One of my first experiences as a tech-loving returning student back in 2010 comes to mind, yet before I even begin I realize this isn’t about the technology failing me. It’s about the lack of thoughtful consideration that went into everything else around it! The activity asked us to use Mind Tools to collaborate and categorize concepts from on our readings. To begin with, on a Monday we learned that the assignment needed to be completed by Wednesday night vs. the Sunday as listed originally. So we scrambled to learn the tech, complete the reading, and begin the assignment.

But there was no criteria about where to begin with the taxonomy or how to categorize concepts, so we did the best we could. On the following Friday night we received feedback that what we had done was ALL WRONG but had no substantive guidance about expectations or how to move forward to fix it within 48 hours. We all received Ds on the assignment and fellow students hated on Mind Tools hard.

I was angry at first – as someone who had taken one of Maine’s first Internet Television courses, I had been so excited to see how tech could make learning rewarding since then. It was disappointing and I was pretty vocal about the lack of intention and consideration in the design. Although there are many reasons I focused on online education, THIS was a prime motivator for me to learn more about how educators could create better online experiences. My take-away was that mindless use of tech in education was no good because it often left learners angry at the technology or ashamed of their inability to grasp it.