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The use of technology in terms of learning. Impact of computer-related instruction on teaching and the learner. Benefits in education. Distance education and broadened educational opportunities; more equal access. Ability to reach nontraditional students. Satellite videoconferencing, Internet-based teleconferencing, interactive multimedia classrooms. Technology on college campuses; computer workstations, student laptops. Obstacles & challenges of technology.

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Higher Education
The Use of Technology
The use of technology is rapidly transforming the educational landscape, both in terms of how learning is taught by professors and how students learn. According to Piotrowski and Vodanovich, “Over the past decade, computer-related instruction has made an indelible impact on how students learn and how instructors teach at colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad” (48). While technology use in higher education is a phenomenon that is here to stay, there are many who take opposing views to its use and effectiveness. There is no denying that there are numerous benefits that accrue to users of technology in education. The Internet, World Wide Web, laptop computers, multimedia applications, and a host of software programs have put information from around

Despite the numerous benefits that can accrue to instructors andstudents from the use of technology, there are definite obstacles,challenges, and even negatives that result from its use. and Powell, K. The higher education technology revolution. There is no denying that there are numerousbenefits that accrue to users of technology in education. So, too, with respect to instructor materials,there are still unresolved problems with respect to ownership andcopyright. However, an even bigger issue may be the fact that the poor(often minorities) are unable to have access to the technological toolsrequired for successful learning. The use of the Internetcontinues to provide a number of benefits to instructors and students. The Internet,World Wide Web, laptop computers, multimedia applications, and a host ofsoftware programs have put information from around the world at thefingertips of both instructors and students. Many students carry laptops thatenable research, writing, and learning via the Internet and World Wide Web. The advent of online classes and distance learning technologies alsocome with obstacles and challenges that may impact learning andinstruction. Professors are able to craft complex lesson plans and keepthem online so they only require slight modification when the time comes tochange them. Instructors post lecture notes, syllabi, and exam and office hourinformation on-line. Business Communication Quarterly, 65(3), Sep 2 2: 9-28.Piotrowski, C. At other colleges, art students are able to travel tomuseums around the world to see three-dimensional representations of famousworks of art. S. Like the divide between rich and poor,experts caution technology has created a digital divide between minoritieswho lack access to information technologies and those who do not. Are the reported barriers to Internet- based instruction warranted? As Rickard notes in Educom Review, "Where once facultyresistance could be characterized by 'plain old fear - This is a fad; itmay go away; I'd like to retire before I have to confront it,' today theresistance can be characterized by a lack of faith that institutions aresupporting faculty in their efforts to transform learning throughinformation technology" (42-43). While technology use in higher education is aphenomenon that is here to stay, there are many who take opposing views toits use and effectiveness. While it appearsthat the use of technology in higher education is a phenomenon that isgrowing and one that has permanently altered the educational landscape, toget the maximum benefits of such technologies both instructors and studentsmust be able to overcome numerous challenges and obstacles from equalaccess to equipment to additional commitment to learning. There is no denying there is a learning curve that must beovercome when new technologies, software, and hardware are introduced intothe learning environment. Forexample, instead of purchasing textbooks or traveling to the library tofind a particular book is checked out, a student can find many online textsfrom The Song of Roland to On Walden Pond. According to Piotrowski andVodanovich, the Internet provides many other benefits that include "quickand remote access to information/instruction, convenience, adaptability tochange, speed of communication, the ability to reach large audiences,instant feedback, facilitation of group work, and cost savings" (48). Such distance learning programs enable nontraditionalstudents and minorities (handicapped, etc.) to take advantage ofeducational opportunities in ways that expand the capability of education:"Technologies, such as satellite videoconferencing, Internet-basedteleconferencing, and interactive multimedia classrooms, are giving schoolsthe ability to reach and educate nontraditional students in numbers thatwill multiply the capacity of American higher education" (92). However, onecan see the additional time commitment needed from faculty to properlyfacilitate such learning by overcoming such obstacles. Technology, higher education, and the changing nature of resistance. Forexample, while calling a professor at 2 a.m. In Black Issues In Higher Education,Ronald Roach asserts: "While experts have largely cheered informationtechnology advances, advocates for minority students are warning thatexclusion to new information technologies has the potential to foster deepclass divisions between people who have access to information technologyand those who do not have it" (92). The use oftechnology and the Internet also poses negatives with respect to access totechnology. Education, 121(1), Fall 2 : 48-53.Rickard, W. Oneexample of this would be an instructor assigning Internet-based researchconducted at various Web sites. In acomprehensive study of higher education instruction relying on Internetuse, Piotrowski and Vodanovich argue that shortcomings and obstaclesinclude: lack of privacy issues, poor/limited interactions, technologicaldifficulties, software limitations, increased time commitment for faculty,limited faculty knowledge, training and support, technological rather thancontent focus, isolation, and archival/retrieval concerns (49). Black Issues in Higher Education, 16(13), Aug 19, 1999: 92-96. It seems unfair to penalize such students forbeing late on a project if these are the reasons. While many universitiesprovide such access within the cost of tuition, these terminals are oftenbusy and access is limited. Higher Education The Use of Technology The use of technology is rapidly transforming the educationallandscape, both in terms of how learning is taught by professors and howstudents learn. In a major study of online MBA classes offered over theInternet, Hartman, Lewis and Powell found that with respect to email volumethere are a variety of factors that impact volume of email exchange betweenstudents and instructors: "The volume of messages sent depends on students'technology proficiency, ability to process and seek out information, topicaffinity, and relational needs" (9). Works CitedHartman, J., Lewis, J. For example, at some medicalcolleges students are able to watch live surgery via satellitevideoconferencing. Educom Review, 34(1), Jan/Feb 1999:Roach, R. For many years instructors were ambivalent, resistant oroutright opposed to the use of technology in higher learning. and abroad" (48). While many students may have access to theInternet at home, many others cannot afford the monthly fees associatedwith such access or the computer tools needed. According to Piotrowski and Vodanovich, "Over the pastdecade, computer-related instruction has made an indelible impact on howstudents learn and how instructors teach at colleges and universities inthe U.S. and Vodanovich, S. There can be little doubt from observing contemporary collegecampuses that technology has a ubiquitous presence in higher learning.University libraries offer computer workstations, on-line journals, full-text retrieval, and Internet access. to inform him or her of anintended absence is considered highly unacceptable, sending an email atthis hour has become quite acceptable. This study argued that instructorscan have an impact on email volume by researching student demographic,proactive communication, and use of messaging system tools. In many classrooms, multimedia applications permitinstructors to provide instruction that greatly enhance studentparticipation and make learning multidimensional. Whereas resistance frominstructors used to be aimed at the technology itself, today's resistancedeals more with administration support and issues like copyrightprotection. However, thenature of resistance has changed due to the increased use of technology atinstitutions of higher learning around the world. The use of technologies like the Internet has also enabled manyinstructors to enrich the curriculum and enhance the exchange anddiscussion between them and students. Inbox shock: A study of electronic message volume in a distance managerial communication course. In some cases technology hasrevolutionized instruction, such as distance education courses that aretaught online. S. J.

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