ABSTRACT
Online education undoubtedly takes advantage of the vast array of available technology to enhance and improve student learning. There is no need to feel intimidated about these advances in software and applications; rather, view this synergy between technology and education as one that can profoundly benefit students and instructors alike. This chapter is designed to familiarize online psychology instructors with how, why, and when to use the types of technology that can most enhance learning in online courses. For many students, particularly incoming undergraduates who comprise the “I” or “M” Generation, technology serves as a comfortable, expected feature of everyday life. Thus, college courses delivered online may end up competing with other screen media that regularly absorb the attention of undergraduate students, including content on phones, laptops, video games, television, and other forms of media. In the spirit of competition then, it would behoove online instructors to incorporate certain technological and multimedia elements to grasp the attention of these students. Likewise, some students may feel less comfortable with technology and may need special assistance when developing their own creative content using tools such as wikis, blogs, podcasts, or YouTube. Consider then as you proceed that it is important to (a) know your students, (b) gauge their familiarity and comfort with technology early on, and (c) strike a healthy balance between technologically advanced and basic content. The tips and tricks in this chapter should help online instructors to effectively strike that balance.
