Ed Tech

I have been thinking a lot about week 5, which focused on graphic design elements and education technology tools. This is a topic that I am very passionate about as it is ripe with potential inequities. The digital divide was exacerbated during COVID when all learners were forced to rely on digital technology to access every component of their courses. Some learners faced incredible barriers due to these technology requirements. Space and sharing amongst households was also an issue for many. In my house, if a video game was being played in one room, it seriously effected my Zoom meeting in another.  

The other aspect of ed tech that I would like to note here is that as educators we need to be aware of what we are asking our learners to do. Are we going to use this tool throughout the semester, or only one time? Did we review the terms of use, and understand how our learners information is going to be used and stored? Is it supported by our institution? Are there privacy concerns?

Couple of examples here:

• My institution has a specific list of software that they support for operational or educational use. We are welcome to use other tools, but are essentially on our own if we need assistance. Fair enough! As a member of a support department, I try to model best practice and choose, whenever possible, tools that are supported by my institution.
• I try to be mindful of not choosing a tool, just for the sake of having a tool in my class. I start with the outcome, the content and then choose a tool if appropriate or necessary.
• I am concerned about privacy and storage of data, and as such have decided against the use of certain tools. 

Recently, I was responsible for adapting an existing course on ed tech. The main assignment for the course asks learners to analyse a software choice from the perspectives of functionality, ease-of-use, support, equity, safety, and ethics. I believe it is good task for instructors as it forces them to think about the consequences of their choice of software. 

Attitude Adjustment: Be...

Beatitudes of Digital Equity (abstract) was presented by Takiya Moore and Andreea Kosa and based on the work of Dr. Frank Harris III. 

Below is a summary of the key takeaways they share in their presentation. I really enjoyed this presentation. The presenters were engaging and I loved the way the presentation was structured. 

Be Race Conscious - address individuals not groups. Be intentional and acknowledge that everyone has unique needs. By doing so your will create an inclusive and safe space. 

Be Data Informed - know who your students are and ensure their needs are being met. Be present in the class, and watch for signs that a student may require an early intervention.  

Be Equity Minded - assess access and acknowledge the digital divide. Offer a variety of resources to your students and be their advocate when necessary. That includes designing for EDI, and UD and ensure that your design is device agnostic.

Be Intrusive - offer just in-time support, watch the class progress and do not wait for students to come to you for help.

Be Relational - let students come to class as their whole person, as your class is not only about the coursework. Offer validation, and positive messaging.

Be Culturally Relevant and Affirming - ensure that students feel like they belong. Show cultural humility. Highlight the value of the student perspective. Go out of your way to find examples to showcase beyond the middle age white male. Who are the female leaders in your discipline? Who are the people of colour? Who are the Indigenous leaders?

Be Transparent - define and use rubrics, provide feedback on assessments. 

Be Intentional - meet students where they are and be adaptive. Layer content and provide authentic examples.

Be Empowering - give students the opportunity to modify the course (when possible) to suit their needs. Provide different modalities - for example, if you only use video lectures, you could be using all of your student's data for the month. 

 Recommended Reading:

DiFranza, A. (2019, June 24). 4 Practices to promote equity in the classroom. Northeastern University. https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/equity-in-the-classroom/

The Top 10

Higher Education's Top IT Issues for 2022, was the opening keynote address at Educause 2021 on Thursday, presented by Susan Grajek (abstract). 

Grajek set the stage by illustrating the current state of Higher Education. Higher Education is growing, there are more options and learning paths then ever before, which increases the importance of cybersecurity. Higher Educations is constrained, as institutions are often called upon to do more with less. But it is also strengthened by an increased focus on EDI and developing strong relationships with students. Higher Education is collapsing, not only funding, but student data is often seen as a commodity, and research is becoming politicized. Higher Education is transformed, with anyone, anywhere being able to attend classes. Mental health of students is improving as institutions put more focus on humanized education. Yet we are also seeing an increased demand for privacy of information as much of the workforce has moved to home offices. 

Grajek stated that other trends in higher education include: decreased funding, hybrid teaching, environment volatility, surveillance, demand for new workplace skills and a renewed focus on racial justice. 

It is not what we had, but as Grajek stated several times, the higher education that we deserve. We must collectively realize that no institution can be successful unless student success is the central goal. 

Grajek stated that institutions must also have an "understanding [of] how and why to equitably incorporate technology into learning and the student experience". 

Alternative text: Twitter, list of top 10 issues facing IT professionals. Screenshot from presentation.

Alternative text, Twitter, four technological considerations dealing with people. Screenshot from presentation. 

Engaged Scholarship, Racial Equity and Social Justice and the Arts

Engaged Scholarship, Racial Equity and Social Justice and the Arts was presented by Dr. Hogan and A. Kuntz during the opening day of the Educause conference (abstract). This session discussed their project entitled VTLD or Virtual Transformational Leadership Development Experience, which is the integration of the arts as an agent of change. 

Dr. Hogan expressed his teaching mantra as a model of belonging, noting that many Generation Z students are concerned about their mental health and well being, along with social justice issues. Their project entails leveraging the arts to promote engagement and foster a greater sense of belonging. They include interactive elements (VR, AR, AI and other immersive experiences) under an EDI lense, questioning how the arts can increase empathy and compassion. 

The presenters introduced me to a new concept. I was familiar with the old adage that instructor should not emulate the Sage on the Stage, but be the Guide on the Side. The concept of being the Meddler in between was new to me, but I appreciate the update, as it seems to be a more active role, that of an instigator of student success. 

Higher education must recognize the unique challenges that some of our students face and develop learning experiences that meets their needs. Another key point that they made is that representation matters, but actions matter more. If your institution states that diversity matters, yet has a board that is homologous they are not following their own principles.   

Links shared during their session: 

• https://www.artsteps.com/view/6076fd60d6ab4be0471b32c5
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UUFn7iyymo
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRxMdml2qEs
• https://vtld.psu.edu/