Student+Engagement

=Student Engagement through Technology =

Instructional Technology is a term used to describe the enhancement of instruction with the use of technology and all it entails. This is not to say that technology should be used with every lesson or with every class, but it should be used when appropriate and when it creates a better learning environment for the student. As more and more technologies emerge, it is becoming easier for the teacher to integrate technology into most any lesson plan.

As I perused the various websites, articles, and other material concerning Instructional Technology, I could imagine where many of these tools would be invaluable in a classroom setting. I chose two types of technology to focus on because I have either used the technology first hand or I could see how it could be used with very little effort (and in some cases very little cost) on the part of the teacher or educational system.

The two examples that stood out for me were “Using Student Response Systems to Engage Students” and “Using Skype as a Videoconferencing Tool to Enrich Learning”. Both of these examples took something that may seemed complicated on the surface, but are actually very easy to use for both the instructor and the student.

Although the Student Response System is costly (approximately $1,400 per set of 24) at first, it can be used in numerous ways to gain instantaneous feedback from the students. It shows weaknesses and strengths regarding a particular subject just by polling the students. Immediate feedback is given to instructors and students allowing them to understand where additional lessons are required on a particular topic. The learning curve for this tool is minimal and I have personally experienced a marked rise in student engagement when the tool is used. My podcast regarding Student Response Systems will explain my use of this tool in greater detail.

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Using Skype as a videoconferencing tool is something that is very simple, yet it can be used in very innovative ways. The article illustrated how a class used Skype videoconferencing to interact with an author in England. This person was the author of a book the students were reading for a class assignment. Speaking with and asking questions of the author took the students’ understanding of the book to another level. This opportunity probably would not have happened without the technology of Skype. This exercise was initiated by the students themselves and very little money was used.

These are the types of ideas that come to mind when I consider using Instructional Technology. The technology is enhancing the lesson as well as the learning experience. If technology can help a student to better understand the material being presented, then I think it is essential to explore the many ways we can use this technology. I realize that there are people who are so caught up in the technology that they forget about the purpose of the lesson. We need to keep all of it in perspective and be mindful when considering using technology to teach concepts and ideas. As long as we can keep the goal of learning at the top of the list, we should not have a problem seamlessly integrating the many technological tools at our disposal.