Technology enhanced teaching
Determine if technology enhances learning
New faculty members should seek out technology that enhances student learning. Most students come to our courses with a strong foundation in use of technology, and expect instructors to incorporate it into their teaching. Some caution is necessary to avoid using technology merely for effect, without knowing how it will enhance learning. Take the time to determine which technologies will support and enhance student learning, and learn how to use them.
Choose an appropriate technology
New technologies are evolving constantly, and faculty members have an obligation to stay current with the possibilities and incorporate them into teaching when they support student learning. Examples include web enhanced courses, clickers, tablets, smart boards, podcasts, media clips, media production, cameras, image projection, etc. Learn what each technology offers students by attending workshops offered by campus Instructional Technology Centers, testing new technologies for companies, team teaching with a colleague who incorporates technology, and searching for teaching with technology ideas online.
Provide the necessary support
For a number of reasons there is a high failure rate for new technologies in classrooms. It may be problems with the hardware or software, in which case using it for teaching may be premature. It may be lack of knowledge of how to use the technology on the part of the instructor or students or both. In this case it is best for the instructor to become comfortable with the basic operation of the technology before introducing it to a class, and to provide explicit instructions for students on how to use it before expecting them to complete assignments. Hold a class session in the technology center early on with technology personnel to trouble shoot in order to avoid common problems. Build in follow-up instruction on the technology to resolve any remaining challenges that students may have. Be available to help students overcome issues that interrupt their learning. Utilize the campus academic technology center personnel to help choose technology, train students and staff, and troubleshoot when problems arise. By building in the necessary support, technology failures can be kept to a minimum.
Have a backup plan
In spite of the best plans and tech support, from time to time technology will fail. Knowing this, it is prudent to build in a backup plan so that student learning is not interrupted in the event of equipment, software or server failure. Often a lower tech solution like a backup link on email, or availability of a hard copy will suffice. It may be helpful to have duplicate backup equipment or parts standing by with appropriate technicians. The best way to avoid delay or complete interruption of teaching and learning is to build in one or two alternatives and explain them to students ahead of time. Include contact information for technology support, along with instructions for what to do in the event of a technology failure in the course syllabus.
Teaching with Technology
Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Jossey Bass
This book draws on current research and best practice to show how to integrate technology into teaching in higher education.
Educational Technologies Blog
A blog for and about Princeton University faculty use of technology for teaching and research.
New Philosophies of Learning
London Knowledge Lab (2009)
Two knowledge lab faculty have chapters in this newly published book addressing technology enhanced learning, both available as articles in the Journal of Philosophy of Education, Vol. 42, Iss. 3-4.
The Use of Educational Technologies in University Teaching and Learning
Lee, F.T. & Yeap, B. H. (2005). International Conference on Multimedia and ICT in Education, Lisbon, Portugal
This paper explores pedagogical strategies combined with technological tools to encourage students to participate in dialogues with the instructor and other students.
Teaching with Technology
Teaching Effectiveness Program, University of Oregon
This site offers numerous resources, including vital considerations, improving lectures, tools for assessment, tools for engagement, and resources for further study.
Teaching with Technology Today
UW Extension Division of Continuing Education, University of Wisconsin System
This site consists of a web-based newsletter and a companion listserv where members discuss technology, pedagogy, and student learning. It contains articles on technology in teaching in many fields, including anthropology, art, botany, chemistry, dance, engineering, geosciences, hospitality and tourism, mathematics, pharmacy, space science and special topics among others.
Technology Tools for Teaching
Teaching, Learning and Technology in Higher Education
Hewlett Packard Communities website, (March,2009). Clemson University
This site offers a sampling of articles about faculty members incorporating technology in various ways into their classrooms.
Teaching with Technology: Integrating instructional technology into your classes
Online Instruction Resources, Faculty and Organizational Development, Office of the Provost. Michigan State University
A variety of resources including introduction, student perspective, strategies and examples, technology for science courses, sites on using technology in teaching, course development, and specific teaching and learning strategies are offered.
Apple, Stanford Teaching iPhone Development for Free
Free video recordings of Stanford’s 10 week computer science class, taught by two Apple employees, will be freely downloadable through Apple’s iTunes U educational channel. The course syllabus and slides will be freely available on iTunes as well.
University of Delaware Responds to Classroom Clickers
Briggs, L.L. (2007). Campus Technology
This case study describes the use of clickers in university classrooms.
Best Practices: Tips on Effectively Integrating Clickers into the Classroom
Student Response Systems, The UW System clicker project. University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
This site contains helpful links, articles, research, and showcases of use of clickers.
What are Clickers?
Ohio State University
This site provides an overview of clicker use, with examples of practice, setup instructions, and additional resources.
Teaching with Tablet PC’s
Goldstein, S. (2006). Lunch ‘n Learn presentation
This overview of the PC tablet that uses a special “pen” instead of a mouse offers information on types of tablets, and a number of ways of incorporating the tablet into classrooms.
Tech Trends, The HP Blog Hub
Teaching, Learning & Technology in Higher Education
The blog series addresses issues related to using technology in higher education teaching.
Classroom Response Systems (Clickers)
Bruff, D., Assistant Director, Vanderbilt Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University
This site provides a comprehensive overview of “clicker” use in university classrooms, including links to bibliographies, articles and webinar sessions.
One Tablet Classroom @ Murray State University
Teaching, Learning & Technology in Higher Education, Hewlett Packard
A brief summary of work completed with a Teaching Leadership Award is explored on this blog.
Teaching with Media
Film School: To Spice Up Coursework, Professors Make Their Own Videos
Young, J.R., (May, 2008). Information Technology, The Chronicle of Higher Education
This article describes an innovation used by professors to explain difficult to understand concepts by making film clips to demonstrate phenomena or illustrate procedure.
Teaching Ethnicity and Race Through Films
Saxon, B., Teachers Institute, Yale
This curriculum unit outlines ways to use film to address issues of race, with specific films listed and ways to use them.
Teaching Foreign Policy with Film
Inderfurth, K., Professor, former Assistant Secretary of State (May, 2009). Passport, a blog by the editors of Foreign Policy,
George Washington University
This is a discussion of the best films to use to teach foreign policy.
Teaching American History through Hollywood Films
Mjagkij, N. (2003). Ball State University
This article includes sources for films that are in U.S. public domain, Leonard Maltin’s Movie and Video Guide, and his Movie Encyclopedia.
Teaching Ethnic Diversity with Film
Rappaport, S. (2006). Currents, University of California Santa Cruz
This is an introduction to a book co-edited by Carole Gerster, Digital Media Lecturer, suggesting how and why to teach about diversity through the use of film.
Media Teacher
Pace, B., Literature and Media Project. University of Florida
The purpose of this website is to expand a view of media and assist educators in thinking about the role that media play in contemporary culture. It includes links to movie and television teaching guides, use of short films, and tips and shortcuts. While developed for K-12 teachers, it offers resources that college instructors will find helpful as well.
Film Teaching Guides
Technology and Media Literacy students, Media Teacher. Proteach Program, University of Florida
These guides to films are free for use by classroom teachers to download and use as long as the students are credited with their development.
Filmhefte: Teaching Guides for German-Language Films
This is a great resource for teachers of German, offering guides for over 50 German language films and Hollywood movies.
Podcasting
Podcasting
Engage, University of Wisconsin, Madison
This site contains information on podcasting, what it is, how to use it in teaching and learning, samples, and how to create and deliver podcasts.
Teaching ESL listening comprehension through podcasting
Department of English, Iowa State University
Thanks to a grant from the Iowa State Center for Online Learning, this project aims to integrate podcasts into the ESL classroom.
TILT Podcasts
The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT), Colorado State University
This collection contains podcasts of teaching tips across a wide array of topics, including use of clickers, universal design, classroom behavior, discriminatory behavior, diverse ways of learning and many more.
Teaching with New Media
Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning
Columbia University
The CCNMTL partners with Columbia University faculty to enhance teaching and learning through use of new media. A project portfolio demonstrates the range of projects faculty use at Columbia, through innovative use of technology, collaborative design, with an emphasis on student interaction.
Streaming Media
University of Wisconsin
This site offers faculty perspectives on use of streaming media in teaching, along with stories of practice, tips for success, advice, and instructional design strategies.
Assessment with Technology
Testing with Tech: The Role of Technology in Supporting and Enhancing Assessment
Means, B. (2009). Edutopia, The George Lucas Educational Foundation
This is one of a series of commentaries about the use of technology in education, on a site that contains special reports, blogs, videos and more.
Online Teaching
Teaching with Technology: Online Teaching
Faculty and Organizational Development, Michigan State University
This site offers resources for designing fully online and “hybrid” courses that include both in-classroom and online instruction. Links to a number of sites that support online and hybrid teaching are included.
Blended Learning and a Sense of Community
Rovai, A. P., & Jordan, H. M. (2004). International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning
The present study used a causal-comparative design to examine the relationship of sense of community between traditional classroom, blended, and fully online higher education learning environments.
Campus Support for Teaching with Technology
Center for Teaching and Technology
Michigan State University
This is one example of a campus technology center with multiple supports for faculty using technology.
Accessible Technology Initiative
California State University San Marcos
CSU campuses are committed to maximizing access to all technology for students, faculty and staff. This site describes the effort at one CSU campus.
Academic Technology Services
California State University System
This site describes the support for faculty to enhance stuent learning through technology.
Challenges of Teaching with Technology
When Technology Fails
Byrne, R. (September, 2008). Podcast
In this episode, an instructor shares an experience of going to plan “b” when the technology planned for a lesson failed.
And What About When Technology Fails You?
Wojewodzki, R.R. & Blake-Plock, S.(May, 2009). Teach Paperless, Blog entry
This entry explores what happens when bad weather causes a disruption in technology. The Teach Paperless community regularly posts and comments on all aspects of paperless, digital, and technological culture as it relates to education.
Special Women’s Studies Section
Teaching with Technology Today, an online newsletter. University of Wisconsin System
This volume of the April 2004 issue of the newsletter addresses special issues in women’s studies with respect to technology in teaching.
Examples of Teaching with Technology
Case Study Series Library
Center for Digital Strategies,Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth
These cases are part of the Vincent L. LaCorte Case Series, and cover many business topics.
Blackboard Greenhouse Exemplary Course Program
This program recognizes courses that model best practices in learning, course design, interaction and collaboration, assessment and evaluation, meaningful technology use, and learner support. Example courses in all disciplines are highlighted.
Apple Learning Interchange
Apple Inc. (2008)
This is a searchable database of podcasts, videos, webpages, articles and other items that address the use of technology in a variety of ways for higher education. Searches can be done by education level, academic area, or tools, and there are a number of ways to network with others having similar interests.
