Lisa Livingston, Director
Instructional Media Division
Learning technologies are revolutionizing higher education and expanding
the educator's ability to reach his or her students. As the use of technology
grows at an unprecedented rate, educators and students are faced with almost
unlimited choices. Do I use Mac or Windows? Analog or digital? Which
multisync monitor do I need? Which authoring software? Which presentation
software? How do I get access to the World Wide Web in my classroom? What
is considered a "classroom" these days? Should I create my own
web page? How do I learn to do that?
Taken out of context, these choices can certainly seem daunting for even
the most seasoned tech enthusiast, but viewed as tools that support a course
and the ideas to be shared with the students, instructional media prove
exciting for even the tech novice.
With all of these choices at hand, it is important to remember, however,
that the only helpful instructional media is that which is used. It is
distressing to watch state-of-the-art technology sit and collect dust because
faculty and students are afraid to operate it or are unclear of its benefits.
Conversely, it is rewarding to see the light bulbs flash in the head of
the student deeply engaged in a multimedia presentation. Acquiring hardware
and software is easy; effectively putting it to creative use is a bit more
complex. The following suggestions are offered to assist you as you formulate
your learning technology plan.
Organize your ideas. Create a loose outline identifying those
ideas central to your course that you would like to highlight with media.
Do not be afraid to reorganize your "organized ideas."
Be flexible. Update. As you become more technologically sophisticated,
reorganize your loose outline to reflect your
increased knowledge base. Do not stick to tried-and-true media when your
imagination demands more.
Keep your subject front and center. Do not let the technology interfere
with your message. A successful instructional media presentation is one
where the hardware and software support the idea that you are trying to
get across to your students.
Experiment. Have fun - right from the beginning. This is your
class. You make the media rules. You decide which media information is
included and which is not. Use as many media formats during presentations
as is appropriate to your outline. Mix digital technology with more traditional
technology. There are thousands and thousands of media titles available
to you. Preview many media titles before selecting a few. Use a portion
of a program or portions of several programs rather than a complete program,
if it supports your goals. Consider creating your own media materials,
e.g. video, slides, multimedia, if what you want is not commercially available.
Find your comfort level. Establish a comfortable flow of information
during class sessions. Do not use more media than you can manage. Start
simple, with a few media formats, and increase slowly. Too much information
is as deadly as too little. Do not try to operate technology with which
you are unfamiliar. Take the time to learn how to use the hardware before
class. Finally, remember that in spite of all your advanced preparation,
technology breaks occasionally. Have a back-up plan in mind.
Design clear and engaging learning materials. The good news is
that today's learning technologies make it possible for anyone to create
dynamic programs of their own. The bad news is that the creation of dynamic
programs is an awful lot more difficult and time consuming than we first
anticipate. Keep in mind formal design concepts as you develop your own
learning materials. For example, ask yourself if your slides are too light
or too dark. Is the handwriting on your overheads legible? Is the text
in your PowerPoint presentation clear? Is it too small? Is the color disturbing
or even boring? Is your multimedia program sufficiently branched? Are
the lines in your graphical illustrations bold enough? Is your web page
sufficiently interactive?
Reach beyond the classroom. Networks have lifted the classroom
walls. The Internet and other telecommunication technologies support the
notion of information and communication on demand, thereby bringing the
rest of the world into your class and vice versa. Consider integrating
off-site telecommunications into a few class sections.
Do not be afraid to dream. For many years, instructional media
were too inflexible to be truly useful to educators and students and were
often considered little more than entertainment devices. As a result, technology
sat on the periphery of the teaching and learning experience. That has
changed. Now integrated technology educates both the linear and non-linear
learner. Self-paced learning modules enhance the curriculum.
Lightening-speed networks, that were but a fantasy a few years ago, serve
as broad information gateways. Today, an educator's ability to dream of
ways to use instructional media is matched by their diversity and capabilities.
Lisa Livingston, Director
Instructional Media
NAC Building, Room R5/220
(212) 650-6708
E-mail: lisa1@phantom.cct.ccny.cuny.edu
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