Four faculty members at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse are looking to narrow the technological gap between professors and students by participating in a yearlong project to analyze technologies that could help faculty teach the iPod generation of students.
The four professors participating in Intercampus Community of Practice (ICoP) are from the mathematics, exercise and sport science, communications studies, and modern languages departments.
The professors are currently working with instructional technologies professor Jim Jorstad to integrate technology into the classroom environment and course material.
"The light bulb has gone off," Jorstad said. "[The professors] are trying new things that they haven't tried before. The faculty are being trained quite significantly in how to teach the millennial student, who is less than 26 years old."
According to Jorstad, the faculty members are participating in workshops that not only show them how to use this technology, but also help them meet and connect with faculty to share ideas about teaching.
"We've met at our workshops at UW-Stevens Point," Jorstad said. "Faculty make connections [at the workshop] about work that's applicable to the new technology."
Jorstad also noted that the workshops are important for emphasizing the best ways to utilize the new technologies.
"During workshops, we talk about how you can do an effective podcast," he said. "Faculty (members) don't always know what the best practices are."
Also at the workshops, the faculty members learn techniques to make a podcast shorter, conduct interviews and get students involved, all while Jorstad observes and offers advice.
One of the faculty members participating in the ICoP program is Brian Udermann, who teaches exercise and sports medicine and is recording podcasts for some of his classes.
"The reason that I'm interested in using podcasts is that I taught an online course in the summer, and it was mostly PowerPoint," Udermann said. "And the students learned [the material] on their own, and what I got from feedback was that they wanted to hear the professor talk about it."
Udermann added the classroom environment is important to learning, which to an extent cannot be simulated by conventional online material. This is where podcasts come in handy, he said.
"Giving examples, having other students ask questions and hearing things explained are all ways to enhance the student's experience," he added.
Udermann is not currently podcasting for the fall and spring semesters, but he is considering it for the future. He said, however, he is considering the side effects of podcasting, like a potential decrease in lecture attendance.
"I think it would allow some students, if they skipped class, an opportunity to just download [the lectures] or listen to them on their own," he said. "But the only reason I'm not using them right now is because I haven't recorded the material."
