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Mark A. Minott Ed.D Assistant Professor Teacher Education Department University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) January 11 th 2010. using interactive video conferencing technology in a CARIBBEAN ISLAND STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE : BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES.
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Mark A. Minott Ed.D Assistant Professor Teacher Education Department University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) January 11th 2010 using interactive video conferencing technology in a CARIBBEAN ISLAND STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE : BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES Technologies in Teacher Education
BACKGROUND • The University College of the Cayman Islands UCCI is the ‘state institution’ • Provides a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. • Current number of students 1300 (this number includes students on the main campus, Grand Cayman and the remote site, Cayman Brac or the ‘Brac’. Technologies in Teacher Education
BACKGROUND • Approximately (2 % ) are Teacher Education Students. • Since 2008 the University College has used Interactive Video Conferencing Technology(IVCT) to enable students on the neighbouring islands to access courses. • This occurrence fulfils a part of the University College mission statement, which is to be responsive to the needs of the local community. Technologies in Teacher Education
RATIONALE • There are no known writings on the benefits and challenges of using this technology in the local context, that is, the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI). Technologies in Teacher Education
RATIONALE • There is no known formal evaluation of the use of this technology at the college since it was installed and implemented in 2008. Technologies in Teacher Education
AIMS • To determine the benefits and challenges of employing interactive video conference technology IVCT in various programmes including teacher education • To suggest ways of improving its use as a teaching and learning tool. • To make suggestions for its use specific to teacher education. Technologies in Teacher Education
METHODOLOGY & METHODS • An evaluative study • Participants: lecturers, IT coordinator, remote site campus director and students at the remote site. • Staff email interviews via the UCCI intranet (77% response rate) • Students’ Online survey ( 50% response rate) Technologies in Teacher Education
RESEARCH QUESTIONS • Both staff and students were asked the broad questions: • What do you consider to be the benefits of using IVCT at UCCI? • What do you consider to be the challenges of using ICVT at UCCI? • Is there anything else you would like to say about IVCT at UCCI? Technologies in Teacher Education
Summary of Findings Benefits & Challenges Technologies in Teacher Education
Benefits of IVCT at UCCI • Students on the remote site have access to a variety of courses. • Financial savings for the institution. • It forced staff members who are ‘afraid’ of technology to engage with it. Technologies in Teacher Education
While these findings are not surprising, they support the established literature on IVCT, from a country not yet explored by other researchers, namely, the Cayman Islands. According to Phillips and Pugh (1994) this is an original contribution to knowledge. Technologies in Teacher Education
Challenges of IVCT at UCCI Technologies in Teacher Education
Challenges of IVCT at UCCI Technologies in Teacher Education
Challenges of IVCT at UCCI Technologies in Teacher Education
Challenges of IVCT at UCCI Technologies in Teacher Education
Challenges of IVCT at UCCI Technologies in Teacher Education
IVCT and TEACHER EDUCATION • IVCT should be used to establish links between colleges and schools. • This would require the use of some basic hardware elements i.e. input ,output and storage devices, camera, microphone, CPU, speakers etc to connect the sites. Technologies in Teacher Education
Using IVCT technology to establish links between the college and schools is important because: • it increases pre-service teachers’ exposure to children and classroom scenarios. This provides important theory to practice connections (Gibson & Kelland 2008). • face-to-face classroom visits as a part of various courses are not often feasible mainly due to time constraints. Technologies in Teacher Education
in remote field observations (especially when pre-service teachers’ placements are some distance from the institution) it can be used to facilitate a faculty member's observation of a pre-service teacher during their field placement (Swan, Mazur, Good, 2009). Technologies in Teacher Education
it facilitates virtual classroom visits where pre-service teachers observe master teachers teaching in their classrooms. (Swan, Mazur, Good, 2009). Technologies in Teacher Education
Conclusion The challenges that will be associated with using IVCT to establish links between colleges and schools would be similar to those highlighted by this study. Therefore, it behoves institutions considering the use of this technology to carefully examine the problems and solutions identified here. Technologies in Teacher Education
Comments orQuestions Technologies in Teacher Education
THANK YOU! Technologies in Teacher Education