Lately I've heard a lot of talk about the use of technology in the classroom. Should we have online classes in this department or that department? If the B school does it should we? How do we provide the same rigor of academics if we don't see the students face to face? How will they interact with one another if they're online? These are all valid and good questions, but questions I feel were asked about five or so years back when online classes were all the rage. Now I feel that they're morexpected and part of everyday life than the 'rage' if I may say so.
However, higher education seems to be someone behind the curve on this one. Yes, there are certain programs and schools that provide excellent online courses, but I get the sense that there are still some hold outs, who, for whatever reason, are still very uncomfortable with the online space. I understand this to a certain degree, but as the student body evolves, so must the teaching methods. I realize that those who didn't grow up with technology may be somewhat afraid or skeptical of social networking, alternative forms of media.and anything related to the internet. Is it safe? Is it interactive? How do I post, write a blog or use such academically interactive features as Blackboard? I understand these are common questions that can seem overwhelming, but they shouldn't be.
As more and more families are growing up in households where not only is there a 'family' computer, but there are individual computers for each person, the use of technology is as normal as using a cell phone. Granted, this is not all families as I certainly recognize that those who are economically disadvantaged may not have access to as much as those whose families or situations are slightly better off. That said, there are more and more schools and libraries that are offering computer labs and computer training for those who aren't able to afford such luxuries. But back to the point of the benefit of technology for teaching purposes. I've taken a number of online classes, and some of them have been even more rigorous and enlightening than those that take place in the physical classroom. If the professor is up on the latest trends and uses for technology as an academic tool, there shouldn't be any problems. And if the professor opens the class with the notion of making it just as legitimate and worthwhile as being in the classroom, there's no reason anything should be lost in translation, so to speak. Beyond that, if the fear on the part of the professor is that students won't be able to handle or grasp the material through technology, then they're very mistaken. Students today use cell phones, blackberries, and laptops for everything. They're online with social networking in as many forms as you can count on two hands. If professors don't realize that this is the way they're going to have to communicate with their students now and in the future, then there will be a disconnect in learning, but it won't be solely technology's fault.
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