Gisela Banas Dicklin

Instructor Tester ad EdCC

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Can you briefly tell us about yourself and types of Distance Learning courses you are familiar with?

As one of the early adopters to teach online classes, I became a distance learning mentor at Edmonds Community College. Having experienced both sides of that learning environment (as instructor and student), helped me realize what should be avoided while teaching online. That, however, did not prevent me from making errors and incorrect assumptions as well. Because many online students are non- traditional, it is important to help them feel less disconnected. While maintaining academic integrity, instructors should be willing to adapt to serve students who are balancing professional and family responsibilities while advancing their education. Because my classes are far from perfect, I make revisions each quarter according to the feedback that I receive from student evaluations.

What are you most excited/impressed with when using the iPad and the Blackboard Mobile application?

Perhaps the best way to explain my interest in this project, using the Ipad and the Bb Mobile application, and why I hope to educate my students and myself to become better digital citizens is to view this video: changing students

Since mobile access will someday exceed PC access, instructors should understand how today's students prefer to communicate. We need to understand where and how the mobile learning technologies fit in. Can the Ipad (or similar tools) bridge that digital divide? Will Mobile Blackboard or similar apps help students and instructors connect? How will these serve extended virtual campus technologies, virtual community technologies, and mobile messaging technologies?

What do you hope to get out of this pilot?

My objective for this pilot is to learn from the students what does and does not work with mobile access: can students complete most assignments via their mobile unit, can they access their online content seamlessly, would they prefer purchasing ebooks, can the mobile unit increase engagement with their peers, are instructors willing to adjust to the changing expectations in technology? How can EdCC tackle the challenge and provide a road map to move forward? Will EdCC be open to creating its own Mobile App similar to that at Stanford and other schools?