April 1998 — Features

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Infusing Technology and Literacy into the Undergraduate

RHONDA TAYLOR RICHARDS

It was interesting that students commented on the limited resources and how this limitation can become less of an impediment with a well-developed instructional plan. The course instructors again felt that, from the students' perspectives, the basic goals of the technology and literacy activity were achieved and that most students had learned something new as a result of this experience.

Recommended Refinements

The project proved to be successful with this large group of education students. The instructors felt that each of the three goals had been accomplished and that students on the whole responded positively to the experience. Nevertheless, changes and adjustments will be necessary in the future. The following recommendations are suggested:

  1. always begin the technology project with a worthwhile book that relates to education issues;
  2. assign students to heterogeneous groups of no more than five with specific roles designated for each group member;
  3. infuse technology in a subtle, yet purposeful manner that allows the information to be collaborative, constructed and communicated in a meaningful way;
  4. do not expect each student to use each aspect of the technology and allow students to make choices;
  5. allow students to view one another's work and review it using predetermined criteria;
  6. incorporate more connections to the World Wide Web and develop a mechanism for interested students to share their work electronically using this medium; and
  7. allow students more time to process the activity. It is strongly suggested that the experience span an entire semester using a seminar-type setting.

In conclusion, the technology experience proved beneficial to both students and faculty. Students were proud of their work and enjoyed sharing their group-constructed portfolios. While the primary beneficiaries were education students, the rewards for faculty cannot be overlooked. The six faculty involved in this project had to retool to fully understand the potential of technology. In addition, they supported one another in the effort to ensure that all students were provided a meaningful experience with technology, an added bonus that will positively affect future education students.

 

Rhonda Taylor Richards is director of the Instructional Technology Center at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. E-mail: richardsr@winthrop.edu

References:
1. The Holmes Group (1995), Tomorrow's Schools of Education: A Report of the Holmes Group, East Lansing, MI: The Holmes Group.
2. Kozol, J. (1990), Savage Inequalities, New York, NY: Bantam Publishers.
3. Slavin, R.E. (1991), Student Team Learning: A Practical Guide to Cooperative Learning, 3rd ed., Washington, DC: NEA.

Products mentioned:
HyperStudio; Roger Wagner Publishing, El Cajon, CA, (800) HYPERSTUDIO, www.hyperstudio.com.