USING TECHNOLOGY AS A LEARNING TOOL,

NOT JUST THE COOL NEW THING

Ben McNeely
North Carolina State University

© Ben McNeely

I fully realized the digital age when I first spoke to my grandparents over the "talk" feature on AOL Instant Messenger.
How cool is it, I thought, to have grandparents that not only have a computer, but know how to use it? What was
more striking was that my grandfather, a man who never had much formal technical education, built not one, but two,
computers from parts—motherboard, disk drives, hard drives, and so forth—with the help of my cousin. He has high-
speed Internet access, sends and receives e-mail, burns CDs, and chats online using IM. He even built a computer
for my grandmother, who uses it to check the obituaries daily on the Winston-Salem Journal Web site and does
online jigsaw puzzles. She can no longer do real ones, as the pieces are too small for her to see and grasp.

Growing Up with Technology

In kindergarten, I was introduced to the Apple II computer. We were herded into the library and seated in front of a
big-screen television. There, the librarian demonstrated the computer and its uses. She even showed us a game: The
Oregon Trail—arguably the most popular computer game of our generation. It was simple, informative, and
interactive. I can't tell you how many times I got my wagon stuck in the mud or how many teammates I killed off with
cholera or malaria.

For my classmates and me, computers were just tools to get things done. Mastery of technological skills was a way to
show we were advancing further than our classmates. In middle school, my family bought our first home computer.
We also were hooked up to the Internet for the first time. It was a dial-up connection, slow compared to the
instantaneous broadband speeds nowadays, but nonetheless, we were surfing the Net.

As a Boy Scout, my troop would participate in scout shows at the local mall. While other troops demonstrated
traditional scouting skills, like pitching tents and lashing up towers, my troop set up a computer cluster and took digital
pictures of people in the mall. Using Photoshop, we cut their images out of the pictures, placed them on backgrounds
of their choosing, and gave them printouts.

My brother, a senior in high school, now uses WebAssign to complete homework problems for chemistry class. A
Web-based learning application developed at North Carolina State University (NCSU), WebAssign is used across
disciplines as a way for teachers to assess their students and offer supplemental information outside the lecture. He
even applied to college using an online application.

As a member of the Net Generation, I have been surrounded by advances in digital technology, almost to the point
where I cannot do my work as a journalist without it. In university, I have used assessment tools such as WebAssign
and WebCT in classes as supplements to lecture and textbook. But now technology is advancing at such a rate that
traditional ways of teaching and learning are not pushing students and teachers to their full potential. By using IT
properly in the classroom, teaching and learning are enhanced and given a new dimension. Before curricula can be
created to challenge the Net Generation, though, faculty must know how Net Geners learn and interact with each
other, with technology, and with life in general. Remember that word—interact.

How the Net Gen Learns

Are you interested in knowing how Net Geners learn? Let me illustrate using my friends, me, and my grandfather.

Learning by Doing
Patrick Clarke, graphics editor for a student newspaper, sits down at a computer and launches Adobe InDesign. He
opens a template for the news page and pulls in graphics, pictures, and text. He manipulates the blocks on the virtual
newspaper page, moving back and forth between two other Adobe products, Photoshop and Illustrator. By the time
the page is sent to the printer for printing, the elements on the page would have been manipulated, edited, and
reedited at least a dozen times. Patrick is a creative and dynamic designer, but he is not a design major—he's in
computer engineering.

Chris Reynolds is a business major and wants to open a music store when he graduates. In his spare time, he is a DJ
musician. He spins and mixes his own beats, using a computer, sound-editing software, turntables, and a keyboard.
He teamed up with a friend to make a how-to video on spinning. They used digital video and professional editing
software to create the video. Because he is a DJ, he worries about court cases involving the music industry. A recent
case where the use of "sampling" was ruled illegal hit him hard, as sampling is widely used by DJs when they create
their music.

Jake Seaton is a big arts and entertainment fan. He lives and breathes for music, movies, and anything Hollywood.
He can tell you about film and music history and can quote even the most obscure lines from zombie movies (his
favorite). He also is up-to-date on the latest in computer and console gaming. He chose a multidisciplinary degree in
music journalism and has taken distance-education courses. In high school he won a state architecture award and
has taught himself to use Photoshop and InDesign.

These are representatives of the Net Generation. They all use computers in their class work and in their hobbies.
They have a wide range of interests, outside their chosen area of study. They are not locked into one thing, although
all are highly motivated and pursue their interests with passion. They use the latest in technology, whether cell
phones, computers, PDAs, MP3 players, or digital cameras. They expect things to work properly and work fast. They
get bored if not challenged properly, but when challenged, they excel in creative and innovative ways. They learn by
doing, not by reading the instruction manual or listening to lectures. These are the learners that faculty must reach.

When I first came to NCSU in 2000, I came to a public university dedicated to technology. There were numerous
computer labs all over campus, and professors actively used assessment tools like WebAssign and WebCT in their
classes. In an experimental psychology class, I used SAS statistical software to crunch data I collected from
experiments. I used online message boards to post ideas and criticism in my opinion/editorial writing class.

In my technical document design class, I experienced the best use of technology in a class: hands-on, experimental,
and interactive. This course covered the fundamental designs of technical documents: instruction manuals, memos,
resumes, and so forth. Taught in a computer lab, the class sat one student to a computer. We learned to use Adobe
Pagemaker, the most popular desktop publishing program at the time. With basic exercises from the instructor and
trial-and-error assignments with broad guidelines, I learned not only how to use the program but also design
fundamentals—by doing the actual design, not by reading it out of a book.

This is how the Net Generation learns: by doing. Many of my peers have emerged as the leaders of my generation.
They will go on to become the leaders of our nation in many different roles—politicians, business executives,
artisans, scientists, and journalists. Much like how we learn by doing, we lead by doing; that is, by practicing the art
and science of our chosen paths.

Human Interaction
Generational differences in learning techniques are apparent in how people of different ages approach technology. It
has been said that we, the Net Generation, are closer to our grandparents—the Greatest Generation—in our work
ethic and optimism about the future than to our parents' generation. But how we approach problems is totally
different.

My grandfather is a tinkerer—he figures out how things work by trial and error. He is very mechanically inclined and
has spent his life working on many kinds of machinery. But when it comes to computers, he approaches it one thing
at a time, step by step.

Every time I come home from college, he has a new problem for me to fix on his computer. He will fiddle and fiddle
with a program until he is befuddled. Usually it is because he missed a step somewhere. If I show him and write down
steps, he takes the information I've given him and works it out for himself. Even though the computer's parts are more
complex than a carburetor or gear drives, the skills my grandfather used to put it together came from decades of
tinkering with machines. He still uses a step-by-step thinking process used in mechanical arts to figure out software
and basic functions like e-mail and Internet browsing.

Similarly, Patrick sits down with a new piece of design software and tinkers with its features. "Usually, if it is from a
software company I know, I can figure out a new program easily," he said. He has fundamental knowledge about how
certain software should work. By tinkering, he can figure out shortcuts and pick up the gist of the program quickly.

Even though Patrick uses step-by-step problem-solving skills, he also is pulling information from his own memory,
experience, and base knowledge to master the new program. Patrick has had almost two decades of experience
working with computers—almost to the point that it is second nature. My grandfather, on the other hand, has only had
about five years of computer experience. Because they have been wired since grade school, Net Geners are likely to
grasp technological concepts faster.

But the same "tinkering" practice applies in the classroom: doing hands-on work and working in groups, students get
a better grasp of concepts the professor is trying to teach. Using technology only enhances the hands-on experience;
it does not—and cannot—replace human interaction. There's that word again.

Interaction, not Isolation

Distance education is the popular option for nontraditional learners. With many traditional industries such as
manufacturing and textiles going offshore, 20-year veterans of the workplace are being laid off and going back to
school to learn a new trade. Distance education—through Internet and video courses—helps those who have to work
a job and go to school at the same time better schedule their learning opportunities. These people are usually older,
in their 30s or 40s, and are learning to use technology, like the Internet and computers, while training for a new
career. In theory, the Net Generation should learn better through Internet courses because they have been
surrounded by computers all their lives and know how to use the technology already.

Just the opposite is true. Net Geners like the social interaction that comes with being in class with their peers. While
they may use technology in their daily lives, relationships are a driving force in the learning process.

Jake Seaton, as a part of his multidisciplinary degree, took a video course through distance education—and didn't
like it. "I needed the structure of going to class. I would go to my other classes and then come home and have
another class to watch on TV," he said. "I didn't like it. At the end of the day, I wanted to be done, not have to work at
a class at home."

This is typical among Net Geners: learning through social interaction is important. Feedback from the professor is
vital, and working in groups is the norm. Arman Assa, MBA candidate and president of PackMUG—the Mac Users
Group at NCSU—said that learning technology has not advanced enough to replace the social interaction in the
classroom. "Historically, communal learning has always been the most effective way for educating the student and
generating thought-provoking discussion in class. I don't believe technology has reached a point where we can
duplicate that effectively on a computer," Assa said. "Some instructors argue that chat rooms, message boards, and
instant messaging are good substitutes, but they are by no means replacements for the exchange of tacit knowledge.

"Does this mean that interactive technology is bad for the classroom? No. It means that it should simply augment
what is already there," Assa continued. "For instance, one of my human resource classes in the MBA [program] has
regular classroom discussion, but the instructor augments it with message board interaction. It was a very effective
tool for helping introverts who don't talk in class to join the discussion."

Cut-and-Paste Culture
Technology is everywhere. Net Geners cannot remember a time in their education where a computer was not used
for some learning experience. Because of this "tech-savviness," traditional educational practices and ethics are
coming into question. Cheating, for example, always a major academic infraction, is on the rise on college campuses
—and technology is helping with cheating. Talk to students and any one of them will tell you that cheating is prevalent
and part of the culture, especially in technical disciplines. That is, if you use the strict definition of cheating.

NCSU uses WebCT and WebAssign extensively. Since a faculty member cannot directly supervise students and only
the answers are recorded in WebAssign, not how the student came up with them, students often work together on
their assignments. But students must submit their own answers. In computer engineering, students must write a
program and submit it as a part of learning different coding languages. Patrick says these programs are worked over
with a fine-tooth comb. "The TAs and instructors run the programs line-by-line to see if any code was copied," he
said. "There may be opportunity to cheat, but you will get caught." He adds that there is not much opportunity to
cheat during exams.

Plagiarism is the academic infraction of choice. How can it not be, though? Information is easily available from the
Internet, especially from sites like Wikipedia. Old term papers are being sold online. Because the Internet provides
easy information fast, the temptation to click "copy/paste" and pull in quotes from a Web site without attribution is
great. But students still get caught because faculty members can search for familiar phrases or quotes to root out
plagiarism.

Cheating is on the rise in universities. Is it because students aren't learning the material? Or is it because their
learning and work ethic are so different from their professors that working together to solve a problem is no longer
that serious an infraction? Remember that teamwork has been emphasized to Net Geners since the first day of
kindergarten. Businesses are also looking for graduates who can work effectively in teams.

Based on the very social nature of Net Geners and the tremendous amount of information available to students these
days at the touch of a button, the traditional definition of cheating is changing. How faculty assess students is
changing as well. Faculty still give written exams (in English, it is still a certainty), but they must be ever more vigilant
to catch the cheating student. Cell phones and text messaging have allowed students to text back and forth between
each other, conferring through the airwaves on exam questions. Because of emerging technologies, faculty are
having to adapt their classes and how they assess students in order to uphold academic integrity.

Challenges for Higher Education

So what do Net Geners want from learning technology? Interactivity—whether it is with a computer, a professor, or a
classmate. They want it; they crave it. Traditional lectures are not fulfilling the learning potential of typical students
today. Distance education and online courses don't work well with Net Geners—the social component of learning is
required. As technology in the classroom progresses, more and more students are going to demand it be included.
This will pose challenges, though.
Funding
First, technology costs money. What else is new? Faculty members can receive grants for using technology in the
classroom and developing new learning technologies. This is fine on the department level, but for a university to
implement learning technology on a massive scale will take an act of Congress. State legislatures are listening and
meeting the basic technological needs for public universities. But it takes bond referendums for state-of-the-art
classrooms in order to implement technology on a university level. And bonds are paid by the taxpayers because the
referendums are voted upon by the taxpayers. No vote, no bonds. So it goes, I suppose.

Access and Skills

Second, students need to be able to use the technology. In North Carolina, students must pass a computer
competency test in the eighth grade before being promoted to high school. They are tested on the most fundamental
computer skills: word processing, creating a spreadsheet, using Web browsers, and e-mail. Beyond that, students
either pick up skills on their own, take a class outside the primary educational setting—say at a community college or
library—or don't learn at all. Users—even Net Geners—will only learn so much when operating a computer. The
average student will use a computer for homework, online chatting, checking e-mail, and surfing the Internet. The
more advanced users will know how to write a simple Web page, update a ready-made blog site, or download music
and movies—perhaps illegally—and burn CDs. But for the most part, users have no knowledge about how to set up a
local area network or how to troubleshoot their own computer for minor problems.

On a more fundamental level, there is such a thing as a "digital divide." Technology is expensive, and the only way
for some school systems to afford computer labs is if computers are donated. These computers often are refurbished
and several years old. While they are useful in teaching fundamental skills, like those tested for in the North Carolina
standardized computer test, they will not be able to support the latest technology. Once a computer or software is
released on the market, it is usually replaced in 18 months. How can a Pentium II running Windows 95 properly
prepare a high school or college student for the working world, which uses Windows XP? It can't. These computers
ideally should be relatively up to date and able to provide students with not only fundamental skills but also the
chance to learn intermediate and advanced skills as the "cool new thing" rolls out of the factory.

There are students who cannot afford a personal computer in their homes and must rely on technology in their
schools or local libraries. There are even students whose first real experience with technology will come when they
go to college. How can they possibly survive in the high-tech college world if they don't know the basics?

Colleges need to teach students computer skills beyond fundamentals. Skills such as digital document archiving,
Web page design using Dreamweaver or Flash, setting up wireless networks, and using a firewall are quickly
becoming the norm, where in the past they were considered advanced knowledge. Even basic upkeep and
troubleshooting is still left up to tech-support hotlines, often located halfway around the world. These are the skills
students need to know to be competitive. Many colleges offer introductory courses in computer science that are
available as electives in many disciplines. Updating the intro course curricula—or even the state standardized tests—
will go a long way in fostering computer skills.

While usability has gotten better as operating systems have progressed, you still hear comments like "I can't use a
Mac, I use Windows," or "I only know how to word process on my computer, I can't use MS Word on a Mac." Even
though the Net Generation learns quickly, the old adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" still applies. The
inability to move between platforms—and the lack of accelerated fundamental skills—is a major hindrance to learning
technology. The workforce is so competitive that the difference in knowing how to set up a simple network and basic
computer troubleshooting over knowing just document preparation could mean a job down the road. It will be a
challenge to overcome, but it isn't impossible.

Interaction
Third, technology must be relevant and interactive to the coursework. A faculty member who uses PowerPoint in a
lecture is not using technology interactively. Students need a practical use for technology, whether to manipulate data
or to explore the inner recesses of the human body without cutting up cadavers. Students need to communicate
quickly with each other, but in a centralized manner. That is why message boards are great. Members-only message
boards allow students and faculty to communicate with each other. Plus, faculty members can use the course lockers
during lectures and provide information outside lecture for students to explore at their own pace.

Relevance
Fourth, technology must be used for a practical purpose—that is, taking the fundamentals and technology learned
over a semester and applying it to a final project, where creativity and uniqueness is required and rewarded. In my
technical document design class, we had to create a useful technical document: write the text and design a technical
document using Pagemaker. My group designed an instruction booklet for a video game. Chris Reynolds used his
sound-editing software to help a friend with a music project. They wrote a short piece of music, recorded and edited
it, and burned it to a CD for the professor to evaluate. Chris was excited because it gave him a chance to "play" with
his software. While he doesn't use his music software in his business courses, he is learning skills that could be
marketable after college. Plus, his friend got an "A" on the project.

Using technology for some practical purpose, and not for the sake of using technology, must be the clear objective.
"Students are often the guinea pigs in 'IT-enabled' classes as faculty test out whether the latest innovations actually
help learning," Assa said. "Some faculty, in an effort to use the latest buzzword or receive the next big grant, are
testing technology simply for the sake of technology, rather than using technology as a tool for learning, such as
paper and pencils. When people focus too much on technology, they lose sight of the true purpose of technology,
which is to facilitate learning in the classroom."

The Next Generation

Turn on the TV on Saturday mornings and watch cartoons for an hour. Count how many commercials there are for
interactive toys for toddlers and young children. Even babies have "learning centers," with flashing colored lights and
music. Whether or not the "Mozart Effect"—the theory that musical stimulation increases IQ scores—exists, parents
have latched onto the idea that it does, and toy makers are obliging and capitalizing on their belief.

These new learners are exposed to technology—even on a rudimentary scale—from nearly the womb onward. My
mother's kindergarten class uses the computer for learning games that reinforce counting and spelling skills. A
quarter of the population has a computer at home, and many more have access to a computer—and the number
continues to grow every year.

The next generation of learners will meet and surpass the Net Generation's expectations of educational standards.
Those standards will only be met if faculty and administrators today establish the infrastructure of learning technology
in the classroom. And not just using PowerPoint in the lecture hall, but understanding how technology can be used to
reach the most people in an effective way. It will take great effort on both sides—students and faculty alike—to learn
and use technology effectively. But the benefits will be well worth the effort.

About the Author

Ben McNeely is the managing editor of Technician, the student newspaper at North Carolina State University. A
senior in English, Ben hosts a talk show on WKNC-FM and also contributes to the yearbook and to the online
magazine Americana. As an officer in PackMUG, the Macintosh Users Group at NC State, he was instrumental in
bringing Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple Computer, to campus as a speaker. McNeely, an aspiring journalist and
Eagle Scout, is interested in technology's impact on today's society and its implications for the future.
Using Technology to Enhance Teaching &
Learning
Technology provides numerous tools that teachers can use in and out of the classroom to enhance
student learning. This page provides an introduction to some of the most common. 

Faculty members should consult SMU's office of Academic Technology Services, which provides many
kinds of support, including hands-on training in using classroom technology. (Click here for classroom-
specific information about the setup in many campus buildings). SMU's STAR (Student Technology
Assistant in Residence) Program is also available to help with short-term instructional technology
projects.

There are also numerous on-line resources about using technology to enhance teaching in a number of
different ways.  For example, Teaching with Technology 2, from the Learning Technology Consortium,
offers 17 peer-reviewed essays on using different kinds of educational technology, and the book can be
downloaded for free. MERLOT is a huge, peer-reviewed, multi-disciplinary resource for learning and
online teaching. Here's a curated list, from About.me to Zotero, of free online tools that you can use in
your teaching.

Below are links to resources on using specific types of teaching and learning tools.

Blackboard
SMU uses the course management system Blackboard.  For help creating Blackboard courses and
learning the basics, consult Academic Technology's Blackboard help page, as well as this
Blackboard online tutorial. Access your Blackboard courses here.

Presentation Software
Sometimes it's helpful to provide visual aids to complement teaching, stimulate discussion, or allow out-
of-class teaching. Tools designed for this purpose, such as PowerPoint, can be used well or used badly.
Click here for resources that provide advice for thoughtful use of PowerPoint, as well as a few additional
presentation tools.

Classroom Response Systems ("clickers")

One way to encourage student engagement is by using electronic devices that allow students to record
their answers to multiple choice questions and allow you to instantly display the results. The anonymity
encourages participation, and their answers help the teacher know when further discussion is needed. 
Use of clickers can also serve as a catalyst for discussion.  Click here to learn more about using response
systems effectively.
Online Projects and Collaboration Tools
Technology can support student collaboration on creating new knowledge, reflecting on what they are
learning, or working together to achieve a deeper understanding of course material.  These
articles provide ideas about their use and misuse.

Information Visualization Tools

Technology can also clarify and stimulate thought through transforming words into pictures.  Here are
some tools to help lead your students to think more critically by encouraging them to visually structure
information.

Flipping the Classroom

How can we make the best use of the classroom time we have with our students? Sometimes a great way
to move them toward higher levels of understanding is to move the lecture out of the classroom, and use
in-person time for interactions that require applying, synthesizing, and creating. "Flipping" doesn't have to
use technology, but tools such as videos, podcasts, online quizzes and the like can help in and out of
class activity work together. These resourcesexplain the theory underlying this teaching method and
provide practical suggestions for making it work.

Podcasts
Whether for a flipped class or just as a resource for your students, you may want to create a podcast that
conveys information students need for initial learning or review.  SMU's Academic Technology Service
can provide instruction on creating podcasts, and will loan you a podcasting kit.  These articles discuss
how to make and use podcasts effectively.

Games
What could be more engaging than a good game, used well? These articles discuss why a game may
lead to deeper learning and give some examples of their use in higher education.

Teaching with Tablet Computers

We're only beginning to explore their many possibilities for higher education.  Here are some ideas.

Converting a Face-to-Face Course to an Online Course

Teaching online, whether in a hybrid course or a wholly-online course, requires different techniques and
different tools.  Without the F2F contact, professors will need to be even clearer about setting and
articulating expectations for digital work and participation.  Encouraging interaction between professor
and student and among students is an additional challenge, as is monitoring student learning as the
course progresses.  The online environment requires the use of basic technologies to digitize course
materials as well as mastery of the university's learning management system.  And various tools
like Skype allow synchronous communications, while blogs and Twitter can encourage asynchronous
interaction.  Here are some ideas to get you started.