Multimedia Interview Assignment

To close out this course, learners were asked to create a multimedia project highlighting the integration of technology into adult education.  The project was to consist of an interview with a curriculum specialist who was familiar with integrating technology into the classroom.  Not only was this assignment designed to connect learner's with field professionals currently utilizing technology in their curriculum, it was to provide us with first-hand experience utilizing popular technologies. 

For me, this assignment was definitely a learning experience!  Prior to this course, I had NO experience with blogs or blogging and ZERO experience planning, editing, or producing a multimedia project.  This course, especially this particular assignment, challenged me in ways I had never encountered before; however, after I got over the initial anxiety and confusion, I found these challenges to be very exciting and fun.  It was nice to learn in ways other than the traditional (and now boring) read and write methods. 

For this assignment, I interviewed Mr. Arthur Smith, Program Director and Full Time faculty member for the Business and Leadership Programs at Southwestern College Professional Studies.  I choose to interview Arthur because he was the first instructor I encountered within my undergraduate program who utilized technology in the classroom, and I found this integration to be very beneficial to my learning experience.  Although I was initially intimidated by Arthur's use of technology, his course (Research Methods) ended up being my favorite and not because I enjoyed the course topic!

The technology Arthur and I discuss during the interview is BlackBoard Collaborate.  Arthur describes Collaborate as web conferencing software which is tailored to education.  As the interview showcases, Arthur uses Collaborate to connect, interact, and engage his online learners.  While detailing Collaborate, Arthur explains the benefits and challenges of this technology, how he integrates and introduces Collaborate to learners, and his evaluation of how Collaborate supports the needs of adult distance learners.

To learn more about what BlackBoard Collaborate technology is and how it can be used successfully within adult education curriculum, please take a moment to view my interview with Mr. Arthur Smith. 

 

 

 

References

Smith, A. (2013, October 3). Integrating Collaborative Technology in the Classroom. (S. Floyd, Interviewer)



Audio/ Video / Podcast: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

Our topic for discussion this week is podcasting; more specifically, the benefits of integrating podcasts within higher education curriculum.  According to information provided by King and Cox, integrating digital media, including podcasts, is a must for today's curriculum. More now than ever, our world revolves around and depends on technology; technology has transformed our social culture, the professional community, and the field of education. For curriculum and facilitators to remain effective and relevant, the technologies of today must be incorporated into our educational practices.

For many learners, technology and digital media are familiar forms of obtaining news, entertainment, communicating, and seeking information (King & Cox, 2011). This familiarity has created a demand for technology integration into education.   Many of today’s learners are looking for educational endeavors which offer on demand availability, practicality, and variety; incorporating digital media into the classroom can help meet the needs of current learners (King & Cox, 2011).

Audio/video media and podcasts can be very beneficial additions to curriculum.  This form of content delivery supports many different learning styles, it can be very inexpensive and easy to create, and it promotes engagement with content and discipline (King & Cox, 2011).  Podcasts and digital media also help instructors to be more efficient by providing instructional support through use of tutorials, Q&A productions, and pre-course content (King & Cox, 2011).  Although digital media has its negatives involving copyright issues, legality, and proper usage, this form of technology integration into curriculum can make learning much more enjoyable and effective for both learners and instructors.
 
Below, please find a short Pros and Cons list as well as a fun informative video spotlighting podcasting in education; enjoy!

Pros:

• For many, podcasts are a familiar form of digital media
• Portability and accessibility
• Can provide additional assistance for difficult concepts
• Supports multiple learning styles
• Can provide additional instructional support
• Cultivates engagement, critical thinking, problem solving, and lifelong learning
• Student created podcasts provide opportunities for empowerment, deeper thinking, and expression  
• Podcasts are relatively easy and quick to create
• Inexpensive to produce
• Assist with faculty efficiency
• Help students attach meaning to their learning experiences
• Adds variety to course communication and content delivery

Cons:

• Copyright and legalities can be overlooked or misunderstood
• Can be ineffective if produced incorrectly (too long, boring, poor quality)

References

King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The Professor’s Guide to Taming Technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.