Technology and Teaching

Surveys of college faculty show that, at best, 30% are using course management systems (CMS) in their classes. And based upon my experience most of those are only using them to post a syllabus and maybe some reading materials. Technology has transformed other industries over the last 30 years -- why has education been so slow to follow?

I first encountered a CMS seven years ago as a graduate student at Rennsalear, where I worked as a TA. Faculty were being strongly encouraged to post their classes into WebCT, and my professor was eager to prove he was playing along. He supplied me with the syllabi for his classes, and in some cases class notes or power point slides and I took care of getting them posted. And in his classes he referred the students to take advantage of the materials posted. Well guess what? None of the students ever did more than perhaps log in once. There was no reason to! The professor seldom utilized the resource himself, it didn't change the way he taught the class, and it added almost nothing of value. The technology was being used, but not in any effective way.

Fast forward to today and not much has changed. Yale's CMS is a home-grown solution, with the standard bells 'n whistles -- discussion area, content posting, etc. At the moment no faculty at the School of Drama are using it as a resource. A few have tried in the past, posting syllabi and course materials, but the general feeling is that it wasn't worth the trouble. In this year's class of students there has been expressed interest in seeing greater utilization of web technologies to support the classroom. Students are used to enjoying the benefits of technology in other parts of their lives. So where are the promised benefits of technology in education?

Our use of the on line environment must be more than just another distribution channel for class handouts, assigned readings and tests. The true integration of technology into the teaching environment is going to fundamentally change what we do in the classroom, how we "teach" our students and when/where and how we interact with students. Students are coming more and more to expect the level of personalization, immediacy, control, and convenience that they experience in others parts of their tech-centered lives. Schools, programs, and faculty who can provide an educational experience that meets these expectations will thrive. Those that don't will struggle for survival and probably fade away.

How are we going to make this change? I don't believe that every student is willing to give up the experience of campus life, and the group interactions they can have there. A lot of education will move into on line settings, but nowhere near all. After all people still attend movie theaters in large numbers, despite the convenience and economy of their DVD-driven, surround sound home theaters. We humans are social animals, and there are many benefits derived from group settings. It seems to me that a blended approach, where the in-class experience and on line components complement each other, offers the most promise.

I have been exploring these ideas in several ways. First, in my fall semester class I utilized web logs, wikis, mail lists, and other technologies in the course design. I also made significant changes to the in-class sessions to move much of the learning into these on line interactions, making their use more integral to the students' experience. Second, I am chairing a faculty committee this spring to create an IT Plan that will complement and advance the school's teaching mission. And, third, I am continuing my studies in Instructional Design for Online Learning at Capella University. Look for more on these various activities, and further explorations on the subject of technology and teaching in the weeks ahead.