by Vicki Davis

Created on: January 23, 2009   Last Updated: April 27, 2012

In adult education the instructor needs to acknowledge they are teaching a different type of learner who is most likely trying to balance school, work, and family. For this type of learner convenience is key. There is also an expectation for on-demand content and communication anywhere and anytime. Here are some tips in keeping up in the technology rich world.

Technology is such a broad term and can cover many different medias. I will cover broadly the following types of technology; Communication, Classroom, Presentation, Online

Having basic computer skills is a must have. Adult learners typically don't have the time or inclination to come to campus for office hours to communicate with the instructor. Having access to email, chat, or discussion forums can provide an ease of interaction that will make communication with your student's abundant. When using email it is recommended to organize and document your communication, make folders for saving messages received from students organized by class you are teaching, and always save these files at least 1 term after the end of the course in case there are ever any issues that arise.

If your college or university has a course management system; a place where you can upload course notes, presentations, and files, post your syllabus, homework assignments, and even hold class discussions and chat, then all of your communication tools can be found in one place. This system will all you to have a discussion forum where you can ask weekly questions, or ask your students to post questions for you, you can then check this 2-3 times a week at published times. You can also hold virtual office hours using built in chat features.

In the classroom there are many new technologies including smart boards, classroom response systems, projectors, LCDs, Classroom Capture Systems, and many more. The most basic of these technologies is the ability to display your presentations on a screen, typically saving your file on a thumb drive or bringing your laptop into the classroom, and plugging into the LCD you can show your "PowerPoint" presentation. In today's world the student's expect to be able to see and review these presentations again and again, so if you have a course management system it is recommended that you post these presentations so students can print them for taking notes during your lecture. The presentation should not be a typed up diatribe of your verbatim lecture but instead highlighted notes and points, an outline that

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