General Info
Welcome to Tech Tips! Tech Tips was created as a space for instructors to find new ideas for incorporating technologies into the classrooms. Please read the below information before you begin. Additionally, find the Forum section so that you can share your experience with other instructors.
Technology is a fun and exciting way to change some of your classroom curriculum. However, before jumping into it, it's important to note the difference between a technology-centered and a learner-centered approach. Richard Mayer, one of my favorite Multimedia theorists, explains important differences between following a technology-centered approach as opposed to a learner-centered approach.
A technology-centered approach involves asking which technology would be best for presenting information (Mayer, 2009). For example, if I have a camera and an ipad, I will decide to use one or both devices to enhance my curriculum.
A learner-centered approach involves asking whether a given technology enhances human cognition (2009). For example, if you choose to play a video while also playing a radio behind it, it probably won't enhance student cognition because the audio with the radio and the video will clash.
The main takeaway from this short post is to question why you are going to use a given technology. You should not use the given technology if your answer is consistent with the mindset of a technology-centered approach. Instead, you should question how that technology might enhance student cognition?
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Source: Mayer, R. Multimedia Learning. Santa Barbara: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Print.