http://youtu.be/WE6BkuxtCbQ
-YouTube Link
Virtual Campus
As
technology continues to grow, the need to research and utilize the latest and
greatest technological tools is becoming paramount. A theory that I read about while during
research is the creation of a virtual campus.
Students today are more engaged in the new technological aspect in
education than ever before. Advancements
in network capabilities have made it possible to create things like virtual campuses.
Virtual campuses offer a real classroom like setting where students can log on
from their current location where ever that may be, and participate in
classroom assignments, talk with fellow students and even raise your hand if
you have a question for the teacher. As
with any new change, there will also be opposition to new ideas that tend to
deviate from the norm. “However, a
constant in educational institutions is the need to manage courses, students
and teachers, a need usually addressed by virtual campuses” (Navarro, 2014, p.
252).
Virtual
campuses are important because of the opportunity to reach a higher number of
students remotely whereas a normal classroom setting may be limited to about 30
or less students. Additionally, virtual
campuses offer face to face teaching, encourage teaching innovation and the
authoring of learning material, and it fosters communication between various
different users (Navarro, 2014, p. 252).
The use of
virtual campuses increased my view on technology in education because of the
advantage to reach a higher number of learners at the same time, provide
convenience for the student that cannot afford to travel to school, and it
provides an option for learners that prefer a different learning style. Virtual campuses also provide the opportunity
for students in different countries to also participate with students in other
countries while securing the overall learning process.
In the
future and presently I plan to increase research on virtual classrooms and
incorporate best practices in the field when it comes to educating students
while at the same time exercising due diligence in developing a product of
virtual learning where all students can be comfortable in the overall learning
environment.
References
Navarro, A., Cigarrán, J., Huertas, F., Rodrìguez-Artacho,
M., & Cogolludo, A. (2014). An
Integration
Architecture of Virtual Campuses with External e-Learning Tools. Journal
Of
Educational Technology & Society, 17(3), 252-266.
HI Ike,
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating....You mention that virtual campuses increase class sizes and thus allow for more students to attend classes. Do you think this will result in a decrease in student-to-instructor contact? It's easier to build relationships in small classes than in larger ones. Thoughts?
Best,
Doc
Possibly, but I think that the good outweighs the bad. I strongly believe that the higher number of students is better because you may have students who may have otherwise decided not to attend school at all.
DeleteIke, I cannot say I have any issues with what you are saying, and I agree with you. I believe that we will see ever-increasing amounts of technology being used in all areas of life. You may find the writings of Ray Kurzweil (2006) to be interesting on this subject. As I have stated before, I think it is important that we do not see technology as a necessity in education, though. Where technology is available, you are absolutely right, it offers some incredible benefits and features for education. Unfortunately, I seem to see and hear a lot of people who act like education is not possible without the most recent pieces of technology. I love technology, there is no doubt. I love the capabilities and benefits that it can provide in the classroom. However, we can teach a student to read, write, do math, understand history, and so on, regardless of the technology that is available. I think this comes down to understanding that education is not something that a student is given, but it is a journey that the teacher helps the student to begin.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Kurzweil, R. (2006). The singularity is near: When humans transcend biology. New York: Penguin Group.