Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE)
 
2013 Annual Conference
New Orleans, Louisianna
Nov. 22, 2013

Presentation

Enhancing Student Interaction and Communication in an
Online Technology Course with VoiceThread
- Jason Lee Davis

Presentation Abstract

Need: 

Communication is considered a crucial skill in industry, particularly in the area of management.  As the concept of globalization is seeing greater emphasis in business and industry, and educational institutions are experiencing continuing pressure to deliver programs online, many Engineering & Technology programs face the challenge of introducing forums of communication that facilitate and foster effective interaction in a virtual environment.  A lack of exposure to relevant technology can put graduates at a disadvantage when entering a global marketplace in which an increasing amount of communication is conducted electronically.

Overview:

The Program Committee for the Technology Management Degree Programs at Texas A&M University-Commerce examined the means of communication utilized in the courses in their primarily online degree program and found that the mode of interactive communication between students was essentially limited to that of text-based interactions through traditional, asynchronous, threaded discussion forums.  The committee expressed concern that this limited mode of interaction does not adequately prepare graduates to utilize the more advanced forms of communication used in the field.  One program faculty member, with experience in implementing educational technologies, undertook the task of transitioning some of the traditional, text-based discussion activities in an online, undergraduate Technology Management course into a more interactive and engaging form of online interaction utilizing the Web 2.0 tool, VoiceThread.  The VoiceThread application enables participants to present and respond asynchronously to information in any combination of text, graphical, audio, and video formats.

Major Points:

·       Need to prepare students in online courses to communicate effectively in a global environment

·       Web 2.0 tools offer students opportunities to interact electronically in a variety of modes

·       VoiceThread can be utilized as an advanced alternative to the traditional, text-based discussion boards

Summary:

Attendees will be introduced to the VoiceThread application and presented examples of how this Web 2.0 tool was implemented in an undergraduate Technology Management course to provide students with a practical opportunity and experience in utilizing advanced communication modes beyond that of strictly text-based interaction.  The model of implementation presented can be easily incorporated into any web-enhanced or online engineering or technology course.