Abstract:

Technology is nowadays ubiquitous in every aspect of modern life. From office desktop applications, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) revolution takes policy makers back to the drawing board and required adjustments are being considered for workplace as well as campus resources access for student. From the confinement of the brick and mortar walled space classrooms boundaries are exploded to a virtual space where learning is allowed to happen beyond geographical locations and time constraints. The shift to the digital space is, however, not a mere conversion of the content from tangible to virtual format. The very nature of technology enabled interactions redefines the essence of transactions. Learning is no longer presented as the service of an instructed waiter to a passive instruction recipient. This paper presents the journey of the migration from traditional chalkboard-and-talk lecture to a blended interface where the introduction of an online component complements the traditional way. Class practice and students performances are benchmarked against selected elements of critical areas for the design of interactive program in support of authentic learning as advocated by Herrington and Standen amongst others. It is concluded that while technology can be a good enabler it cannot be a panacea, especially when left on autopilot, to challenges in education. A framework is required to make it effective.