Using Technology in an Online Learning Experience

Society today is becoming increasingly dependent on all forms of technology for daily

functioning. Cities are putting up free wireless zones for access to the internet, and just about every coffee shop or airport these days has free wireless computer access. It is clear that technology is advancing at an extremely rapid pace, but are the users of technology able to keep up?

 Designers of online courses must consider the needs of adult learners, their motivations, expectations, and experience level. Creating information that taps into the strengths of an adults’ experience and ensuring that clearly defined goals and expectations are laid out beforehand will help ensure higher participation and follow through in online courses. Adult learners enjoy taking on the responsibility for their own learning, and when properly guided and prepared for a learning experience they are quite capable of achieving a high level of competency.

 In the late 1990s, there was a lot of discussion about the so-called “digital divide”

among those who had access to technology, and those who did not. While more affluent
people still have greater access, technology has become cheaper and more accessible to
everyone (Day, Janus, & Davis, 2005). More and more families own a computer that has access to the internet. However, mere access to technology does not make one able to use it. As the rise of the internet has brought a tremendous surge in the availability of information, pressure on adults to learn and adapt to new technology for work

and pleasure has increased. The popularity of distance-learning and computer-based training for both formal and informal learning has made it more and more important that adults be comfortable with using computers to learn for both work and personal enrichment. Online instructors must understand many adult learners have anxiety, resistance and poor attitudes about computers, which can make even the best computer-based instruction fail if the needs of these learners are not identified and addressed.

 Additionally, Torkzadeh and Angulo (1992) suggest increased demands for computer

competency and literacy in the future will far outpace currently training in high schools and colleges, leading to even greater computer anxiety, not less.
Anxiety is a major impediment to technology use and implementation, and a major
barrier to adult computer-based learning and training. In order to better meet the needs of the learners, educators and trainers need to have a good understanding of the factors that affect a learner’s computer attitude, and thus be able to identify high-risk learners that may need extra intervention.

 

I have found blogging to be most appealing for me. Blogging allows your visitors to leave comments and interact with, not just you, but each other under each post that is made. You can actually create a community of people around your site who will visit your site regularly for updates.

 

References

Day, J., Janus, A., Davis, J. (2005). Computer and internet use in the united states: 2003. Washington D.C.: US Census Bureau.

 Torkzadeh, G. a. A., I.E. (1992). The concept and correlates of computer anxiety. Behavior and Information Technology, 11 (2), 99-108.