Purpose
The purpose of my action research project is to familiarize some of the Brazosport College BAT faculty with new and creative ways to use WimBa in hybrid and on-line classes, and to measure the effectiveness and quality of these courses that incorporate WimBa compared to the ones that do not.
Significance
The key stakeholders in this action research include the students and their families, teachers, administration and staff, and the Brazosport community at large. College students today are not the same as traditional students of the past. These 21st century learners are “digital natives” and are more comfortable “with texting messages and Facebook profiles than they are with textbooks and face-to-face communication.” (WimBa, 2009). There are also distance learners that do not have the time to come to class, but want to continue their education. These students may start school later in life, and already have jobs and families. On-line classes are becoming extremely popular and available as more and more colleges and universities realize the potential of e-classes. To remain competitive in attracting and retaining these students, colleges must recognize and apply the best practices available in on-line educational technology. If our college is not using advanced technological tools, it is a simple matter for our students to find other schools that are. WimBa allows an on-line meeting room where students can share a screen to interact with the teacher and each other. They can talk, listen, draw diagrams, display images and websites, write and edit documents, watch videos, and post or watch PowerPoints presentations. By implementing the new technologies and capabilities of Wimba, students will become more engaged in the curriculum because they are more comfortable in the technological environment. By capturing their interest and imagination through the technology, students will become better learners. The more the students enjoy learning, the higher their motivation to continue learning. Enthusiasm and motivation is contagious, bringing others into the program. There will be increased student enrollment because physical and geographical constrains will be removed. Students and teachers will have the benefit of quickly and easily getting new, collaborative technology. The school will benefit by increased student-to-teacher, teacher-to-student, and peer-to-peer engagement. Corporations, service organizations, government, educational, and non-profit organizations will all profit from the development of a motivated workforce that is engaged in learning. When this collaboration happens, learning will take place. (WimBa, 2009).
WimBa/Illuminate. (2009). Solutions for higher and further education. Retrieved from
http://www.wimba.com/solutions/higher-education/
The purpose of my action research project is to familiarize some of the Brazosport College BAT faculty with new and creative ways to use WimBa in hybrid and on-line classes, and to measure the effectiveness and quality of these courses that incorporate WimBa compared to the ones that do not.
Significance
The key stakeholders in this action research include the students and their families, teachers, administration and staff, and the Brazosport community at large. College students today are not the same as traditional students of the past. These 21st century learners are “digital natives” and are more comfortable “with texting messages and Facebook profiles than they are with textbooks and face-to-face communication.” (WimBa, 2009). There are also distance learners that do not have the time to come to class, but want to continue their education. These students may start school later in life, and already have jobs and families. On-line classes are becoming extremely popular and available as more and more colleges and universities realize the potential of e-classes. To remain competitive in attracting and retaining these students, colleges must recognize and apply the best practices available in on-line educational technology. If our college is not using advanced technological tools, it is a simple matter for our students to find other schools that are. WimBa allows an on-line meeting room where students can share a screen to interact with the teacher and each other. They can talk, listen, draw diagrams, display images and websites, write and edit documents, watch videos, and post or watch PowerPoints presentations. By implementing the new technologies and capabilities of Wimba, students will become more engaged in the curriculum because they are more comfortable in the technological environment. By capturing their interest and imagination through the technology, students will become better learners. The more the students enjoy learning, the higher their motivation to continue learning. Enthusiasm and motivation is contagious, bringing others into the program. There will be increased student enrollment because physical and geographical constrains will be removed. Students and teachers will have the benefit of quickly and easily getting new, collaborative technology. The school will benefit by increased student-to-teacher, teacher-to-student, and peer-to-peer engagement. Corporations, service organizations, government, educational, and non-profit organizations will all profit from the development of a motivated workforce that is engaged in learning. When this collaboration happens, learning will take place. (WimBa, 2009).
WimBa/Illuminate. (2009). Solutions for higher and further education. Retrieved from
http://www.wimba.com/solutions/higher-education/
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