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Web Phil. | SPRE - Site | Table 3 | Table 4 | |
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SPRE (Society of Parks and Recreation Educators) Newsletter (Fall 1999)
Recent innovations in technology have enabled recreation educators
to present students with information in ways that did not exist just a few years
ago. We now have the technology available to go well beyond the overhead or
film projector and even the video tape player. We live in the age of Internet
access, power point graphics, electronic mail and home pages along with increased
student expectations for their format and design. These technologies, if used
properly, can change the classroom environment and indeed improve the quality
of instruction. These new options can raise more questions than answers. Learning
how and when to use them use them at all are among the issues confronting educators
today. Using well-designed and colorful instructional graphics can only be the
beginning. Electronic mail with attachments and shared folders can also be used
for ongoing communication with students. Internet sites and links are helpful
for information access and reference material. Home pages that include syllabi,
course outlines, testing dates and course requirements can serve as a base site
for students to explore updated information about the course, the instructor
and department. The purpose of this article is to share experiences from both
professors and students alike and to present both the advantages and disadvantages
of this technology as we as recreation educators strive to provide the highest
quality of educational experience for students studying recreation and leisure.
A good place to begin is with graphic programs such as Harvard Graphics or Power Point. The obvious advantage is that the use of graphics recognizes the various learning styles of students. Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory outlines the various forms of intelligence. The traditional question of "How intelligent are you?" has been replaced by "How are you intelligent?" Some are active learners while others are effective listeners. Some students benefit from discussion and interaction while others enjoy studying alone. More importantly, graphic presentations recognize and connect the visual learner with their most successful learning style. These presentations tend to hold student's attention and help them understand and remember the concepts being taught by the use of visual images. Another advantage is that students can focus on, listen to and interact with the information being presented as opposed to frantically copying or writing down the material before it disappears forever. Eye contact with the instructor is better maintained during the presentation although one must be careful not to shut out the lights. A dimmer switch can eliminate this problem by leaving enough light to see the instructor but not too much light to fade out the graphic. Using computer-enhanced graphics can also save costs for the department by spending less time copying materials and less money on paper for handouts and of course less trees. There are disadvantages that can diminish the effect of the graphics and decrease the quality of instruction. One can overuse the technology. Too many slides, too complicated or ineffective color combinations can all be overwhelming for students. Only a portion of the class period should be used for graphics while the remaining time should use other more conventional teaching methodologies. Other more logistical problems may be in preparation time or cost of the equipment. Equipment may have to be carried to and from the classroom within only minutes. Storage, security and copyright issues must be considered and planned for. Skill in the creation of and the presentation of well-designed graphics involves knowing color combinations, how much and size of the text and choosing material that is most appropriate to a particular type of presentation. Regardless of their learning styles, students generally like the visuals but also benefit from the same material in printed or electronic form.
E-mail, is an excellent way for both students and instructors
to communicate. Ongoing interaction between students and professors can actually
increase via electronic mail. Several assumptions must be made before one should
incorporate electronic communications as an integral part of a course. The first
is that each student in the class has Internet access, a personal e-mail address
and be familiar with the technology. They need to know how to send and received
e-mail, download attachments and negotiate a shared class folder. Another is
that everyone has the proper institutional support in both the hardware and
personnel. The hardware needs to be standardized for easy access and compatibility.
Lab assistants should be available at prime times. Most problems and frustrations
occur when students are unfamiliar with the proper commands or capabilities
of the technology. Others may live or be away from campus and not have fair
access to a computer lab or lab assistants. Many school have committed to giving
entering students a laptop with all the technology standardized. Students and
even parents expect the use of this technology in the classroom since they have
already paid for it in their activity fees. Instructors can create an e-mail
listing of all members of the class at the beginning of the 
semester
or create a shared folder. Either way can be a very efficient way to send messages
to class members informing them of upcoming events, speakers, assignments, exams,
study guides or relevant news briefs. A scanner can simplify things further
by scanning and sending diagrams or articles into the shared folder although
one must abide by the copyright laws. The professor must also be available in
alternate ways of communication, i.e. telephone or office hours. Electronic
communication should not replace person to person contact with students. However,
some students are willing to ask questions via e-mail that they are not comfortable
asking in person. Networks go down, messages get lost or individual computer
problems can all create unfair disadvantages if the professor is not readily
available. One must be careful about privacy issues in sending grades or confidential
information via electronic communication. Also, a department can save money
on copy machines and paper if most of the handouts, articles, diagrams and traditional
overheads are sent via e-mail or shared folder. If the students want a hard
copy they can choose to print the material on their own time and paper. Internet
Access Many instructors and students have easy access to the Internet in the
classroom. Many professional recreation agencies have wonderful sites available
with colorful, updated and interactive pages. One can visit a national park
or forest site and learn current issues and information about the agency, the
park or wilderness area. Assignments can be given asking students to do their
own exploring to a particular state, country or recreation site on their own.
Although one must be careful not to allow students to simply print out the material
but should be expected to personalize their visit to the site and be required
to write up their own response. Students taking outdoor recreation courses such
as skiing or canoeing could be expected to bring to class printouts of the days
weather forecast from various sites including television stations to network
news sites. These colorful, well-designed and interactive sites can produce
creative and enhanced educational opportunities that traditional textbooks could
not begin to produce. The following is an interesting example of use of several
options available in technology: The massacre of U.S. and British tourists in
Uganda occurred while I was teaching a unit on ecotourism. As I was speaking
in class the same day about the economic benefits of ecotourism for a national
part, I minimized my power point presentation and went the CNN Headline news
site that was featuring an article on the terrorist attack in an Ugandan National
Park. I read the article to the class about how ecotourism literally pays for
the protection of the high mountain gorillas in the park and how this attack
would significantly eliminate any income for park management for years to come.
We also followed a link to a five-minute video by CNN on ecotourism. Those students
who brought their laptops to class could follow me through the links on a wireless
modem provided. Timely, creative and interactive information all enhance the
learning environment. 
Class Websites Developing a home page for your class can be take a lot of time and expertise but can be used as a base site for all the electronic communication with your class. You can easily include the overall purpose of the course, a mission statement of your department, your own teaching credentials, and various links in which students can choose to follow. Students can review the topics covered in your course as well as course requirements and evaluation procedures. This site gives them ample information on which to make a good decision to take the course or not. Creating a home page also makes less copying necessary by the instructor. Also, we all have students who lose their handouts, syllabi or claim they never saw the material for the last exam. A home page gives students ongoing access to this information throughout the semester. Creating a home page can be the most complicated and most time consuming aspect of the various technological options. It can take a lot of time to determine what course material should be included on the home page and how to keep it updated. Like the other options, a home page must be well designed and convey a professional image that in turn reflects the credibility of the instructor and the course. Students do not want to have to filter through non-essential information. Home pages can have too many links, graphics and information that diminish its effectiveness. Care must be taken as in all the other options to secure and protect the site from any student trying to change the information on the home page. If the instructor wants to make a change on the home page then the students should be notified by other means such as e-mail or the shared folder.
Some professors feel that electronic communication makes the education process too simple and easy for the student (dare I say too leisurely). For example, if a professor sends all the handouts, articles, overheads and lecture materials to the student via electronic communication, why then would it be necessary for students to come to class? The next obvious question is, "Why then should the instructor come to class?" Why not do the whole thing electronically and neither party would have to bother with leaving the office or dorm room? The primary benefit of using technology in the classroom is to organize and enhance the learning process. The educator should not let technology get in the way of learning or it will ultimately be a waste of time and effort. With or without technology in the classroom, academicians need to continually be reminded that students will always need a colorful, creative, interactive and caring human being to lead them through the course material. Technology can be all the above except caring and we can all agree that caring human beings make the best teachers.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books Weber, E. (1995) Creative learning from inside out: A collaborative learning and teaching approach for high schools multiple intelligence theory application. MITA British Columbia: EduServ Inc.
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