Just thinking. Mary quoted Bates (2003) as saying, “good technology does not save bad teaching”. Reflecting on my experience as a 100% distance learning graduate student and the nagging feeling that many instructors are now ‘hiding’ behind technology. Lecture lecture lecture… is now Unit & journal article reading on mass with the odd video link thrown in if you’re lucky – and then ‘discuss amongst yourselves’. We’re supposed to learn from our co-learners…didn’t you know? There were times in fact when I couldn’t get a response from an instructor online from a post or even a direct contact attempt. I wonder what we are paying so much money for sometimes.
On the other hand – I’ve also had briliant experiences with teachers that have serious imagination and a knack for speaking to mutiple learning styles: – audio recordings, assignments involving choice (ex. research or photgraphy n the community), experiential learning, etc.
So…. I suppose I’m wondering about course standards & evaluation at the university level. I know instructors are evaluated on some level, but how are their course platforms? And if they are… is it for content or style? Hmmmm