Designing for Learning: The Pursuit of Well-Structured Content - Unit 2

Boettcher, J. V., (2002). Designing for learning: The pursuit of well-structured content. Campus Technology, http://campustechnology.com/articles/39320

In Boettcher’s article, she discusses the need of educators to design content in a format that works best for the learner. She uses the metaphor of landscape to illustrate how learning is broken up into stages. At first, your mind is like the tundra, capable of sustaining life, but relatively barren. The next stages is where the tundra and more fertile land meet. Here students can build on concepts already hidden in their minds.

Boettcher’s metaphor work well to highlight how educators need to be more cognizant of how their students learn and strive to develop formats more conducive learning . In the growing arena of digital design and layout, educators have a large variety of tools to provide well designed lessons that are both visually appealing and productive to learning.

While I did not find this article to be extremely practical for my teaching, it did offer me a new understanding of digital design and the need for educational materials to be visually dynamic.

Science & Technology: It's a Perfect Match! - Unit 5

In this article, four different lesson plans are described with combine science and technology. Each lesson describes how teachers can incorporate technology into their science lessons in different ways. PowerPoint, digital cameras and digital microscopes are the examples of technology needed for these lessons.

While this article would be a good source for elementary teachers, there was not groundbreaking. I would have like to see more about why incorporating technology is beneficial for students, rather just suggestions for use.

Although I am not going to teach in an elementary school or in a science classroom, I will be incorporating technology into my classroom. This article gives me a couple of ideas on giving students the opportunity to go outside the classroom and find information using such things as digital cameras.

Podcasting and VODcasting: A White Paper - Unit 3

Meng, P. (2005). Podcasting and VODcasting: A white paper. University of Missouri IAT Services, March.

Peter Meng provides an in-depth outline of Podcasting and VODcasting. Beginning with a definition of each of the methods of digital recording and distribution, Meng then moves on to describe the pros and cons, applications and future of both of these methods.


Meng also gives precise instructions on how to create and use both Podcasts and VODcasts. This is great information for those who will actually put these methods into practice, yet I would have been more interested in sources for bringing this into a secondary classroom, not so much at the university level.

While this is interesting information, at the current time this was written, these two methods of digital communication had only been around for about 6 months. I believe these technologies have become more widely used and understood in the general public, yet they still seem a bit difficult to use in secondary classrooms, except to simply experience.

I would love to be able to create these with my students, but given my current technological skills, it seems more likely that my students would be the ones showing me how to do this, than me teaching them.

The Virtual Revolution – Unit 8

Greenway, R. & Vanourek, G. (2006). The virtual revolution. Education Next. vol. 6, no. 2.

Greenway & Vanourek’s article defines and discusses the phenomenon of virtual schools. Since the mid 90’s, more and more distance-education programs are going virtual. Some of these programs consist of single classes offered over the internet, while others are entire schools that exist solely in cyber space. The latter is the focus of this article.

It is obvious that the authors come from a stand point that is pro-virtual schools (Greenway is the head of school of the Arkansas Virtual School and Vanourek is a former executive of K12 Inc., an online curriculum company). They discuss several studies which suggest that virtual schools can be just as effective as traditional brick & mortar schools. Although this may be true for test scores, it seems unlikely that they offer the same social experience as traditional schools. This includes not only student-teacher interactions, but also student-student interactions as well.

Despite this concern, the authors offered several examples where it is undoubtedly advantageous to have this online option to offer students. One such example is when a student is very ill and cannot attend a traditional school. Another example is the student who needs to supplement their education such as a child who is home schooled or a child who lives in an area that doesn’t offer a wide variety of courses. It seems that virtual schools certainly do have their place in the world of education.

The Myth about Online Course Development. - Unit 1

Oblinger, D. & Hawkins, B. (2006). The Myth about online course development. Educause Review Jan/Feb.

The article, The Myth about Online Course Development, takes a look at the history of online course development in order to create a frame to see the future of developing online courses. The bulk of the article poses questions to the reader about what direction is best to take. They make four main points: (1) Educators used to developing traditional courses may benefit from teaming with a person trained in instructional design. (2) Institutions should have a specific and well thought out plan for which courses should be offered online. (3) Instructors need to be sure they are truly developing a learning environment online, instead of merely providing course content. (4) Institutions must also be realistic when analyzing the return they expect from investing in online course development.

Although this article seems to pose more questions then offer specific answers, the authors made one point that really stuck out for me. It is, of course, in the form of a question:

“If a course is simply the equivalent of its content, why are courses not defined by books rather than classrooms and faculty?”

Boomers & Gen-Xers Millennials: Understanding the New Students – Unit 5

Oblinger, D. (2003). " Boomers & Gen-Xers Millennials: Understanding the new students." Educause Review, July/August. 7-16.

Currently, colleges and universities are seeing a change in the type of students attending. These “new students” represent a population of learners that are more comfortable with technology Not only that, but for today’s new students, “customer service is an expectation, not an exception” (11). Given these two major changes in the student body, Oblinger offers many examples of how Colleges and Universities are changing to accommodate the new expectations of students.

According to the author, these new students expect more experiential learning as a result of their pervasive use of technology. To address this need, MIT, for example, has created an online microelectronics laboratory called WebLab. This lab not only offers students one type of learning they desire (experiential), but also is available 24x7. Another way Universities are addressing students’ new needs is by offering several “customer services” at their schools. One such service is DrexelOne Mobile at Drexel University. This service sends personalized information such as last-minute classroom changes and final grades to students’ cell phones or PDAs. That is certainly a service that I’d like to see here at WWU.

This article makes a very good argument for how schools need to change in order to address the needs of the student body. The “average” student is not the same as they were even 10 years ago. Every university should look at its infrastructure and access what changes must be made to meet the expectations and needs of the “new student”.

The Myth About Student Competency-Unit 7

Oblinger, D.G. and Hawkins, B. (2006). The myth about student competency. Educause Review, vol. 41, no.2.

Technology is pervasive in our society. For young people especially, technology as a tool is more basic to life than other forms of information gathering. In a world where technology is becoming even more essential for jobs and basic communication skills, it is a good thing that students feel so comfortable using technology. Indeed, students see technology not as something to fear, as many older people do. Instead, if students do not know immediately how to use a piece of technology, they do not back away from it, they simply play around until they understand how to use it.

While technology has become a part of everyday life, students still need to be taught certian skills to find information. As Hawkins and Oblinger argue, it is often assumed that today’s students just know how to find information and do not see the need to use valid sources for research. Instead, some students simply search the web for information, valid or not.

While there may be some truth to this argument, there is still a lot of teaching about research happening both in secondary schools as well as college. In may lower level college classes, the professor goes through the process of using the library and how to find valid sources. The time honored process of going to the source is not dead, it has just changed shape. Instead of looking through a card catalogue and then walking over to a stack of journals, many sources are now online. This allows students to fine good information easily and from virtually anywhere.

Overall, Hawkins and Oblinger, make some interesting points and stress the need to remember that information literacy is the most important skill we can teach our students, not just how to use technology.

MISESS: Web-Based Examination, Evaluation, and Guidance-Unit 6

Tanrikulu, Z. (2006). MISESS: Web-Based examination, evaluation, and guidance. Educause Quarterly, vol. 29, no. 1.

Tanrikulu discusses the web-based tool MISESS. This is a tool designed to allow students and instructors to cover content, testing, and communication online. Much like the BlackBoard site that Western uses, MISESS is designed to allow for easy access and use. Professors can post class notes, schedule online examinations and provide students feedback on assignments or answer questions. Students have the convince of accessing information from any computer at any time. This type of tool is especially helpful for online classes and distance education.

While the designers tried to allow for any types of problems such as connection failures or possible cheating, overall the site works well for both student and professors. As technology becomes more and more common place in the classroom, sites such as MISESS and BlackBoard will likely not be unusual for all students to use.

On the Right Track-Unit 2

Smith, S.J., & Smith, S.B. (2002). On the right track: Technology for organizing and presenting digital information. Intervention in School and Clinic, 37, 304-311.


In an increasingly technology dependent culture, teachers need to be up to speed with current web resources. Smith and Smith recognize the lack of training and time given to teachers to develop their technology skills and offer up a couple of very beneficial resources. Highlighting one resource in particular, TrackStar, Smith and Smith walk the reader through the ins and out of this web resource.

TrackStar is an educational site developed to help make searching the web easier for both students and teachers. Users can either search the site for relevant information, using “Tracks,” or they can create their own Track. Tracks are a list of websites organized and developed under a specific topic or category. The Tracks are annotated to ensure the user knows what sites are listed and available under each Track. Additionally, these Tracks can with help teachers and students search for lesson plans, presentations, assignments, or instructional resources.

Tracks can only be edited by the author or the Track and are reviewed by a third party to ensure quality and appropriate material. No inappropriate material is allowed because these resources are meant for educational use.

Overall, TrackStar seems like a great resource for teachers and students. As this article was written in 2002, the program is likely even better and more up to date as to the NCLB standards for each state. I would recommend this site to colleges and students.

Type II Technology Applications in Teacher Education: Using Instant Messengers to Implement Structured Online Class Discussion - Unit 3

Chen Wang, L. and Beasley, W. (2005). Type II technology applications in teacher education: using instant messengers to implement structured online class discussion. Computers in the Schools, vol. 22, no. 1.

IM otherwise known as instant messaging is considered a type II technology and is becoming more and more integrated into the classroom experience. Often associated with casual chatting online, IM is now being used by both fully online classes and non-online classes alike.

Wang and Beasley assess the use of IM through an online class in the form of regular mandatory class discussions. They suggest that IM is a beneficial tool to get students to have a well informed, technology based discussion through a non-traditional forum. Although there are many benefits to using IM as a tool for online classes, there are also many downfalls.

While discussions can easily take place through online forums, there is not the same personal interaction that a face to face discussion would provide. Emotions can easily be misinterpreted when only using written words and can lead to poor communication. Although students can use symbols to convey emotions such as ;-), body language and tone of voice are much more clear and do not get as confusing as written communication. Talk to anyone who has been misinterpreted on an email and they will likely confirm this notion.

Perhaps the use of IM has its place, yet the implementation of IM in a classroom should be deeply scrutinized and not be the sole form of communication. IM is a great way for individuals to chat and exchange ideas, though there lacks in real human contact and can easily lead to problems.

Assessing and Monitoring Student Progress in E-Learning Personnel Preparation Environment -Unit 4

Meyem, E.L., Aust, R. J., and Isaacson, R. (2006). Assessing and monitoring student progress ine-learning personnel preparation environment. Teacher Education and Special Education, vol. 25, no. 3.

Meyen, Aust, and Isaacson discuss the pros and cons of on line classes in their article, “Assessing and Monitoring Student Progress in E-Learning Personal Preparation Environment.” Their article takes an in-depth look at the role of e-learning as a teaching tool as well as a means of education. By examining how students use such e-learning as online classes, the authors reveal the current state of e-learning.

In one of the examples provided, students in teacher ed. programs were required to participate in an online class. Through taking the course, students were able monitor their own work, have regular feedback from the professor and participate in group discussions online. Although there was a range of abilities with regard to technology, the majority of the students reported their enthusiasm for such courses.

While I believe that online classes can often be very beneficial, allowing for different schedules and alternative learning modes, a teacher ed. program seems a particularly odd match. The intense need to meet face to face with others in such a program would be eliminated, or at least minimal with online classes. This further brings to light online universities and how they lead to questionable practices. Not to downplay the many benefits of online classes, there does however seem to be a fuzzy line where online classes are truly the best match.

Digital Natives Digital Immigrants - Unit 1

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, vol. 9 no.5.

Mark Prensky’s article, “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants,” is on the disconnect between how “today’s” students learn and how they are being taught. Prensky argues that if today’s students are to succeed, teachers will need to completely revamp their teaching style and gear it towards a multi-tasking, hyper sensory, easily board student body. Although Prensky addresses some interesting points, his entire thesis seems very misguided and biased toward an older, less tech savvy generation. Although today’s students are indeed more technologically advanced, Prensky’s argument seems a bit rash and overly dramatic.

It may be true that most students today are very familiar with technology and easily adapt to new forms, yet Prensky’s assertion that “students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors,” assumes this based on the difficulty of an older generation at adapting to new technology. Learning new technology is not the same as learning a new language. Learning new technology is about acquiring new skills. Young people just happen to be faster at acquiring new skills. This does not mean that their brains have change because of technology, they just are more familiar with the digital age. Additionally, Prensky calls today’s students Digital Natives and older people Digital Immigrants. While these names are fitting to an extent, all people today are at an ever increasing demand to understand and use technology in the work force. Young people may be at an advantage for understanding technology and using it, yet older people are not excluded from having to know and use these new skills.

Prensky suggests that today’s students on average have spent 5,000 hours of their lives reading yet over 10,000 of their live playing video games and 20,000 years watching TV. However shocking and overwhelming those numbers are, he offers no reference to studies which confirm these facts and makes huge generalizations about young people. Although it may be true that some of today’s students may well spend more time watching TV or playing video games, these numbers assume a certain economic level, education level, and interest level. While not all students enjoy reading, not all students enjoy video games, thus Prensky uses these numbers more to shock the reader into believing his argument than to actually proving his argument.

Perhaps the most shocking and outrageous argument of Pensky’s, is where he states, “It’s very serious, because the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdate language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.” While there may be some truth to how difficult it is to teach to an ever advancing technologically savvy generation, it would be a far cry to say that this is the biggest problem facing education. There are so many bigger social justice issues facing education today, such as funding, it is hard to stomach Prensky’s statement.

While this article did not speak to the real challenges of adapting education to technology in a rapidly changing digital age, it did offer a new perspective and issues to ponder, perhaps asking the reader how they will adjust in the coming years.