-= NMSU PANORAMA - Winter 2006 =- Teaching Tools

Features

Teaching Tools

By Jenna R. Frosch

New technology enhances classroom learning at NMSU.

Students in Michele Shuster's Biology 111 class walk into their large lecture classroom in Hardman Hall, visit with their classmates, sit down and wait for class to begin. When Shuster walks in, they prepare to take roll and boot up devices that resemble remote controls to help them pay attention in class and learn the material being covered more thoroughly.

They listen intently for Shuster to ask the next review question, leaning over to their neighbors to discuss their answers and find out what they think. They discuss the pros and cons of each answer, settling on the one they think fits the best. Shuster says, "Time's up," and the students wait for the results to show whether or not their answers were correct.

Advances in teaching technology, such as the "clickers" used by these biology students have taken instruction at New Mexico State University to a new level.

Instructors are using state-of-the-art technology and Web-based programs to reach students from throughout New Mexico, while giving students on campus the opportunity to enrich their instruction.

With "clickers," instructors can present a question that reviews or applies the material being discussed. These tools can be used to test students' knowledge of material as the class progresses. Students use their "clickers" to vote for an answer. Then the instructor can display a bar graph of how the students answered the question. This allows instructors to gauge where each student stands or how the class as a whole stands on understanding the material being presented.

Shuster, a professor in the Department of Biology, says this tool adds value to students' classroom experience.

"This is good for keeping everyone's thoughts on the material," Shuster says. "Some students may be too shy to give answers out loud, but this gives them the opportunity to have more interaction in their classes."

Shuster says the reason she has used the "clickers" for the last few semesters is the positive feedback she receives from her students. Students say the tools help them pay more attention in class, help with attendance and help them review the material as they learn it.

The "clickers," which are a product of e-Instruction, are capable of answering both multiple choice and numerical questions. They can also take attendance, give percentages of where students stand on their answers and ask demographic questions, although the technology is still developing. They are hand-held devices with a key pad that has numbers and coinciding letters for voting.

"These are great because I like to give my students the chance to practice the material and talk about the problem," Shuster says. "It forces me to stay on track during class so I don't lose time."

Shuster says it also gives her the opportunity to address problem areas before students take the exams in her class. If students are answering wrong on the review questions, Shuster is able to go back and clear up any confusion on the spot rather than after those students take their exams. She also says students can use the information to study for the exams.

"I'm not afraid of technology and trying new things with my students," Shuster says. "But I want to make sure it will work for both me and the students."

Another program being used on the NMSU campus is WebCT, a Web-based, interactive, e-learning system that enables instructors to integrate the Internet into course delivery. The program became available to instructors in the late 1990s, but didn't really take hold until 2002, when people became more comfortable with the technology. Instructors use WebCT as a supplement to their classes that includes discussions, keeping up with grades, e-mail, calendars and important messages instructors may have for their classes.

Susan Wood, an associate professor in the English and Communications Department at NMSU-Doña Ana, says by 2003 students were "demanding it be used in their classes because it is a great way to communicate with their teachers."

Anne Gallegos, a special education/communication disorders professor in the College of Education, says she teaches more than half of her classes online, as a part of the distance education component for students in rural areas. She says the remainder of her on-campus classes also use the online component.

"WebCT can provide classes for students all over the state," Gallegos says. "Even students on campus can get another dimension of learning through WebCT."

Wood says students take responsibility for their own learning when they use WebCT.

"The program helps pinpoint weaknesses for the students," Wood says. "It is a huge amount of work. In class, they listen and talk, while online they are forced to read and write, which may help improve those skills."

Wood says the program helps provide information for both the student and the instructor, including grades, assignments and class discussions. WebCT also has capabilities to allow instructors to provide instruction or facilitate discussions using voiceovers, animated Power Point presentations and instructional CDs.

"As teachers are starting to use new technology, they become less the center of the classroom and more the facilitator of learning," Wood says. "Students are able to construct their own learning environment."

Gallegos says she likes to combine traditional forms of learning with online learning, such as traditional books and the supplemental material like CD-ROMs that go with them. However, she says there also can be a downside to having classes that are completely online.

"With online classes, you miss the interaction between students," Gallegos says. "Students in fields like nursing, teaching and social work miss the onsite training and seeing the quality of application."

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