How are you using technology in the classroom?

Some form of technology , insofar as technology has been linked with media, has been used in classrooms at least since lectures were given in medieval universities. In the case of the fourteenth century classroom, the forms of technology were books and the ability of a lecturer to read aloud from them. But in the present day, with the advent of “high tech”, there is a tendency to use the concepts of “electronic media and tools” as being synonymous with the term “technology”, and I will observe that convention here.

In the fields in which I offer instruction (Computer, Information and Cognitive Sciences) it is nearly impossible to imagine not using some kind of technology in the classroom. In all of these areas, the use of a computer is essential, but the implementation of this tool might be different. For example, when I teach programming I would use compilers; when I teach neural networks I would use software that simulates brain function. Also, the size of class is very important- in a large section of CSC 101 visual technology which can be seen by a large audience is important, whereas a small group can use highly interactive lab exercises.

How do you integrate technology into your courses?

There is a conventional way of answering this question, and I provided the rudiments of that answer in my response to question one. In short, one needs to consider context (subject matter of the course being taught, the size of the class, the technical sophistication of the users) when attempting to “integrate” technology into the classroom. In the consideration of context, I try to determine what technologies are  appropriate  given the features of the classroom situation. In this way  I am using technology as being primarily a mode of transmitting content.

Yet, there is another dimension to integrating technology which  considers technology as more than a  “medium” or transmitter of content. This dimension integrates technology into a course with the aim of producing meaningful projects or artefacts for the student. To take an example, I taught an interdisciplinary course with Dean Rhonda Mandel several years ago on the theme of “autism”. The students were required to produce an “artefact” which would attempt to recreate the world of a person who lies on the autistic specturm. Many of the students used technology  in the form of power point presentations, or digital video, in order to create artefacts which embodied  worldview of such a person.

Hence, I see the integration of technology into my courses as a multidimensional endeavor. In one dimension, I try to use appropriate technologies to effectively transmit content; in another dimension, I use technology as a way to construct situations in which students create artefacts or objects which reflect their learning experiences.      

How do you see technology improving learning?

This is a complicated question, but let me try to give a relatively brief answer.

One approach to answering this question, which is fairly straightfoward, builds upon my answer to question two. Teaching students can involve the effective transmission of information, which is mediated through technology, as well allowing the students to “integrate” the knowledge gained through projects, which can be produced through technology. Both of these processes can capture the attention of students and thereby enhance their engagement with the material

On a deeper level, however, there are affinities between technology and cognition which can aid a student’s learning. There are several theories which attempt to make this link, but probably one of the most interesting for educators is found in the work of  Lev Vygotsky. A salient aspect of Vygotsky’s work is that learning occurs within an enviroment where interaction occurs between a student and more experienced individuals. The artful use of technology can create these interactive environments in which students can easily communicate with others (chat rooms, list servs), interact with simulations (neural network simulators), or in which they interactively develop programs (intergrated development environments). An outcome of these technologies is that the student develops a “spirit of play” which Vygotsky saw as important for the learning process.

How have your students responded to your use of technology?

Contemporary students have grown up in a world of portable computing and telecommunications. In addition, they have experienced a world of multimedia which was the subject of science fiction to their grandparents, if not their parents. Today's student actually expects an educational experience which will incorporate high technology in the classroom - they are , if anything,  disappointed with the use of traditional media alone (at least in courses in the Computer Science Department). Hence, I find that students are on the whole quite "accepting" of the use of technology in classrooms and in laboratories.

What does technology add that would not be possible without it?

Technology can enhance a students experience by altering some of the perceived properties of those elementary categories: space and time. Through the use of simulations, a student can spatially explore the cosmos, or interact with a  simulation of brain synaptic activity. A computer simulation can also alter the perception of  the  passage of time, so that a swiftly moving process can be slowed down and be observed by the student. Though the use of simulations the most fundamental and seemingly perceptually immutable - aspects of our experience can be investigated and analysed.

What new goals do you have for using technology in teaching?

I try to use different padagogical techniques each time I teach a class, and often these new approaches involve using technology in ways that are new to the course. In the upcoming semester I will be teaching the neural networks course for the first time in several years. In that course I use software to simulate neural networks, and I am currently searching for a simulator that better suit the needs of the course than the one that I used the last time I taught it. Also, since there are a number of computer science majors in the course, I am considering having them develop some simulation software as a group project.

What is your biggest challenge in using technology in the classroom?

My biggest challenge  involves that constraining factor that affects all of us: "time".  It can take take time to adequately reflect upon how technology can be effectively used by students. Also, it takes time to thoughtfully implement technology in a classroom setting.

How could the University better facilitate the use of technology in the classroom?

Adopting technology on a university-wide basis is always a challenge, and I realize that the SUNY-Oswego, like most universities, has limited resources. One fairly inexpensive way (given the relatively low cost of storage) to help the university community would be to increase the storage capacity of faculty and student computer accounts. I have found that it is difficult for some students to complete projects, or use simulation software, within the confines of the relatively small allotment for storage that is given to them.

Are you using technology in any interesting or unique ways?

See answers to questions one, two, three and six above.

Is there anything in particular that you love (or hate) about technology?

My love of technology: How can you not love something (like technology) which is so inextricably a part of our lives?

My hatred of technology: How can you not hate something (like technology) which is so inextricably a part of our lives?

How are you using technology in your daily life?

Since I teach Computer Science, Information Science and Cognitive Science, I am constantly surrounded by computers. (I should add that this situation has been the case for nearly thirty years!) What has happened is that technology, as objects “alien to me”, has disappeared -  hence technological tools have become a natural part of the “everyday world”.  Their use, therefore, is as much a part of my daily routine as eating or moving about in the world.

If you had to pick one technology item that you couldn’t live without, what would it be?

A laptop computer - I own several, and I am thinking of buying another!