Why use technology to facilitate interactivity?

- Why should we use technology to facilitate interactivity? This chapter will introduce technology strategies that enhance and supplement traditional teaching and learning strategies. Overall, there are quite a few reasons or benefits to consider. But I'll name just a few. Increased participation. Increased engagement. Increased community. And increased flexibility. Let's start by looking at how technology can increase participation. How many students typically participate on a regular basis in your classroom. Usually there are some extroverts, active learning, or confident students who represent most of the responses to your questions.

On the other end of the spectrum we often find introverts, reflective learners, timid students, or students from cultures that do no promote participation. If you have no other reason to teach with technology then consider this. Technology enables 100 percent participation on a regular basis. Here are some examples. Use clickers or clicker apps to check students' understanding of each new topic you present. Or use online tools like discussion forums to require every student to answer a question about a class reading. You can even require this before class and share the best responses as a regular class activity.

Technology can increase engagement for your students. In another movie I described universal design for learning principles. Which include, multiple means of engagement. In addition to UDL, active learning strategies allow students to begin using and better retain what they've learned. If you're not familiar with flip classes they're a great example of using technology to increase student engagement. In traditional classes, students come to the classroom to watch or listen to presentations by the teacher. They often go somewhere else to perform activities that help them make sense of the material.

In flipped classes, students do the opposite. Through the magic of lecture capture or screen cast they review recorded presentations outside of class and perform learning activities in class with guidance from the instructor. Search for Lynda.com courses about flipping the classroom if you want to learn more. Technology can increase student sense of community. By engaging students in more opportunities to interact with each other they'll start to see their peers as resources and avenues of support. In class, allow students to answer each other's questions.

This can be through a Google Jockey or back channel while you're giving a lecture. Turn a large class into small groups using group functionalities from Facebook or a learning management system like Moodle, Blackboard, or Canvas. Technology can increase flexibility for student interaction outside of class. For study groups or project teams that want to meet outside of class but can not meet in person tools like Skype, or Google+ Hangouts make it possible to hold virtual meetings. For groups that can not meet at the same time discussion forums or Facebook groups allow them to share ideas or answer questions.

Wikis or Google Docs allow them to work collaboratively on projects at different times. As I mentioned there are a variety of reasons or benefits to consider using technology to facilitate interactivity with your class. We've just scratched the surface looking at participation, engagement, and community. Stay tuned for more benefits throughout this chapter. Before reviewing another movie in the course take a minute to answer the following questions for yourself. How can you use technology to increase student participation? Student motivation? Student sense of community? Or students' flexibility?