NESCent Postdoc Professional Development NESCent Postdoc Professional Development Series on Effective Teaching and LearningSeries on Effective Teaching and Learning

Session 6 – Teaching with Technology, Teaching Session 6 – Teaching with Technology, Teaching via Videoteleconferencevia Videoteleconference

August 25th, 2006NESCent - Durham, NC

“…“…in the winter of 1813-1814 . . . I in the winter of 1813-1814 . . . I attended a mathematical school kept in attended a mathematical school kept in Boston . . . on entering his room, we were Boston . . . on entering his room, we were struck at the appearance of an ample struck at the appearance of an ample black board suspended on the wall, with black board suspended on the wall, with lumps of chalk on a ledge below, and lumps of chalk on a ledge below, and cloths hanging at either side. I had never cloths hanging at either side. I had never heard of such a thing before.”heard of such a thing before.”

- May, 1866- May, 1866

Overview

• General Thoughts on Teaching with Technology

• Barriers to Teaching with Technology

• Types of Instructional Technology • Demo: Teaching via

Videoteleconference (VTC)• Resources

General Thoughts on TwT

• Avoid the “George Mallory” approach (“…because it is there”)

• Technology should enhance the learning process…ideally it should enable the instructor and/or student to do things that couldn’t be done otherwise

• Know your students and their resources and skills

• Blend technology into your class• Remember the “Seven Principles for Good

Practice in Undergraduate Education”

Barriers to TwT

• Infrastructure– Cost to establish– Cost to maintain– Cost to upgrade (remain on the cutting

edge)– Physical constraints

• Faculty resistance• Student resistance• Student access• Resources for faculty, student training

Types of Instructional Technology

• Basic Tools – Powerpoint– Film clips and animations– Websites and web resources

• Course Management Software (e.g., Blackboard)– Integrated suite of tools for course management– Announcements, document posting/sharing, discussion boards,

online gradebook, group pages, online quizzes and surveys, etc.

Types of Instructional Technology

• Basic Tools – Powerpoint– Film clips and animations– Websites and web resources

• Course Management Software (e.g., Blackboard)– Integrated suite of tools for course management– Announcements, document posting/sharing, discussion boards,

online gradebook, group pages, online quizzes and surveys, etc.

• Advanced Tools– Electronic whiteboards– Tablet PCs– Student response systems (SRS)– iPods– Etc.

SMARTBoard

Touch-sensitive, electronic

whiteboard

Tablet PCs

Sympodium

Student Response Systems

Types of Instructional Technology

• Basic Tools – Powerpoint– Film clips and animations– Websites and web resources

• Course Management Software (e.g., Blackboard)– Integrated suite of tools for course management– Announcements, document posting/sharing, discussion boards,

online gradebook, group pages, online quizzes and surveys, etc.

• Advanced Tools (electronic whiteboards, tablet PCs, SRSs, iPods, etc.)

• Distance Education Technology– Asynchronous tools (“online courses”)– Synchronous tools (videoteleconferencing (VTC),

webconferencing)– “Blended Learning” approaches

Videoteleconference (VTC)

Classrooms

Videoteleconference (VTC)

Classrooms

Demo: Teaching via VTCDemo: Teaching via VTC

Some Good Resources…

• Teaching with Technology (2000) David G. Brown, editor

• Web Teaching Guide: A Practical Approach to Creating Course Websites (2000) Sarah Horton

• The ‘No Significant Difference’ Phenomenon (1999) Thomas L. Russell

• “How to Improve Critical Thinking Using Instructional Technology” (2001) Timothy van Gelder (http://www.philosophy.unimelb.edu.au/reason/papers/ASCILITE2001.pdf)

Additional Online Resources…

• EDUCAUSE - EDUCAUSE focuses on the use of information resources in higher education. (http://www.educause.edu/)

• Horizon - "The environmental scanning publication for education leaders" (http://horizon.unc.edu/main.asp)

• The TLT Group - A non-profit group focusing on effectively using technology to enhance teaching and learning (http://www.tltgroup.org/)

• Teaching and Learning on the WWW - Over 605 examples of how the Web is being used as a medium for learning. (http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/tl/)