I have just come back from Milan where I was an observer at a conference on medical and anatomical education. One of the plenary talks was focused on technology and communication.
Initially, I assumed this meant teachers communicating with students using the latest cool medical technology, either in lecture theatres and tutorial rooms, or the clever use of video and other interesting applications that could help students when not in class. I imagined it would be a discussion about new technology and the pros and cons of using this in teaching environments for this very sophisticated crowd.
Instead it turned into a talk on social media and all the social media apps out there - from the old, like Facebook and Twitter, through to some newer applications. In my opinion it was the worst kind of, what I call, gadget talk and had absolutely nothing useful to say about communication - especially for this tech savvy group. It's like going to see a mechanic to find out what is wrong with your car and instead he shows you his tools and how he uses them to tighten nuts and change your batteries. Yeah, thanks but what is wrong with my car and how much will it cost?
Initially, I assumed this meant teachers communicating with students using the latest cool medical technology, either in lecture theatres and tutorial rooms, or the clever use of video and other interesting applications that could help students when not in class. I imagined it would be a discussion about new technology and the pros and cons of using this in teaching environments for this very sophisticated crowd.
Instead it turned into a talk on social media and all the social media apps out there - from the old, like Facebook and Twitter, through to some newer applications. In my opinion it was the worst kind of, what I call, gadget talk and had absolutely nothing useful to say about communication - especially for this tech savvy group. It's like going to see a mechanic to find out what is wrong with your car and instead he shows you his tools and how he uses them to tighten nuts and change your batteries. Yeah, thanks but what is wrong with my car and how much will it cost?