jbaker's blog

Functional silos have always existed in post-secondary institutions.  However, with the increasing demand for distance education, colleges and universities can no longer afford to allow departments to operate independently from one another.  In order for students and faculty to experience distance learning as a seamless process, all stakeholders must work together as collaborative and cross-functional teams.  Efforts to span the silos, such as job shadowing across departments, are well worth the investment of time and resources.

Problem of Perpetuating Silos

Silos on campus cause lack of communication and reluctance to collaborate.  Often this obscures any meaningful view of the institution as a whole and other employees as team-members.  Consequently, delegation of tasks is limited to a smaller skill pool than necessary, and broader solutions to challenges are overlooked.  Valuable employee time and resources within a silo are misspent protecting the silo from blame by those outside rather than exploring collaborative approaches to problems.

For an audio session from BloggerCon III about blogging and academic life, visit IT Conversations at: http://itconversations.com/shows/detail276.html

To learn is to connect with others. No amount of facts is sufficient to produce knowledge and understanding without an emotional and spiritual exchange between students and teachers.

The powerful relationship between student and teacher evokes both connectedness and conflict. In Parker Palmer's words: "As good teachers weave the fabric that joins them with students and subjects, the heart is the loom on which the threads are tied: the tension is held, the shuttle flies, and the fabric is stretched tight. Small wonder, then, that teaching tugs at the heart, opens the heart, even breaks the heart -- and the more one loves teaching, the more heartbreaking it can be...The courage to teach is the courage to keep one's heart open in those very moments when the heart is asked to hold more than it is able, so that teacher and students and subject can be woven into the fabric of community that learning, and living, require."

Students and teachers engage in a delicate dance to create the wonderful performance of learning. Some partners swirl and spin with apparent ease while others stumble awkwardly with mumbled apologies for stepping on feet. In this marathon dance contest we call "lifelong learning," I suggest that we all pause for a deep breath before we lose the enjoyment and delight of it all.

Online learning and teaching offer a new and unfamiliar dance floor. Awed by the unlimited space in which to dance, some invent new steps while others become wallflowers. However, to become authentically educated entails self-understanding, to develop personal meaning for what we seek to learn. Let's break with tradition by owning our awkwardness and discomfort, then treating each other more gently.

At various times in our lives, each of us is a student and a teacher in a mutual exchange of ideas and knowledge. Over time, we realize that everyone has expertise to be cherished and honored. And, eventually we begin to hear the voice of our own inner teacher. Such a process transcends settings. Regardless, the music continues, sometimes pounding, sometimes sweet and slow. Take a moment to listen.

Written in memory of Bob Shafer, Professor

July 2002

Introduction <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The use of instructional technology, especially the Internet, as a catalyst for educational reform, is a hotly debated topic in education (Romig, 1998). With increased public access to computers and the Internet, instructional technology affords new opportunities as well as challenges for teaching and learning.

The pedagogy of computer-mediated learning is just now evolving (Benyon, Stone, & Woodroffe, 1997). Until the past few years, computer technology has rarely produced significant instructional changes in higher education as noted by Gillespie: "...we first use a new technology in old ways," (1998, p. 45). Typically, the new technology has been used merely to support traditional, passive learning. A window of opportunity now exists for educators to consider adoption of pedagogical innovations made possible via instructional technology. However, each instructor must judge the feasibility and potential effectiveness of each pedagogical innovation in the context of her or his unique learning environment and student population characteristics (Bogdanov, 1999).

As control over information access and dissemination ceases to be dominated by educational institutions, new and more effective ways of sharing and applying information will emerge. Ultimately, instructional technology will become transparent enough for educators to direct their efforts toward promoting active learning and learner productivity. The possible innovations involve seamless and flexible instructional delivery formats with two-way communication among instructors and learners.

Advantages

The proliferation of websites on the Internet permits learners to gain far quicker and far-reaching access to information. Collaboration between learners on group projects can occur online without the logistical problems often encountered in traditional classroom situations. Perhaps most important from a pedagogical standpoint, the Internet is an interactive communications medium that can be used to encourage active, meaningful, and authentic learning (Romig, 1998).

Online learning has several advantages for instructors and learners: efficient and convenient use of student and instructor time; global access and interactivity; promotion of reflective thought with use of online discussion groups; timely feedback between instructors and learners. Other unique advantages of online instruction include these features: (a) use of email to disseminate complex messages and material to many others instantly and cheaply, (b) greater communication options (e.g., synchronous; asynchronous, one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many), and (e) elimination of transportation and scheduling barriers to setting group meetings by simply setting up a public electronic forum.

Disadvantages

Unfortunately, several conditions exist that impede the process of adoption of pedagogical innovation made possible via instructional technology. These include the attitudes of the various stakeholders: fear of change, vested interest in the status quo by those in power, and lack of understanding of instructional technology (Barr & Tagg, 1995). Many instructors find the search for specific information and documents on the Internet to be time consuming, confusing, and frustrating. Some of the information currently available on the Internet tends to be overwhelming, poorly organized, redundant, lacking peer review, anecdotal and/or biased, and lacks interactivity. In the absence of universal standards (Resmer, 1999), the quality and accuracy of information posted on the Internet is often inconsistent and difficult to determine.

Tools

Traditional classroom instruction has become pedagogically limiting in comparison to computer-mediated instruction as faculty and students utilize electronic mailing lists and websites. Instructional tools central to computer-mediated learning are email lists and the World Wide Web because they permit countless people to communicate globally, simultaneously, and inexpensively with one another.

Instructional tools commonly employed in higher education are computer slide presentations and topic specific website lists as add-on features to existing traditional instruction. The pedagogical requirements of computer-mediated instruction differ from more traditional forms of education, however. Now as never before, the quality of communication and relationships between students and teachers and among students can be enhanced with the flexible delivery of instruction made possible with technology.

Active learning tools that promote more active learning include email, listservs, forums, chat rooms, online videoconferencing, and simulated environments (Bogdanov, 1999). Email discussion lists and the Internet permit countless people to communicate globally, simultaneously, graphically, and inexpensively with one another, enabling cooperation and collaboration.

Facilitation of learner group discussion via the Internet requires different skills than leading face-to-face classroom discussion, however. One source of advice on how to conduct online group discussion is "Use of Electronic Class Discussion: A Handbook for Instructors" based on a study of several Ohio State classes that employed such electronic class discussions, recommendations of students and faculty, and advice from experts in the field (Chism, 1998, http://www.osu.edu/education/ftad/Publications/elecdisc/pages/intro.htm).

Many websites exist with information about specific academic topics along with listservs and chat groups for dialogue among those interested in the topic. Also, the Internet provides computerized literature search capability at little or no cost. Ideally, as use of instuctional technology becomes a routine part of our daily lives, with the advent of competitive pricing by Internet providers and user friendly vendors such as WebTV, educational access inequities may resolve themselves.

Roles

Clearly, teaching with technology shifts the roles adopted by higher education institutions, teachers, and students in the past. Specifically, flexible delivery of instruction makes the learning environment more learner-centered and less institution or instructor-centered (Sullivan, 1997). And so, administrators, faculty, and students need to identify, recognize, and accommodate these differences in order to take full advantage of instructional technology. Learners need to assume greater responsibility for their own learning while faculty need to relinquish control over the learning experience in favor of collaboration among active learners.

The role of the instructor will shift from expert to that of guide for the direction of inquiry and promoter of innovative thinking patterns. Furthermore, course development and delivery will no longer be the exclusive responsibility of the instructor. Future instruction will require a team effort of content experts, multimedia specialists, and database managers (Bogdanov, 1999).

Rather than viewing the instructional process as one that requires linear progress dictated by the instructor, the Internet provides a way of structuring learning as mutual discovery among a community of scholars. Eventually, distinctions between instructor and student in a power hierarchy will cease to be functional.

Example of Innovation

Three teaching scenarios provide insight into the consequences of any decision regarding use of instructional technology. First, analyze traditional classroom approaches to instruction. Second, consider an add-on approach to instructional technology to the traditional classroom approach. Third, picture the adoption of pedagogical innovation made possible with instructional technology.

Some traditional methods of teaching utilize one-way communication media such as textbooks, lectures, and videotapes. These methods promote passive learning in contrast to the active learning permitted by the Internet. Chou, et al. (1993) view technology as an opportunity to envision teaching strategies that no longer involve teaching from the textbook: "Putting aside for the moment the specifics regarding the definition of space and time, the structure of knowledge, approach to motivation and the shade of the teaching profession, it will be argued that the reason for the endurance of this hallowed institution with all its specificity is the stability of its core tool, the keystone of the system -- the printed textbook. It is further argued that the medium of print, so long as our almost exclusive means for preserving knowledge, has yielded significant ground to the remarkable storage and retrieval capacities of the computer; and that, further, this loosening of the keystone of the modern educational past allows us to glimpse, and demands that we define, a new educational future no longer constrained and shaped by the exigencies of print/textbook-based education."

In the add-on approach, instructors augment or replace the textbook and lecture handouts with lists of websites for students to visit and read. The communication process remains one-way and fairly static using this approach. Unfortunately, many neophyte online instructors are merely using the Internet to post their syllabi and handouts for students to access for printing rather than exploiting the unique characteristics of the Internet (McKenzie, 1996). Use of existing teaching strategies and curricula with instructional technology results in increased instructor preparation time and faculty development requirements without much added value to instruction (Benyon, Stone, & Woodroffe, 1997).

Adoption of pedagogical innovation allows for two-way, dynamic communication between the instructor and learners as well as among the learners and possibly topic experts and practicing professionals outside the institution. Electronic communication enables learners with common intellectual interests to interact and share in learning communities that transcend institutional boundaries of semesters, majors, and required courses. Learning communities offer an empowering approach to flexible learning and moving beyond the classroom for teaching and learning (Masterson, 1998). A variety of learning community websites blur the distinctions between teacher and learner and eliminate hierarchies that sometimes create barriers to lifelong learning.

Challenge to Educators

Differences between instruction before and after adoption of instructional technology depends more on pedagogical paradigm shifts than on the technology itself. Instructional technology provides contemporary teachers with more assistance than ever before. But, as with any powerful tool, instructional technology requires careful use by skilled operators. In order to be effective, the technology must be transparent to the learner and allow for ubiquitous learning opportunities.

The Internet offers an opportunity to explore and dialogue about this issue from the perspective of personal visions for the future of education rather than from formalized paradigms such as constructivism and problem-based learning.

Invitation to You

Consider adoption of pedagogical innovation made possible via instructional technology. For example, how can instructional technology transform pedagogy in such a way as to negate student cheating? Then, submit your ideas to one of the many online discussion groups designed to allow faculty to disseminate and share their responses to the challenge.
References

Barr, R.B., & Tagg, J. (1995). From teaching to learning: A new paradigm for undergraduate education. Change, 27(6), 13-25.

Benyon, D., Stone, D., & Woodroffe, M. (1997). Experience with developing multimedia courseware for the World wide web: The need for better tools and clear pedagogy. Int. J. Human-

Computer Studies, 47, 197-218.

Bogdanov, D. (1999). Information & communication technologies impact on academic curricula. Educational Technology & Society, 2(1) [available http://ifets.gmd.de/periodical/vol_1_99/bogdanov_short_article.html] accessed 1/13/99

Chism, N. (1998). Use of Electronic Class Discussion: A Handbook for Instructors" [http://www.osu.edu/education/ftad/Publications/elecdisc/pages/intro.htm].

Chou, L., McClintock, R., Moretti, F., & Nix, D. (1993). Technology and education: New wine in new bottles choosing pasts and imagining educational futures

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />New York: New Lab for Teaching and Learning, [Available

http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/ilt/papers/newwine1.html].

Gillespie, F. (1998). "Instructional Design for the New Technologies" In K.H. Gillespie (Ed.) The impact of technology on faculty development, life, and work. 76(winter), 45.

Massy, W.F., & Zemsky, R. (1995). Using information technology to enhance academic productivity. Position paper in EDUCOM National Learning Infrastructure Initiative. Washington, DC: EDUCOM. Available http://www.educause.edu/nlii/keydocs/massy.html [May 27, 1998].

Masterson, J.T. (1998, April). Learning communities, the wizard, and the holy grail. AAHE Bulletin [Available http://www.aahe.org/bulletin/bull_2apr98.htm] accessed 10.19.98October 19, 1999.

Romig, J. (1998). "Creating a web-based learning environment: Vision of the virtual university." Presented at the University of South Carolina Stop Surfing-Start Teaching 1998 National conference, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, February 1998.

Resmer, M. (1999). IMS: Setting the course for distributed learning. Syllabus, 12(7), 10-14.

Sullivan, E. (1997). Campus technology trends. Educational Record, 78(1), 35-36.

 (This article was originally presented at the Syllabus '99 Conference)