The State University of New York Tools of Engagement Project (TOEP) < http://suny.edu/toep > is an online professional development model that encourages faculty and instructional support staff to explore and reflect on innovative and creative uses of emerging technologies through hands-on Discovery Learning Activities. TOEP is focused on creating peer-learning communities by providing a venue to experiment with the evolving landscape of social media and the latest web-based technology tools. The concept of lifelong learning and how it relates to technology change serves as a guiding principle of this project. This research examines the reflective summary posts shared by participants in the project's online community to understand their perspectives about their experiences with TOEP. Our findings show that participants felt that they gained knowledge from the experiences of peers in the community. Many faculty stated that they integrated technology into their courses while they were participating in the project, or they expressed explicit plans to do so in the future. Many participants also expressed a desire to continue to learn about emerging technologies after their formal participation concluded.
Clickers are also referred to as classroom response systems. They are smallhandheld electronic devices that resemble a television remote control, used by students to respond to questions posed by instructors. Typically, questions are provided to students using electronic on-screen presentations. Results of students' responses can be immediately displayed. This display of students' responses allows instructors to gauge the level of understanding of their students, and allows students to reflect on their knowledge of the concept at hand. This gives instructors and students immediate feedback regarding students' knowledge. The use of clickers engages students to actively participate in class sessions. Using a classroom response system makes students accountable, and requires them to respond to questions posed during class. This article will describe tips and techniques to assist instructors to develop effective questions that can be used in conjunction with classroom response systems. The development of effective questions determines the outcome of whether or not the use of a classroom response system is a useful teaching tool. At first impression, one might think that having students respond to multiple-choice questions inspires a rote-learning environment. If instructors take the time and put forth effort to fully consider the best ways to implement clicker driven questions that target higher levels of learning, then classroom response systems can become a very effective learning tool.
Pedagogical applications of technology-including digital video, course management systems, online discussion forums, and CD-ROM compilations-for development of professional skills were tested in three distinct professional graduate programs. Role-playing, peer review, and selfreflection instructional methods were technologically enhanced by creating customized interfaces for use in counseling, library science, and teacher education graduate programs. Implications for further iterations of integrating technology and professional development, potential uses in a variety of disciplines, and ways in which the process can be improved are also discussed.
Technology changes more rapidly today than in any other point in human history. These changes affect the tools we use to perform day-to-day personal and professional tasks. Exploring Emerging Technologies for Lifelong Learning and Success (#EmTechMOOC) has been created to help adult learners with diverse backgrounds from across the globe discover tools and resources they can adapt to fit their needs in today’s fast-paced world. This article examines how the 4 Cs of 21st Century Skills: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are strengthened through #EmTechMOOC. Results from the pilot and the improvements that have been made are also addressed.
Increasingly, the traditional professional development (PD) model at 4-year institutions fails to meet the evolving needs of faculty. The traditional model of PD faces unique implementation challenges, including developing offerings that appeal to a wide range of disciplines and topics, dealing with limited faculty availability, physical/campus location barriers, and limited training staff. This article discusses a collaborative initiative across five State University of New York (SUNY) colleges and universities to develop a web-based, on-demand, self-directed PD opportunity that can easily be shared and replicated throughout SUNY and the world under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.5 license. The Tools of Engagement Project: On-demand Discovery Learning Professional Development (hereafter referred to as TOEP) allows faculty to explore emerging technologies and Web 2.0 tools at their own pace through a variety of rich media and textual tutorials. As a part of the grant research, the interactive community of TOEP learners also reflect on how they could incorporate emerging technologies and Web 2.0 tools into their pedagogy, thereby creating a knowledge base of technology implementation.
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