Paul Thacker: hater of the PowerPoint. (Media Bistro)

It’s a familiar scene: with the entire class looking on via the projection screen, the professor fumbles around with the mouse in search of the “Slide Show” button for his Powerpoint presentation. As a TA finally comes to his rescue, students exchange glances and snicker.

Technological innovations continue to change the ways in which we disseminate, access and process information. There has been a lot of dialogue about our ability to make effective use of information technology. But, recent debates in higher education have focused primarily on student technology literacy among students. Inside Higher Ed’s Paul Thacker, in an article entitled “Are College Students Techno Idiots,” reports the growing concern among librarians and professors “that students can use technology for socializing or entertainment but still have problems finding information, evaluating it and then putting it to use.”

But what about technology literacy among professors? When it comes to implementing technology in the classroom, professors fall across a wide spectrum. Some barely touch the computer the entire semester, while others come equipped with all the latest toys from Apple to incorporate into their lectures. Of course, age and discipline are significant factors that come into play, but the question remains: Just how tech savvy should professors be to teach today?

In a quippy opinion piece titled iCranky,” Professor Laurence Musgrove of Saint Xavier University responds by arguing that the “student as consumer” mentality in higher education forces professors to cater to an iPod generation of students and neglects the real goal of student learning.

Now, don’t get me wrong–I believe that technology is, without a doubt, a tremendously valuable resource for education. And yes, whether or not they choose to implement them, instructors should be aware of the technological tools available to them. But by no means is technology the panacea for all pedagogical problems. In fact, many professors have come to use it as a crutch, in lieu of quality old-fashioned teaching. (How many times have you fallen asleep through a lame Powerpoint presentation?)

Sure, entertainment is a plus &mdash but before we ask our professors to get up and dance, let’s make sure that we’re getting our money’s worth in the way of real knowledge.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 27th, 2007 at 7:01 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.