14 January 2008

Why teaching luddites win

Today is the first day of class for the spring semester. These classes use a lot of different technologies to assess students other than paper and pencils. Every time I've told fellow university instructors about various kinds of technology I've introduced into my class, I get the same objection.

Students will cheat.

Online learning? "Students can look up the answers, or have someone else do their tests. Clickers? "Their friends can bring in the clickers and push buttons for them."

Fear always tries to quash innovation.

Of course, it doesn't help when our IT Department promises to upgrade teaching software on class computers before classes start on Monday morning and don't. Leaving it for me to do myself. Splud. I'm not surprised. Just disappointed.

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