Chad Klassen
Vice President of Education and Research Paul Dangerfield is considering how the power that technology can improve the student learning experience.
After all, it is the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
“I think we need to look at it,” says Dangerfield. “My iPad came out of the international office that’s doing some work on how to deliver ESL and Cantonese using an iPad as the platform, so we’re already doing a lot of that.”
CDI College in Vancouver started providing iPad to all its students in September as part of the largest post-secondary initiative in North America.
It may be a while before students get free iPads, but Dangerfield wants to move closer to that kind of learning – and look at other e-learning technologies.
“It has the potential to change the whole dynamic, so we need to be aware of it,” he says. “We do more online than anyone else. We probably use more technology than anyone else, but we need to make sure we’re doing a better job of it.”
At a presentation to BCIT instructors, Dangerfield explained the potential that technology has on their ability to improve results and learning in classrooms in every program.
He focused on the “disruptive” nature of technological learning tools and explained how teachers need to be aware of them.
However, they have the potential to affect the sustainability at post-secondary schools like BCIT, he says, because students already have the tools online to educate themselves.
“The example that’s always used is what NetFlix has done to Blockbuster. It came along and changed everything,” says Dangerfield. “E-learning, teaching excellence, delivering student outcomes, delivering what students really want, those things have a real potential to change everything if we don’t pay attention.”
It means teachers need to have an open mind about the ever-changing world of technology.
“It’s tough to be current all the time, but it’s important to be in touch with the students,” he says. “[Sometimes] there’s technology that the instructor doesn’t know anything about but the student in the classroom does. How do engage that student? It’s a whole different way of learning.”
“Look at the iPad. When are we going to use them, when are they going to become mainstream? I think it’s almost there, so when are you actually going to move to it.”
Dangerfield hasn’t pegged a date when BCIT will introduce the iPad, but he says a widespread introduction of the technology is in the works.
“What I wanted really to do is engage in a dialogue around what some of the things we can work on are. What are some the initiatives, exciting things we can work on to improve the quality of our programming?’” says Dangerfield. “We’ve got great programs, but we can always get better.”
The iPad could be one of those tools to make the BCIT experience better.
