{"id":3990,"date":"2014-09-29T10:23:53","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T14:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/carleton.ca\/teachinglearning\/?p=3990"},"modified":"2014-09-29T10:23:53","modified_gmt":"2014-09-29T14:23:53","slug":"blog-technology-giveth-technology-taketh-away-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/tls\/2014\/blog-technology-giveth-technology-taketh-away-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog: Technology Giveth and Technology Taketh Away"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nestor B. Querido, CUOL Supervisor<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the first in a three-part blog series about technology <\/em><\/p>\n

In the popular TV show Star Trek, whenever Captain Kirk and the crew needed to be transported back to the Federation starship USS Enterprise, he would beacon his chief engineer Scott and would say, \u201cScotty, beam me up\u201d (though the popular catchphrase is \u201cBeam me up, Scotty\u201d). And when Captain Kirk and the crew would investigate a strange planet, they would communicate using handheld telephone-like gadgets and would speak to the Enterprise virtually (but face-to-face). Today, technology has made it possible to communicate across the world using our own mobile devices in a similar manner \u2013 without delay (Skype\/Facetime). Meanwhile, there is compelling evidence that holographic projection technology<\/a> will soon be part of the latest innovation. It is being prototyped<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Technology.<\/p>\n

The very word conjures up excitement \u2013 and trepidation. Many significant achievements involve the use of technology and our daily routines are inundated with mobile devices, widgets and apps. But very little is known about side effects, risks and surprises \u2013 and that makes us somewhat anxious. We really don\u2019t know about the long-term effects but we gravitate nonetheless and use the latest inventions. As one technology matures, a new one arrives, and the cycle continues.<\/p>\n

In education, the landscape is changing in the most dramatic way. This was made possible by the technological revolution in the \u201860s when the Internet was introduced. Then the technological developments of the \u201880s and \u201890s dramatically altered teaching and learning. Twenty years ago a computer on every student\u2019s desk was neither viable nor realistic because it was too expensive. Today, there is mounting pressure to integrate educational technology in every aspect of teaching and learning.<\/p>\n

Technology has moved on; almost everything is becoming automated, portable, and computerized. Graduates are entering a world in which more than half of jobs will require technological competency, a world in which teachers and students must continually update their technological skills in order to be successful. Many institutions are transforming their curricula to include courses with online components. But there is still that nagging question that academic scholars are asking, \u201cWill students learn mathematics better by computers than by textbooks?”<\/p>\n

Historically, educators have articulated that the delivery of quality education means small courses with tenured faculty. But what happens when innovators prove otherwise? That pedagogical principles and technologies don\u2019t just replicate classrooms, but transform them into a new kind of online learning hub.<\/p>\n

It is causing the higher education institutions to experiment, consider alternative models, and explore new ideas. Schools are recognizing that there is value to learning online. Harnessing the power of the Internet could bring about the revolution to educate the masses. We are seeing visionary educators coming into the classroom equipped with technological knowledge to aid their teaching.<\/p>\n

Game-based learning \u2013 let\u2019s call it the \u2018gamification\u2019 of education \u2013 has taken off, incorporating game-like elements when presenting information to students. Subjects in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) will continue to expand app development, animation, game design, digital filmmaking, programming, robotics, and visual effects. 3D printers<\/a> are a big boost to industrial design or prototype-modelling classes. Teaching using rich media content is building its presence. For example, the inspiring movie \u201cLincoln\u201d by Steven Spielberg in some ways is far more engaging to teach history than a textbook.<\/p>\n

Digital generation students want modern, up-to-date educational technologies to help them in their academic career, and at affordable prices. They pay big tuition fees and when they get out of university, understandably, they expect returns. The employability metric sometimes doesn\u2019t add up. The cost of higher education is high, and when coupled of youth unemployment and student debt, it has become a serious issue that is getting a great deal of attention. Looking at other avenues might present affable solutions and perhaps lead to waning some of the underlying anxiety towards educational technology by academics.<\/p>\n

The ingenuity of technology, in particular the Internet, has presented the most unlikely but promising solution to fair education of the masses for delivering course materials anywhere and everywhere. We are seeing big time changes in course offerings, mostly the blending of courses with online components, and the eventual morphing of courses into pure online courses. For instance:<\/p>\n