•
distributed or e-learning environments
•
reusable design or learning objects
•
networks or Web 2.0 technologies
•
rich media
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digital games or simulations
•
virtual worlds
What learning goals or objectives could
the technologies you selected help learners foster? Could the technology facilitate
attainment of that learning goal better than traditional instruction? Why or
why not?
The three
emerging technologies I would choose would be distributed or e-learning
environments, reusable design or learning objects, and networked or Web 2.0
technologies. The reason I selected
these technologies to help foster learning and facilitate attainment of
learning that would be better than traditional learning is related to these key
impressions I have, having been exposed to them. Distributed or e-learning environments can
give the learner a more diverse exposure to relevant information. The traditional rigidity of the classroom
environment, where the only conveyance of the lesson to be learned is a
textbook and a white board, to me is very limiting. There is so much more of the world that
should be experienced and learned that what is provided in a textbook. My travels around the world have afforded me
the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of many diverse
cultures. The education I received from
my travels is not something that is available to everyone. However, by using distributed and e-learning
environments, learners are not only exposed to the lesson in the textbook, that
lesson can be supplemented with additional information that is available from
other sources from around the world. An
example of this would be a textbook lesson on Chinese culture. With a Distributed or e-learning environment,
now the student can supplement that learning experience by collaborating with a
student or instructor who is actually living in China. This is also one of the benefits of networks
or Web 2.0 technologies and using Rich Media is lessons. A greater learning experience is one of the
affordances of networks and/or Web 2.0 technologies and Rich Media technologies. Watch how the connected environment of the students
on this Corning Glass Video entitled A Day Made of Glass
enables an enhanced learning environment.
With reusable design or learning objects, designers working with
programming personnel or through their own knowledge of programming, can take
basic lesson plans and tailor each lesson to suit the learning objective. For example, an instructor may want to
develop a chemistry lesson with interactive modules starting with basic atomic
theory at the beginning of each semester.
As the semester progresses, the instructor can plug in more modules
(objects) of interactive media, videos and advanced lessons and
information. At the end of the semester,
the instructor removes the more additional advanced modules to bring the lesson
back to the basic atomic theory for the next class.
2.
Section IX focuses on issues related to instructional design, rather than new
technologies: professional ethics, diversity and accessibility, the nature of
design, and providing instructional guidance. For each of the technologies you
selected above, discuss what ethical issues using the technology might present.
Does the technology enhance accessibility and accommodate diverse learning
needs? How and/or can you design instruction using that technology? How much
guidance would instruction with that technology require? What kinds of guidance
would be necessary?
I think
the three technologies I chosen would have very positive ethical effects. Using Universally Designed, distributed or
e-learning environments, with networked and/or Web 2.0 technologies, that
include Rich Media, with designed interchangeable learning objects, educators would
be able to make ethically decisions on how to accommodate the many varying learning
audiences. Using a variety of plug-in course objects during the instructional
design phase, accommodations could be tailored for the individual learner,
while maintaining the basic content of the lesson. For example, using the scenario of a basic
Chemistry lesson, differing objects of the same lesson could be used to
accommodate language and/or sight barriers using videos instead of written
text. There could be accommodations
(objects) made to stream the lesson to learners who are unable to physical
attend classes. There could be objects
written that were not focused at one particular culture or nationality. By using these technologies, the
possibilities of development of enhanced lessons could be greatly expanded and adapted
to cover all manners of accessibility.
