Technology

Using Educational Technology in Your Courses

The University of Missouri encourages the use of educational technology to improve teaching and learning. The use of technology in learning environments should not be viewed as an end unto itself; rather, using technology meaningfully means that you take into careful consideration your skills, discipline area, and teaching style – as well as the characteristics of your students. Oftentimes, the decision to incorporate educational technology results in the identification and implementation of different pedagogical strategies to facilitate the most effective learning environment.

Whether you are taking “baby steps” or re-vamping a course all at once, the tips and technologies described below will be helpful. Faculty and graduate instructors are welcome to consult with Educational Technology at Missouri (ET@MO) staff to discuss the pedagogical modifications and technological skills involved in using technology meaningfully. Access this website to sign up for a “how to” discussion and consultation: http://etatmo.missouri.edu.

Avoiding Overload When Teaching with Technology

The following list of suggestions and tips may help you overcome some of the challenges you may encounter as a result of incorporating the use of the Internet into your classes.

Set aside blocks of time on your calendar each week for responding to student email. Be realistic about how much time you can devote to this each day.
Be honest with students about the volume of email you receive daily and provide them with an honest window of expected response time.
Tell students to be precise in creating subject lines, keep messages short and focus on a single topic. Hold students accountable to your guidelines.
Post to the group rather than responding to each individual student contribution, respond to several at once by weaving them together and posting your answer to the class discussion board.
Tell students to avoid fancy formatting such as tabs, tables and fonts unless you're certain all users can view them.
Model behavior you expect in your own messages, such as making contributions short and making subject lines specific.
Include information in your course site on how to get technical support.

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Technology Tools & Resources

Although the various technologies described below are not an exhaustive list, these are tools which are generally-available to the MU Community free-of-charge. Custom applications, such as online tutorials, 3-D modeling, or other interactive learning environments, are possible (in some custom cases, development or maintenance costs could apply). Please contact ET@MO to explore options. The sections below first describe which tools are components of BlackBoard and WebCT, and then list tools which are independent of Blackboard and WebCT.

BlackBoard and WebCT Tools

Blackboard and WebCT are two kinds of online software that MU makes available to faculty and students. Although they are quite powerful tools, one way to think of them is as an easy way for instructors to post materials online and create online learning environments via discussion boards. In general, BlackBoard tends to be easier to use, whereas WebCT tends to have more powerful features. Most of the specific tools mentioned below are available in both platforms.

Digital Drop Box

The Digital (or Assignment) Drop Box feature of Blackboard and WebCT is a simple tool to manage assignment submissions. Each student has online storage space for storing or sending documents via Blackboard or WebCT to instructors or teaching assistants. When assignments are submitted, the student's name as well as the time and date of submission are recorded. Tip: Be specific about the file name and format students should use in submitting assignments (Microsoft Word, “RTF” format, etc.).

Common Uses & Advantages

Manages student assignment submissions.

Provides written feedback for students (using the Track Changes tool in Word).

Creates a specific location where assignments are to be turned in.

Saves paper.

Disadvantages

Unless instructed to use Rich Text Format (.rtf) or another file format mutually acceptable to instructor and student, files may be inaccessible for review.

Discussion Forums

Available in Blackboard and WebCT, and many stand-alone applications, discussion forums are very useful communications channels for use by the whole class.

Common Uses & Advantages

Most often used to establish an online learning community and closely replicate in-class discussions.

In-depth discussion questions, case study analysis, role-playing or simulation exercises can provide a means for students to share their own real-life experiences.

Public areas can be created where students post questions, comments, and feedback to the entire class.

Provides a forum for in-depth discussions.

This one-to-many communication medium is useful for case study analysis, peer review, and editing.

Because students do not have to meet at any one certain time, working on collaborative group projects is much easier.

Students who are hesitant to speak up in a face-to-face classroom environment usually are less reluctant to contribute in this type of environment.

Discussion forums can be archived.

Disadvantages

Assuring quality responses requires additional attention from the instructor.

It is easy to get an overload of messages, especially in large classes.

Discussion forums require good electronic-moderating skills. See http://emoderators.com/moderators.shtml

Online Content Areas and Modules

Content areas are available in both WebCT and Blackboard and allow the instructor to present information via HTML, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and other types of files. Content modules allow the instructor to present information in a sequential manner.

Common Uses & Advantages

Cost-effective distribution and presentation of class information such as a syllabus, course goals, PowerPoint presentations, lecture notes, handouts, and study guides.

Allows instructor to present course information in either a single page format or in a sequential learning unit.

Disadvantages

If students want a hardcopy, they must print out the material themselves.

Online Chat

Available in Blackboard and WebCT, as well as programs such as iChat and AOL Instant Messenger, it can be a useful community-building tool when real-time discussion is impossible.

Common Uses & Advantages

Most often, chats are used for small group work or online office hours.

Chat fosters immediacy, social presence, and is useful for brainstorming activities.

Because chat rooms are a completely textual communication medium, classes may use them to focus on writing.

Hardware and software requirements are minimal.

As in discussion lists, chat rooms also require faculty to have electronic-moderating skills

Disadvantages

Chat requires participants to have good typing skills.

Conversations tend to overlap, making large groups difficult to manage.

Time zones can be a problem, especially for distance.

Connection speed or reliability may be problematic depending on your internet service.

Online Group Collaboration Areas

Blackboard and WebCT areas allowing for small group work where only the students in the group and the instructor have access to those areas.

Common Uses & Advantages

Projects and peer review.

Small group discussions and file exchange.

Allows students to have a small group area containing their own discussion board, email list, chat area and file exchange.

Facilitates small group interaction, even when face-to-face meetings are not possible.

Disadvantages

Groups are entered and set-up by the instructor.

Area is viewable only by members of the group and the instructor, not good for whole-class presentations.

Online Quizzes

Available in Blackboard and WebCT, the quiz tool allows you to create and administer online quizzes with a variety of question styles (multiple choice, true/false, essay, etc.).

Common Uses & Advantages

Administer weekly quizzes or tests online.

Survey students' knowledge or reading comprehension prior to coming to class.

Create multiple choice, true/false, short answer, matching, and essay-style quizzes (short answer and essay questions are not automatically graded).

Online quizzes can provide immediate feedback and comments.

Scores are automatically entered into the gradebook.

Start and end times can be automated.

Reduces photocopying; online submissions save class time.

Allows instructors to devote class time to discussion and processing of knowledge.

Disadvantages

Can be technically challenging to manage.

In order to produce an adequate question pool, significant up-front time must be invested in writing question variations.

Online Gradebook

Both Blackboard and WebCT allow instructors to enter grades so that individual students can view their grades online. This is one of the most popular features of a course management system: making grades readily available anytime, eliminating class time to discussing grades, in addition to students who appreciate a chance to access their grades any time as well as seeing course score distributions.

Common Uses & Advantages

To post grades online so that students can easily retrieve them.

Students no longer have to phone, email, or ask their instructor for individual assignment scores or course grades.

Instructors and students can see score distributions statistics for each assignment.

Grades from Scantron examinations can be quickly entered into gradebook (Blackboard 6.1 and WebCT).

Instructors can download the gradebook to have a backup copy on their computer.

Disadvantages

Complex grading schemes can be difficult to set-up using the tools available.

Online Student Presentation Areas

The student presentations area (WebCT) allows you to create groups of students within a class and assign them a project that they assemble in their own area of the course site. The groups create their presentations in HTML as linked web pages. Similar functions can be accomplished using the Student Webpage tools of Blackboard.

Common Uses & Advantages

Projects and peer review.

Presentations can be made available to small groups or others in the class.

Disadvantages

Information is posted and remains somewhat static, making anything more detailed than a simple review difficult.

Online Surveys

Available in Blackboard and WebCT, a survey is essentially an ungraded and anonymous quiz. You can create surveys with a variety of question styles (multiple choice, true/false, essay, etc.).

Common Uses & Advantages

Middle- or end-of-semester surveys where students can give informal feedback.

Prior-knowledge surveys can assess learning knowledge base.

Allows students to give answers to survey questions anonymously.

Disadvantages

Aggregate data only, there is no way to link information with a particular student who participated in the survey.

Whiteboard

An online whiteboard is available in WebCT and is integrated into the Virtual Classroom (chat) tool in Blackboard. Whiteboards allow the instructor and students to draw graphics, express formulas, or in some cases, view PowerPoint presentations.

Common Uses & Advantages

Can be used as a virtual chalkboard, where participants in an online course could be called upon to perform a task in front of their virtual peers, or for the instructor to demonstrate how he/she solved a complex problem.

Ability to transfer textual and graphical content to everyone in the session.

Disadvantages

Slower connections may experience some delay if heavy graphics are used.

Whiteboard can become unreadable if too many users try to use it at once.

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Other Common Educational Technology Tools

Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat creates documents in a Portable Document Format. PDF is a reliable format for electronic document exchange that preserves document integrity so files can be viewed and printed on a variety of platforms. Macintosh OS X will create PDF documents natively without needing to purchase and install the full version of Adobe Acrobat.

Common Uses & Advantages

Preferred when formatting and layout must be maintained.
Often provided as printer-friendly version of other document types.
Embeds fonts and images for easy transfer.
Can be protected from editing, printing, or extracting content.

Disadvantages

Acrobat Reader (which is free via the Adobe website) is required for viewing files.
Lengthy or image-rich documents may have a large file size.

Digital Video and Audio

Very effective in demonstrating visual and auditory concepts such as in Health Related Professions and language classes.

Common Uses & Advantages

Output files to Blackboard or WebCT so students can access the media.
The ability to visually demonstrate concepts that cannot be shared verbally.
The ability to teach clinical procedures or protocols.
The ability of the students to view or to listen to the material multiple times.

Disadvantages

Web files can be large, not viewable via 56k modem.
Time consuming for faculty to develop.

Email

Available in Blackboard and WebCT, as well as in stand-alone systems, private email is presently one of the most commonly used technologies in education.

Common Uses & Advantages

Students and instructors submit messages (e.g., questions, comments) individually.
Students can exchange assignment files with other students or instructor.
Instructors can communicate privately with students regarding individual performance, grades, and other confidential matters.
It is an easy and fast communication tool.
It incorporates helpful management features such as automatic return addressing.
Information transferred is not limited only to text.
It is especially useful for students who take classes while traveling.
Best for one-to-one communication.

Disadvantages

If students ask a question, the whole class doesn't benefit from the answer.
Students are not able to assist each other.
Attached files can become difficult to open with different email programs.
Formatting can disappear among different email clients.
Viruses can spread through email attachments without proper virus protection.
There may be no "tracking" feature available to see if the user received or opened it.

Elecronic Reserves

The Electronic Reserve System (ERes) is a service supported by the Libraries of the University of Missouri-Columbia, and is accessible by students through the Internet 24 hours a day, seven days per week. You may place sample tests, homework solutions, journal articles, book chapters, and other material that would traditionally be placed "on reserve" at the library. The advantage of using ERes is that the libraries will research, and in some cases, pay copyright fees for you. Please see http://eres.missouri.edu for more details.

Common Uses & Advantages

Posting notes or exam keys, copyrighted materials.
Posting printed materials as PDFs via a fax machine.
Copyright clearances handled by librarians.
No scanning for posting printed materials.

Disadvantages

Fees may be charged to the instructor or department for copyright clearance beyond a fixed maximum.
PDF's created through the fax/PDF gateway may be too poor for good image reproduction.

Macromedia Dreamweaver

Software primarily used to create and manage websites. There are many different HTML editors on the market to transform word processing documents into an Internet-compatible format. Although you may save a Word document as a Web page, using an HTML editor such as Dreamweaver can produce a more polished and readable document.

Common Uses & Advantages

Creating HTML documents for use on the Internet and course management systems.
Used to create and manage websites.
Easy WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface allows you to create an HTML document as easy as a Word document.
HTML documents can be viewed in any browser, on any operating system.

Disadvantages

Creating complex HTML documents with graphics can be tricky for the novice user.

Macromedia Flash

Flash is used to create interactive and object-oriented applications for the Internet. Embedding Flash components to websites can make a dynamic environment out of an otherwise static website.

Common Uses & Advantages

Develop rich media and animation.
Deliver tutorials, video or other applications.
Can be used in several media including websites, CDs, and DVDs.
Interface can include user controls.

Disadvantages

Flash Player required for viewing files.
Can have large file sizes.

Macromedia Fireworks

Fireworks is an image editor and vector-based graphics application. Fireworks can import files from all major graphics formats, and save images for use on the Internet or for print.

Common Uses & Advantages

Edit or "touch up" existing bitmap images.
Create custom graphics or animation.
Create rollover buttons, disjointed rollovers, and navigation bars for websites.
Integrates with other Macromedia software and easily exports graphics to Dreamweaver, Flash, and other third-party applications.
Enhance digital or print media with images and custom graphics.

Disadvantages

Creating animation and rollovers can be tricky for the novice user.

Multimedia Learning Objects

Learning objects illustrate or demonstrate instructional concepts. These multimedia files often include sound, motion, text, and movement. Learning objects can be used independently or grouped into larger collections of content to be reused in various learning environments. There are many examples and resources here at MU but we also recommend MERLOT.org, an online repository of peer-reviewed learning objects. See also the section of this guidebook on using simulations.

Respondus

This is a powerful tool for creating and managing exams that can be printed to paper or published directly to Blackboard or WebCT.

Common Uses & Advantages

Creating question pools that can be published to Blackboard or WebCT.
Easily move questions between Blackboard and WebCT.

Disadvantages

Currently only available for the Windows operating system.

Student Response Systems

Student Response Technologies (such as the Classroom Performance System by eInstruction and the Personal Response System by Educue) use remote-control-like devices to allow students to respond to quizzes, polls, and surveys real-time in a classroom.

Common Uses & Advantages

In large lectures, faculty can immediately assess understanding, reinforce poorly comprehended concepts, and reshape lectures on the fly to students’ needs.
In medium sized courses, this technology has proven useful in stimulating discussion and locating sources of disagreement or misunderstanding in the class as a whole.
Taking attendance.
Allows anonymity in responding to questions.
Helps faculty adjust the pace of a lecture.
Engages students more effectively than asking questions in a traditional fashion.
Integrates well with PowerPoint lectures.
Makes taking attendance and assigning participation points easier in large courses.

Disadvantages

Only available in certain lecture halls or as a portable unit requiring set up before each class period.
Usually an additional cost to students for the “remote control.”
Some additional class prep required.
Different systems are incompatible.

Video Conferencing

A live connection between people in separate locations involving audio and video.

Common Uses & Advantages

Provide real-time or archived visual communication.
Used for one-on-one conferencing or virtual "lecture".
Allows users to send and receive video, audio, and text in real time.
Minimal or no travel.
Less expensive than hosting a guest speaker (travel, lodging, etc.).
Products such as Microsoft NetMeeting have most of the features of collaboration tools mentioned above.
Conference participants are not required to use the same platform and software as long as their software complies with the same videoconferencing standards.
Video conferencing software is inexpensive, and some can be downloaded for free such as Microsoft NetMeeting, AOL’s Instant Messenger, and Apple’s iChat (include in OS X).

Disadvantages

Slow frame rates with audio break-up are possible at low bandwidths or modems.
Multi-point video conferencing might require use of a group video conferencing server.
All users are required to have audio and video hardware such as digital cameras, speakers, microphones, and sound cards.
Initial set-up and customizing bandwidths can be difficult and complex.

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Contributed by Educational Technologies at Missouri (ET@MO) Staff