barriers to using technology

For most of us technology is now a major part of our lives, there does however, remain a certain amount of scepticism and indeed technophobia among many people. Certain generations will quote age as a barrier to using technology. They feel that as they have not used it their entire lives then they will not be able to acquire the 'knack'. On a personal note I have found many younger learners to be curious about technology in a 'what's that?' way whereas with adult learners that way of looking at technology is not always there. I remember in an adult class setting a task to bring to class some photos, on the day of the next class I showed my photographs and then came the part of the task where they talked about their photographs. It was very interesting to watch the scrabble for mobile phones and them finding their photographs, having to ask each other for help when they could not locate them. This was in stark in stark contrast to my younger learners who would frequently enter my class with their heads buried in their Smartphone screen and/or with headphones in place. I should point out that this is a generalisation but I do think therefore, the 'challenge' with incorporating technology with adult learners is that they can have a vastly differing experience of using it. Another significant barrier is the logistical one, something that most of us who use technology on a regular basis encounter. My recent example was the PC crashing when trying to download and use Smart software. We have thankfully now reached a mutual understanding and appreciation of this despite the original misgivings the computer had! In their article J Keengwe et al split such barriers in two types- first-order and second-order "first-order barriers include lack of equipment, unreliability of equipment, lack of technical support and other resource related issues. Second-order barriers include...teacher-level factors, such as beliefs about teaching and technology and openness to change." Although they refer to studies from the early two thousands they do provide some interesting insights into the work that still needs to be done to integrate technology and remind us that "although technologies allow  students to work more productively than in the past , the teacher's role in technology-rich classrooms is more demanding than ever"   

Reference
Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). Computer Technology Integration and Student learning: Barriers and promise. Journal of science education and technology , 17 (6), 560-565.

the value of mobile technology in learning and teaching

Before we think about the value of mobile technology in learning and teaching we need to consider the various meanings of mobile. When discussing learning, both the learner and the devices themselves can be ‘mobile’ -we can now have access to learning aids almost anywhere and anytime. This has meant a great change in the way we learn, rather than it just being restricted to a classroom or school environment we can now access learning at our fingertips. As with any technology what we use is constantly evolving as well as the way we use it. As N Hockly states “Part of the challenge in arriving at a single definition of mobile learning has to do with the fact that it is a rapidly changing field, with new and more sophisticated handheld devices constantly appearing on the market.” For the majority of people some form of  smart device or tablet is something that they now utilise on a daily basis. This trend coupled with the improvement in networks and internet access means that we have wider access to tools for work and social media. It is only natural that this will also apply to learning. Rather than attending a formal course people can engage with various informal learning opportunities while they travel, in free time and at their convenience. These can range from listening to a podcast, downloading and using an app, reading educational publications, the possibilities are numerous. There also needs to be a consideration, however, of how to incorporate mobile technology into formal education. I feel there is lot of potential and the ability to connect learners to each other more easily is a valuable resource when used in the correct way.

Reference

Hockly, N. (2012). Mobile Learning. ELT Journal , 67 (1), 80-84.

 

going mobile....

We were set the task this week to evaluate and explore some mobile technology.
Personally I have used an ipod touch both in my teaching and day to day. I have also used a kindle fire on a couple of occasions but despite this experience I still found it eye-opening to look at and have a go at using a different tablet - a lenovo thinkpad. With a preference for smaller handheld devices I tend to find tablets a little cumbersome. call me a little old fashioned but for any substantial typing or computing I would rather a laptop or desktop. Having said that I can see the place that this technology has and that this is the direction the technology is moving in. I think it is a case of what you are comfortable with- I'm sure that people who's first use of computing is with one of these devices would find it challenging to change to a larger screen and separate keyboard to name but one challenge. As I am used to being 'guided' with some sort of indicator such as 'slide to unlock' on touch screens it took a rather ridiculously long time to unlock the screen on this tablet. Having managed this, many of the features were recognizable and user friendly as it uses windows. The various levels you need to exit through to sign out and shut down took a bit of getting used to as well as a slightly mysterious red button which i concluded would be something to do with the camera.
In terms of teaching a foreign language, from very early on in my lessons I found mobile technology a very user friendly and logical way to access and store audio material to playback in class.
As in language teaching this is something that is frequently used for listening practice, I found it much quicker and easier than carting around CDs! I also discovered some useful podcasts to use in my lessons and also some audio material on Itunes U to use. So it has been really refreshing to just save everything on one device and have the option to playback  as long as there is a dock available or you can bring your own portable speaker. It is also useful to record spoken practice- the student themselves and the teacher are able to listen back to it and give feedback. Recording speaking for assessment purposes is also an option.