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.
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