0.4 Discussion  (Page 16/23)

I’ve chosen not to use the website for my summer class. And I know you’re going to ask me why. I think the learning curve for our students, especially in the summer, because they’re so used to using WebCT, they can get on WebCT and work on that in their sleep. My students this semester, and they’ve taken several courses that are Web CT, the learning curve was a little steep. It’s not difficult, but it’s just when you’re, for several semesters, used to one environment in terms of technology and then you move to another environment, I mean it was almost like – they were grateful for the book not costing an arm and a leg, they really liked the PowerPoints and being able to watch the videos, and all of that, but by the time they got through “huntin’ and peckin’ around,” I don’t think I want to do that for the summer.

The majority of the instructors did not understand how to design assignments using the technology. There was no instruction in using the software given in the Online Day Instructor’s Guide. The instructors with little online teaching experience lacked knowledge of using the technology to engage the students in learning. This lack of technological pedagogy caused them to use their old methods rather than to struggle with using something new. A third reason the instructors didn’t use all the technology components offered in Online Day was their lack of efficient online assessment. Carrie said that the inordinate amount of time she had taken in previous courses reading, responding to and re-reading student postings had turned her off using discussion boards altogether.

Students’ lack of resources

The students were the source of some of the barriers to technology integration. Due to some of the students’ low economic status which resulted in non-purchase of the textbook and lack of access to a home computer and/or high-speed Internet, the instructors could not depend on their accessing the Online Day materials. Several instructors dropped assignments that required high-speed Internet because there was not universal access to the resources. They were committed to providing an even playing field for all students in the class.

Roughly half of the students were returning to graduate school after years of working full-time. Some of them were at a disadvantage because they had not been exposed to course management systems, e-learning, or the expectations at universities today that students enter the program with a certain level of expertise in using computers.

Social aspect of learning

Several of the instructors believed that online teaching was inadequate to the teaching of theories and practice in counseling psychology. They felt strongly that face-to-face experiential instruction was crucial for the students to integrate the course content into their counseling repertoire. Although they were teaching a theories course, they felt it was essential to student learning to see the theories of counseling put to use, and to be able to practice the skills with other students with the guidance of the instructor in class.