There are two things I
remember most about my undergraduate calculus professor. First, he was incredibly enthusiastic about
the brand new computers that filled the classroom. It was the mid-nineties, so the computers were
rudimentary based on today’s standards, ran on the less-than-user-friendly DOS
and they were GIGANTIC! Apart from
calculators, it was the first time the mathematics department had integrated
technology into the classroom, and it was a big deal. Second, (in the times I could catch a glimpse
of the professor over the giant computers), every t-shirt, sweatshirt or
sweater he wore was adorned with cats.
Yes, cats.
What do these two
memories have in common? He was
risk-taker, in fashion and in teaching.
He had enthusiasm, for teaching and in life. His joie de vivre was contagious. Did it make me want to study calculus
forever? Oh my goodness, no. But it did impress upon me that simply
incorporating technology into the classroom is not enough. Making a connection with students and the
educator’s attitude toward teaching and technology are perhaps equally as
important.
Today, the nurse
educator has a myriad of technologies to choose from in order to deliver content
or assess learning in the online, hybrid or traditional land classroom. The addition of technologically-enhanced
teaching strategies should be meaningful to the students’ learning. As a nurse educator, I will consider my
learning objectives for the class when considering which teaching strategy to
incorporate. Am I looking for a
realistic, authentic learning experience?
I may consider the addition digital storytelling or a YouTube video with
classroom or forum discussion. Am I looking
for an applied, experiential learning experience? I may consider high-fidelity simulation in
the land classroom, or a virtual reality program for the hybrid or online
classroom. Each of these teaching
strategies promotes active learning through the interactive use of technology. Using a variety of teaching strategies also
assures that the needs of diverse learners are being met.
Making a connection
with students through technology is an important consideration for the nurse
educator. How do I accomplish making a
connection with students, and demonstrate my own enthusiasm for nursing, for
nursing education, and for technology? I
believe the answer is simple. I need to
be me. Incorporating tutorials or other
created content, participating in discussions and having availability for
students’ needs are ways to bring the human connection, to bring me, into the
technologically-enhanced classroom. My
calculus professor was not afraid to be himself. The connections he made with students and the
enthusiasm he had for math and for technology made his class enjoyable and
memorable. I hope that one day, in the
classroom and through technology, my own enthusiasm for nursing will be as
contagious as his enthusiasm was for math.
 |
| Me, being me, connecting with students through interactive technology. |
Interactive Technology of the Future
Did you know that Virtual
Reality (VR) viewer technology is becoming available now? Google has made VR technology accessible and
affordable for students with the creation of Google Cardboard. A quick search found the cardboard viewer
costs anywhere between $3-15. Using this
technology would require students to have access to a smartphone. Imagine the ability to create a virtual tour
of the unit before clinical, or the ability to for students to observe a dressing
change up close? Teachers have the
ability to develop their
own applications for Google Cardboard, and professional developers are
creating new VR experiences every day.
What a fascinating, creative, interactive technology to support the
authentic and experiential learning experience of students!
Until my next adventure,
Crystal
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