To enhance:intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of
To inhibit: hinder, restrain, or prevent (an action or process)
We were asked to consider the question: does technology enhance or inhibit learning?
This is my reply:
Technology enhances learning. End of. We need the right technology to do the enhancing.
Can technology inhibit learning? Probably, if it is a poor fit to what is needed, a compromise that does not do much for the learner. But let’s not make excuses for the people cautious about technology, it is more invigorating to consider the possibilities.
Technology saves time and money. Look at this HapTEL project, not only is it saving money, it is making better dentists, because they can practise, practise, practise.
Technology is colourful and interactive, it allows the learner to get involved and run at their own pace.
Technology enables students to explore and discover, some of the items discovered can be made in advance by the teacher.
Using the Internet students can learn ideas in advance and prepare for lessons, they can also consolidate their learning. Students can take responsibility to prepare resources for themselves and others, what is available to the teacher is available to the student. There is no difference.
In a college environment suitable devices to support the technology are required. The minimum standard here is PCs and interactive boards. The next tier of device would be tablets and laptops. Availability of the latter opens up every space as a learning space.
It would be a mistake to imagine every student now has a smartphone, they don’t. Even if they do they may not be willing to use their data. Therefore good WiFi throughout all areas is required. The teacher needs to be very careful not to make device-related assumptions.
Malfunctioning equipment will cause frustration and waste a great deal of time, strong IT support is required.
We have to get all our ‘ducks in a row’ – the device, the setting, the technology. When this happens the quality of learning is superb and the students want more.
When I used Blendspace to deliver a lesson on the reflex arc I felt the students really learnt well. They were able to use the first Blendspace lesson to recap on their previous days learning and to use the second Blendspace lesson to learn new material. The recapping allowed them to take a BBC Bitesize quiz and review clips. The second lesson had a similar format (a blend of digital content) facilitating the completion of a traditional worksheet. When I next met the group and did some Q&A to check their learning I discovered they had picked up the main concepts about the reflex arc on their own. When I got the stats as to who had viewed the lessons delivered to my email, this was the 'icing on the cake'. As mentioned in my 'Curating Tools' blog post, the students really liked Blendspace and were engaged by it.
I enjoyed making a lesson on Prezi, but will be more likely to hand this one over to the students.
I fully intend to ask the BTEC in Applied Science Year 2 students to use their phones to record a video which they upload to YouTube. I am going to ask them to explain an aspect of DNA technology and embed or hyperlink it to an assignment presentation. The assignment I have in mind already requires them to make a presentation and so this will become an extra feature of that work, shared in. My colleague made highly effective use of this ploy and I am going to do the same (I blogged about her work in my 'Multimedia' entry). I am also going to use Audioboo soon, this will be good for students who do not want to be seen and who would like to write a script of what they are going to say.
Finally, I have developed a real 'soft spot' for Linoit. It provided me with neat lessons on 'Lipids' and 'Animal nutrition' and was so easy for the students to use.
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