Impact of Technology and Multimedia

Impact of Technology and Multimedia

What impact does technology and multimedia have on online learning environments?

The impact that technology and multimedia have on the online learning environment is these tools enhance the learning experience for online learning (Palloff & Pratt 2011). When integrated effectively and efficiently, they make the online learning experiences more engaging, appealing and motivating. These tools enable the learners to collaborate and comment on each others’ work in an online environment and timely fashion. These technology tools allow the users to collaborate in real time. Technology and multimedia make online learning and teaching much easier for all involved, when you are knowledgeable about the tools being used. Technology and multimedia make it possible to communicate and teach learners in countries across the universe.

What are the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing technology?

The most important considerations online instructors should make before implementing technology include the following: they should make sure they are familiar with the technology tools that will be used in the online course. They should ensure that they are considering the needs of the learners which are the most important aspect. They should considers strategies to determine the learners’ knowledge of the tools that will be used in the course, to ensure that they can adequately operate them before assigning tasks requiring the usage of these tools. They should make sure that they communicate clear instructions about the goals and objectives to the learners. They should establish a rubric that is designed to facilitate the goals or objectives for the course. The rubric should relate to the students the expectation of the faculty and instructor for the course. The instructor should develop a set of explicit expectations for communicating with each other and specifies how much time the students should be working on course work each week (Boettcher & Conrad 2010). Instructors should make sure that when incorporating multimedia and technology, these tools and technologies are meeting the objective of the course. In addition, the instructor should consider creating a community at the very start of the course to help students become more comfortable with the instructor, each other and with the online learning environment.

What implications do usability and accessibility of technology tools have for online teaching?

The implications usability and accessibility technology tools have on online teaching is they make online learning and teaching more feasible at a distance. However, it is essential that the instructor inform the students of technologies that are essential for the success of the learners. They should also determine the knowledge of the students with the usability of the tools before assigning tasks that require the usage of the specific technology tools. There are times when the learners need to be supplied with explicit directions in order to appropriately operate the necessary technology tools.

What are the technology tools that are most appealing to you for online teaching as you move forward in you career of instructional design technology?

The technology tools that are most appealing to me for online teaching as I move forward in my career of instructional design technology are CMS’s, blogs, wikis, discussion forums, videos, Skype, RSS feeds as well as cell phones.. These tools are appealing to me because of the array of learning activities that can be incorporated and these tools can also be used for collaboration, discussion and various learning tasks. In addition, they enhance the learning experiences when they are used efficiently and effectively. These tools make learning at a distance more accessible for distance learning and they help to bridge the gap of distance, time and space. Since I prefer to be engaged in my learning process, it is so important to me that the facilitator incorporates technology that keeps me actively engaged. It is also important that the technology and multimedia is user friendly.

Conclusion

Technology and multimedia are constantly changing the way we live, learn, think and teach. There are many potential usage for these tools when they are used efficiently and effectively. However, when incorporating these tools in a learning environment whether asynchronous or synchronous, you must ensure they meet the object of the course.  In addition, we must equip learners with the skills or instruction to effectively use these tools so that they provide an engaging and meaningful learning experience. Above all, the instructor must ensure that the needs of the learners are the most essential aspect when teaching in an online environment.

References

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

 Palloff, R. Pratt, K. (Director). (2011). Enhancing the online experience [Motion Picture].