Re: Week 3: Martin Weller

vheerme1, September 28, 2011

I teach computing, which means I am kind of "technology literate" and can help myself to get around the digital world. When I come across new technologies my first thought is always how I can apply it to better teach my distance education students. That being said I have a number of colleagues in other faculties who can operate their PC's, but that's where it ends.

The more one looks into the digital world, when it comes to teaching, the higher level of "technology literacy" you require, does this then mean the academics will have to be subject specialists and technology specialists to conquer the world of digital teaching?

The "Darwinistas" and "Fatalistas" in academia, as Prof Ormond Simpson put it so nicely in his recent keynote address at the Unisa Teaching and Learning Festival, will most certainly never become technology specialists. They see themselves as subject specialists with students being the receivers of knowledge and what they do with that knowledge is up to them. Then there are the "Retentioneers", those are the academics who "help students be the best they can be" and in my view that is applying technology accessible to the student, thus helping them to become "digital learners".

How do one go about motivating the "Darwanistas" and "Fatalistas" to become "digital teachers" and "Retentioneers"?

If you'd like to watch the keynote addresses of Prof George Siemens, Prof Gilly Sampson, Prof Ormond Simpson or Catherine Ngugi here's the link with the sincere hope that the digital world allows you to access it.
http://staff.unisa.ac.za/index.jsp?link=http://www.unisa.ac.za/cmsys/staff/default.asp%3fCmd=ViewContent&ContentID=6805


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