Chapter 6 Reading Review

Today I cracked open my book and started to read chapter 6 in Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education It is entitled “Planning for Teaching with Technology” In this chapter Bates and Poole discuss the fact that many elementary and grade school teachers plan their lessons in depth and also know how and why planning makes their performance effective. On the flipside many Higher Education professionals and professors do not. Yes they generally have an idea of where they wish to lead their class in the abstract they may even have decided what key points to cover but not in the same formal lesson plan of their grade school counterparts. The idea of instituting technology in any program needs to follow a plan. Just as if you were to construct a house you would have a blueprint for the outcome this is the outline and plan needed to institute a curriculum or even an educational program. Technology becoming a vital role in the business of education is necessary as students move away from face-to-face classes due to economic demands making it hard for students to devote four years to full-time academic study and thrive. Students and even continuing educational demands is changing the way we view technology in education and how it is provided. Education with technology has the means to deliver higher educational demands to a population in need. As you build a strategy to blueprint a program or even a class you must develop the why, and the how. They showcase two strategies that universities can establish one is how administration can plan ahead and develop an idea of standardized teaching approaches and the second is to workshop the vision of the administration and allow for concrete ideas and educational planning, such as; text book, goals, and other details that will make the course a success for the student population. A systems approach to course planning is given in a marvelous chart on p.137 PLAN-DESIGN-DEVELOP-DELIVER-ASSESS STUDENTS-EVALUATE COURSE-AND FINALLY MAINTAIN.
Bates (2000) discusses models of course development and dubs them certain names that lend to the explanation of the model discussed.
The lone ranger approach-Instructors working alone, with the aid of small grants and in some instances grad students to establish the initial phase of development in this model.
Boutique course development-This professional approach starts with faculty whom pairs up with and instructional designer and develops a model.
Collegial materials development-several departments or professors collaborate to develop.
Finally project management- Gaining insight from a team of people whom are each skilled in a different area of course development i.e.-multimedia, Text, CD-Rom, Creative, and theory.
I found this chapter very enlightening the course and curriculum development of major universities and also of online universities intrigues me being able to identify the goals and the techniques used was something I hadn’t cognitively been looking to examine although am glad that I have it will definitely aid me in thinking about my career goals and ideas if I decide to continue in the field of academic instruction.