2_2 Discussion Assignment-Technologies in higher education

Social networking and the learning community

By Steve Grede for NAU, CC590 

I asked a friend who maintains a very active Facebook page, ‘why do you spend the time and energy?’ After some thought she replied, ‘we are like pack animals that are more comfortable knowing what everyone else in the pack is doing.’ Perhaps social media is means of strengthening our sense of community.

I become impatient with the level of conversation often found in social media. Most forms have a lag time that necessitates multiple responses. I am just not good at texting. Honestly, I prefer in-person interaction. I can read so much more from another’s intonation and body language. Pictures may be good but there is nothing like being together.

I work to foster a sense of community in my Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) classroom. Teaching design and drafting software can be challenging. Students come with widely varying skills and abilities. The software is challenging and not very intuitive. There are many hurdles that can stop a student’s progress. Some students find the frustration overwhelming. When there is a learning community, students help one another. The student does not have to wait for me to get to them before they can have assistance and continue.

The great diversity of students provides greater opportunities for learning. Some of my students are professionals who need to learn the software or update their skills. Others have been raised with computers yet have little understanding of the professional applications. Learning is far greater if the students can share, support, and mentor.

There is a camaraderie that develops. Our classes run five hours and twenty minutes a week for sixteen weeks. The students have a lot of personal contact. If a student is absent, another student usually texts to find out why and will help catch them up. It is this kind of environment that makes teaching so much fun.  

The CAD Department is considering offering classes in a hybrid format; meaning that the class would meet in person once a week and the additional work time would be independently. The computer lab would be available for students who do not have the computing ability to run the free versions of the software. I suspect meeting once a week will still maintain that physical sense of community. The support of the community will hopefully extend beyond the class time.

Depending on the success of the hybrid format, we are considering offering some sections entirely online. Other programs have done this successfully. The online courses tend to fill more quickly. There are logistical concerns such as the computing requirements to run the software. I find the greatest concern is the potential loss of a learning community. Some students can learn from tutorials but the majority of my students seem to benefit from instructor assistance and a sense of community.

This class is showing that there are other means of creating a community. According to Hung (2010), “learning emerges from social interaction.” (p. 704) “We therefore urge higher education practitioners to look more closely at the technological affordance of social media ant its instruction use for creating a positive learning community.” (p. 712) Certainly this class will give resources to support learning in any modality. Of particular interest are the strategies for fostering a learning community in hybrid and online formats.

Before this class I associated social media with Facebook. I do not keep up a Facebook page, in part because I am an educator. I am reluctant to share personal information with students and respect their privacy as well. According to a study performed by Malesky (2012) “Over one-third of the students and one a quarter of the faculty participants reported that it is inappropriate for faculty members to have accounts on SSNs (social networking sites).” (p. 135) The article went on to discuss the concept of “dual relationships” or the blurring of profession and social relationships. There are potential ethical considerations of assessing all students equally.

I am learning that there are many more types of social media available. Tweets might remind students of deadlines. I am intrigued by blogs and interested in how this might be incorporated. The ability to make and post movies podcasts and movies has great potential. I look forward to trying out these technologies and learning what the next three weeks of class might offer.

Resources:

El-Hussein, M. O. M., & Cronje, J. C. (2010). Defining Mobile Learning in the Higher Education Landscape. Educational Technology & Society, 13 (3), 12–21.

 

Hung, H. T., & Yuen, S. C. Y. (2010). Educational use of social networking technology in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 15(6), 703-714.

Malesky Jr., L. A & Peters, C. (2012). Defining appropriate professional behavior for faculty and university students on social networking websites. Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education and Educational Planning, 63(1) 135-151.

1_3 Discussion Assignment – CC590

Technology in Higher Education

As I waited at the gate in the Oakland Airport with about sixty others, I looked up from my book and noticed something unexpected. Almost everyone was using a mobile device. Most were utilizing their smart phones. A few were calling and texting. I noticed someone who appeared to be checking their Facebook account. Several younger people were listening to music. I saw children playing video games. People were using their iPhone to take and review photos. Two people were working on the laptop charging counter. There were some people reading kindles. I looked for print media and found I was the only one reading a book. One woman was reading a magazine and another woman a newspaper. Few people were conversing, and those that were often had hand held devices as well. I marveled at how much the world had changed.

As an educator, there is potential in this connectivity. It is increasingly common that students access information from their smart phones. If our class discussion brings up a term or fact that I do not have readily available, a student usually has the answer in seconds. There is sometimes competition as to who can find the information first. Often we compare the answers if they differ. This reduces my need to write down the question, research, and bring the answer to the next class. Using smart phones to photograph and store notes on the whiteboard and SMART Board, and paper examples of sheet sets provided in class. This allows them to refer to the information later and has made the student more comfortable and the class runs more smoothly. Students more commonly use YouTube to quickly see how a building element might be constructed. I find YouTube clips linked in their presentations. When I taught a sustainability course, almost all of our research was done online. As some assignments were done in groups, this research was started in class. This is summed up well by Oblinger (2010) “Students search information - from wherever they are, on any device they choose, at any time, with near instantaneous results, in their medium.” (Oblinger, p.48)

I am very fortunate to teach in a computer lab. Many of Pima Community College’s classrooms do not have computers readily available, so the prevalence of personal devices can be very useful. The readings for this course really helped me to understand the opportunities. Teachers have tried to limit smart phones in classrooms as they can be a distraction from instruction and utilized for cheating, yet they can be integrated for improved learning (Hill, 2011 p.22). I certainly do not allow any devices during a test or final, but all learning that is relevant to the course is welcome.

Mobile devices may have an even greater impact on distance education. The Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) department does not have hybrid or online courses, but we are considering the creation of a hybrid course in the next year. Based on the success of that course, we may consider an online course. The University of Arizona is teaching a summer CAD course for Revit this summer. Many CAD students are professionals who need to learn new software. They have busy work schedules and family commitments, so having less traditional class time would be attractive.  As stated by Oblinger (2010) “For many students, education must fit alongside work and family responsibilities. Online learning and accelerated programs provide greater flexibility than traditional campus programs.” (p. 49)

Taking an on-line course titled Education Technology in the Classroom is a perfect opportunity to reflect on how technology can improve student learning. There are technologies that I can incorporate in my courses. I have found the organization of this class with the modules, readings, assignments, and resources to be a model for online education. I look forward to the weeks to come. 

Resources:

Hill, R. (2011). Mobile Digital Devices: Dipping your toes in technological waters. Teacher Librarian, 39(1), 22-26.

Oblinger, D. G. (2010). From the Campus to the Future. EDUCAUSE Review, 45(1) 42-52.