Implementing technology into the curriculum as an instructor may present itself to be complex by virtue of numerous factors. To ensure meaningful learning, instructors seemingly adopt and adapt to instructor take-ons or responsibilities to gauge varying technology use levels of learners and effectively integrate technology into the course. Doing so further allows for an increase of support and enables educational attainments as technological advancements are inevitable. Coincidingly, transactional distance (TD) is the "gap between the understanding of a teacher (or teaching team) and that of a learner, and distance education is the methodology of structuring courses and managing dialogue between teacher and learner to bridge that gap through communications technology" (Moore, 2018, pp. 34). Thus, the dimensions of TD include structure - content and teaching organization, dialog - interactions between learners and instructors, and learner autonomy - capacity to manage learning (Moore, 2018) as the guiding approach/framework for teaching and learning. Therefore, in terms of instructor take-ons that I perceive as imperative are human interaction or personal touch and knowing one's students learning characteristics.
As follows, an instructor take-on that enables effective technology integration is the incorporation of human interaction or personal touch into the curriculum. Specifically, the inclusion of teacher-student interaction (dialog) encompasses the "ability to project one's self and establish personal and purposeful relationships" (Miao, 2022, pp.2) through means of online communication, interactivity, a supportive context for emotional expression, educational support, and teaching presence for building understanding (Miao, 2022, pp.3). As a result, learners are more likely to engage within the course and withhold an active and positive attitude towards learning to make significant differences in their learning outcomes/quality. In relation to what I have observed, a previous instructor I had for several courses created an environment within the zoom meetings (dialog) to be personable and inviting, building rapport, while maintaining educational standards. Throughout each course, we got a sense of who he is as a person, previous student, and instructor through his expressed experiences of those identities and his ability to relate to us. He would also make it known how thankful he was to be able to learn from each of us. As a learner, I appreciated his comments/feedback (dialog) because they were encouraging, and I could tell how passionate he was about us succeeding and teaching us the content.
In terms of knowing one's students, this particular responsibility embodies the recognition of the learners within the course and their backgrounds, such as the degree of technology use and learning experiences. Therefore, by interacting with the students (dialog), the instructor will be able to gauge the different knowledge, types of language, and generations within the course to create an environment suitable for learners by making adjustments to the content/organization (structure) of technology. Regarding language, "the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language" (Prensky, 2001, pp.3). Language separates generations because of differences in upbringing, such as social factors. Thus, the difference in words and phrases commonly used today and the meanings of those words creates a generational language gap. Consequently, instructors should tailor the content/language in a way that learners will understand by communicating in a common language (Prensky, 2001). For instance, during a zoom session, I remember a disconnect occurring because of the words and examples used in the explanation of a topic. Once the instructor realized the confusion and acknowledged the generational differences between the undergrad and grad students, he changed the language used, then shared his screen to create a diagram for us to view. Such acts of adaptation in language and technology integration further allowed us to understand the topic and proceed accordingly.
Additionally, in connection to a previous course, within the realm of conflict resolution/peacebuilding and organizational conflict of the Dispute System Design (DSD) process, an imperative tactic executed is to mimic the language that organizations use to assist in the buy-in process. Doing so connects the DSD process to the interests/needs of the organization, and using their language allows them to understand the goals of change. This correlation lies in the connection of technology to learning material/content by using the same language of learners that they will understand to increase engagement with the course and serves as an effective way for learners to begin understanding educational goals!
Miao, J., Chang, J., & Ma, L. (2022). Teacher–Student interaction, Student–Student Interaction and Social Presence: Their Impacts on Learning Engagement in Online Learning Environments. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2022.2094211
Moore, M. G. (2018). The
Theory of Transactional Distance. In Handbook of Distance Education (pp.
32–46). essay, Routledge.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, digital immigrants part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816
Thanks so much for the info-graphic! I really love it when someone can take an idea or concept and simplify it into a visual aid. I am very much a visual learner and often remember diagrams and visuals like yours.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you addressed the issue of language. I experience this almost weekly with my teenagers, let alone when learning about technology. I am glad your instructor was able to identify the communication gap and reconcile by changing his language and even preparing a diagram. Incredible how communication can lead to an effective fix! Interaction/communication and personal touch was also a take-on I valued because it has made the difference in my experience with K-State online and with interacting with learners in my program.
I can also appreciate how you included DSD and the "buy-in" process. This connects to the motivation PU and motivation of the learner when a new product or technology is introduced. The instructor has to appeal to the learner to create a positive attitudinal direction - according to Wlodkowski and Ginsberg (2017) this includes four attitudinal directions toward: the instructor, the subject, their own self-efficacy for learning the new tech, and the specific learning goal or performance. They go on to say that we of course aim for a positive result in all four of those categories, but if any one of them turns negative, the learner's "motivation to learn can be impaired" (p.184-185).
I have been using the book used in Dr. Favor's motivation in adult learning class a lot lately (if you haven't taken it, be sure to!), but as we learn more about technology usage theory in this class, it points me back to motivational theories ;-)
Thank you! The visual helped me distinguish the three different dimensions! The extent and capacity of communication is tremendous! From clarifications to providing effective fixes! I have a focus in conflict resolution and trauma and hearing the instructor responsibility of learning about the learners, definitely made connections for me and my background!
DeleteWhen it comes to dialog, utilizing common ground terms and vocabulary with your student is something that is very easy to overlook. When I taught middle school English, I remember saying "Sick" one day when something cool happened. The students asked what I meant, and I had to explain that "sick" can mean "cool". After that, a bunch of 7th graders could not stop saying sick. Although that's a humorous example, losing students during an important lesson due to utilizing unfamiliar vocabulary can have a negative impact on a classroom if not addressed. Thanks for bringing that up!
ReplyDeleteAlso, adding a personal touch to the classroom helps make the learning environment feel more welcoming. If the instructor is open and friendly, then students are more likely to follow suit. An instructor that does things "by the book" will lead to students that go through the course without showing much of their personality. It's important to not go overboard, though, and be sure to have some restraint with what you share with a class. Getting too personal can make students feel uncomfortable.
That's a great example because phrases used today are different than how they used to be! Yes, I agree that there are boundaries when adding personal touch! I also want to add/clarify that the instructor I mentioned, maintained those boundaries and spoke from educational standpoints when describing his experiences from those identities!
DeleteHi Kelly, I love the graphic you included! I appreciate your section on knowing your learners and the importance of dialogue. Being able to communicate effectively with your learners is such an important task for instructors. This is a great reminder that instructors need to be diligent adult learners ourselves. With the rapidly changing world we live in, we must also stay curious and educate ourselves on the latest and greatest to be able to provide the very best learning environment for our students. I also appreciate your discussion about DSD. This is not something I am familiar with, however it seems very intriguing and I am now going to explore it more. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you! In sum, the DSD process is a series of stages to implement conflict management system within organizations that aim to meet the needs of disputants and organizations! Individuals with expertise or instructors in conflict resolution is usually called in to help organizations with many disputes occurring and implement steps to go through before using alternative dispute resolutions (ADR) such as conflict coaching, conciliation, arbitration etc. then, if need be, legally to litigation (court system)! It is quite a complex process!
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