diff --git a/teach_online/general_tips.md b/teach_online/general_tips.md index d9163d4..6b58bcc 100644 --- a/teach_online/general_tips.md +++ b/teach_online/general_tips.md @@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ solicit unique student IDs or accounts from the external tool *once* at the begi and create a system (using e.g. Python script, Excel tools, etc.) to automatically map student points from the external tool to the appropriate entry in your course gradebook. -## Avoid Technology Fatigue +## Reduce Technology Fatigue University education has looked almost identical for *hundreds* of years: an instructor stands at the front of a lecture hall, @@ -68,6 +68,37 @@ with a particular boom in the past few decades as formal education research has As is the case with *all* disciplines, advances in education research have resulted in the creation of new innovative technologies to better facilitate student learning. +These tools can be *incredibly* powerful for engaging students and modernizing instruction! +However, one thing to be conscious of is the potential for {term}`Technology Fatigue`: +a sense of overwhelming that can come about from the use of many different technologies TODO CITE. +For example, +speaking from personal experience, +a single undergraduate course might use all of the following technologies: + +* [Canvas](https://canvas.instructure.com) or [Blackboard](https://blackboard.com) for announcements/grades +* [Google Sites](https://sites.google.com) or [GitHub Pages](https://pages.github.com) for a course website to display course materials/assignments +* [Cogniterra](https://cogniterra.com) for reading assignments and/or quizzes +* [Ed](https://edstem.org) or [Piazza](https://piazza.com) for the course discussion board +* A proprietary textbook-affiliated web platform for homework problems (e.g. math, physics, biology, etc.) +* [Gradescope](https://gradescope.com) for submitting and grading programming assignments and written homework/exams +* [iClicker](https://iclicker.com) for in-class participation for in-person courses +* [YouTube](https://youtube.com) for pre-class videos and/or class recordings +* And potentially more! + +Again, I want to emphasize that all of the above technologies may be used in *a single course*! +Further, it's important to remember that your course is not the only course students are taking: +they very well could be taking 3 other courses +(potentially in dramatically different disciplines) +that each have *their own* technologies for students to keep track of. +Thus, my general tip is to try to reduce {term}`Technology Fatigue`: -TODO MENTION TECHNOLOGY IS GOOD, BUT TOO MANY DIFFERENT TOOLS CAN CAUSE TECHNOLOGY FATIGUE AND OVERWHELM STUDENTS. -MENTION THAT THEY HAVE YOUR CLASS + ALL OF THEIR OTHER CLASSES = MANY OVERALL TECHNOLOGIES THEY NEED TO JUGGLE +* Try to minimize the number of technologies used in your course + * Some technologies might have redundancies in terms of functionality, so try to consolidate when at all possible + * For example, I now use [Ed](https://edstem.org) for announcements, embedding course materials, quizzes, programming assignments, and exams +* When possible, try to have a single "main" technology/website that students can bookmark, and seamlessly *embed* other technologies *within* it + * Try to avoid manual interaction on the student's end when at all possible + +```{glossary} +Technology Fatigue + A sense of overwhelming that can come about from the use of many different technologies TODO CITE. +```