Technology is continually evolving and influencing the way in which people learn. However, just because technology is new and exciting doesn’t mean it is appropriate for use in all learning situations. When using technology to aid in learning, it is important to keep in mind the audience, objective, and environment as they all factor into pairing the right technology with the desired learning outcome.
As a writer of user assistance content for a software company, I know that not all subjects are conducive to a short instructional videos. Take for example a coding exercise where the objective is to teach a programmer about a new language and its unique syntax and requirements. This is something that is not going to be easily represented using a video format. Instead a webpage or job aid that details the structure of the language, the proper syntax to use, and includes details about parameters both required and optional is better suited to the task. Providing written reference material that allows the programmer to easily search for information and provides details and examples of how to structure the code is better. This way the user can quickly find what is needed without having to waste time watching or fast forwarding through a video that contains a lead in and\or other information that the user will perceives as unnecessary, because they want to get specific information to complete a particular task. In this scenario a video would not be an adequate use of technology.
Video would lend itself better to walking a user through screens within a software solution or demonstrating the outcome of a coding task, such as retrieving data or updating a value. In this scenario the user could watch the proper procedure, pause if needed as they follow along or mimic the actions in their own environment.
Learners have become accustomed to searching for answer and choosing the best result from an array of answers. One of the factors that determines the path they choose is how appropriate is the answers delivery. In the example here, a video would probably be the last resource chosen. While a webpage, document, or wiki would be the more likely choice. With so many options, it is important to consider the correct technology to meet the needs of the learner and not use technology simply because it is new or available.
Today’s learners are more demanding and have higher expectations of content and the process by which they consume information (Mason, 20013). Therefore instructors have a responsibility to provide a favorable and proper experience to their audience. Choosing the right technology, designing, and applying it in precise ways, so that objectives are well-defined, instructional procedures are accurate and based upon tasks that students are required to learn, the information is carefully sequenced and easily consumable, there is a high degree of interaction and student involvement, liberal use of reinforcement, as well as monitoring of student performance as all key factors the designer should consider (Blackhurst, 2002).
References
Blackhurst, A.E. (2002). Types of technology. Retrieved from http://tam.uky.edu/basics/techtypes.html
Mason, R. (2003). Evolving technologies. Encyclopedia of distributed learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
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