Does technology intimidate you?

or Have you embraced digital learning?

Exercise Answers
1. What is the original name of Manitobas Golden Boy Eternal Youth Page 117; The Hermetic Code 2. Why is the Peloponnese considered an island? 1893 construction of the Corinth Canal Page 71; Art and History of Greece 3. What was the 1993 Grammy record of the Year? I will Always Love You, Whitney Houston Page 669; 2011 Time Almanac

Exercise Answers
4. Who in Manitoba is considered the Father of Canola? Baldur Stefansson Page 108; Time of their Lives (U of M Ag History)

5. 10 Tablespoons of water is equivalent to how may Gills? 1.04 Gills Page 501; Pocket Ref

Using Technology to Reduce Educational Barriers

Imposter Syndrome

Language
Disability Distance

Time
Technology

Fear/Imposter Syndrome Barrier

Learning anything new or unfamiliar can invoke this imposter syndrome. We can learn to use a variety of technology to overcome our fears or hesitancies

Adult educator and learners who incorporate the following strategies will help to alleviate this imposter syndrome:

Fear/Imposter Syndrome Barrier

Discover/be aware of learners prior knowledge (amount & nature) (Lindeman and Knowles)

Present/request learning material in different formats according to learner style and background - can greatly accommodate and ease learning
(Flannery, 1993)

Some examples are: text for visual learners audio clips for audio learners video sequencing

Fear/Imposter Syndrome Barrier

Provide/take advantage of advance organizers & overheads when introducing new material to learners to aid in fostering memory capacity and skills
Especially to: Older learners Those with low level literacy New language learners

Fear/Imposter Syndrome Barrier

Technology can allow a learner to be involved in a class while accommodating their fears Possible technological aids could be:
Email to allow interaction when needed in a relaxed environment E-learning which allows a person to learn at his/her own pace in a comfortable environment Discussion Forums Electronic quizzes can allow for immediate feedback iClick removes the fear of answering in class

Fear/Imposter Syndrome Barrier

Preview courses allowing individuals to get a handle on a topic that provides understanding in a nonthreatening way
Pre-training prep courses get people up to speed prior to actual education

Language Barrier
There are many technological tools now available to ease and speed up learning. Language learners can increase their language learning through
language classes self-directed learning, software programs: Rosetta Stone self-paced, step-by-step Google

Language Barrier
Use of translation devices
International students use variety of hand-held devices Certain programs offer real time translation Google translation app - i.e. can open iTunes to buy and download apps Subtitling, dubbing, voice-over on television, pcs, or iPads for Newcomers

Language Barrier
Communication can be improved through
Ability to tap into government services on-line according to language preferences Telephonic Interpreting Services (TIS) for organizations whose members often deal with Limited English Proficient (LEP) speakers
Is available in over 180 languages Proven asset in the healthcare system

Language Barrier
Knowledge is enhanced through
access to World Wide Web on virtually any topic, - accelerated for quick resourcing i.e. palliative care electronic journal publishing training multilingual workforce - use universal communication: colours &
numbers

text to speech software which immensely improves the lives of those with specific disability challenges

Disability Barrier

Welcome to this presentation on learning about the deaf and their different learning ways. They cant hear, they use sign and it is a really challenge to communicate Can you understand what I am saying right now. Its a challenge. OK

Disability Barrier
People who have to deal with a disability face additional challenges to learning because:
Higher education and adult learning traditionally requires active participation demands a high level of personal organization and drive relies heavily on reading the written word and hearing the spoken word, and often involves working in buildings that were not designed with access in mind. Learning is an increasingly social activity, involving collaborative interactions

This learning environment, which can be difficult for all students, is strewn with additional barriers for those with disabilities.

Disability Barrier
Some examples of characteristics that present barriers to effective participation in the learning experience:
visual impairment deafness specific learning difficulties including radically different learning styles mental health challenges mobility, dexterity and chronic pain

Technology helps overcome challenges

Hardware and software technology advances have greatly improved the ability of adults with disabilities to participate in this new learning environment Improvements include: the advent of texting, blackberries and smartphones for the deaf community that provides new modes of communication speech to text (for the deaf community) and text to speech (for sight reduced) technologies allow for the interaction of instructors and other class closed captioning of lectures

Technology helps overcome challenges

Improvements cont. The advent of social networking Computers, eBooks and audiobooks provide easier access to texts and information Participant input can be created and submitted in whatever ways are easiest for the participant Exam on computer for kids unable to write cursively

Technology helps overcome challenges

Technology allows for learning to take place in the environment that best accommodates a persons disability
Oral submissions for those who may struggle with learning challenges that make traditional written examinations difficult

Possible technological aids could be Tablets Video conferencing on classes Mobility vehicles to aid in getting around campus E-Books to aid in carrying numerous texts Apps such as AutismXPress

Technology helps overcome challenges

iPads have GPS
My Voice is an excellent app for stroke victims with aphasia produces vocabulary specific to where the person is at (doctors office, pharmacy, grocery store, bank This is currently used in Winnipeg to teach stroke victims

Distance Barrier
Distance can present a significant barrier to education
Lack of educational options within acceptable distance Additional travel cost to access training Less cohort support

Technology can Bridge the Gap

Students retain some of the benefits of faceto-face instruction from wherever they are There is flexibility of time and location Many distance programs are more flexibly paced which increases learner control of timing and content
Participants have an opportunity to reflect or consult outside reference materials if necessary before responding

Provides opportunities for innovative ways to collaborate and communicate Provides access to best-of-breed resources from around the world
Need to be careful

Technology can Bridge the Gap

Makes cost of education achievable
Multi-sensory approach addresses the needs of a wider range of learners (learning styles) Can be adapted to meet the needs of students with disabilities

Lack of face to face interaction means less discrimination because of age, gender or physical conditions Long distance interaction via virtual classrooms is almost real-time

Choosing the Appropriate Technology

Anything which promotes communication, collaboration, interaction and cooperation in a situation where change in observable performance is intended can be a learning technology. Select the simplest AND most practical technology which will meet the needs for learning Good design and effective use of resources enhances quality
sound application is better than simply bigger and fancier gadgets

Choosing the Appropriate Technology

When choosing technology look at the needs of the learner and the resources available Encourage input from all affected stakeholders Technology is only a means of assisting learners and no technology meets the needs of every program or learner
Technology should not become the focus but rather a tool

Choose the least expensive media which best meet the needs of the learner, the organization, and the program

Distance Technology Tools

Learning systems: Adobe Connect, Elluminate, WebEx, Blackboard, Wimba, Desire2Learn, Skype, Moodle, Buddy Meeting, etc. Audio and Video streamed or live multi person Pods/webcasts Discussion forums Group work (using various technologies such as Wikis) Chat Whiteboard

Technology
Through Technology, almost any program one desires can be found iTunes, in on March 5, 2012, the 25 billionth app was downloaded
The iTunes store currently has over 550,000 apps available alone

This has created an aid for almost any person including students

The Internet has Changed the World

With technology as an aid, Web based programs allow for worldwide access to knowledge Apps, devices and various types of software have made learning simpler on many accounts All 144 pounds of knowledge contained in the Encyclopedia Britannica books are now available with a few simple keystrokes
Announced that after 244 years of printing they are going all digital

Mobility
Tablets, Laptops and Netbooks allow for learners to take knowledge with them Allows for us to be able to use many of the technological tools available whenever they are required Questions can be answered by our cell phones in an instant no matter where we are

Staying In Touch
Social Media has changed the way real-time information is passed on to others Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Google+ enable us to always be tapping in to those around us Learners can use these methods to interact with other learners and share information to others

The Barrier of Time

Technology has allowed the world to respond to questions in an instant
Learners have always had to deal with the barrier of not having time to complete their studies Through the use of technology, that barrier has been removed for many

Learning whenever you have time

Recording educational sessions allows for a learner to watch a lecture whenever is convenient for them
DVDs allow for videos to be distributed to many learners and can be accessed multiple times Streaming video can allow someone to watch a session they were not able to attend in person YouTube has over 13 hours of content uploaded every minute

After Hour Education

The Internet never closes
Information can be accessed whenever it is needed
A Learner is also able to contact facilitators anytime if a question or problem occurs during their studies through email allowing for quicker responses

Flexibility is one of the key needs of adult learners So, the question is

Is the Internet Making Us Stupid?

Im not thinking the way I used to think Nicholas Carr For us, the Net is becoming a universal medium, the conduit for most of the information that flows through our eyes and ears and into our mind. media are not just passive channels of information. They supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought Marshall McLuhan

Is the Internet Making Us Stupid?

A University College London study suggests that we may well be in the midst of a sea change in the way we read and think. It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of reading are emerging as users power browse horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. We may be weakening our capacity for Deep Reading

Is the Internet Making Us Stupid?

The adult mind is very plastic. Nerve cells routinely break old connections and form new ones. The brain, has the ability to reprogram itself on the fly, altering the way it functions. James Olds The last thing companies on the Internet want is to encourage leisurely reading or slow, concentrated thought. It is not in their financial interest. The kind of deep reading that a sequence of printed pages promotes is valuable not just for the knowledge we acquire from the authors words but for the intellectual vibrations those words set off within our own minds. It is part of what makes us who we are.

Is the Internet Making Us Stupid?

"in the choices we have made, consciously or not, about how we use our computers, we have rejected the intellectual tradition of solitary, single-minded concentration, the ethic that the book bestowed on us. - Nicholas Carr

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/0 7/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/ - Link

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/20 10/06/nicholas-carr-on-the-superficial-webbymind/57610/ - Link

So, embrace digital learning, and remember that its ok to be intimidated sometimes

Balance is the key