I ran some training this week to show staff how to run an online class in place of an on-campus class, in the event of more heavy snowfall this year inhibiting both people’s ability and willingness to travel to our university.

While feedback was quite positive, there were a few comments along the lines of “I don’t like technology” and “I think I’ll stick to pen and paper”.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with these personal views, and we absolutely must encourage diversity in our approach to teaching. However, these are exactly that – PERSONAL views. They are the viewpoint of an academic who fears, mistrusts or simply doesn’t like technology. (I’ll refrain from the age-old argument that a pen or chalk or a papyrus scroll were all once seen as “new technology”)

The problem is that if other staff are embracing new technologies to aid with teaching, those who don’t can end up disadvantaging their students by not using it (it’s also true that learners are even more disadvantaged by a half-hearted attempt at using new technology though).

Teachers have to be more than academically qualified in their subject area. They have to be part designer, part presenter, part counsellor and a host of other things if they are to teach well to 21st century learners. A big part of this is being comfortable with technology and understanding where they can improve, enhance or even entertain through considered use of any number of technologies.

In a world dominated by smartphones, consoles, computers and tablets, education has to compete for the learner’s attention, but more importantly has to be relevant to the modern learner. Technology is always going to be part of that, and our educators need to accept that and find their own way of working with it, rather than fighting it.