Literature Review II

College Quarterly

Winter 2009 - Volume 12 Number 1Using Videos to Bring Lecture to the Online Classroom

by Gail D. Hughes http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ864472.pdf

For my second Literature Review I chose to read an academic journal from 2009 that goes over the different ways that teachers utilize technology in the classroom. This article gives in-depth instruction on how to prepare and record and present a video lecture. This article is geared towards instructors or interested readers in online classes. As a student myself I have become very involved with online courses and all that is possible because of them. There is misconception with online courses; that they are boring or slow or too much is required of the student. On the contrary, there is many things that can be taught and learned through an online class but the student must be able to be self-motivated; similarly the instructor must be able to keep the student engaged. This article goes over how instructors are instructed in learning how to utilize technology in the classroom.

Distance learning is becoming a more utilized form of learning because it offers the ability to cross time and space and still be able to be educated from a University and by a credentialed instructor. The flexibility of both time and place allows a broader population to participate in higher education; especially adult learners. Both students and instructors find their traditional roles and responsibilities shifting as online learning becomes more learner-centered where the task of instructors is facilitating learning more so than transferring knowledge (Hughes). An online instructor can expect a student to be able to locate information on the internet but it is also their job to teach the student how to learn on their own, rather than just giving abstract information for review or memorization. Online courses offer many possibilities of becoming self-educated.

Another great thing about online courses is the ability to reach many different types of learning styles- technology makes it available and utilizable for all different learning styles. Students with different abilities are able to be shown different ways of associating the material whether it be hands on, visual, kinesthetic, and auditory. Online learning can be monotonous and a lot of individual reading is required. Online lectures through video offer the chance to see and hear instructor as if the traditional classroom exists. Some students, myself included, do like the face time with the teacher. I find a good lecture can be very educational and informative and entertaining. In class lecture as a part of a learning experience is necessary. In an online class this is not always an option. The ability to offer a video lecture to your online classroom is an added perk to the online course experience. This way face time is still available, discussions on the lecture can be done in a discussion board type of program and online students do not have to attend class at a specific time; instead, they may review the content when it is most convenient for them (Hughes).

The rest of the document goes on to how to prepare, record, and present your video lecture. I was not as interested in the technicalities of this article as much as I was with the substance that these types of educational situations relate. Technology is advancing at a great rate and with the option of online learning and interaction via internet, it is not only advancing the ability to learn for the student but it is also enriching with quality of education one may get from technology learning. As a potential future teacher I find the possibilities endless and interesting in technological terms. It is very important for a teacher to be aware of what options are available and how to use these tools so that the information can be passed to the student. Even as a teacher one is constantly learning and becoming more educated themselves. Technology opens up new doors for student and teacher alike.