Dynamic Educational Technology: Are we there yet?

This chart represents some of the technologies used in distance education. As originally referenced in my post on collaboration, Tony Karrer has posted a link to an extensive mind-map of these tools. While that mind-map is expansive, in an unpublished article Dr. Moller (2008) adds a continuum of interactivity to conceptualize these technologies' use. This continuum ranges from static to dynamic, and is the foundation for the attached chart's segmentation. This continuum can be a mirror, reflecting your philosophy of interaction in distance education.

Where are colleges, administrators, department chairs, instructional designers, faculty members, and students reflected along this path? Ideally, each member of any particular distance education program would show relatively close to one another – with innovators closer to the dynamic end of the scale, but not grossly ahead of the others. That pattern would reflect consistency amongst all stakeholders, and represent a system listening to and meeting all of their needs.

My philosophy lies between the middle-ground and dynamic implementations of technology. As a consistent early adopter (Rogers, 2003), I have always sought to lead technology adoption. Even so, I have consistently been mindful of the appropriateness of each technology adopted, never forcing implementation where it was not warranted or supported. As an educator, I fully support the use of middle-ground technologies to reduce students' feelings of isolation, enhance interactivity, build community, improve their construction of learning, and solidify their informational literacy.

Moving further toward the dynamic end of Dr. Moller's (2008) continuum will require a pioneering spirit that perseveres forward through the risks of discovery. Colleges will need to balance the technical difficulties of early adoption with the learning needs of their students and the cost of implementation. Well-structured, on-going, and challenging faculty development must be in place to ensure the appropriate use of new technologies. Administrators must consistently seek students' opinions and input, and sincerely evaluate and appropriately implement those ideas.

As Dr. Moller (2008) aptly states, "without exploring, thinking, analyzing, creating, and experimenting, powerful, higher-level learning is not possible. Some of the best breakthroughs in history, and in our personal lives, have come from taking a chance to solve a problem" (p. 2). As educators responsible for students' lives, learning, and tax dollars, we must temper risk with the reality of achievable and demonstrable learning outcomes. Those who mange this, will transform eLearning's current adolescence into a mature paradigm … leading the world into a new era of learning, collaboration, and community.

References

Rogers, E. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations. New York: Free Press. (Original work published 1962)

Moller, L. (2008). Static and Dynamic Technological Tools. [Unpublished Paper].