Rick Marolt
The Distance Teaching & Learning Conference, held in Madison for 32 years, starts Aug. 9.
Education is going through radical changes. Chalkboards have evolved into SMART Boards, and massive open online courses (MOOCs) have replaced some classes. Teachers and professors can lecture from across town or around the world.
While ostensibly a boon for educators, technology is also causing confusion and uncertainty.
“Technology can be disruptive, and a lot of these new innovative, instructional technologies have created a disruption within our traditional system,” says Les Howles, director of UW-Madison’s Division of Continuing Studies’ Distance Education Professional Development. “It’s forcing us to think about teaching, learning and learners in new ways.”
The issue is broader than simply having access to technology, and the UW distance education team is trying to help educators make the most of online learning. One way is through the Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning, slated for Monona Terrace, Aug. 9-11.
“What we do in layman’s terms is help educators teach more effectively online, using new technology tools,” says Howles.
Jeffrey Russell, vice provost for Lifelong Learning and dean of Continuing Studies, says new technologies have created more ways to create and organize content.
“There are a number of educational resources that are now available for somebody to design in their learning, to teach to a broader array of students and their needs,” says Russell. “It’s a really exciting space because it puts the students at the center.”
New teaching methods include incorporating videos into lesson plans or sending students to various online portals to practice specific concepts. It also includes “gamification” — a relatively new technique that adapts video game strategies for teaching.
“We really need to think about how can we adapt our instruction for a new generation,” says Howles.
While a majority of the work that the DEPD team does is directed towards higher education, the concepts and practices can be used at any level.
“Learning transcends generations,” Russell says. “If you’re in K-12, a technical college, in higher education or you’re in the public or private industry, learning cuts across all of that.”
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is seeing new technologies quickly moving into the classroom.
Ten years ago, very little technology was being used in the classroom, writes Janice Mertes, assistant director of Instructional Media Technology and Digital Learning at DPI in an email. Now, Wisconsin schools are using interactive display technology and integrating personal devices.
“Students are experiencing technology at all grade levels and in all content areas,” Mertes says. The challenge, she says, is to use the technology in effective ways to prepare students to be “career and college ready.”
Howles admits educators at UW are still finding their way. “We’re still pioneers in this area,” he says. “Not too many people on this campus are doing personalized learning or adaptive learning, but we’re all moving in that direction.”
Technology also makes it easier for teachers to monitor students by collecting data on their progress.
“Analytics is improving student success because students are tracked, and professors and teachers can be alerted if a student is struggling,” Howles says. “Once the teacher is alerted they can intervene, and intervening at the right time often makes a world of difference.”
All of these emerging technologies and practices will be discussed in detail at the distance teaching annual gathering at Monona Terrace.
“The conference builds on a legacy and a culture of innovation,” says Russell.
