Impact of Technology and Multimedia

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn" - John Cotton Dana.

            There is a rapid increase in the development of technology all over the globe. Grajek (2014) states that “the attention paid to MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) indicates the urgency to integrate more technology into teaching and learning” (p.13). The developments in the areas of technology and multimedia are challenging many online professionals, such as facilitators, instructors, technology administrators and instructional designers who are charged with the responsibility to integrate new technologies and keep up with the pace of the changes. The major challenges with the use of technology and multimedia is on how information is presented in online environments, whether the learner is able to engage in the learning process, and whether the design of the multimedia and technologies is able to distribute knowledge to all intended learners.

Technology and multimedia can enhance learning, with the use of illustrations tools such as audio, videos, and pictures, instead of single method of presenting information (as in text or audio). I have recently viewed two interesting science lessons in a video, for example, where the teachers presented lessons on the “forces in equilibrium”. One presented the lesson with text and audio while the other made use of various videos to illustrate concept. The group that used multimedia was more engaged and had better performance on the lesson. Price (2007) argues that “students have a stronger preference for instructional material that contains visual representations, perceiving them as more accessible and easier to engage with” (p.320). When technology is used efficiently, it motivates learners to engage within the learning space. As technology grows and changes, that places a demand on the professionals to learn how to effectively use various technology tools and multimedia in online environment.

            Boettcher & Conrad, (2010) recommend that “the best approach for teaching a first online course is to keep it simple and focus on essential tools” (p.57). The instructor needs to start by learning to use the basic functionality of the selected technology tool. There is no use in overwhelming yourself with tons of knowledge that is irrelevant to your lesson outcomes.  It is better to start small and gradually learn other things as the need arises. The first step is to start by attending training that is offered at the local institutional level and/or make use of free online tutorials that are provided. Another important consideration is to build good relations with the support staff and not to waste much time with trial and error as one tries to figure the unknown, instead of just contacting the support team. The technical support, administrators, student assistants and instructional designers are not only critical for support but can also assist online students with frequently asked questions and when the facilitator is not available.  Asking for help from others is one way to learn quickly from experts about the technologies and multimedia tools to use in the online teaching.

            Technology tools used for online learning should be useable and accessible; otherwise they add no value to learning if they serve as a décor. Bates (2000) argues that “a critical part of the design of educational multimedia is the interface” (p.40). The instructor needs to determine how learners will interact with the tool by testing it before the course begins in each term, semester or year and enquire from the support team about online orientation for the instructor and students. If students cannot access the material, obviously they cannot use it either. It is also helpful to learn how the tool works so that the instructor can be prepared to respond to students’ questions on how the tool works, not refer even the simplest of questions to the support team. Technology can be very sensitive to changes, therefore the instructor needs to check frequently the accessibility of the tools way before the class commences. The designing of the learning material should follow an integrated systematic process for course design so that it is accessible and usable to all learners with and without visible disabilities. For example, when the video is used to present information, transcripts for visual impaired students should be provided. Cooper, et al. (2007) mention that “the main challenge in accessibility is responding to the diversity of the ways different users interact with computer environment” (p.233). Technology tools used in teaching online should be accessible and usable to a wide range of individual preferences.

The most appealing online teaching tool for me is the course management systems (CMS) such as Blackboard Learn, which serve as a centralized point for sharing information in the online learning environment. Most institutions use CMS such as Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai, and Desire2Learn to facilitate teaching online. I also found videos more appealing as they have become so easy to create. Even learners can develop their own videos without hassles. A number of videos are also available for free online, with relevant expertise and knowledge for anyone to use for purposes such as teaching online. The developments and improvements of technologies have increased competition within the industry in such a way that there are many tools to choose from that are available for free or with limited free trial all over the internet.

Reference

Bates, T. (2000). Teaching, Learning, Impact of Multimedia, and Technologies,

University of British Columbia.

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Cooper, M., Colwell, C., & Jelfs, A. (2007). Embedding accessibility and usability: Considerations for e-learning research and development projects. ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology, 15(3), 231-245. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.