Students, faculty encourage engagement through technology

By Grace Meiners

Published Feb. 29, 2008

Students and faculty discussed what they expected of each other while voicing concerns as a part of a Mutual Expectations dialogue Thursday.

This was the first dialogue this semester and focused on technology.

Student Co-coordinator Sarah McKay said the use of technology has been brought up in many Mutual Expectations dialogues.

After the students and faculty members talked about their expectations in small groups at their tables, they shared them with the entire room. McKay and UM system President Emeritus Mel George facilitated the discussion.

Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies Jim Spain said he wanted to achieve better understanding between students and faculty with the dialogue.

Spain emphasized the duality of learning.

“When we’re teaching, we’re also a part of the learning,” he said.

Education Technology Specialist Jacquelyn Sandone helped with the dialogue.

“To me a teacher needs to look at teaching goals and think about the best way to reach those goals,” Sandone said.

Sandone said she felt many faculty members worry they are not using enough technology. She said they should attempt to use technology as effectively as possible.

Others spoke about the importance of interactions between students and faculty.

Freshman Andrew Lang suggested professors use more technology such as iChat and online conferences in order to contact students.

Freshman Olivia Wilmsen said she appreciates when faculty members are accommodating and interact with students out of class.

Wilmsen said she found the forum surprisingly interesting.

“I do wonder what faculty think, and what their side is,” she said.

Assistant professor of geography Larry Brown talked to the rest of those present about the difference in expectations of students and faculty regarding time spent studying outside of class.

Brown said he would like to see students more engaged in the material. Through the evolution of technology in the classroom, he has seen students become less interactive in class, he said.

Although he appreciates the mechanical convenience of carrying in a laptop instead of lugging around slides and projectors like he once did, he isn’t sure if more technology leads to better learning, he said.

“I’ve begun to run into a Pavlovian response to PowerPoint,” he said.

Brown said this response involves students copying down what is written on the slides without taking time to think about the information presented to them.

Brown said he tested out his assumptions in his course, Geography of the World’s Religions. He taught some classes using PowerPoint and the others using only discussion and the chalkboard.

He found that students were more receptive to the classes where the only media were chalk and the chalkboard.

“It gave students time to think and listen,” he said.

Brown said slowing down the class allowed the students to think about and respond to the information.