Long intrigued with new technology, eager to explore the possibilities of the latest computer wizardry and loving every minute of it, Middlemist now finds himself increasingly in demand as an innovator, someone who can help the rest of us make better use of the computers and software at our disposal to enhance teaching and learning. And we agree, this is not just about a PowerPoint substitution for overhead transparencies. The goal is to enhance understanding, to deepen learning, to utilize video, audio and graphics as illustrations for concepts or theories under study, those abstractions, in particular, which traditionally were covered in lecture or discussion.
Images can also have a dynamic quality, coming into sight or dissolving to illustrate a point.
Unfortunately, many groups move past this step in their rush to get something resolved. Impatience here invariably means more time lost later when a lack of clarity about direction can create confusion, wasted effort and frustration. Middlemist s idea for me was to utilize PowerPoint and other software to have a more dynamic presentation. My guess is that he is right, that students would better remember that caution and not have to repeat the mistake to get it. The following summary of this Forum session will give you some of what Middlemist does in his own classes.