In Support of the Empowered Learner

Yep. It's the beginning of another academic year, and its time to identify key directions for teaching and learning in my BGSU courses. You would think, after 16 years of creating and teaching college-level educational technology courses this would be an easy task...but the truth...I am being haunted by the reality that I am not hitting the mark.

I am a student (scholar?) of digital technologies in our world and their potential for supporting learning. I am an ardent proponent of 21st century learning. I BELIEVE that we have all the tools and resources we need to provide customized, individualized, personalized learning experiences for most students. So why do my college courses have so much teacher-direction? Where is student empowerment in these classes?

What do I mean by student empowerment? Well, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Student Standards have a good articulation of this idea:

Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

This standard is focused on K-12 students, but I keep thinking...if K-12 students need to be actively engaged in crafting their learning endeavors, shouldn't college students be pursuing this in a greater degree? I am examining my curriculum with student empowerment in mind. Where are the choices? How are students encouraged to leverage digital technologies to achieve and demonstrate their learning?

With the big ideas of my Dynamic Media courses in mind, I am prepared to toss my students into a menagerie of possibilities, asking THEM to set a direction, select strategies for accomplishment and prove their success. I'm prepared for some pushback, but, hopefully, some good vibes.

Wish me luck!