Self-directed ability and IT competency

Shinkareva, O., & Benson, A. (2006, Feb). Learning instructional technology for an online course: an analysis of the relationship between adult students’ self-directed ability and instructional technology competency. Retrieved July 25, 2007, from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED492787&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_accno&accno=ED492787

Summary: This article begins by describing online learning and its benefits and possible drawbacks. For example, online learning can allow adults to further their education without requiring them to give up their current career. On the other hand, the technology used may be new and unfamiliar to many adults, thus requiring additional learning on top of the course materials. If adults are required to learn how to take an online class but aren’t familiar with the technology being utilized, what should they do? How will this affect their learning of the course content? The authors explain that online learning has two sides: 1) The course content and formal instruction and 2) the use of instructional technology. When adult students need to learn about IT, it requires independence and self-directed learning. The purpose of this study is to investigate part two: “the relationships between the students’ IT competency and their SDL ability, as well as motivation and learning strategies the students use to learn the technology for an online course” (Shinkareva & Benson, 2006, p. 2). The study addresses self-directed learning (SDL) as well as motivation among adult students participating in online master degree courses.

The researchers collected their data three different times throughout the semester by using various validated questionnaires. The study was conducted at a Midwestern university that ranks high among distance education or online classes. The participants were adults who worked and were taking an online class for the first time. 73.6% of 199 people responded, but this report is only based on 28.6% of those participants because data collection is still continuing among the others. Among the completed results (57 people), the study found no positive relationship between the SDL ability and their IT competency. The students with high SDL abilities show a positive correlation with IT competency, while those with low SDL ability show no correlation. Therefore, those with a high motivation and SDL ability benefited more and were able to learn IT better.

Response: My initial reaction to this research is that the results are seemingly obvious. It seems to be apparent that adult learners with high self-directed learning abilities will benefit more when required to learn IT independently than those with low SDL abilities. If some adults are more motivated and have always been self-directed, then they will take the initiative and learn how to use the instructional technology to help them with the online class. I think the next step to consider is how we as adult educators can help those adult learners who do not have high SDL abilities. What can an adult educator do in this type of situation?

If an adult educator has time to help students learn IT skills in addition to the normal course load, that would be ideal. But in “real life” extra time is not usually a common commodity. So, what are some other options? Perhaps the educator can form some type of IT support group and ask those who are more advanced or self-directed to offer tips to the other students. Often in an online environment, posts can be anonymous so students can ask questions and others can answer without anyone knowing who’s who. It may even be feasible for the IT department of the school(s) to offer some sort of community education or one-credit course to familiarize people with common technology.

I also want to add that it seems odd to me that this paper was posted before all of the data was collected. I didn’t really find an explanation for that and it seems to take away some of the credibility of the research in that sense.

Learning Styles and Technology

Ross, C.M., & Lukow, J.E. (2004). Are learning styles a good predictor for integrating instructional technology into a curriculum? Journal of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 4:1. Retreived July 21, 2007, from Education Resources Information Center database.

Summary: This purpose of this research was to study the relationship between learning styles and attitudes towards technology in the classroom. Technology is increasingly being used in the classroom to expand the curriculum, but with this increase of use comes the concern of whether or not this is effective for the students’ learning. The authors state three areas of concern: “(a) the knowledge and skill level of students and instructors regarding the technologies, (b) students’ attitudes toward these technologies, and (c) how these technologies influence individual learning styles. Another issue mentioned is whether or not the technology being used is chosen for educational reasons or more so for aesthetic reasons. Will it truly help the students learn or is it just appealing to the eye?

The study was conducted among 422 students of undergraduate leisure studies at a large Midwestern University in 2001-2002. They completed the Kolb Learning Style Inventory and the computer attitudes survey. The computer attitudes survey was developed by the researchers and included questions about personal information, use of computers and attitudes regarding technology. Over half of the students were female and 50% were 20-21 years old.

The results were surprising to the researchers; there was no apparent relationship between learning styles and attitudes toward technology in the classroom. The researchers suggest that perhaps the students have become familiar with technology in the classroom even before entering higher education, therefore they are comfortable with it and used to seeing it in a learning environment.

Response: I think this was a very interesting study and I am surprised with the results as well. When I started reading the article I assumed that there would be a relationship between learning styles and attitudes towards technology. After reading that there was no strong correlation between the two, I thought about the different types of learning styles and how they might relate to the use of technology. Technology can appeals to all types of learning styles and preferences: visual, aural, musical, reading/writing and even kinesthetic. The article mentioned that they did not find a strong correlation between age and attitudes towards technology either. I find this strange as well, but they did say that over 50% of their respondents were 20-21 years old. I have to wonder what percentage of the remaining were under 30; the article doesn’t mention that. It seems to me that students over 30 or 35 would not be as comfortable with the use of technology in the classroom. This is important for me to keep in mind because I plan to work with all ages of adults. If I intend to do an exercise on the computer, I need to keep in mind that I might need to allot time for explaining basic computer use for some of my older students. Additionally, many of my students are from other countries and have never used a computer before.

I think the use of technology can be a great tool for the classroom and can appeal to all learning styles. The important thing is that as a teacher, we choose the DVD’s, software programs, websites etc. for the appropriate reason: because it helps learners learn. We must also be careful not to overuse technology because sometimes the “old” ways of writing on a board or talking can work too. I feel that I have seen one too many PowerPoint presentations because they are often overused. It’s a great example of a teacher using technology because it’s more appealing to the eye and perhaps easier to prepare. We must plan carefully just as we would with any type of lesson with or without technology involved.

Promoting Language Acquisitions: Technology and English Language Learners

• Lacina, J. (2005). Promoting Language Acquisitions: Technology and English Language Learners. Childhood Education, 81(2), 113-115.
  

Summary: As an ESL certified elementary school teacher, Jan Lacina was having trouble deciding how to integrate technology in ways to help her English language learners. She teaches in a mainstream classroom, but often has ESL students in the class as well. She feels that all teachers should be aware of effective programs and strategies to use with ESL students. Lacina interviewed an ESL Coordinator and an ESL/bilingual teacher from another school in order to learn more about effective computer software. They use programs for all areas of language acquisition: for example a program that corrects mispronunciation when the students speak into a microphone. Technology allows students to control the pace of their learning and offers various avenues for learning. Lacina also gives a brief history of computer-assisted instruction within the realm of ESL, with the conclusion that interactive content-based programs are the most effective for language acquisition. The article also lists several different ways to utilize technology such as internet chat sessions, discussion boards, and web quests.

Reaction: This article was very interesting. The thing I liked the most about it is that Lacina provides detailed descriptions of various ways to use the technology with ESL students. Although I mostly work with adult ESL students, this article is still relevant to me. She gives specific websites and explains the benefits of using the websites in the classroom. Working with ESL students can be a challenge because of the diverse backgrounds and cultures, but utilizing technology in the right ways can really work well with all students because it allows them to express themselves in multiple ways. I think it’s amazing that there are programs that can correct pronunciation and so on. I volunteered at WCC and the students often worked on computers to practice vocabulary and pronunciation. It was nice for them because they could have a word repeated or slowed down as many times as they needed to hear it correctly. Lacina also mentioned that computers are useful because they provide instant feedback. I never really thought about it that way, but that does make sense. I had never really heard of Web Quests before, but they sound like a great idea. The teacher can create a scenario, task, and specific requirements that the students must then complete through visiting different websites etc. I would definitely use a Web Quest as an ESL teacher because it can be created in a way that is relevant to the student, thus increasing their interest and learning.