Section 7 New Directions in IDT

1.       Section VIII addresses new directions and emerging technologies for IDT. Select three of the following and reflect on how you might apply them to your current or future position in the IDT field:

·         Distributed or e-learning environments

·         Reusable design or learning objects

·         Networks or Web 2.0 technologies

·         Rich media

·         Digital games or simulations

·         Virtual worlds

Distributed or e-learning environments

One way in which I currently use e-learning environments is through continuing education courses through my work, as well as the online courses that I am currently enrolled in through Texas A&M Commerce. When it comes to the continuing education courses that I have participated in as part of my current job, I have had online presentations and lectures on customer service, library issues, new technology, etc. In order to prepare for the past two summer reading programs, I have also participated in online training sessions that presented numerous ideas and feedback to accompany the material designed to help successfully implement the library’s summer reading program. I have to say that I believe that these experiences have greatly assisted me and better equipped me to successfully fulfill my job requirements. I especially found the sessions on the summer reading program helpful and I believe that the ideas presented there, allowed us to improve and successfully expand the program from 180 participants last year, to over 300 participants this year. I know that the online courses that I am taking now and will take over the next few years will greatly assist me as I move closer to my goal of becoming a better educator and school librarian.

Many of the patrons that currently visit the public library also use distributed or e-learning environments on a regular basis. There are many students from the local community college that use the public library’s computers or internet service in order to participate in online classes. In addition, we often have individuals come in to use the computers in order to fulfill certain requirements for their jobs.  For instance, some people that are required to take various continuing education courses in order to maintain a license or certification may use the public computers at the library in order to complete this task. Also, people whose jobs require certain training will often use the library computers to complete their online training sessions.

Reusable design or learning objects 

Two programs that come to mind when I consider reusable design are Google Documents (Drive) and  Microsoft OneDrive. I currently use these two versions of online document creation and storage programs in my current library position. We keep track of items that need to be ordered, scheduled events, and material requests using Google Drive because it allows for the same documents to be viewed by all of the staff and updated on a regular basis. The fact that the same documents can be edited and reused endless times, makes keeping track of this type of information more efficient, not to mention, environmentally friendly. I frequently recommend the use of Microsoft OneDrive  to patrons at the library who are working to construct important documents. It allows them to construct documents using online versions of the Microsoft software that they are familiar with and have access to these documents from the internet. What I find most helpful for the individuals who use this program is that it automatically saves their information periodically throughout the time that they are working and it is often more convenient than a USB drive. I can also see how the use of these two programs would be beneficial in a school environment because it would allow for documents to be readily available to students or teachers and those documents could be easily edited as well.

I suppose that I had not really thought about the fact that reusable design is used quite frequently in the public library, especially when it comes to the use of e-books. The library offers a variety of e-books that can be checked out to patrons on various devices.  The service is a helpful tool that expands the collection of books available to our patrons and allows them to customize their reading experience by being able to adjust the presentation of the e-book to fit their individual needs. For instance, they can increase the font if they need the text to be easily readable or they might use a text to speech feature on their device that would read the text aloud. These options are not available with traditional books and the use of this e-book service makes them feasible. When doing some research online, I came across another program of which I was previously unaware, entitled Tumblebooks. This is an online subscription service available to schools and public libraries that offers a collection of animated books, read-along books, graphic novels, e-books, audio books, and educational videos. Looking at the information available for this resource, I think that it would be a great asset to any school library, as it provides a variety of reusable learning objects that are easily accessible through the internet.

Networks or Web 2.0 Technologies

When I think of networks or web 2.0 technologies, social media is one of the first things that comes to mind. The use of Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, and other social networking sites has become commonplace in today’s society. I cannot think of any organization or business that is advertised on a large scale that does not have links to these sites. I can also say that my public library is a part of this trend. In addition to our library website, we have a page on Facebook, an account on Twitter, and Tumbler as well. While it might seem as though this is not a big thing because most preteens and teenagers have connections to these sites as well, that is precisely why it is beneficial to our library. By advertising events and posting important information on these sites, we have been able to reach an entirely new audience that might never have considered coming to the library or using our services.  

Another network that I currently use in my position at the library is one that was established to facilitate our Interlibrary Loan program throughout the state of Texas. Participating libraries throughout the state are connected through a central database that shows all of the materials available within the library collections. When patrons request an item that is not available at our library, I can access this database to determine if the item is available at another library. If the item is part of another library’s collection, when I make the request through the program, the information is sent through the network to different libraries that have the item in their collection to see if they are able to lend it to our library. This has been a great asset to our community in that it has increased the amount of materials that are available to our patrons without greatly affecting our operating budget. 

What learning goals or objectives could the technologies you selected help learners foster? Could the technology facilitate attainment of that learning goal better than traditional instruction? Why or why not?

                I feel that e-learning environments, reusable design, and web 2.0 technologies can all help learners in their quest to better understand information and expand their knowledge because they allow the learning process to be tailored to better meet the needs of the learner. These tools can be used to make the learning process more convenient for the student, as students are no longer limited to learning in a traditional classroom format or during set learning times. Instead, the ability to connect to a wealth of information and collaborate with other learners at their own pace and on their own time schedule, allows for more flexibility in how students acquire information. Also, students and educators can use these tools to “customize” the learning process by using features that can better accommodate the learning styles or challenges of each particular student.  It is my belief that these technologies could help students attain learning objectives better than traditional instruction because for many students, methods of traditional instruction are not tailored to their specific learning styles or needs. As much as teachers and educators attempt to meet the learning needs of each of their students, it can be a difficult task when faced with limited time and resources. The incorporation of technology into the learning process makes this task more feasible. While the use of this technology certainly expands the resources that are available to the learner beyond that of traditional instruction, I also feel that in many ways, there will always be a need for some elements of traditional instruction. Although the use of technology can provide students with access to more information and perhaps present that information in a way that is more easily understood, it is my belief that there will still be a need for someone who can answer questions and help clarify misunderstandings. Therefore, I think that incorporating technology into methods of traditional instruction could be the most beneficial way of helping students reach their learning goals.

2.       Section IX focuses on issues related to instructional design, rather than new technologies: professional ethics, diversity and accessibility, the nature of design, and providing instructional guidance. For each of the technologies you selected above, discuss what ethical issues using the technology might present. Does the technology enhance accessibility and accommodate diverse learning needs? How and/or can you design instruction using that technology? How much guidance would instruction with that technology require? What kinds of guidance would be necessary?

Distributed or e-learning environments 

The use of distributed or e-learning environments can greatly enhance the learner’s accessibility to knowledge and makes the information or learning process more convenient for the learner.  Obtaining information using this technology no longer requires the learner to be present in a traditional classroom setting. Instead, thanks to the use of the internet, students and educators can connect at any time or any place, as long as they have the necessary devices and internet connection. Learners with diverse learning needs can also benefit from the use of e-learning environments because they can access elements that can better assist them in the learning process. For instance, students who learn better when exposed to a combination of auditory and visual elements are able to access information in formats that combine those two, something that might not be available in a traditional classroom. If a student does not understand the information that is presented to them, they can easily search the web to find the same information in a different format that is more easily understood. In addition, users can readily access and share information worldwide or within the constraints of a specified course. Although using e-learning environments allows for collaboration and the sharing of information among users, there are some ethical issues that can arise with the use of this technology.  Educators should be mindful of the target audience that will be using this technology when working to create or design instruction. If the desired users are young students, the appropriateness of the content studied or discussed must be considered and monitored, especially in an educational setting.  In addition, steps should be taken to ensure that both the content presented, as well as the individuals participating within the framework of the e-learning environment, are represented as accurately as possible. Instruction, designed using this technology has become increasingly more widely used among educators in both an elementary setting, as well as higher educational settings, with the use of online classes. Perhaps this is because little guidance is needed to implement the use of this technology. If learners have a basic understanding of how to use a device to access the internet and have knowledge of basic computer operating skills, they should be able to participate in an e-learning environment.

Reusable design or learning objects

When it comes to the use of learning objects or reusable design in developing instruction, there are several ethical issues that educators should be mindful of. The idea of reusable design lends itself to the notion that some initial part of the information originally used will remain intact, in spite of the fact that the information may be added to or redesigned in some way. If the initial information is borrowed from a source, the instructional designer needs to be mindful of copyright issues. In addition, the use of learning objects or reusable design can involve contributions from individuals and it is important that the information that is presented is done so as accurately as possible. When developing instructional design using these objects, educators should also consider whether or not the learning object is appropriate for the targeted learners based on the desired learning objective and the cultural elements of the learning environment. The use of reusable design can accommodate a diversity of learning needs as the learning objects can be modified to assist in meeting the individualized needs of the learner. With the example of e-books, users can adjust such features as the size of text presented or use the text to speech feature found on many devices that will read the printed text orally. Reusable design can also enhance a user’s accessibility to information. With the use of Google Drive, learners can collectively work on a project without being present at the same location. They simply need an internet connection and a method for connecting to the web.

Designing instruction using reusable design or learning objects can be done fairly easily depending upon the object being used. The amount of guidance or instruction needed would vary based upon whether or not the learning object involved electronic devices.

Networks or Web 2.0 technologies 

Networks or Web 2.0 technologies can be used to connect individuals in small groups within an organization or larger groups worldwide. Educators and students can connect with each other through the use of the internet and various networks or networking sites.  Today, most people may think of these instances in terms of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc. While these sites are helpful for allowing people to connect and share information, there are several ethical issues that educators or instructional designers should keep in mind when considering the use of this technology. Perhaps the most important is the issue of privacy and personal information. When individuals are free to share information on these social networking sites, there needs to be methods in place to help protect each individual’s personal information. If educators are considering using these tools to conduct lessons within an educational setting, it becomes even more important to protect the privacy of the participant, especially if those participating are considered minors. Filters and elements to block access to certain information should be put into place if used by participating minors. Monitoring the appropriateness of the content that is shared among the users of these networks would also be an extremely important issue. Designers should also be mindful of the cultural environment in which the technology will be used. In addition, the accuracy of the content presented, would also be another ethical issue. The use of networks does make learning more accessible in that participants can learn from each other and the ability to connect with individuals from around the world allows for a variety of knowledge to be shared. In my opinion however, I do not know that the use of these tools necessarily allows for the accommodation of diverse learning needs.  Due to the nature of the laws and rules enacted in the school systems to help protect the privacy of students, using networks or web 2.0 technologies as part of instruction would be difficult. If students were given limited access to a specified network specifically created for the instructional purpose, it might be feasible. With that being said, the exchange of information within the network would need to be monitored and a great deal of guidance and instruction would be needed in order for the specified learning objectives to be successfully met using this technology.