Integrating Technology
When designing and developing a course, you will focus on each curriculum component and activity as it relates back to a central theme: Why is this course being offered and what should students know or do to make sure that need is being met? Similarly, when introducing technology into your course, you should always be able to answer these questions:
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Why select this technology for this activity?
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What should the technology help students and/or faculty achieve?
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What impact might this technology have on my learners and me?
In answering these questions, it is better to be proactive in planning and strategizing the integration of technologies as a part of the course design. You can begin this journey by exploring the resources given below.
Strategy and Planning
Technology integration in a learning environment should be intentional. There should be a reason, or strategy, for introducing a technology as a part of the instruction or welcoming its use in a learning activity. And if faculty are bringing a technology into a course or allowing students to bring their own technologies, they will need to do a bit of preparation to know what tools are available, what support systems are in place, and what possible impacts the technology will have on the students, the faculty themselves, and the learning outcomes.
To find out more about strategies and preparation for incorporating technology into course design and facilitation, see Instructional Technologies: Strategy and Planning.
Technology Tools and Applications
Whether you teach on-site, online, using a blended model, or using any combination thereof, chances are you use some form of technology in your teaching: PowerPoint presentations, slides, word processing, spreadsheets, blogs, wikis, grade books, and so on. The number of potentially useful tools for communication, collaboration, and administrative tasks in classes seems to be rising exponentially, but what tools will be most useful for your needs? What other tools might you want to familiarize yourself with?
When choosing a tool, you will want to consider three things:
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Value—Will it help students achieve the goal and/or learning objectives?
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Function—Does it do what you want it to do?
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Implementation—Do you understand how to use this technology, and where will you or the students go for help if issues arise?
To find out more about the technology applications and tools available to you, see Technology for Teaching at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
