INTEGRATING COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGY

INTEGRAING COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGY

            Integrating Collaborative Technology in a new program has been quite exciting.  It has challenged not only myself, but the students.  Though after trying a few collaborative tasks, the students have become quite taken with it and hope to use some of this technology in their future careers. 

            The first project that I attempted to encourage technology was with a group paper and presentation.  The students stated it was hard for them to organize their schedules.  We had just finished utilizing the “Typewith.me” site.  I provided this to the students to utilize and to organize their time.  It was interesting to see who was open to it and who wasn’t.   We all have experienced this, that the one that complains the most, when provided with an alternative will not use the alternative, but will make the first choice work.  This only happened with one group (the complaining group) but the other groups jumped on board and used it to help with the time management of their project. 

            The next semester, I incorporated the Wiki Share Site for “Community Resources.”  This time no one said anything, and it seemed that they couldn’t get to the library fast enough to start their projects and submit their information on their Wiki Share Site (http://al166.pbworks.com/w/page/39029259/FrontPage)]

            This is a Wiki Share Site that has been set up for them to utilize throughout their careers.  They can add or delete from the site as they deem necessary. 

            Collaborative Technology is an integral part of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Students Education.  Group Presentations and Papers are shared with each individual.  This is primarily done through email and attachments.  The students can then choose how they want to archive this information.  They can do it on disc or a thumb drive.  But they must determine a fashion to do this in an electronic format, that can then be transferred into paper product if needed.

            I hope to have the students develop an education video within the next year.  They would choose one subject and develop the story board, written instructions, verbal instructions and demonstration.  This would be another form of collaborative technology for the classroom and the clinical settings.  I also hope to integrate SKYPE and Adobe Connect in the Spring 2012 Semester. 

The cost of the other collaborative technology is minimal to none.  Secondary there are free websites to perform the specified tasks. 

The cost of the ability to develop videos can be several fold.  At this point in time we have a technology department that is able to video and put into files.  The cost of this involves manpower hours, which I am not able to put a dollar figure on.  Our department also has our own flip video, headset, computers etc.  The cost that I am able to provide for these would include the flip video and microphones.  This entails approximately $150.00 for Flipvideo and $150 for Headset.   The other costs are part of the Department of Allied Health overall Departmental Budget.

The biggest dilemma that I find simply has to do with time in order to get everything accomplished that we want.    Meaning that I hope that we don’t become so overwhelmed by waning to get everything done that we give up on the project(s).  I think that that will take a great deal of education for the students to change their style of learning from paper and pencil to collaborative technology.

I continue to find so many resources and techniques to provide educational experiences through technology that I fear that I will miss something.  This, I firmly believe, is a great time to be in education. 

Resources:

www.adobe.com/ConnectWebConference 

http://al166.pbworks.com/w/page/39029259/FrontPage

http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home

http://typewith.me/

http://pbworks.com/