Finally the day came when I had to overcome my fear of technology. The paradigm shift from teacher to student at the center of the learning process isn't universally embraced. Students must be cultivated to believe that the shift from teachers to students being at the center of the learning process will result in a better education experience for them. The shift to centrality is in itself a learning experience for them, and for the instructor. Students are more familiar with lecture-driven teaching and seem more comfortable with it.
More attention needs to be paid to helping students make the shift with less frustration.
This is why the use of desktop videoconferencing would provide a real-time visual interaction opportunity and should continue to be pursued to improve UTK students' opportunities to interact in Multicultural settings. I continue to be involved in technology-intensive projects with the manager of telemedicine at the UT Medical Center. I would head the evaluation effort should these grants be approved.