Being Competent (D/11)

Out of all of the competencies that I reviewed in Chapter 27, the three that I would like to develop are: Use of media and technology to enhance learning and performance, assess learning and performance and evaluate instructional effectiveness. These three areas have always been the hardest for me.

One of the reasons that I took this technology class was because I really need help. When I went through my undergraduate program, there was no educational technology component; save the general university requirement. Therefore, I really had no knowledge of how to use technology to assist me in the classroom. This was and is one of the first questions that you are asked when you go to seek employment (along with questions about classroom management if you are a teacher). But for me, it was more than that.

I wanted to be able to make sure that my students had the exposure to technology to help them be successful. But I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t exposing them for the sake of it. I wanted make sure that that exposure was meaningful and that it was actually helping them learn valuable lessons. Students learn in so many different ways and I felt that technology may be the thing to help me to adapt my instruction the way it needs to be for those students that need and deserve it; but due to class load, may not be getting it (as much as they should).

Because of this, it is important for me to be able to assess whether or not my use of media and technology to help my students learn, is working. It would make no sense to use something that may not be working the way that you hope; and that may actually be creating the adverse effect. I have seen instances where students are given a test before they begin a course to see where they are and then given the same test at the end of the course. More often than not, the students score worse after the course. I have always wondered how that was possible and I feel that the situation is a result of not assessing the learning so that one knows if the techniques they are using work.

Nevertheless, it all seems to come back to evaluating instructional effectiveness. If the instruction isn’t effective, then the use of media and technology won’t enhance learning and performance because the students won’t understand what to do, what they are supposed to get out of using the media and technology and if they learn more effectively with the media and technology.