Old Dogs and New Tricks: Facilitating Implementation of Contemporary Academic Technology with an Aging Teaching Population

Abstract

Using a conversational approach, the authors address two fundamental dynamics of online education; engagement with students using online education technology and preparing “older” educators to use that technology. The authors present a discourse about the training of an older professor by a younger technologically savvy professor through the team-teaching of an online course called Facilitation Fundamentals. The professors redesigned the course with the goal of making it more engaging and authentic for adult learners. The redesign of the course is discussed as well as the teaching strategies used and technological hurdles the professors had to overcome. Finally, the professors reflect on the experience and the impact this approach had on students.