Relative Advantage of Slide Presentations

PowerPoint and other forms of slide presentations can be effective teaching tools. They offer a number of advantages over previous methods of writing on a board or using overhead transparencies. Some practical advantages are easy to point out. Because of their digital nature, slideshows are easy to manipulate and change if needed. They also provide a compact and portable way of storing teaching materials. Even so, the advantages provided by slide presentations depends a great deal on our ability to effectively use the creation tools to develop rich, interactive multimedia that follows the rules of good design. Bartsch and Cobern (2003) point out that, “The effectiveness of PowerPoint and other multimedia presentation may depend on the complexity of the presentation” (p. 78).

If we do not follow the “rules” of good design we can potentially undermine any advantages that might be provided by the use of slide presentations. Slideshow creation software offers a number of unique tools and features. The features must be used thoughtfully and carefully in order to produce a quality product. In her article, Collins (2004) explains that, “inappropriate use of PowerPoint features can substantially degrade the quality of a presentation” (p. 1177). Poor design can be distracting and detrimental to the learning process.

Finally, digital slideshows offer a distinct advantage in the fact that online content and other interactive materials can be linked directly in the presentation. This allows the instructor to prepare useful resources ahead of time and have them readily available during the presentation. Students can see examples and build connections immediately when the information is presented.

References

Bartsch, R. A., & Cobern, K. M. (2003). Effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in lectures. Computers & Education, 41(1), 77-86.

Collins, J. (2004). Education Techniques for Lifelong Learning Making a PowerPoint Presentation1. Radiographics, 24(4), 1177-1183.

Educational Software: Relative Advantage

Educational software plays an important role in today’s classroom or learning environment. This software encompasses a number of different types and formats including but not limited to online tutorials, drill-and-practice sites, simulations, and games. In evaluating the use of educational software, we ask ourselves what advantage the use of the technology gives versus more traditional methods. This is known as the relative advantage. Virvou, Katsionis & Manos (2005) point out that when evaluating the advantage of educational software, we should not view it as a replacement for traditional methods but rather as a supplement.

Perhaps the most obvious relative advantage provided by educational software is that software can provide learning opportunities that might not be available because of logistics and costs. Murray, Blessing, and Ainsworth (2003) address this issue regarding computerized simulations, stating, “the natural system may not be available in the school because the system itself or the measuring equipment required is too expensive or otherwise unavailable” (p. 2). In a similar way, virtual field trips allow students to experience places first hand that would be inaccessible because of distance and expense.

Another relative advantage of educational software is the immediate assessment and feedback that it can provide. Students can practice their skills through formats such as drill and practice software in which they can get immediate results without relying on the instructor to “grade” the work. This also allows students to practice their skills over and over with no wait period. This helps provide solid reinforcement in the learning process.

Lastly, educational software offers a relative advantage in the fact that it provides an exciting and motivating learning platform for students. The learning process can be difficult and requires a great deal of effort. Because of this, a lot of motivation is required (Virvou et al., 2005). According to these authors, “computer games technology could be used to render educational software more motivating and engaging. In this respect, the difficult process of learning could become more amusing” (Virvou et al., 2005 p. 54).

These are just a few of the relative advantages provided by educational software. Once again, educators should not view these tools as a replacement for more traditional instruction but instead as a supplement that can vastly improve the learning experience for students. It is important to consider the relative advantage of any technology tool before using in order to determine if the advantage provided justifies its use.

Evaluating Educational Software - http://arlington.k12.va.us/cms/lib2/VA01000586/Centricity/Domain/3914/evaluate%20software.pdf

Quizlet online flashcards and games -

http://quizlet.com/

References

Murray, T., Blessing, S., & Ainsworth, S. (2003, December 31). Authoring tools for advanced technology learning environments: Toward cost-effective adaptive, interactive and intelligent educational software (T. Murray, S. Blessing, & S. Ainsworth). Springer.

Virvou, M., Katsionis, G., & Manos, K. (2005). Combining Software Games with Education: Evaluation of its Educational Effectiveness. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 8(2).

Acceptable Use Policies

The internet and computers offer numerous advantages and opportunities in education. However, like all good things, they can be taken advantage of and used for harm. By drafting an acceptable use policy, or AUP, an educational institution or company can help sway these negative effects. An acceptable use policy provides a set of guidelines for users that lays out the expectations of the organization. In an article about acceptable use policies, Siau, Nah, and Teng (2002) explain that such policies should provide guidelines but should not control users. They should be comprehensive but not so restrictive that they limit productivity (p. 78). When I think of AUPs, I tend to think of these four ideas: Privacy, Productivity, Security, and Morality.

Privacy

An AUP should address the issue of privacy. Users who have access to others’ personal information for job responsibilities should take proper precautions to make sure that this information stays secure. Also, a company or educational institution may reserve the right to monitor the usage of their network resources. This should be communicated in the acceptable use policy.

Productivity

A well written AUP should include guidelines that keep resources accessible. Users should not do anything that keeps others from getting their work done. This could be something as simple as using an inappropriately large amount of bandwidth or something as serious as intentionally infected a system or the network with malicious software.

Security

An AUP should also address security issues. Precautions should be taken to keep a network clean and secure. These precautionary measures should be clearly laid out so the user knows what is expected. An example of this might be an AUP that prohibits the use of peer-to-peer file sharing software that has the potential to spread infected files.

Morality

An acceptable use policy might also include usage guidelines regarding morality. This could include restrictions against viewing sexually explicit material. It could also include the use of profane language. A final example would be an AUP that addresses copyright and infringement issues.

Examples of AUPs

http://www.swu.edu/about-swu/technology-services/computer-usage-policy/

http://www.andersonuniversity.edu/it.aspx?id=2427

http://www.presby.edu/it/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2013/03/Acceptable-Use-Policy.pdf
http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=20907


Reference

Siau, K., Nah, F., & Teng, L. (2002). ACCEPTABLE INTERNET USE POLICY. Communications Of The ACM, 45(1), 75-79.

541 Vision Statement

Change can be something that we “deal with” or something that we embrace. The world is changing around us, and in order to remain relevant and productive, we have to be flexible. The beauty of change can be found in the opportunity to evaluate how and why we do things a certain way. This allows us to determine if our methods are effective. With change comes new and exciting tools and resources. These manifest themselves as technologies including the internet, computers, and mobile devices. Principles and theory in education are changing just like everything else. There is an ongoing paradigm shift that moves away from instruction and moves toward facilitation and individual exploration. Technology makes this change possible by providing solutions to many of the problems faced.

In their article, Leer and Ivanov (2013) discuss a change in the way information is presented to students and how technology relates to this student-centered shift. The authors present the idea that technology makes it possible to move away from a system of standards in which students are all evaluated in the same way and forced to learn at the same pace. Leer and Ivanov (2013) state that, “While a truly customized twenty first century educational experience may be some ways off in the United States, technology is providing a path toward that vision” (p. 16). Technology allows for conveniences like self pacing and instant feedback for students. These are some of the things that help pave this path.

An and Riegeluth (2012) discuss the importance of technology in developing these learner-centered classroom environments. According to them, “The learner-centered model focuses on real-life skills such as collaboration, higher-order thinking, and problem-solving skills, and better meets the complex needs of the information age” (An & Reigeluth, 2012, p. 54). Our goal should be to prepare students for success in this information age. These students use technology in every other aspect of their lives. As educators we must show them that there is value in the same technologies for learning as well. If done correctly, this will keep them involved and engaged.

Implementing new technology will inherently present many challenges. Hew and Brush (2007) identify some of the challenges which include scarcity of resources as well as teacher attitudes and beliefs. According to the authors, we can address these issues through creative solutions including gradual implementation of resources and strong support and professional development for teachers in order to increase buy-in (Hew & Bush, 2007). The results will be worth all the effort in the end. If we are committed, we can create transformative, student-centered, learning environments that prepare students for success in the real world. We can do this with the help of technology that provides limitless possibilities of creativity and customization.

References

An, Y., & Reigeluth, C. (2012). Creating Technology-Enhanced, Learner-Centered Classrooms: K-12 Teachers' Beliefs, Perceptions, Barriers, and Support Needs. Journal Of Digital Learning In Teacher Education, 28(2), 54-62.

Hew, K. F., & Brush, T. (2007). Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and learning: Current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55(3), 223-252.

Leer, R., & Ivanov, S. (2013). RETHINKING THE FUTURE OF LEARNING: THE POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY. International Journal Of Organizational Innovation, 5(4), 14-20.