Incorporating the Online Environment in Classrooms

In today's society there is a heavy focus on technology and the use of these technologies in developing and shaping our learning experiences. In order to successfully incorporate these technologies into our teaching practices we must first understand why it is important, what context should we employ them, and what benefits the use of these educational tools give us.

Technologies (ICT's) are important because not only do they give a learning experience an added dimension, they open the learner up to a vast new world where guided and shared learning alike can be fostered and built on. It is critical for a learning manager to incorporate ICT's in all areas of the learning design process, from planning through to implementation, this creates seamless development of real-world, authentic scenarios and experiences for the learner to engage in.

It is clear that ICT's should be used throughout learning experiences but are they required in every aspect of a learning experience? To be able to accurately answer this question the learning manager must be aware of the scope, context and environment of the learning experience. In addition, they must be able to know when these technologies will be effective and also when they may get in the way of the learners arriving at the planned outcomes.

The benefits of incorporating these ICT's into our learning experiences are numerous. It connects the students with relevant information from all over the world and enables the learner to engage in productive networking with other students, teachers, and experts from places they have may not even heard of before. ICT's, and more specifically the Internet, encourages students to develop and utilise multi-modal resources and join in on collaborative assessment pieces with flexibility and ease.

So when implemented successfully ICT's are not only enjoyable for the learner to use but creates a learning experience that is rich with meaningful concepts and scenarios. ICT's 'build the field' and provide learning managers with an extended set of tools in which to ensure student success.