GETTING STARTED:
Teaching, Learning, and Technology
The University of Washington offers a wide variety of teaching and learning technology resources. Whether your uses of technology are primarily in-class or out-of-class, internet-based or relatively more low-tech (for example, using the board or the overhead projector), you can start planning by considering these two questions:
- What do I want students to be able to learn in this class?
- How can the use of technology enable or enhance students' learning?
To help you think through these questions in relation to different forms of Instructional Technology, consult with staff at CIDR.
You can also view CIDR's collection of instructional technology resources and tools at http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/ITTools.htm. This collection of resources addresses the use of online discussion, course web sites, and PowerPoint, and also provides links to examples, learning principles, and research on the uses of instructional technology.
Internet-based technologies are especially useful for:
- Increasing student contact. Use email to extend your office hours and provide more opportunities for students to get in touch with you.
- Extending opportunities for discussion. Online discussion can provide a forum for discussing readings (before or after class sessions), reviewing material, and promoting collaboration among students.
- Disseminating course materials. Putting course materials online can simply be a matter of convenience for your students but can also go beyond this: reference materials, practice tests, review questions, and assignments, for example, can be placed on the web to help students do their work for the course.
Resources and training to help you learn and use technology:
- For assistance setting up and using instructional technology, see http://catalyst.washington.edu/. Walk-in help is available at the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology (CTLT), 230 Odegaard Library.
- UW Computing and Communications (C&C) also offers software training. For more information, see http://www.washington.edu/computing/training/.