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September-October Issue of The Technology Source

  • 1.  September-October Issue of The Technology Source

    Posted 09-09-2003 22:05
    Below is a description of the September/October 2003 issue of The Technology Source, a free, refereed e-journal published as a public service by the Michigan Virtual University at http://ts.mivu.org

    Please forward this announcement to colleagues who are interested in using information technology tools more effectively in their work. Also, please encourage your organizational librarians to add The Technology Source to their e-journal collections.

    As always, we seek illuminating articles that will assist educators as they face the challenge of using information technology tools in teaching and in managing educational organizations. Please review our call for manuscripts at http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=call and send me a note if you would like to contribute an article.

    Many thanks.

    Jim
    --
    James L. Morrison
    Editor-in-Chief
    The Technology Source
    http://ts.mivu.org
    Home Page: http://horizon.unc.edu

    INSIDE THE TECHNOLOGY SOURCE

    James L. Morrison interviews author and software developer Clark Aldrich, who discusses the educational potential of simulation technology. Aldrich argues that computer games have provided the foundation for new, customized forms of software that enhance learning through simulated scenarios, and that this technology will soon change the landscape of education. (See http://64.124.14.173/default.asp?show=article&id=2032 )

    Going wireless has appeared as the next advance on the educational horizon. But is it a practical option for teachers who conduct large lecture courses? H. Arthur Woods and Charles Chiu point such instructors toward one relatively simple but useful innovation: the wireless response pad, a tool that allows for immediate, comprehensive student feedback. (See http://64.124.14.173/default.asp?show=article&id=1045 )

    Pamela L. Anderson-Mej???as describes how a creative use of traditional print media can support online learning. To promote greater engagement with textbooks, Anderson-Mej???as allowed students to choose from a list of acceptable texts, so that they did not all use the same text for the class. She then required students to compare and evaluate their sources in specialized online assignments. (See http://64.124.14.173/default.asp?show=article&id=1053 )

    Many instructors who make the move to online teaching are concerned that this medium will undermine student engagement with each other and with the subject matter. Thomas Berner reports that, to the contrary, students in his online literature of journalism course participate much more actively in group discussions than their classroom-based counterparts. (See http://64.124.14.173/default.asp?show=article&id=1036 )
    Most experienced online instructors would agree that they adopted the tools of the trade not in one fell swoop, but in a gradual series of stages. Grover C. Furr III describes the development of his teaching in terms of five stages, each of which led to a greater level of integration between technology, subject matter, and pedagogical goals. (See http://64.124.14.173/default.asp?show=article&id=1033 )

    James Kilmurray argues that online education should more effectively address the needs of working adults. He proposes three major requirements to meet this goal: recognizing the distinctive characteristics of the adult learning population, instituting a shared-responsibility system of instruction, and supporting research and experimentation on Web-tailored pedagogy. (See http://64.124.14.173/default.asp?show=article&id=1014 )

    Bonnie B. Mullinix and David McCurry provide a helpful road map for online education???-in the form of an annotated "webliography" of resource centers, professional organizations, and other sites that promote the discussion and development of technology-enhanced teaching and learning environments. (See http://64.124.14.173/default.asp?show=article&id=1002 )

    The value of faculty development programs at many institutions is limited due to a lack of focus. How can such programs offer practical knowledge to educators and simultaneously address the larger goals of the institution? Anne Agee, Dee Ann Holisky, and Star Muir describe how their program assists faculty members in a "targeted" approach to technology training. (See http://64.124.14.173/default.asp?show=article&id=1067 )

    Finally, in our Spotlight Site section, Stephen Downes reviews BBC Learning, a Web site that offers extensive online resources for teachers, parents, and students of all ages, including tips on study skills, foreign language tutorials, lesson plans, specialized newsletters, and a limited (but growing) list of online courses. (See http://64.124.14.173/default.asp?show=article&id=2029 )