Is higher
education’s focus on learning technologies helping students to connect with
each other and the subject area content so as to learn easier and better, or
is it separating them from each other and from the higher order learning that occurs through interpersonal communication? The picture below of a group of Dutch school
children circa 1930, walled off from each other behind the “learning
technology” of the day, made me stop and think.
This picture,
from a Nov 7, 2004 article in Vitae by Kirsten Wilcox, was used to underscore
her argument that “the classroom as a space for human interaction has become a
luxury in higher education,” and that it is precisely this human interaction
that students today need, connected as they already are technologically by
email, Facebook, Twitter, and all the others.
“Ten years ago,”
Wilcox argues, “using course blogs, wikis, or online discussion forums to teach
was an exciting innovation, which students embraced.” Today, she says, things
are different: “Not only have these platforms lost the aura of immediacy and
creativity that they once had, but students have little desire to add an
intellectual online persona to the profiles that they cultivate across multiple
media.”
As a long-time
proponent of technology-enhanced teaching, my viewpoint has always been,
“Students like technology, so they will learn more willingly and more deeply if
the course offers them a chance to use those tools.” Clearly, it’s not that cut
and dried. What do you think? Should we be trying to provide our students
with the “luxury” of modern, technology-driven best practices in learning or the
“luxury” of personal, face-to-face, in-class presence? And if the answer is
“both,” (as it almost always is) how do you make that happen?
Should we be trying to provide our students with the “luxury” of modern, technology-driven best practices in learning or the “luxury” of personal, face-to-face, in-class presence?
ReplyDeleteWhat we need are better students. Technology is just a tool that can be used or misused. It is the user we need to focus on. There are African students, some -- not all, who have very little technological experience in Africa and, yet, come over here to out-perform the American students who are loaded with technology. Let us find out why, from a scientific and an experimental point of view. From a speculative and philosophical point of view, my guess is that technology is probably a "red herring;" and, hence, the question about technology is a loaded one.
Safro Kwame
I agree that technology is just a tool and that it can be used well or poorly, Kwame, but I can't get past your opening statement: "What we need are better students."
DeleteIsn't it up to us to "create" better students? Isn't it the teacher's role to help the whoever shows up in our classes leave as a better thinker/critic/practitioner/ student? Isn't it more constructive to try to figure out how to do that than simply blame the victim?
It does not matter how they are created or who takes credit for having good students. The point is that the student matters (more than the technology), and that does not mean technology is not important.
DeleteSafro Kwame
“Should we be trying to provide our students with the “luxury” of modern technology-driven best practices... ?”
ReplyDeleteOne of my dear math colleagues who proved to be one of the most successful mathematics teachers, used to frequently remind me that for him, the best technology was a chalkboard with a chalk. He could not understand the fuss about internet, or a smartboard, or even the need for using an overhead projector in classroom. This was awkward since he knew I teach computer science classes and software design. I agreed with him that computers break down much more often than this old “chalk technology”. But, it is nice to be able to save a lecture digitally and avoid breathing some chalk dust. He reminded me that the smartboard projector lights can hurt eyes!
In this case, one solution fits all cannot be the answer. What I worry is that out of desperation, modern technology may be looked at as an answer to all teaching and learning problems. The notion that technology is meant to enhance teaching and learning should be approached and dealt with responsibly.
Ali B.
Yes--just as I argued above that students aren't the problem I would agree here that technology isn't the answer. Maybe what we need to think about is what teachers like your colleague did effectively with chalk and chalkboards and see what sorts of tools can create the same kind of learning, albeit in a "snazzier" appearance. It's the pedagogy, not the tool, that is important. But as I type that, the thought in the back of my brain is "True, but maybe the new tools could make that math teacher even more effective than he was at the blackboard." I guess the only thing to do is to try new things and see if they work, but do so sparingly and thoughtfully and don't throw the virtual baby out with the bathwater.
DeleteI agree that “being even more effective using new tools” was a possibility for my colleague, particularly if class sizes were much larger than it is here (as in some bigger universities). A well-organized online or hybrid version of a course with 200+ students may work better that a traditional classroom where teachers do not know any student’s name for example. Teachers have their own comfort zones and creativity and maybe teaching talent (if there is such a thing). Different economical circumstances and the course subject, as well as a teacher’s own teaching style may dictate using one tool more than others. At the end of the day, it can all work great if the choices are done carefully for each course (and maybe for each teacher). Nevertheless, I also agree that it is good to be open-minded about trying new teaching tools if teaching is not effective enough. I imagine what the classrooms will be in 500 years from now? Maybe the chalkboard will be considered new, and computers old!
DeleteAli B.
I think the luxury is great teaching. Great teaching is not bound by technology or face-to-face interaction but by instructors that try hard to engage the students in the classroom or online. Technology is not a substitute for pedagogy but technology can be used as a tool in the classroom to engage students that grew up watching Sponge Bob instead of Mr Rogers. These students are used to a whole different speed of delivery than the previous generation was! In my experience, they like it when you mix it up and keep them busy in the classroom: Add some You Tube videos (never more than 2min 30 sec), think-pair-share-exercises, case studies, problem sets, minute-papers, presentations - whatever you can come up with to keep instruction from being stagnant. I love technology - but I also love interacting with people face to face. Our students would probably say that they love technology as well as face-to-face interaction (just a wild guess) - they also love great instruction! I really don't think they care how you deliver that instruction as long as you do your best to keep them engaged - which, to finally answer the question - means using both technology and face-to-face interactions.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting and eloquent call for hybrid teaching and learning, Anna! And the luxury of great teaching--such as you describe with your mix of all those different learning activities within one class period--calls for yet another luxury, time to plan the structure of each day's lesson. (Insert sigh here... ) You raise a good point about students valuing great instruction in whatever format. It would be interesting to have them define that. I wonder what "great instruction" looks like from their eyes and what they would say keeps them engaged and learning.
ReplyDelete