12052

12052

General Session - Conference Presentation Only (20 minutes, no formal paper)

Derek Snyder, University of Hawai'i Maui College, Kahului, Hawaii, USA, dsnyder@hawaii.edu
 * Going Paperless: Advantages & Challenges of the Paperless Classroom**

This presentation will focus on the advantages and challenges of an electronic classroom. The presentation is applicable to instructors who teach online, face-to-face, and/or hybrid classes. The presentation is designed to inspire teachers to continue to take greater and greater advantage of technology in order to enhance the experience of their learners, and to foster discussion of how to overcome some of the challenges inherent with utilizing technology in higher education.

Advantages of the Paperless Classroom KEY POINT: Technology does not replace best practices for teachers, it merely allows us to focus more of our time and energy as teachers on facilitating learning.

1. Less Paper A. Better for the environment B. No more battles with the copy machine

2. Students already operating in this realm in other areas of their lives A. Personal / Daily Lives (i.e. Facebook) B. Easier transition than you might anticipate

3. Potential for greater classroom management and course organization A. Syllabus / Schedule / Announcements / Weekly Deliverables B. Absences / Late Work / Student Questions

4. Easier follow-up on missed class / work A. Information always available (e.g. directions for missing assignments, “Previous Classes”) B. Clearly shows what student is missing (and its correlation to their grade)

5. Promotes a more efficient record keeping environment A. Greater student involvement with their assignments and grade B. Grades are more accessible and transparent for students throughout semester

6. Student submissions are time stamped A. Greater adherence to class policies = greater equality in classroom B. More student accountability to deadlines

7. Increased student involvement and interaction A. Online discussion forums can foster more dynamic, less intimidating arenas for discussion B. Textbook reading accountability

8. Provides dynamic opportunities for content delivery / feedback / submissions A. Videos, pictures, audio, hyperlinks B. Can address multiple modes of learning

9. Allows for class to function outside of class time / class walls A. Classroom is always available for students to access B. Greater accessibility to instructor for questions, concerns, etc.

10. Great reusability / opportunity for improvement of curriculum A. Easier carryover from semester to semester (after initial construction) B. Easier transferability to other classes (when applicable)

Challenge of the Paperless Classroom 1. Students may not have the computer skills or be comfortable using a computer A. Our shared role in this aspect of every student’s educational experience B. Build in an orientation component into your course for students. (Be flexible and patient)

2. Students may be challenged learning from electronic text A. Have a hard copy of the textbook available as well. B. Create class material that can printed out as hard copies

3. Paperless classroom may not be fully accessible A. Work with Online Accessibility experts to ensure that your paperless classroom is accessible to all students B. Learn about unique considerations

4. Computers may malfunction (technology issues) A. Encourage students to work ahead on deadlines to anticipate such challenge areas B. Provide students with all of the necessary ITS help contact information

5. Classrooms without computers / student access to laptops A. Advocate for more laptop initiatives B. Provide schedule of deliverables ahead of time so students can work on campus

6. Different types of submissions (.wps, .pages, etc) A. Download free programs that allow for conversion B. Create a standard for how students should title their documents

7. Creating a paperless classroom is initially very time-consuming A. Long-term payoff (more focus on facilitating learning) B. Potential for a better student experience

All Audiences paperless classroom advantages challenges