Inspire and encourage educators and students to use technology for civic engagement and to address challenges to improve their communities.
In the September 2021 post, Online Teaching & Learning in Higher Education During COVID-19 & Beyond: Pitfalls & Opportunities for Access & Equity I explore ways in which digital learning environments have the potential to improve educational communities due to increased access and equity, and I also draw attention to the challenges unique to online teaching and learning (especially in regards to equitable internet access and needed devices). The demand for digital education in its various forms has been growing steadily over the course of the last decade, even prior to the pandemic. It’s increase in popularity can largely be credited to the possibilities it provides for flexibility & efficiency, the promotion of innovative and student-centered teaching strategies, access to varied (and often free) sources of information, opportunities for global research and collaboration, and increased access/reduced costs for higher education, especially for students who couldn’t otherwise afford to attend a residential university.
An additional example of encouraging educators and students to use technology to improve their communities can be found in the post: Bias in Higher Ed Admissions: Is New Tech Helping or Hurting?. This post explores the ways in which technology tools might be used to help mitigate bias in the world of higher education admissions, ultimately using equitable admissions practices to recruit more diverse student bodies.
Finally, in a professional development workshop I created focusing on the application of resilient pedagogy, higher education instructors are encouraged to think critically about using technology to make their courses more adaptable, flexible, and resistant to disruption so that they can better meet individual student needs during moments of crisis. This includes student learning needs as well as social-emotional needs.
