Dan Olsen’s Weblog

I am getting ready to write a paper for a writing class I am currently enrolled in and I have decided to write about the benefits of technology in education. This topic is one that has interested me as of late. This entry, and entries that will follow, contain some of my thoughts and findings on the matter. Ideas from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

This first entry is about the basic ideas I have for my paper. I am doing this with the hope that people will add their comments and give me some ideas and sources that may be useful.

As a student at Brigham Young University I have had the opportunity to use the Blackboard online course system. Although Blackboard has some improvements to make (which may be the case in the latest version which BYU is not currently running) it is a great resource. Currently BYU provides links on Blackboard to resources and other useful information found on the Internet. In my opinion, this kind of information and these kind of resources should be available to all students.

The best part about Blackboard, in my opinion, is how easy it is for professors and students to communicate. If a professor needs to clarify a point and make a change to an assignment, he or she can post it to Blackboard and all the students in the class can check the announcements for such changes. Another feature that I have found useful time and time again is the discussion groups. I have received help from other students by posting my questions to the discussion group and in return I post answers to other student questions. One of the best features is the online syllabus which eliminates all the paper teachers have to use to distribute the information about the course. Blackboard does have some issues that need to be worked out, or BYU needs to do a better job at implementing Blackboard. One issue that needs to be addressed is the security of information. Security and other such issues are important and need to be thoroughly reviewed and discussed before technology can be truly reliable in education.

My focus on technology in education is not limited to higher education. I am also interested in what can be done in the K-12 schools. A friend of mine mentioned that in her high school biology class they had computers at their dissection stations that took them through the steps of the dissection. I remember waiting on different occasions for a teacher to come and help because the teacher was the only resource we had to use. The time that can be saved by using computers in the class room could provide more time to learn more material. Is that such a bad idea?

As I said earlier, input on this topic would be greatly appreciated. I will continue to add to this topic as I find more information and as my paper progresses. I will also be sure to post any good comments that are posted in the comments section.