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Into the community: collaboration produces learning.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

Information and technology have made it possible for instructors to dramatically change the way in which course content is presented and processed. Yet, in practical terms, how can this revolution have a tangible impact on learning? Collaboration between instructor, technology/instructional designer and library personnel can produce motivated, active learning. This paper presents a model for such collaboration and details how it can create experiential learning that goes beyond the classroom into the local community.

Then and Now

Eight years ago, I asked my students to find an article on Latin America they might share with their classmates. Without exception, each brought in newspaper articles they had bought at a local bookstore. None of the articles was current. Most dated from two weeks to a month previous. The students complained about the cost of such a purchase and I was dissatisfied that, given the lack of current events materials available through our library, I was not able to assign a specific task. I had asked for "something related to Latin America" knowing this was the best I could do.

That was my first year teaching. Today, each of my courses has its own course site where I post syllabi, assignments, hand outs, exams, lecture outlines, and any other materials needed for learning and teaching. Through this site the students can connect to external links, engage in online peer review, submit an oral dictation exercise, participate in both written and oral discussion boards and on and on. No longer do they bring to class dated and expensive "current events" materials, but they can read news from almost any part of the world updated several times a day. They can also connect to our library's Web site in search of texts shelved there and elsewhere. They can access tutorials on that site and academic sources through such engines as EBSCO are also available.

As instructor, I now have available to me not only this plethora of information, but several media through which to explore it with my students. I can use what is available on the Web, but I can also generate materials myself and ask my students to do so as well. I no longer require students to use a cassette player to tape an oral exercise that we have practiced a couple of times in class. I create a way file and then make it available to students online. They listen to it as many times as needed, create their own wav file and then send it to my online digital drop box. In the comfort of my office or home, I listen to the recordings and grade them.

The process of using information and technology...

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