READ | TEACHING @ | TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
benefits | modes of technology | resources
Instructional technology is an integral component of modern university teaching. It is most beneficial when it is closely aligned with the teacher’s instructional objectives. The objectives should determine the choice of media, not the other way around. Although instructional technology may seem, and often is, an effective way to present instructional materials, these materials are only as good as the thought and organization that precede their use. Used effectively, instructional technology can help emphasize important concepts within teaching, stimulate student interest, enhance comprehension, and prevent boredom (Williamson & Abraham, 1995; Hall, 1996).
BENEFITS & APPLICATIONS
Instructional technology permits the addition of visuals, sound, and motion to information display and can be an effective means of enhancing teaching and learning. Used appropriately and effectively, instructional technology can help instructors in the following ways (Albright and Graf, 1992):
- to perform tasks that cannot be done otherwise, such as helping students experience times, places, people, images, and events that cannot otherwise be reproduced and brought into class
- to perform tasks that instructors can do otherwise, but in a less effective way (e.g., helping students visualize phenomena that may be too small or too dynamic to convey effectively in print or with static models or by gestures)
- to perform tasks that are routine, e.g., helping students overcome learning differences and/or deficiencies best remedied through drill and practice
- to better prepare students for real-world situations in which they may be asked to use such tools as spreadsheets, word processing software, databases, or presentation templates to present ideas and processes by giving them projects which teach and exercise these skills
- to increase student and instructor productivity by reducing the time otherwise spent on routine record-keeping or communication between instructors and students
- to reach out to students who are otherwise unable or choose not to attend the conventional on-campus classes
Following are some general strategies on how to use instructional technology, contributed by the Center for Teaching and Learning at University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill (1993): Relate media to learning objectives. Instructors should know clearly and make it clear to students why instructional media, such as videotape or a PowerPoint presentation, are used in class and how students are expected to refer to them in the process.
Present main ideas in a simple format. The rule of thumb here is that media should support presentations by emphasizing the main points, using simple and user-friendly layout and wording, and breaking complex concepts into manageable pieces.
Support main ideas. The media should not overpower or overshadow the presentation, but instead support it. By this principle, instructors should choose the visuals carefully and try to ensure that each image they use contributes something significant to student understanding of the major concepts. Also, it is a good idea to provide breaks for discussions or other activities between media viewing sessions to help reduce “media fatigue.”
Match media to level of instruction. It is important to keep in mind that instructional media to be used in a class should be appropriate to students’ needs, level of expertise, and knowledge base of the subject matter. It will be less effective or will even diminish the supporting function if such media turn out to become overwhelming to students, for
instance, showing 50 highly abstract and intensive PowerPoint slides in a 48-minute session, or having students watch a documentary for the entire session.
Good instructional technology applications, like good lectures, are notorious for the amount of initial preparation time they swallow up. However, once one has developed instructional technology applications, they often can be used over again and
are easily updated.
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