{"id":12888,"date":"2016-11-16T09:00:47","date_gmt":"2016-11-16T17:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=12888"},"modified":"2017-12-06T09:37:46","modified_gmt":"2017-12-06T17:37:46","slug":"a-connected-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2016\/11\/16\/a-connected-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"A connected campus: How technology is changing the classrooms of Camosun"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re in the midst of a technological revolution that is changing the way we communicate, think, and, perhaps of most relevance to Camosun students, learn. People are glued to their electronic devices more than ever; in some ways it\u2019s replacing face-to-face communication.<\/p>\n

Life in the classroom has changed, too, with more and more students ignoring unwritten rules around using their personal technology for personal purposes\u2014texting, for example\u2014in class.<\/p>\n

Just a few short years ago, texting in class was considered equivalent to passing a note between friends while the teacher was talking. Now, students are more or less free to text unless specifically told otherwise by the instructor, and instant messaging is being used as a tool by more and more instructors to communicate with students.<\/p>\n

The effects of technology are widespread right here at Camosun, with some blessing it, and others cursing it.<\/p>\n

The pros and cons of technology<\/strong><\/p>\n

Camosun Sociology instructor Peter Ove says he doesn\u2019t get on his students\u2019 cases for texting or using social media in his class, but he points out that the ones who do will often see their marks suffer. But he\u2019s no technophobe: Ove uses D2L, Camosun\u2019s online learning communication platform, to interact outside of class with his students; through D2L, they can hand in assignments, join discussion boards, and access class lists. He also prides himself on setting up paper-free courses.<\/p>\n

Ove says that it is often easier for people to blame technology as a culprit for the declining social niceties we see as a result of people being absorbed in their phones when, in fact, the underlying problem can be something different entirely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve got a term for it\u2014technological determinism,\u201d says Ove. \u201cAs if we assume it\u2019s technology that\u2019s changing our culture, and you know what? It\u2019s super easy because it\u2019s apolitical. You don\u2019t have to think of any economic, or political, or cultural questions. We can just think, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s a new technology, it\u2019s neutral.\u2019 It\u2019s never neutral. Technology is never neutral; it always has some effect. It\u2019s there for the purpose of creating money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ove references the introduction of robots into automotive factories, where the robots have now largely replaced humans on the worksite.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a technology, but it\u2019s taking away people\u2019s jobs,\u201d he says, \u201cand the reason the companies wanted to do it was because it saves money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camosun Political Science instructor and Social Sciences chair Daniel Reeves recently returned from a conference that centred on how technology can better learning for students. Reeves says that the idea of students finding ways to distract themselves during class is not one that is specific to cellphones or the massive technological revolution that has engulfed society for the past decade. And, like Ove, he embraces some classroom technology: Reeves uses a program called Poll Everywhere that allows students to text answers to his questions. The answers immediately appear on the screen at the front of the class. To Reeves, it\u2019s about catching up with the times before they catch up with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of it is instructors meeting students where they\u2019re at,\u201d he says, \u201cgetting students to use their phones as a tool to take learning forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps phones in the classroom are not always a barrier. Reeves says a combined approach to teaching\u2014one that does not cater to one side of the pro- or anti-technology argument\u2014is in order.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents are at a different place than they were 15 years ago,\u201d he says, \u201cbecause their environment\u2014for most, but not all students\u2014is more technologically encased.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s admin benefits, too: Reeves says technology can reduce redundancies in the classroom and also lessen the risk of losing students\u2019 work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s interesting and fuelling it, to me,\u201d he says, \u201cis using technology in specific and unique ways to take us to places that we couldn\u2019t get to without it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program used for students to text their answers to teachers rather than raising their hands is ideal for some learning styles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat this allows,\u201d says Reeves, \u201cis I can ask questions like \u2018What don\u2019t you understand?\u2019 Typically, if you ask that to a group of people and expect them to raise their hand, they\u2019re not going to do so. No one wants to raise their hand and say, \u2018I\u2019m the idiot.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The anonymity of Poll Everywhere allows the self-conscious student, the shy student, or perhaps the student who is having a bad day to communicate in a less confrontational way. It also helps students to feel less alone in their ignorance.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople can feel a little bit better about saying, \u2018I don\u2019t understand this\u2019,\u201d says Reeves. \u201cIt\u2019s instant. It goes up on the screen instantly, and that allows students to go, \u2018Oh, there are other people who don\u2019t understand this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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This story originally appeared in our November 16, 2016 issue.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Social media and texting distractions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ove says he does not stop his classes when he sees someone with their eyes down and their thumbs tapping like Morse code along a lit-up screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a controversial issue among instructors because some people are pro-new-media-technology in the classroom,\u201d says Ove, mentioning Facebook and Twitter in particular.<\/p>\n

Ove says he does not use Facebook or Twitter for class-related matters, and he imagines it would be hard to do so in a professional way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s important that students have a venue where they can connect outside the classroom,\u201d he says. \u201cI try and strive for paperless courses, so, obviously, I think there\u2019s a role for electronic technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ove acknowledges that using Facebook or Twitter to engage students can open up a whole new can of worms, and says that he doesn\u2019t use them.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to do so responsibly,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t use it, not out of any ideological reason, but just because I don\u2019t have the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ove says that the micro-blogging format of Twitter can unnecessarily condense social, economic, and political issues, so much so that people can often become blind to the real issues at hand. He says the problem is not technology, but a cultural change.<\/p>\n

\u201cFacebook is never going to be enough to really deal with an issue,\u201d he says. \u201cI think it\u2019s enough to make a good joke.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Ove is also quick to point out that no one has the right to say what gives another person value in their day-to-day life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people enjoy providing updates,\u201d he says, \u201cor enjoy reading the updates of their friends, do I think that\u2019s ruining society? Not necessarily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ove used to teach high school, which he says is much different than teaching college. He says that one of the biggest differences between high school and post-secondary is the independence of each student\u2014the fact that they are now sitting in class of their own accord.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe student brings themselves,\u201d he says. \u201cI think we have a duty to make interesting and relevant content. You want to show up to class and not participate? As long as it\u2019s not disturbing to other students, I don\u2019t see the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Ove gives his students the freedom that adulthood merits, and has plenty of other things to worry about besides students texting in his class, he says he struggles to understand why some students would pay for a course and then not attend it at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest, the students who are in class texting are at least there,\u201d he says. \u201cThe reality is lots of students just don\u2019t show up, and I don\u2019t understand why. I mean, if they\u2019re daydreaming but not on their phone, is that any worse than being on their phone?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sink or swim<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reeves enjoys white-water canoeing in his spare time and says he often uses it as a metaphor to explain technology to his students. If you just float with the river, he says, then you will end up crashing or hurting yourself. You can back-paddle to go slower than the river, or you can paddle forward to go faster than the river, \u201cbut you can\u2019t just be in the river,\u201d Reeves says, \u201cbecause the river will then take you into the rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s how I feel about technology,\u201d he continues. \u201cThere are times to paddle backwards and resist its flow, and there are times to paddle forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reeves says it comes down to treating his students like the adults they are and trusting that they will use technology in the classroom to advance themselves\u2014or, as he puts it, paddle forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo I find students not on focus? Yeah,\u201d he says. \u201cBut that\u2019s not some new phenomenon that just happened this generation. Students have always found ways to zoom out.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he sees students use their phones as tools to help educate themselves in new ways, it helps Reeves feel confident that people can harness the tools around them for good. When he sees a student \u201czoom out\u201d because of technology, he says it is their loss but adds that, considering that computers and phones are here to stay, we might as well utilize them.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless I want to really change how I teach, I can\u2019t [say], \u2018We\u2019re going to take this computer on your desk and we\u2019re going to throw it away; we\u2019re just going to pretend it\u2019s not there.\u2019 To me, that doesn\u2019t seem like a wise option. Are there dangers with it? Of course there are. Are students going to get distracted? Of course they will. But I bet on the fact that most of my students are going to be adults and realize that if they\u2019re not paying attention, that\u2019s their loss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Second-year Camosun Criminal Justice student Shona Mockford says that one of her teachers\u2014Statistics prof Susan Chen\u2014provides every student with a clicker at the beginning of class that allows her to answer multiple-choice questions without raising her hand or speaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a good way for me to learn because I don\u2019t feel worried about if I\u2019m right or wrong,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s just more about learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Mockford says that although she likes being able to use a clicker, she learns far better in classes where teachers attempt to put strict rules on personal cellphone use.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen it\u2019s not even an option for me to be able to look at my phone,\u201d she says. \u201cI don\u2019t think you should be able to [use your cellphone] in any class. I think in some ways technology is a good tool, but when it comes to your personal cellphone, it\u2019s probably bad for learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

When tech hits the library<\/strong><\/p>\n

Camosun director of learning services Sybil Harrison says that she, like many others, is one with her iPad and phone. But while technology has widened the scope of the library\u2019s database by a long shot, Harrison says there is still a place for good old-fashioned book reading.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a huge fiction reader. It\u2019s my great escape; it\u2019s what sort of fills my life with joy,\u201d says Harrison. \u201cAll that reading, I do in print.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harrison doesn\u2019t find picking up an e-reader to read for pleasure as satisfying as feeling the pages of a book between her fingers, or the smell of the ink floating up from the page. Tangible books are her go-to when she wants to transport herself into a different reality from the one of day-to-day life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we often think about the digital revolution as only what\u2019s happening on the computer or on our iPhone,\u201d she says, \u201cbut digital technology has fundamentally changed the production of books itself. In fiction, there\u2019s a lot more use of images and photographs. Books are different than they were.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harrison is a fan of technology use in the classroom and in the library, saying that online databases give students access to millions of resources, as opposed to a more limited amount among the stacks of hardcovers and paperbacks on the shelves. Still, she is quick to rhapsodize over the importance of \u201cbeing discriminating\u201d when it comes to finding accurate and accountable sources online in an era of information overload.<\/p>\n

\u201cLibraries are still the same,\u201d she says. \u201cDifferent tools, but we\u2019re still doing the same thing we\u2019ve done for hundreds of years. We provide access to a whole range of materials, and we always say it doesn\u2019t matter what the container is; if it\u2019s a print book or it\u2019s electronic, it\u2019s the same thing. Libraries are about exposing and bringing access to a whole range of information and also creating a space where people can come together and interact with that information.\u201d<\/p>\n

The different experiences offered by technology\u2014such as being able to access the daily newspaper every morning via Facebook\u2014are extremely invigorating for Harrison, but she still needs her time with books. And she says she\u2019s not alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know many people who are like me,\u201d says Harrison.<\/p>\n

Camosun students are still checking out books from the campus libraries, with 52,223 books checked out of the Lansdowne and Interurban libraries last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re holding steady,\u201d says Harrison. \u201cOur circulation of print materials isn\u2019t growing, but it\u2019s steady, and it has been steady for a number of years. It\u2019s lower than it was, say, in the early 2000s, and we dropped down a little bit around 2010. But we\u2019ve been steady ever since.\u201d (Harrison says the Camosun libraries check out 187,324 e-books a year, adding that some publishers stayed with the e-book format and some went back to print.)<\/p>\n

As for what awaits students after this current age of technology and information, Harrison references a quote from Charles Eames, a 1950s-era designer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a really brilliant early thinker, a lot about information. Some of his early thinking anticipated hypertext in the web,\u201d says Harrison. \u201cOne of his lines was that after the age of information, there is the age of choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

With people living in a frenzy of technology, it\u2019s up to each person to decide which parts of modern technology are imperative, which are a choice, and which ones they want to distance themselves from. But one thing is for sure: technology in the classroom, and the effects of it, are here to stay. You can love it or hate it, but the world as we know it is changing before our eyes\u2014and so is the classroom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re in the midst of a technological revolution that is changing the way we communicate, think, and, perhaps of most relevance to Camosun students, learn. People are glued to their electronic devices more than ever; in some ways it\u2019s replacing face-to-face communication. Life in the classroom has changed, too, with more and more students ignoring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,175],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-november-16-2016"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12888"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12892,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12888\/revisions\/12892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}