I work here at the college as a Technical Support Coordinator so I can vouch for our school when I say that a lack of technology is not really a salient issue (at least within the College of Education). The main issue that I see here is that most instructors really don’t have the time to invest in learning new technologies to implement or integrate into their instruction. Those that are more savvy when it comes to technology tend to make time to learn new tools and methods, however I feel that for those that aren’t as savvy; the learning curve is too steep for them to dedicate a substantial amount of time in attempting to learn new tricks.
It may be the case that the “lack of time” claim is just a proxy for the lack of ability, interest or willingness to learn new technology, but this is not always the case. There are many instructors here that carry a lot of additional responsibilities besides teaching. For these individuals who have the willingness, but not the time, I feel that once they are exposed to tools that have proven success in the educational arena, they will eventually adopt them as well.
I would address this barrier by gradually introducing various proven technologies that could potentially improve, enhance and or simplify processes that faculty are accustomed to conducting manually. I would start small with trainings, professional development workshops and email tutorials. My target audience would be those who aren’t technologically savvy so I would keep the initial trainings as simple as possible with the highest residual value ie. Folders and filters to organize emails or converting word documents and handouts to PDF’s. I would create small tutorials that walk through the processes step-by-step and list the potential uses and benefits of each technology. Anything to warm them up to the idea would be a step in the right direction.
At the risk of drawing ire from my colleagues, time is usually a proxy. We make time for what we see as useful or important. Let's face it, education is mostly arranged around the concept of a teacher standing in front of a class. This doesn't need much technology to work!
ReplyDeleteIt can be true for those that aren't as savvy technologically that "the learning curve is too steep for them to dedicate a substantial amount of time in attempting to learn new tricks" as you mentioned. Your idea, however, of creating "small tutorials that walk through the processes step-by-step and list the potential uses and benefits of each technology," would be very helpful to introduce and review concepts for everyone, both the savvy and not so savvy in terms of technology.
ReplyDeleteAnyone can benefit by learning and being reminded about new approaches, ideas, and tools related to technology. Having a collection or notebook of ideas and strategies to refer to from a training like an e-mail tutorial as you suggested, that can be printed out and put into a tangible notebook or kept on the computer for future reference would allow for review whenever necessary. By giving small introductions to technologies and simple step-by-step guidelines, your recipients might increase their retention and application of the information and be more successful in their independent use of technology and hopefully be able to begin to overcome the barriers to technology that they may be experiencing.
The idea of creating small tutorials is helpful to all. I use a lot of technology, but there is still a lot that I need to learn. I use short videos that have been created to learn the program that I am using with students in the afterschool program. I am barely staying ahead of the students, but the short videos help me stay out in front and allow me to teach them new things. More and more areas are begining to create short videos. You might just become famous with your videos like the young man on the Khan Academy that I watched on CNN tonight. Good luck.
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