In this week’s blog, the SIME community discuss issues relating to the use of technology in the classroom. If you’d like to join the discussion, please contact Teresa Aldren to be added to our Teams space. Whatever Faculty you are based in, you are more than welcome…

'I'm going to answer "How can we make better use of technology in teaching and learning?" to include non-classroom activities.

I'm inspired by the recent keynote from Yemi Gbajobi at LU Education Conference, which encouraged us to be “Alpha ready” – that is, to be ready for Generation Alpha to be at University from 2028 (it's just round the corner). The argument is that Generation Alpha will be the first truly digital generation, they will be turning to chatbots for influence and advice, and want to be co-creators. So how should we respond to their learning needs and expectations?'

‘I'm hoping for a revolution in approaches to learning that harness the power of virtual learning opportunities. Static knowledge repositories, such as Moodle, just will not cut it – even if you add some quizzes and video clips! Technology will be an essential enabler of learning so I'm becoming AI-savvy and exploring opportunities to integrate chatbots directly into my teaching and learning. Whilst they are in their infancy the rate of change is phenomenal. Last year, jobs were springing up for “AI Prompt Engineers” – this year AI itself is on the verge of rendering prompt engineering obsolete!

‘So for me then, the challenge is to ensure that I am Alpha-ready by embracing technology as an essential learning partner.’

Neil Ralph

As more and more tech savvy students enrol in higher education, I believe that they expect higher levels of technology usage from us as educators because they are used to that in their daily lives. Whilst I don't think that using AI is needed for the current generation, like Neil says, it will be essential as we prepare for the arrival of Generation Alpha. Being ahead of the curve will only make us better educators!

In my own practice, I haven't been brave enough to experiment with huge amounts of technology. The most I have used is the dual display functions in lectures to show maths on a visualiser and other helpful information on a second screen. This works much better than whiteboards as students at the back can see things, the screens get recorded for lectures, and I don't have to have my back to students whilst teaching (which I have always thought was a little rude).

In the future I would like to include more technology in class providing it is reliable, as nobody wants to watch us struggle to get something set up in a lecture and not being able to teach as a result! I would also like to try and include things such as Padlet in the future to help with building learning communities and potentially use ideas from social media for more bite-sized content too.

Harry Rolls

‘That’s a great point Harry – your point about being brave enough to experiment comes with a corresponding acceptance and encouragement from colleagues to be allowed to do that (along with the possibility of 'failure')’

Paula Ainsworth

‘At SIME Summer Fest we discussed possibilities to experiment on one another first, before taking innovations into the classroom. I remember during the pandemic I used to run “Fun Fridays” to try out new technology with colleagues and some student volunteers. It was great and allowed me to test things and improve before going to class.’

Radka Newton

‘From my own perspective, I would say that we also need to be mindful that we don't just use technology for the sake of it: it needs to serve a purpose. Given the nature of higher education at the moment, there are lots of pressures on us as an institution to show we are in some way producing 'value' for our 'customers' (read: students), that sometimes I feel like IT departments and learning development teams push technologies upon us that either don't get used properly, or in some cases don't get used at all due to the difficulties of implementation. With this in mind, I don't think there is necessarily a 'right' or 'wrong' amount of technology to use – I just think that we need to be mindful that technology in and of itself isn't the answer: it's very much down to how it is used and how it integrates with the class. With this in mind, Paula's comment is spot on I think. We need to feel empowered to “fail” in some respects. These things aren't always going to work perfectly first time!’

Mike Ryder

"I agree fully, Mike! Technology in all forms comes with a sort of determinism, both explicit and implicit, in my humble opinion. If not countered by a more nuanced approach to how we think about technology, then technology has the upper hand, as Mike suggests. Technology now is highly seductive and increasingly self-serving, to the point where, perhaps, technology serves its own ends.

Personally, I'm more interested in examples such as the UAL 'Digital Creative Attributes Framework' and Edinburgh's Centre for Research in Digital Education. Both focus on the qualities and properties of digital environments (and technologies) and how these intersect with learning and society, rather than viewing technology in isolation. This perspective informs what technologies we use and how we use those technologies, in education. However, we still need to know how to drive the car and perhaps a little about how the car works. But, the mechanic definitely does not drive my car!"

Phil Devine

Join the debate!

If you have a passion for teaching and scholarship then we’d love to hear from you. We have a really diverse and inclusive community, with members from right across the University, and beyond! If you’re interested in promoting innovation in management education and simply ‘getting better at what you do’, then you are more than welcome.

As well as our rapidly expanding blog series, we also run regular events including training workshops, guest speakers, and community events. We also have our very own journal Scholarship Matters which will be taking submissions for the next issue very soon.

For more details, and to get involved, please contact Teresa Aldren.

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Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by our bloggers and those providing comments are personal, and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lancaster University. Responsibility for the accuracy of any of the information contained within blog posts belongs to the blogger.