News and Updates on Technology Use in Higher Education
We are happy to announce that the UWB Learning Technologies blog has been included in TechnologySchools.org’s list of the Top 100 Leading IT Sites to Watch in 2013. We are very excited to be recognized with other great higher education and IT-related blogs and websites, and we will continue to work hard to produce a high quality resource for the higher education community.
We would like to thank our great team at UWB Learning Technologies and all of our supportive readers!
In this month’s Provost Report at the University of Washington, “Putting Learning First: How Students Learn and How Technology Can Help“, the focus was on strategies for teaching and learning with technology. Although technology in the classroom is something that is fairly widespread, it is still something that needs careful planning and consideration. The report is a great guide of ideas and “best practices” when taking steps toward a tech-friendly classroom.
The report first mentions that a course shouldn’t be organized around a technology tool. The entire purpose of educational technology is to enhance learning through the use of technology…therefore, the technology used should fit in naturally with the course and there must be a purpose for it. All too often, instructors make the mistake of using a technology tool just for the sake of using it. If it’s not helping students learn the course content, it may simply serve as a distraction, or even hindrance. Therefore, it’s important to ask questions like, “what technology could be more effective at getting the point across?” or “How accessible is this technology, both in and out of the classroom?” This reminds me of a graphic Edudemic posted last week in their article “5 Features Technology Must Have Before Classroom Use“:
Last month, we received the fantastic news that the UWB Learning Technologies Blog was named one of 50 “Must-Read” educational technology blogs by EdTech Magazine.
As a follow-up to that, EdTech Magazine’s Jimmy Daly interviewed director of UWB Learning Technologies, Andreas Brockhaus. In the interview, Andreas discusses different aspects of technology in higher education: cloud computing, learning analytics, EDUCAUSE, hybrid/online courses, and technology on our campus.
The full interview can be found here. For more Q&As from other “Must-Read” edtech bloggers, check out Karine Joly and Eric Stoller‘s interviews.
We’re proud to report that this blog was included in The Dean’s List: 50 Must-Read Higher Education Technology Blogs, an article by EdTech Magazine highlighting 50 fantastic educational technology blogs. Learning Technologies is absolutely honored to be included among some incredible writers and institutions. We are also pleased to see that some of our favorite edtech blogs made the list, and are excited to explore and discover new ones!
We have a great team here at UWB Learning Technologies, and we couldn’t do it without one another! Thank you to all of our readers and Edtech Magazine for including us in this list. We’ll keep doing what we’re doing!
There’s no doubt that lectures are often student’s and faculty’s least preferred method of instruction. After all, many believe that lectures are always long, boring, and bad for learning. 
However, this is not true, because when lectures work, they work well. But how do instructors make them beneficial for both them and the students? The answer is a mix of planning, interactivity, and student engagement. In the September 2011 issue of The National Teaching & Learning Forum*, Jason N. Adsit of SUNY Buffalo offers some advice on how to make lectures more effective and engaging. In this post, we’ll summarize the tips Adsit gives in his article.
First though, why lecture? The fact is, lectures have stood the test of time because according to Adsit, they have “been shown to be particularily effective for
• Setting the context of a topic or field for novice learners.
• Disseminating a common set of material to a broad audience.
• Providing a synthesis of information from various sources.
• Clarifying complex information.
• Transmitting conceptual and systematic knowledge.
• Offering students a model of professional practice, i.e., the lecturer and his/her approach to the subject.”
In other words, lectures are a simple way to reach everyone in a common and effective manner. However, to maximize these benefits, one must design their lecture in a way that effectively engages students and serves as a tool to help the learning process. Here are the tips Adsit gives to do this:
EdTech's Must-Read Higher Ed IT Blogs
TechnologySchool.org's Top 100 Leading IT Sites to Watch in 2013