John Eklund (johne@accesscmc.com)
Tue, 12 Jan 1999 09:44:32 +0500
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 09:44:32 +0500 From: johne@accesscmc.com (John Eklund) Subject: Re: [ifets] Current discussion: Background paper
The experiences of Nora Carrol with facilitating group interaction in adult
learners highlights one of the main benefits of asynchronous technologies -
they allow students to participate at a variety of levels, and overcome any
difficulties they may have with face-to-face . My experience with adult
students is that the instructor too often assumes that they are
self-motivated and primed with background knowledge due to their age.
Teaching in the area of computers in education, the only thing I have been
reliably able to assume is that a few of them will be technologically
illiterate and very nervous about using technology as well.
However, we should not avoid using technology just because some of our
students are unfamiliar with it, just as I shouldn't stop having
discussions in my class just because some students don't like them. These
techniques are part of the learning experience for the students and they
will benefit from them, even if they don't like them.
I recall one student in a class I had last semester, a woman in her 40s
with very little experience with computers, who stood up at the end of the
2nd lecture and announced that she had no idea what I was talking about. I
was introducing a microworld and showing the group what could be done with
it. It seems that she was trying to connect the demonstration to some prior
experience and could not. She was busily writing down all the detail
commands and menus, and focussing on 'how to' rather than thinking about
the overall picture. I was concerned with broader concepts at that stage
and was moving too fast for them to develop individual skills. I really had
difficulty trying to convince some of students in the class that the best
way to achieve a satisfactory outcome in the course was by thinking from
the top down, but by the end of the course this particular student produced
some excellent work and thanked me for the experience.
regards,
john
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Director of Education Technology
Access Australia Co-operative Multimedia Centre
Australian Technology Park, Eveleigh NSW 1430
http://www.cmcaccess.com
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