Useability, Accessibility, and Technology Tools

This post is in response to an assignment from my MS degree. A peer in my class uses a Q&A format for his blog post assignments, so I thought I would try that this time around as well.

Q: What impact does technology and multimedia have on online learning environments?

A: I think that technology and multimedia in online learning environments can be a double-edged sword. On the plus side, there is an unprecedented amount of new technologies that can connect us in new, exciting, and creative ways that weren’t possible even a few short years ago. Wikis, blogs, YouTube videos, Skype, discussion boards, cloud-based web tools like Google Drive, and so on make sharing and collaborating at a distance more robust than ever. On the other hand, the drawback is that there is an unprecedented amount of technology out there, and it’s nearly impossible to keep up with it all. Even for the technologically initiated, there just isn’t enough time to know about or learn how to use all of this digital technology. The danger here is that when learners are meeting online to reach certain learning objectives that they end up diverting a lot of their time to figuring out how to use the online tools instead.

Q: What are the most important considerations an online instructor should make before implementing technology?

A: The most important consideration of all is whether or not the technology is directly in service of the learning goals set forth for the course or online community; instructors should resist the urge to fall into the content seduction trap (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.). Cooper, Colwell, and Jelfs (2007) refer to this as usability. The other important consideration for instructors is to facilitate peers connecting with each and feeling connected to their other students. Careful planning should be taken to make sure that the technology is helping rather than hinder participants.

Q: What implications do usability and accessibility of technology tools have for online teaching?

A: As Cooper, Colwell, and Jelfs (2007) point out, accessibility and usability affect one another. The more accessible, or able a course or tool is to adjust to all learners an online tool is, the more likely it is to be useable—or efficient in meeting learning objectives and goals. Many refer to accessibility in terms of catering to the disabled—things like using Closed Captioning for the deaf, for example. However, someone who is on the bus and doesn’t have headphones would be able to benefit from the same Closed Captioning due to the setting in which he’s viewing the training. That learner might not have a disability, but now the training has become for useable and efficient for him.  

Q: What technology tools are most appealing to you for online teaching as you move forward in your career in instructional design?

A: I think there’s a lot of promising technologies out there. I’m surprised how much YouTube has exploded over the years. A lot of times I will look for how-to videos on YouTube, and I have also been able to find courses from Stanford University on there for free as well. IM chats and wiki pages are also very helpful. Again, I don’t think the technology has to be fancy, but if it’s useful it passes the test for me. I think the push for mobile technology and training is interesting, but I have my reservations. I think there is a point at which a screen is just too small for effective training. The iPad seems like a good size, but mobile phone screens just seem to small… Anway, for what its worth, those are my two cents.

 

References:

Cooper, M., Colwell, C., & Jelfs, A. (2007). Embedding accessibility and usability:

Considerations for e-learning research and development projects. ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology, 15(3), 231-245.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Enhancing the online experience [Video file]. Retrieved

from https://class.waldenu.edu