Technology & Instruction for UNEX

One of the biggest barriers for people who would like to teach online is the complexity of the hardware and software they need to deal with to do things like upload files, record audio or install software. Software companies should know by know that creating error messages in language that people can understand is more helpful than using cryptic, information technology-speak. Here's the feedback I got after trying to run the Adobe Bridge 6.5 update: What does "Another instance of deployment is already running" mean? That I've already updated the software? I haven't. That the application is running and needs to be quit before I can run the update? Definitely not running. When terms like "deployment" and "payloads" (the files that are supposed to be installed as part of the update) are used, I think of the military, not updating software. I'm sure Adobe can do a better job than this of making their error messages understandable and t...

Today's LA Times has an op-ed by John Villasenor of UCLA about online vs. face-to-face teaching. I think he offers a pretty standard view of instruction, and this paragraph illustrates his key point that the in-person, classroom experience is what is special about teaching: A course is also made effective by the unscripted interactions that occur as students gather before and after the class, and by the simple fact that the physical act of getting to class requires at least some investment of time and energy. In short, attending a well-run class in person is immersive and engaging in a way that far exceeds anything that consumer technology can possibly hope to deliver now or in the foreseeable future. Oddly enough, the article is accompanied by a photo of students in a chemistry lecture at UCLA in what appears to be a very large auditorium. To me, this instructional format is not one that offers the type of engaging and interactive learning experience that I enjoyed as a stude...

I enjoy the free white papers and other materials available from the Faculty Focus site. Today's entry is  Tips and Tricks for Teaching in the Online Classroom   b y Jim Harrison and J. Diane Martonis. They offer a number of helpful suggestions. Here's one: Use a Text Expander –  Text Expander is a typing application that saves time and keystrokes by letting you assign short abbreviations to frequently used snippets of text. Reminders, phrases, or words that are commonly used in classes can be reduced to a short abbreviation that you can use whenever you need to. These can save you hours of time and frustration. Some popular Text Expanders include Breevy (PC) and Text Expander (Mac). 

The Khan Academy math videos are very popular and the Los Altos, CA school district is using them in an interesting way. Students watch the videos at home at their own pace and use classroom time for problem solving. Gareth Cook of the Boston Globe has more details on this approach. Assuming similar content is available, this method is a good model to consider for hybrid classes. Put the lectures online and use classroom time for other tasks that may require the teacher's expertise.

Earlier this week, American tennis player Serena Williams won her first round match at the U.S. Open. Not much of a surprise, really, despite her inactivity over the past year. After the match, she was interviewed live on television. The interviewer made a comment about students going back to school soon and Serena said that she, too, was going back to school as an online student. The interviewer asked how she had time for that and Serena jokingly said that maybe she would have her sister, Venus, do the work in her online class because she is smarter. It was a joke, but it's not too far off a perception many people have about online learning –– that because students are not physically in a classroom, it's easy to have someone else do the work. It's a variation on  Peter Steiner's "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog" cartoon.