Reflection on student needs

I am very aware and very sensitive to the fact that students at my institution come from diverse backgrounds and their needs vary across the spectrum. I am also cognisant of the fact that each student is here to learn (I hope) and that stems from a range of needs that I suppose can be described in various ways.  Many of the students at my institution come from historically disadvantaged communities and experience severe financial and other resource constraints. As a result, many of the students rely on University resources, such as access to computers as well as internet services.  This is at least one of the needs we are able to assist.

It is very difficult to address these all their needs with the use of technology. However, there are many technological platforms that can be used to enhance their experience of learning. This can be done with the use of various applications. In no order of importance, the University Learning Management System (LAS) such as e-teaching, could be used as a platform for learners to access various learning material such as slides, notes, scope etc. They are also able to contribute to their learning experience by participating in the discussion forums, or even start their own forums.  There are also other tools and training available across the institution which would assist with their learning. These include Turn-it-in, C-map, You-Tube, digital training etc. These are all institutional programmes students have access to, but require technology or technological skills. Other applications that could be used are open source / free. These include google applications (google plus, google forms, google docs, blogger), slideshare, wikispace, Facebook, Twitter, Skype etc. All of these applications can be used in numerous ways to access students and give them the opportunity to choose their learning space- one which they feel comfortable in. Many of the open source applications are also available on mobile devices, so students are able to access learning materials and sites easily. Most students today have mobile devices and therefore academic staff should maximise its potential. As a facilitator of learning, I need to determine which of these applications are best suited to meet the needs of my students and also which of these are more easily accessible.

There are also many things I do not know about my students. I don’t know what their particular learning needs are. I am in the process of researching this and intend on surveying student learning needs soon so that I can not only evaluate this, but also redevelop my curriculum if needed. I would need to know what their needs are in order to design innovative teaching practices within the classroom. I also need to know how students are constrained. Although I know that there are various barriers and constraints that impact on their learning, it is important to know what they are so that teaching strategies can be put in place to circumvent those issues. There is no way that I can remove physical and financial barriers, but I can provide a conducive space to learn and develop as a holistic graduate. I also don’t know how student’s time is spent. If I know this, then I am able to design a course that does not require time-deepening where students have to multi-task too much, and risk not having a deep learning experience.