Mobile Tecnology

Technology continues to progress further into the future every day and as such so does its use in education and the classroom.  Technology is not only limited to desktop computers or laptops, but rather can include the use of mobile devices (Park, 2011).  With recent economic changes, educational institutions are facing budget restrictions.  However, mobile technology can help to eliminate budget deficits. 

One example of mobile technology is e-readers.  E-readers allow learners to read course materials, such as textbooks, with the touch of a finger.  No longer is the student required to carry around heavy textbooks.  Textbooks are updated with new information every few years and as such educational institutions are required to purchase the newly updated textbooks.  This can become expense for school and for the learner in which one is required to purchase their books for class.  With e-readers, learners or the educational institutions are able to purchase textbooks online.  The textbooks purchased are the most current version.  No longer is the student or educational institution required to hold a large inventory of out dated course materials (Park, 2011). 

One example for incorporating e-readers into the classroom is for educators to assign course readings to learners in which the learner is able to read the material on the e-reader.  The e-reader is lighter than the textbook and easier to carry around than a traditional laptop.  Within my current practice as a corporate trainer, one would be able to assign pre-training materials to learners to read.  The pre-reading material would help to provide additional background for the learner prior to entering the training course.  Trainees would not have to forced to use work time to read through the material, but rather would be able to read on one’s commute to and from work or at home in the evenings.  Additionally, the trainee would be able to directly download the materials to the e-reader that have been previously purchased by the company.  The employees attending the training session would be able to easily bring their e-readers to the training course, which would provide easy access to references and topics discussed in the training. 

In a classroom setting, the e-readers could be incorporated to allow students to access information and resources on the internet during the class discussion or lecture.  Additionally, class presentations can be uploaded and shared on e-readers.  No longer does the educator or presenter need a classroom projector.  Students are able to follow along with the presentation slides via their e-reader.  Personally, in the training universe, my organization spends a great deal of time and money on printing hard copies of training presentations that are distributed to participants.  Now the presentations can be downloaded to the e-reader and learners would be able to follow along of the reader. 

The second mobile technology researched is the use of mobile or handheld devices.  With the creation of Smartphones, educators have begun to move away from the use of computer labs in the classroom and have begun to use Smartphones for the same capabilities (Johnson, Levine, Smith, & Stone, 2010).  Mobile or handheld devices allow learners to be connected to their classroom at anytime and any location (Hare, 2010). 

One example of incorporating handheld devices is through the use of apps that can be downloaded on the mobile devices.  One example provided by Johnson et al. (2010) is students enrolled in a science class in which students can learn about the solar system by simply clicking on an app on their Smartphones and then holding their phones up to the sky.  The student is able to see the locations and names of stellar objects.  The learner is able to access their learning resources at any time anywhere.  Learners are connected and further engaged in the learning process.  Learners are able to carry their course curriculum or readings around with them in the palm of their hand instead of lugging around textbooks.  Learners are able to move outside of the classroom, for example in this science class, to be able to receive learning first hand through demonstration. 

The second example for incorporation into the classroom is something that I currently use at Walden University.  Many educational institutions, specifically online institutions, have downloadable applications.  Walden University has an app that I have downloaded to my iPhone.  From there I am able to access my email and classroom at any location.  I am able to join group discussions or answer emails at the touch of a finger.   Adult learners in a corporate or professional setting can benefit from having the classroom available to them at any time.  Within my current organization, many analysts travel for business and as such it is hard to always stay connect, especially in the airport.  Now with the downloadable app to their Smartphones, the analysts are always able to stay connected no matter where they are. 

References:

Hare, C. (2010). School opens door to iPhones in class. St. Albert Gazette. Retrieved on September 26 from www.stalbertgazette.com/article/20100529/SAG0801/305299977. 

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., and Stone, S. (2010). The 2010 Horizon Report. Austin TX.: New Media Consortium. 

Park, Y. (2011). A pedagogical framework for mobile learning: Categorizing educational applications of mobile technologies into four types. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(2), 78–102.

Social Networking

Social networking is everywhere in today’s environment.  Social media has now become a standard way of life that is incorporated into one’s daily life.  Social networking is not only for staying connected with friends and sharing photos; but, can be used for staying current on news events.  Many organizations have begun using social networking as a marketing or advertising tool that has the potential to reach new and different customer targets (Richardson, 2010).  Younger generations have always lived with social networking and don’t know anything different.  As such, adult learners can greatly benefit from the use of social networking within education and also one’s personal life. 

The first social networking tool selected for incorporation into the learning process is Facebook.  Facebook allows users to create personalized profiles and accounts that can accessed by friends, family or even the public.  Users are able to stay connected with friends via email or online chatting, share pictures, and share personal views or opinions about what is happening in one’s life.  Selecting Facebook was an easy decision; almost everyone has an account already.  If one does not have an account, signing up is really easy.  In this day and age, most people you meet have a Facebook account and chances are that after your first encounter with someone you will end up becoming Facebook friends.  Facebook is an untold secret within the education world, in which learners can share information, educators can post assignments, and students and educators can perform research (Helms, 2008).    

One example for incorporating Facebook into classrooms is for learners to use the “Groups” feature.  Each student would have a Facebook page, within their page the student would create a group that relates to a topic of their interest or a topic that is being discussed or studied in the course.  Students would be assigned a course project in which one’s research and course project would be posted on their group page for others to see and read.  Classmates would then join each others’ groups.  Students would be able to share ideas for helping to improve one’s research or course project.  Additionally, students would be able to share links to research or articles that pertain to the topic being discussed.  This forum allows a free exchange of data and information among students. 

The second example of incorporating Facebook is for the educator to create a Facebook page for the class.  Instead of using traditional web course functions; the educator is now able to use Facebook.  The educator can post reading assignments, videos, blogs, images, or links to websites on the class page (Young, 2008).  As part of the required course work, students would have to access the course Facebook page.  Additionally, educators can use Facebook as an option in which learners submit papers or homework assignments.  The benefit of creating a class Facebook page is that the page can be customized for each new group of learners and each new course that is taught.  The group Facebook page can be utilized as a chat room for students to discuss questions about course topics or homework assignments. 

The second social networking tool selected to enhance adult education is YouTube.  YouTube is an application in which users can post and share videos with the online community.  It provides a forum for individuals to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe (Boyd & Ellison, 2008).  The rational for selecting YouTube is that it provides an easy interface to the world’s largest collection of online videos.  An educator can incorporate YouTube videos into the learning process by creating short videos for students to view.  The videos would pertain to the subject and topic being discussed in the course.  A personal example is a friend of mine who is a high school science teacher.  Instead of standing up in front of his students’ everyday he began creating videos of his lectures.  The videos were uploaded to YouTube and made available for students.  Students had to view the lecture prior to the next day’s class.  The following day in class, the teacher would answer any questions the students had from the video lecture.  The class would then perform an in-class experiment based on the lesson from the video lecture.  It allowed the class and the educator more time to perform hands-on work instead of lecturing.  This increases the engagement level of the learners.

The second example is for the educator to incorporate short YouTube videos into one’s class presentations.  Not all classes are science or direct hands-on courses in which labs help to support the underlying concepts.  For some educators, class presentations or lectures are still a must.  But one way to make their lectures more entertaining and engaging for the learners is to include short YouTube videos.  Additionally, when students have to make presentations to the class, they would also be required to include YouTube videos.  The videos can be clips that the learners themselves created or they can be videos already posted online that help to support their presentation.  Within my organization’s training department, we have begun to record training sessions and posting the videos to YouTube.  The YouTube presentations are then uploaded to the company’s server and made available to employees to view at a time that is most convenient for them.

References:

Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2008). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship.  Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, 210-230.

Helms, A. (2008). Teachers disciplined for Facebook Postings. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 18th, from http://www.charlotteobserver.com/597/story/319902.html.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Young, J. (2008). When professors create social networks for classess, some students see a ‘creepy treehouse’. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved September 17, 2012, from

http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/3251/when-professors-create-social-networks-for-classes-some-students-see-a-creepy-treehouse.

Multimedia Tools and Applications

Multimedia technology has seen an increased presence in the adult learning process.  An educator, that used multimedia technology or applications in the classroom, is able to encourage more class participation in which the content of the course may be more attention-getting and attention-holding for the learners.  Multimedia technology and applications presents an opportunity for learners to represent their prior knowledge and previous experiences, which is the basis of most types of adult learning (Fink, 2003).  Learners are able to construct more meaningful knowledge from the concepts presented by accessing and interpreting information received from the multimedia technology.  Additionally, learners are able to apply their prior knowledge and experiences to the information and then present that to others in the course. 

The first multimedia technology selected to use in the classroom is the use of interactive self-paced modules.  The self-paced module allows learners to move through a topic or subject area at one’s own speed.  Additionally, self-paced modules supplement the learning that the educator is providing during face-to-face lectures and discussions (Hirumi, 2006).  Self-paced modules help to enhance specific topics of a lesson.  The rationale for selecting this particular technology is that learners may need or want additional support on specific topics or may want to be able to demonstrate their understanding of that topic by applying it to real-world settings.  The self-paced modules would provide any additional support that the learners may require, while applying their existing knowledge and experiences to real-world examples (Hirumi, 2006). 

As an adult educator, incorporating the self-paced modules into the learning process allows the learners the chance to apply knowledge to real-world settings without the consequences of a wrong decision (Hirumi, 2006).  First, the modules would be highly-interactive in which real-world situations or problems are identified in the modules as case studies.  Learners would interactively propose solutions and make decisions for how to solve the problem or situation at hand.  With each suggestion and decision, learners are moved forward through the case study until a final recommendation has been made by the learner.  The module would then highlight pros and cons related to the final recommendation.  Learners can move back to the beginning of the case study and try different routes and options.  With each new route, there are pros and cons that the learner must consider.  Learners have the opportunity to make decisions and recommendations without the consequences of a wrong decision.  If a wrong decision is made, the learner is able to see why the decision may not have been the best option and can start over again. 

Secondly, through incorporating self-paced modules into the learning process, learners receive feedback immediately.  The best type of feedback is when the feedback is delivered immediately (Haugen, 2011).  Learners are able to understand better strengths and areas of development with each bit of feedback received.  However, if feedback is received too long after an exam, classroom assignment or exercise, the learner may be able to apply the feedback received to the next exam or assignment (Haugen, 2011). 

The second multimedia technology selected to be incorporated into the classroom is to use Powerbullet Presenter.  Powerbullet Presenter allows an educator to create presentations in which sounds, voice recordings, images or other flash files can be incorporated into the presentation (Richardson, 2010).  Listening to the same presenter or instructor speak for the entire length of the course can get a little tiresome for learners.  Additionally, always being pegged with the same old PowerPoint presentations is not the most exciting way to teach to adult learners.  By incorporating new images or sounds into the presentation, learners may find a renewed spirit for learning.  Short video or audio clips can be incorporated into classroom presentations that capture real-world examples.  The video clips can be from other classroom offerings, news clips, television clips, almost any type of short video that can help the educator to highlight the topic being discussed.  The video or audio clips can be of real-world examples that relate to the topic being discussed that learners must work through or consider during the remainder of the course. 

The first example of how Powerbullet can be incorporated into the classroom is for the educator to present short video clips of current issues or problems.  For example, if the course related to economic trends, the instructor could present short video clips of previous economic times, either good or bad and then pose a problem that the learners must consider.  Learners would then, either alone or in groups, be able to work through potential solutions to the issue identified.  The learner(s) would then share with the class their recommendations. 

The second example for incorporation is to include interactive flash images that would illustrate or bring to life the topic being discussed.  Let’s say the topic at hand is how architectural design.  The educator could incorporate 3D images of buildings or structures to help illustrate a point.  For the learner, being able to see and physically relate an architectural topic to a structure or building will engage the learner.  If the topic was architectural mistakes, the educator could provide an image of the Leaning Tower Pisa.  Using the 3D image, the learner is able to see the whole structure.  In the image, the educator could even strip away the walls and show the internal structure of the Tower to better illustrate his or her point.  These are all ways to help enhance learning and create a more engaging environment.

References:

Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 

Haugen, L. (2011). Classroom assessment techniques (CATs). Retrieved from http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/cat.html.

Hirumi, A. (2006). Analysing and designing e-learning interactions. In C. Juwah (Ed.), Interactions in online education: Implications for theory and practice (pp. 46-71). New York: Routledge.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Emerging Technologies

Technology plays a major role in many of our lives.  Where would we be without our smart phones or the internet.  Technology has reshaped and redefined our culture and continue to expands with new emerging trends.  These emerging trends include the field of education.  This blog will be dedicated to the field of adult education and how technology plays a role.  Today I will explore two new emerging technologies for adults in education.

The first emerging technology is gaming or otherwise known as multiplayer online games.  Gaming allows learners to participate in role play that allows for experimentation, exploration of identities, thoughts, and ideas.  Through gaming learners can try different avenues of thoughts and ideas.  If that particular avenue doesn't work the learner is able to learner from the mistake, take a different avenue, and continue on with the game. 

The second technology is personal learning environments.  Adult learners bring with them a variety of experiences and previous knowledge to the learning process.  The personal learning environment is not only a new technological advancement but an approach to individualize learning from person-to-person.  Personal learning environments will require a shift in attitudes toward technology, teaching, and learning. 

Technology has changed the way that students learn and has created more opportunites for learners.  One may feel overwhelmed with some of the technologies available; however, if you take it one step at a time it won't be overwhelming but rather a positive and rewarding experience.