In-Class Activities • Students take notes • from board to paper, no stop in between • process information in context (Cohn, Cohn, & Bradley 1995)

11. Let’s start with one-way delivery • Advantages to student and instructor? • Limitations for student and instructor • Methods of one-way delivery • chalk-and-talk • overheads • Powerpoint slides

12. Let’s start with one-way delivery • What are the objectives of one-way delivery? • Can slide presentations help? (Wilmoth & Wybraniec 1998) • provides structure to lectures • can improve instructor delivery of information • can enhance student comprehension • heighten student interest • But • there can be too many slides • slides can be poorly done • presentation can still be poor • there is a time investment

13. One-way delivery with slides • Slides with handouts (Cohn, Cohn & Bradley 1995) • note-taking improves • involves processing information

14. Preparing a Slide Presentation • Plan lecture • Obtain/create images and text • Organize content • Construct PowerPoint Slides • Plan and Organize slide presentation • Prepare handouts

15. Basic Structure of a Lesson Plan

16. PowerPoint Presentations • Before we begin with PowerPoint • Different needs in class • Use me as individual resource • Overview first • Each of you prepares your presentation in Powerpoint • We will do WebCT after we talk about other teaching methods

17. Obtaining images and text • Zipping files—a useful tool for all our tasks • Obtaining images and text • capturing on-screen images • scanning documents • images • text • Construct PowerPoint Slides • Plan and Organize slide presentation • Prepare handouts for students