Sunday, February 21, 2016
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Relative Advantage of Using The Basic Software Tool Suite for Political Science/International Relations Courses
The Basic Suite of Software tools are obviously already used in the field of Political Science/IR. The three major tools consist of word processing such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, and presentation such as Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint. The most common ways that they are presently used in the field at this time are for writing papers, collecting and managing data, and presenting information to classrooms and other audiences. However, it is time to examine other ways that they can also be implemented as well.
Word processing tools have the relative advantage of saving time, enhancing the appearance of documents, facilitating collaboration by enabling users to share documents, and supporting writing and research. (Page 115) However, Political Science students and teachers should consider the added advantage of web research and citing capability. Furthermore, it is easy to forget that these tools often come with very useful add-ons and features that are not commonly used. For example, Google Docs can come with free add-ons that help with templates, mail merges, revision assistants, rubric makers, document translation and more. I personally just added on the ability to sign documents online to my Google Docs account.
It is easy to think of spreadsheet tools as a way to gather data and display it for statistical research, However, Political Scientist may not be considering the additional relative advantages. One often forgotten relative advantage that Roblyer points out is on page 121 and emphasizes that "their capability to store information in columns makes them ideal tools for designing informational charts". I am currently assisting a professor in the Educational Technology department with his research. I spent a good amount of time last semester interviewing professors that teach MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and soon I will be putting the common themes from their responses from each question into a spreadsheet document. In another project, I am currently looking through several online journals and recording each definition of a term we are researching into a spreadsheet.
I can't count the number of presentations that I have made using presentation tools as a student. It is a given that we use them in the Political Science field. Most political scientist are familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides. Roblyer points out what is commonly known by most instructors already (Page 127). They help organize topics, enhance the impact of spoken information, allow collaboration and are generally necessary in a political science course. However many Political Science/IR instructors may not have considered the additional relative advantages of using them that have become more popular in the last few years. Now presentation tools are interactive. Graphics in a presentation can now be clickable and lead to new information. Videos can be embedded directly into a presentation. However, the biggest break through comes from the fact that they are no longer limited to PowerPoint and Slides. They can be built in new ways and at new sites such as Prezi.
In conclusion, it is imperative that those who work in the Political Science/IR field remember that the basic software suites are being used for more that just the basics. More importantly, they will continue to evolve in the future. Keeping up is key to using them in the field and in the classroom. On a final note, it is insightful and certainly useful to explore menu items within the traditional software platforms and ingenuous to explore new software outside of the "traditional" realm.
Roblyer, M. D., Edwards, J., & Havriluk, M. A. (2002). Integrating educational technology into teaching.
Word processing tools have the relative advantage of saving time, enhancing the appearance of documents, facilitating collaboration by enabling users to share documents, and supporting writing and research. (Page 115) However, Political Science students and teachers should consider the added advantage of web research and citing capability. Furthermore, it is easy to forget that these tools often come with very useful add-ons and features that are not commonly used. For example, Google Docs can come with free add-ons that help with templates, mail merges, revision assistants, rubric makers, document translation and more. I personally just added on the ability to sign documents online to my Google Docs account.
It is easy to think of spreadsheet tools as a way to gather data and display it for statistical research, However, Political Scientist may not be considering the additional relative advantages. One often forgotten relative advantage that Roblyer points out is on page 121 and emphasizes that "their capability to store information in columns makes them ideal tools for designing informational charts". I am currently assisting a professor in the Educational Technology department with his research. I spent a good amount of time last semester interviewing professors that teach MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and soon I will be putting the common themes from their responses from each question into a spreadsheet document. In another project, I am currently looking through several online journals and recording each definition of a term we are researching into a spreadsheet.
I can't count the number of presentations that I have made using presentation tools as a student. It is a given that we use them in the Political Science field. Most political scientist are familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides. Roblyer points out what is commonly known by most instructors already (Page 127). They help organize topics, enhance the impact of spoken information, allow collaboration and are generally necessary in a political science course. However many Political Science/IR instructors may not have considered the additional relative advantages of using them that have become more popular in the last few years. Now presentation tools are interactive. Graphics in a presentation can now be clickable and lead to new information. Videos can be embedded directly into a presentation. However, the biggest break through comes from the fact that they are no longer limited to PowerPoint and Slides. They can be built in new ways and at new sites such as Prezi.
In conclusion, it is imperative that those who work in the Political Science/IR field remember that the basic software suites are being used for more that just the basics. More importantly, they will continue to evolve in the future. Keeping up is key to using them in the field and in the classroom. On a final note, it is insightful and certainly useful to explore menu items within the traditional software platforms and ingenuous to explore new software outside of the "traditional" realm.
Roblyer, M. D., Edwards, J., & Havriluk, M. A. (2002). Integrating educational technology into teaching.
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