Top Technologies for Integrating Online Instruction

Online learning is the epitome of applied technology and should be integrated into as many levels of online curriculum as possible. To prepare students for the future, teachers must seize every opportunity to infuse the technologies their students will be using whenever possible. Most importantly, teachers must know what works best in an online classroom situation, i.e., podcasting, interactive whiteboards, blogs, wikis, social networking, virtual classrooms, and others. In this regard, this paper reviews specific technology-based tools that have demonstrated a rapid implementation in higher education in general and online learning specifically. In addition, it explores best practices that lead to the best use of these tools in the virtual classroom. Links to online videos demonstrating each technology are provided and an emphasis is placed on many real-world examples of how technology has already improved student learning. This paper calls for greater inclusion of specific technologies by teachers in the online classroom.