A Survival Guide from an Early Adopter: How Web 2.0 and the Right Attitude Can Enable Learning and Expansive Course Design

Abstract

Given the challenges facing higher education in the fast-changing educational and social environment, what can be learned from an instructor who has braved the rapidly changing stream of technologies and has subsequently developed a personal and productive approach to using emerging technologies to teach better and farther? What aspects of instruction and technology savvy can turn the frustrations when integrating new technologies into an adventure, with new learning and new relationships? And, where does the role of vision fit into this journey? And, what about instructor attitude? Student attitude? This article gathers the reflections of an early adopter who continuously develops, pilots, studies, and reports-on technology in online courses, examining a variety of aspects of technology-mediated instruction, sharing experience and research, and ultimately developing an applied, practical operational guide that can frame the questions, considerations, and challenges facing instructors venturing into 21st century technologies.