Instructional Technology

Faculty Center for Learning Development Using Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning
Before you roll that TV into the classroomremember that technology is just the delivery tool for a specific teaching method or strategy. In order to enhance learning, you need to make sure it is part of a larger design process. Heres one approach to deciding what technology will reap the best benefits: Ask yourself: What are my goals and objectives for this lesson, unit, etc? What teaching methods will best help me reach these goals and objectives? Typical methods are presentation, demonstration, discovery, and problem solving, but there are many more. What activities or delivery tools will match this teaching method best? Typical activities are lecture, lab experiments and case studies. Typical delivery tools include all sorts of instructional media and technology from chalkboards to newer media like computers and the Internet. PowerPoint Example When would I use PowerPoint? If the information you are going to convey is best delivered by presentation (lecture), you might choose a presentation technology to a supplement it. You can choose from many types of presentation technologies including overheads and the blackboard but most instructors today choose PowerPoint. PowerPoint presentations are easy to read, edit, create, present and have the added benefit of communicating to your students that you are able to use current technologies - a vital part of their cultural upbringing and life experiences When would I not use PowerPoint? PowerPoint is very popular for presentations, but it is not appropriate for all teaching methods. If you wanted to illustrate the effects of mixing vinegar and baking soda, a live demonstration would be the best way to convey that learning. If you couldnt do the actual live demonstration in class, you might choose to use video instead, or a simulation on the Internet. Due to developments in the fields of education and psychology, more emphasis has been placed on active methods like collaborative learning and discovery but presentation remains dominant, probably because it is the easiest and most efficient (cost-wise) way to deliver instruction.

3/3/2008 H:\LpWilson\aFCLD_new\Workshops\Nursing\FCLD_IT_Activity07.doc

Faculty Center for Learning Development

Instructional Design Activity

The purpose of this activity is to practice designing lessons using instructional technology. Working in groups, you will begin the process of choosing instructional technology for teaching and learning.

Step One: Identify the Instructional Goal

Your group has been assigned one of the following instructional goals. Conduct step-by-step surgical procedure Identify the parts of a cell Improve Doctors bedside manners

Step Two: Analyze Goal and break it down into steps

For each identified step, ask the following questions: Which of the following category best fits the learning required to accomplish this objective 1 ? o Motor (physical) o Cognitive (dealing with thinking) o Affective (dealing with feelings, emotions) If cognitive, what kind of thinking is required, higher order thinking (e.g., analysis, problem-solving) or lower order thinking (e.g., memorizing terms)?

Taxonomy of Instructional Objectives: http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/bloomtax.html Steps Three and Four: Choose Instructional Strategy/Activity for each objective
Choose an instructional method, and then, from the list given, match your instructional method with an instructional activity or technology. The chart below was designed to help you match instructional methods with corresponding instructional technologies. Using the chart, pick an appropriate instructional method for delivering this education and then identify one or two instructional technologies that you feel would help you reach this goal. Instructional Method Presentation Demonstration Role playing Simulation Problem solving Discovery Instructional Technology Activity or Delivery Tool PowerPoint, Blackboard, lecture, slide, posters, bulletinboard, overhead, pencil and paper, interactive flashcards Physical demo (e.g., riding a bike), videotape, slide, models, streaming (internet) video, animation Theatre performance, games, virtual reality experience Computer simulation (flying), models Small group, online discussion, newsgroups, e-mail, videoconference, phone, games Live experiment, field trip, online field trip

Glossary of Instructional Strategies: http://glossary.plasmalink.com/glossary.html

Benjamin Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

Faculty Center for Learning Development

2005

Step Four: Decide Feasibility and/or Next Steps

Now that you have chosen the activity/technology, you need to determine if there are any constraints to using this technology. Do you have the time to develop the materials required in using this technology? Is there any training or scheduling you need to do? Ask yourself the following questions to find out. Do you have access to the materials or technology you want to use? Do your students have access to the materials or technology you want to use? Do you know how to operate the technology (button pushing)? Do you have the time to learn this technology? Do you have the time to create the materials? Does this material require visual design skills (art)? Do you know how and where to schedule the technology for use in the classroom? Who will you call if it doesnt work? Do you have a contingency plan if the planned activity or the technology doesnt work?

Step Five: Assessment after Instruction Did the student learn? Although we often use a pencil and paper test to assess and measure learning outcomes, you might want to try technology to do this. Here are just a few forms of assessment that use technology: Online Discussions Online mini quizzes Electronic Portfolios Video projects Clickers Step Six: Revision and Fine Tuning Did your assessment show that the students are learning the material? If not, you will need to fine tune your process until your assessment shows that learning is taking placebut also be sure that your assessment is measuring the specific learning goals. Instructional Technology Tips Always remember that choice of technology follows choice of teaching strategy! Learn to be casual when it doesnt work. Have a backup plan. Start with simple first steps and build up from there. Be realistic about what you can do. Practice using the technology before you get in the classroom Try to think of your students first. Learn whom to call to learn and/or to help troubleshoot problems. Take workshops when you can. Learn from others. Teach others!! Websites for Nurses
List Servs, search for Nursing Educator discussions - http://www.lsoft.com/catalist.html Professional Development for Nurses - http://www.pblnursing.org/ Nursing Educator Links - http://www.uchsc.edu/CIS/Nurses.html Nursing Educator Links - http://www.enursescribe.com/nurse_educator_page.htm

Faculty Center for Learning Development

2005

Of course, its hard for an instructor to figure out what instructional technologies are really practical for them technologies that are accessible, supportable, easy to learn, and not too time-intensive. These technologies are sometimes called Low Threshold Applications (See: http://www.tltgroup.org/ltas.htm). The following chart was designed to give you a place to start thinking about what technology you might choose given your available time.

Instructional Technology by Learning Curve and Production Time

Low Learning Curve & Production Time (LTAs) Using/Sharing other instructors creations (See: http://www.merlot.org) Basic Blackboard Course Site Basic PowerPoint presentation (computerized overheads or slides) Using e-mail to communicate* Using clipart in Word Showing animations Using e-reserve images or articles through the library Using Online Discussions in Blackboard Inserting pre-made screen captures in Word Posting paper grades using Word** Showing video clips using VCR or DVD Videotaping video lecture Reading and participating in listserv discussions Conducting research using online libraries Advanced Blackboard Course Site Advanced PowerPoint presentation (embedding movies, sound, animations) Participating in online videoconference Creating your own clipart Creating animations in PowerPoint Linking to scanned images or articles Using live chat Capturing own screenshots with keyboard (or similar software) Using Blackboards spreadsheet for grading Videoclips in PowerPoint Streaming video lecture Using non-Blackboard online discussions Conducting research via online field trips Web Site from Scratch using Dreamweaver, Frontpage Flash-powered presentation Live two way video satellite conf. Editing art with Adobe Photoshop Creating Flash animations Scanning slides or articles to use online Using 3-D Chatrooms like SecondLife Creating Screen Capture movies with Camtasia Using Excel Spreadsheets for grading Capturing and burning video clips to DVD Using iMovie, Pinnacle Studio, etc. Podcasting video lecture Blogging (Crooked Timber, etc.) Tagging and sharing research using del.icio.us Medium Learning Curve & Production Time High Learning Curve & Production Time

* These can become time intensive, depending on the number of students involved ** Due to FERPA regulations, this is NOT advisable.
3/3/2008 H:\LpWilson\aFCLD_new\Workshops\Nursing\FCLD_IT_Activity07.doc Faculty Center for Learning Development

Choosing Technology

Here is a partial list of the technologies used in instruction

Software: Word processing, MS PowerPoint, Microsoft (MS) Publisher, MS Excel, Astound, Coral Draw, Lectora, Questionmark/Perception, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Dreamweaver, FrontPage, Clipart, Authorware, Macromedia Director, Flash, and much, much more. Web 1.0 Internet Technologies: Course Management Software (Blackboard, Web CT), Browsers, Search Engines, Web Sites, Newsgroups, streaming video and audio, web conferences. Web 2.0 Internet Technologies (interactive and/or shared applications): Flicker, Delicious, Blogs, Google.docs, podcasts, folksonomies, mash-ups, wickis Overheads LCD Projectors Filmstrips Audiotapes Videotapes Personal Computers (Mac, PC, or anything else) CD ROMS Screen Capture software (e.g., Camtasia) Posters Models Pencil and Paper (or pens) or Easel Typewriters Slides Stereoscope Films Electronic Databases Electronic Portfolios Electronic Course Packs Bulletinboard Whiteboard with dry erase Electronic Whiteboard Posters Dioramas Television broadcast Computer video games Computerized models (e.g., Turtle) Palm Pilots Live television from satellite
Faculty Center for Learning Development

2005