Integrating Instructional Technology into Your Courses

Introduction

Teaching and learning can be enhanced through the effective use of technology. This section opens with links to websites that provide teaching strategies, examples, and information for using technology in teaching all disciplines, followed by a link for courses in the sciences. Next, mega-sites on technology in teaching provide articles, research reports, teaching strategies, and examples of technology integrated into courses. The concluding sites focus more specifically on course development incorporating technology and the use of specific teaching strategies, such as active learning with technology, clickers, and the Internet.

Strategies and Examples

"The Technology Literate Professoriate: Are We There Yet?" by Dan Madigan, Bowling Green State University (IDEA Paper No.43, March 2006).
Madigan argues that for our technology savvy students in an increasingly digital world, we should use techonlogy to support and enhance learning. He describes the kinds of technology that have the potential to enhance student learning such as Wikis, online tutorials, clickers, e-portfolios, and much more.
http://www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/Idea_Paper_43.pdf
Online resources related to this paper at:
http://www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/Idea_Paper_43OnlineResources.pdf

Teaching Strategies: Using Technology in Teaching (University of Michigan, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching).
This webpage provides links to articles on strategies for using technology effectively, including examples of faculty using technology in teaching.  Links also address other issues that arise when technology is incorporated into the classroom.
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tstt.php

Instructional Technology (University of Michigan, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching).
Scroll down to “Tips and Examples of Teaching with Technology” for links to sites that provide examples of University of Michigan faculty using instructional technology, tips, a model, and additional resources.
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/inst/inst.html

Examples of University of Michigan Faculty Using Technology in Teaching
Organized alphabetically by faculty member, this University of Michigan site offers over 50 examples of technology used in courses from all disciplines. Some entries are descriptive summaries while others lead to web sites from courses.
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/inst/alphabeticaltechexamples.php

ITeach Professional Development Center (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, The Center for Teaching and Learning).
Developed by faculty, this site is another helpful resource for using technology in teaching. Under the category “Online Teaching,” it contains well-annotated links to online courses, tutorials, and other resources for teaching with technology. 
http://www.ctl.mnscu.edu/iteach/index.html

Teaching with Technology (Module 5 of Getting Results, an online course for instructors on course development, funded by the National Science Foundation, produced by WGBH in Boston and The League for Innovation).
This module offers direction in choosing and implementing appropriate technologies for enhancing your students’ learning.
http://www.league.org/gettingresults/web/module5/introduction/index.html

Project Descriptions Sorted by Discipline (The National Center for Academic Transformation).
Numerous courses in a wide range of disciplines are linked to this page, all demonstrating a redesign of large-enrollment, introductory courses using technology to achieve cost savings as well as quality enhancement.  
http://www.thencat.org/PCR/Proj_Discipline_all.html

Innovations in Education (SUNY Stonybrook)
Video interviews of faculty using innovative approaches and best practices in teaching with educational technology that have had a positive impact on student learning.
https://tlt.stonybrook.edu/FacultyServices/IiE/Lists/Show%20List/Select%20Show.aspx

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Technology for Courses in the Sciences

Learning Through Technology, LT2, (University of Wisconsin, Madison).
This site was designed for postsecondary instructors of Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology to provide information on using technology to enhance learning in these fields. Includes descriptions of technology in use, case studies, and assessment materials.
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/archive/cl1/ilt/intro/intro.htm

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Mega-sites on Using Technology in Teaching

e-Learning Centre (United Kingdom).
A comprehensive site offering information and services on e-learning. “Library” contains links to articles, papers, research reports, and resource collections; “Showcase” provides examples of online courses and projects; “Products and Services” provides links to e-learning tools, systems, and other resources.
http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/index.html

The TLT Group: Teaching, Learning, and Technology.
Provides information on many aspects of using technology for teaching and learning. Some materials and services require a subscription, but much online information is free. See especially the Free Resources section and TLT-SWG. Includes introductory information on teaching with blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc.; assessment materials; discussion groups; and much more.
http://www.tltgroup.org/

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Course Development

Hitchhiker’s Guide to Course Development
A site dedicated to helping instructors design courses that integrate technology at various levels: classroom-based with web-presence, web-enhanced, web-centric, and online. Offers step-by-step tutorials at each level with specific planning guides, teaching strategies, and assessment tools. 
http://midsolutions.org/faculty_tools/tutorial_overview.htm

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Specific Teaching and Learning Strategies Using Technology

Active Learning with Powerpoint (University of Minnesota, Center for Teaching and Learning Services).
An online tutorial on using Powerpoint more effectively in the classroom: for active learning, active lecturing, assessment, and educational games. Includes five short videos discussing different ways to use Powerpoint to support learning.
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/powerpoint/

Blogs for Learning (Michigan State University)
This site is a resource on using blogs for instructional purposes. Contains articles, case studies, and interactive tutorials on creating, using, and maintaining an instructional blog. Also provides a blog for brief contributions on blogging called The Learning Curve. 
http://blogsforlearning.msu.edu/

“A Flexible Alternative to PowerPoint,” Richard Olivo (Harvard University, Derek Bok Center).
Describes the use of a Web browser for teaching, offering guidelines for creating presentation pages and multiple links.
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/html/icb.topic58474/notPPT.html

Wikis in Higher Education (Eli Collins-Brown, Methodist College of Nursing).
A wiki on ways in which faculty/staff are using wikis in higher education, compiled from a request for this information on the POD (Professional and Organizational Development Network) listserv, November 13, 2008.
http://sites.google.com/site/wikisinhighered/Home

Using Online Technology to Break Classroom Boundaries. Speaking of Teaching, Stanford University Newsletter on Teaching, Vol. 8, No. 1, Fall 1996. Adobe Acrobat/PDF.
Ways to integrate technology into on-campus courses to extend communication beyond the classroom: email, course web pages, electronic discussions, mailing lists, Usenet Newsgroups, and class bulletin boards. 
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/cgi-bin/docs/newsletter/technology.pdf

“Handbook for Instructors on the Use of Electronic Class Discussions,” Nancy Chism (Ohio State, Office of Faculty and TA Development).
Guidelines for using electronic communication to extend classroom boundaries. Presents several electronic discussion formats, the need for goals, and tips from Ohio State faculty using electronic discussion in their classes.
http://ftad.osu.edu/Publications/elecdisc/pages/index.htm

Find Digital Video ( University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University Library).
Extensive list of annotated links that provide digital video clips available on the Internet that can be used for teaching.
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/ugl/find/findvideos.html 
>See also on this site Using the Internet for Instruction.

“Tips for Successful ‘Clicker’ Use,” by Dr. Douglas Duncan (University of Colorado, 2009).
Fourteen practices with clicker that lead to success and seven that lead to failure. The author cautions that “If you believe that the teacher, not the students, should be the focus of the class, it is unlikely that clickers will work well for you.” 
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eliweb0910.pdf

Seven Things You Should Know About Clickers (Educause, May 2005).
Discusses the positive aspects and downsides of clickers plus implications for teaching and learning.
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7002.pdf

Clicker Resources (Science Education Initiative, U of Colorado, and Carl Wieman, Science Education Initiative, U of British Columbia).
A valuable site for both the new and experienced user of clickers. Contains "An instructor's guide to the effective use of personal response systems (clickers) in teaching" plus videos with practical tips on using clickers in lower and upper division courses, and links to many other clicker resources.
http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/clickers.htm

See also "The Technology Literate Professoriate: Are We There Yet?" by Dan Madigan in the "Strategies and Examples" section above.

“Teaching with Clickers” by Erping Zhu, 2007 (University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching). 
This article, No. 22, provides specific methods for using clickers in the classroom plus a list of recommendations for faculty. 
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/occasional.php

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