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I think technology is a tool like many other things. Sometimes, when I’m working on a project at home I use whatever tool is closest to me to get the job done even if I know it isn’t the best choice. Like, I’ll use a screw driver that’s in my pocket to pound sharp something rather than a hammer I have to go to the garage to get - just because it’s there.

I’ve had experiences where the same technological tool used by two different people was a completely different experience. I’ve had Canvas courses that were trimmed and very user-friendly with clear understanding of what can be found where and I’ve had Canvas courses that are confusing and I always feel a little lost. It’s not the tool that’s different but the person implementing the tool.

PowerPoint can be used beautifully to support a presentation in a way that encourages participation and helps engage the audience. It can also be used to kill the audience slowly throughout your presentation. I’ve experienced both but unfortunately more often the latter.

I have seen some great videos that helped me learn and inspired me to try doing the same thing… I’ve seen some videos that made me forget what I was supposed to be doing.

I’ve had some zoom classes that made me glad to be in an age where that is used regularly but I’ve also had some zoom classes that made me wish it wasn’t possible.

In all these examples the biggest thing that “worked” was the educator behind them. If they were using them because they understood and appreciated their benefit and they were able to take the time in preparation to make it work than it was a great experience - regardless of the specific piece of technology.

On the other hand, those that distracted from learning seemed to be the result of educators who felt forced to do something they didn’t want to do or they wanted to use technology to enhance their class without having a full grasp of what the point was - why it was being used or how it would actually enhance learning.

Honestly, for this assignment I tried to come up with a piece of technology that was all a negative experience or all a great experience and everything I thought of for one “category” was quickly followed by “but then in this class…”

I keep going back to what we’ve talked about in this class already - anything we do in a class needs to have an objective - how is this piece of technology going to benefit the class, how can it be distracting and what do I need to do to mitigate that distraction? Barring that, we need to always have a backup plan for when it doesn’t work.

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I think some of my favorite ways to use technology for learning are through videos. I find YouTube to have some really great, educational content that I utilize regularly. I think I've already mentioned it here but there are a couple of neonatologist content creators that I find really engaging and informative. I always send new nurses there for easily digestible education. Sometimes it is short chunks of information, but they also do longer videos that really keep my attention. I think I've loved learning through videos ever since elementary school when they would wheel the cart with the TV on it and we would watch Bill Nye the Science Guy or some other documentary. I still love watching a lot of different documentaries on Netflix to learn about so many random topics! I have found the Google suite to be useful when doing any kind of group work. It's so easy to be able to send a link out to a group and then everyone can see changes and contribute simultaneously. Google docs + Zoom and it's almost like you're in the same place working on the project in person. I've also started listening to a podcast from neonatologists and it's kind of like a journal club. They pick and article and discuss it in depth. It's always interesting and I always feel like I learn a lot.

I don't want to pile on powerpoint because I definitely think it has it's place in education but when an instructor is lecturing during a powerpoint, I force myself to take notes to stay engaged, only to realize that I'm literally typing/writing verbatim what is on the slides. I don't know what the "right way" to use powerpoint is...but I find it most helpful when lectures come in small chunks, mixed with discussion/personal anecdotes (i.e. stories about past patients), maybe a content question, and then jump back into lecture. I tend to take away the least from a class session if it was a 3 hour powerpoint lecture.

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I have had both good and bad experiences with Canvas discussion board.  In one class we were answering questions about the text – which was not really a discussion, though we were asked to reply to other peoples’ post. It was hard to even come up with a reply because many of us had such similar answers. Using it in this way felt like a check-box kind of task. As we have discussed, in Stoerm’s class, the discussion board worked really well. Directions were clear, we knew what to do to get all the points.  But most of all, the topics were well suited to writing more creatively – and we were all able to bring in examples from our work to relate to – an important aspect of Adult Learning. This made it feel like it was simulating an actual discussion.  Reflecting on this helps me see that it is often the use of the technology, not the technology itself.

I am surprising myself and I am going to talk about Zoom next – again, both positive and negative experiences. I have been in a few Zoom classes, through a work-related conference – where I learned a lot. First of all, they were only 2 hours classes. Secondly, almost all attending had their cameras on. The person leading the class did a great job putting us into breakout rooms for small group discussions with clear instructions and time limits. It was a really cool way to attend a class with people across the country whom I would not normally be able to interact with. I also attended the first International Schwartz Rounds on Zoom. Although this was not a traditional class, I did learn about other’s experiences of compassion during the pandemic that was very moving. Again, I was able to connect with people I would never otherwise be able to connect with – and it felt very different to be with them in real time vs. watching some sort of recording. Many of my experiences on Zoom have been terrible – mostly in work meetings where people do not have screens on and are obviously not paying any attention at all. I will blame this on our work culture/expectations around Zoom, not the technology itself.

I replied to Summer's post about TED Talks - LOVE LOVE LOVE. Somehow the combination of learning and inspiration is always there.

I have been slightly distracted when instructors use a website within the canvas site to provide materials, it feels like we need to just choose one. I have gotten mixed up and couldn’t find a resource that was a little buried.

Overall, I am slow when it comes to learning new technology and if instructors go to quickly, I get behind and then feel frustrated and overwhelmed. I will have to remember this myself when introducing any technology into the classroom – and allow extra time to make sure everyone is on the same page.

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I hate to admit this, but I am really struggling to come up with technologies that  have actually enhanced by learning. I have learned to tolerate discussion boards, but I find the Padlet format much more stimulating. I have also enjoyed the YouTube clips and wish I had seen a lot more of those. I have not particularly enjoyed working with Canvas, and I absolutely dread mastering it as a teaching tool, but obviously I must. I do like the insertion of links that lead the student directly to the content. One thing that has been an impediment to my learning is the need to learn to just to use new technology to create my own work. It has been assumed in many of my courses, that I have a grasp of the technology that I simply don’t. I have managed to teach myself a fair bit, but I wish I had access to more hands on help with the technology. I also have to say the most mind opening and influential activities I have participated in have been in-class discussions.
My plan with the technology, moving forward, is to seek out mentors in the technologies I want to master. These include; Word, PowerPoint, Canvas, Padlets and YouTube. For some reason I am really excited about the possibilities YouTube holds for nursing faculty. Little five to seven minute videos on specific topics, concentrating on the critical thinking aspects of the clinical scenarios presented. Also five minute mindfulness exercises to work on moving the students in the affective domain. You could also film your segments out in nature to promote a restful and engaging background. The possibilities for the use of YouTube to disseminate information to groups of people, large and small, really excite me.
In closing, I have so much more to learn! Sometimes it makes my head spin. I am going to try to make the technology I do choose to use simple on both the students and me. I believe technology is a powerful teaching tool, but not he most powerful. Human connection has more power to move and change people. Technology is just one tool on the journey of the learner and the teacher.

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Technology has contributed to my learning the most when I was motivated or excited about the content. During lockdown, I added audiobooks to my repertoire when I really wanted to digest content but didn’t want to wait for ebook. I was willing to try a different technology to get the content I wanted. After watching a food documentary, I discovered a food blog that I liked and learned a ton of great recipes and information from that format.

The OR professional organization – AORN has started doing podcasts for some of the material instead of just articles and that is great for being able to do chores and listen at the same time. There have been times in which I wasn’t excited in the content, but the application of delivery made a difference. For example, in reading articles and posting my thoughts on a discussion board, I learned a lot from my peers when they shared their insights too. I could digest and share my reflections and read others at my pace. Times in which I have seen technology as a distraction were when it didn’t work right or was applied in the wrong way or used out of context. I think PowerPoint can be overused, and not always conducive to the message that is being relayed in the workplace.

In general, for my learning needs I tend to search youtube for “how to” clips. I even use youtube as my gym!

I admit I have a love/hate relationship with technology – when it is used, why and the how. The class discussions and this reflection has gotten me thinking about generational differences, so like I tend to do now, I searched youtube and I found this ted talk helpful. As an educator I need to gain better understanding of generation Z coming into the workplace so that I can more effectively assist in their learning. I’m curious to hear or read your thoughts. https://www.ted.com/talks/jonah_stillman_the_phigital_world_of_gen_z

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Positive experiences:

I like when technology is used to make the learning experience more efficient and materials more accessible. For example, I like having online textbooks and other online sources materials, because I can use the "find" function to quickly search what I am looking for and I can take screen shots of tables and charts that I find helpful. I can also organize materials on my computer rather than having to collect papers and textbooks. I like when PowerPoints are posted and accessible so I can reference them later or take notes on them. I also like the use of short videos to portray information in a short and succinct way. It Is also a great way to break up lectures and reading materials to maintain my interest and attention.

Negative experiences:

Technology is the least helpful when it essentially replaces the instructor. Online courses I have taken have not been the best experience when I, the learner, is expected to learn all the material from reading articles and the textbook. I learn best through discussion, lectures, and activities. I like when the instructor explains the material and emphasizes the most important points. Learning materials, such as textbook, and articles, should be supplemental and should help me understand concepts the professor presents in a lecture or in discussion. I also find it difficult when instructors assign or provide a plethora of links from different sources. It can be overwhelming and distracting to my learning when I have to click through various links and go to multiple websites.

Long videos and podcasts are also distracting. We discussed this in the last in-person class, and I definitely related to the students who could not finish the longer videos. I definitely do not have the attention span to watch a 20-minute video, especially when the speaker speaks very slowly and discusses materials that I could have read in a textbook or article in half the time. When watching a video or listening to a podcast, I tend to get distracted or try to multitask, and then I have to rewind the video or podcast. Consequently, it will sometimes take actually 30 to 40 minutes to watch a 20-minute video. I am not as great at multitasking as I like to think.

Interesting, but neutral:

Being introduced to so many technological tools has been interesting. Sometimes it can be frustrating, but it is exciting to find a new tool that I like and would like to incorporate into my routine as a learner. I am open to trying new tools, but it is frustrating when a new tool is not easy to use initially and takes time and effort before the tool becomes an efficient use of my time. For example, I remember when I first learned to use Canvas in my undergraduate program. I remember feeling really frustrated and longing for a physical syllabus, but now I cringe at the idea of needing everything to be printed and having to physically turn in all my assignments.

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Technology that contributed to my learning:

One of the pieces of technology that helped me to learn in the clinical setting during my residency program and fellowship was the technologically advanced mannequins used during simulations. The mannequins were very realistic, and many could talk and respond to questions you asked. The mannequin I used in my postpartum nursing residency started to hemorrhage fake blood! The child mannequin in my fellowship turned blue, closed their eyes, and stopped breathing which was super realistic and insane to watch when it was simulating a patient in respiratory distress. These advanced mannequins helped to create a very realistic environment for the simulations that positively contributed to my learning. I felt I could realistically practice how to respond to patient emergencies and decompensation situations without fear of mistakes harming my patient. In addition, we were able in our program to video record our simulations and play them back during our official debriefing with our professional development specialist and the other members of our simulation group. Watching the videos of myself after the simulation was so impactful and allowed us to discuss as a group constructively how to improve our performance. For example, we could watch the video and discuss what things did each person do well and what things we need to change moving forward. Having the videos made trying to remember what you did not the focus of the debriefing but instead shifted the focus to learning from the simulation experience and any mistakes we had made. It was great to be able to reference the video and have a way to re-play what had been done to enhance the discussion and review of the information and concepts we learned in our residency program.

Technology that has been interesting but neutral:

In my learning experience in high school, we transitioned to having smart boards in every single classroom. I remember the school saying that it was supposed to be a great advancement for teaching, and it was designed to help support the teachers with their classes. I really liked the idea when they were introduced that the smart board was advertised as being a way to make the classroom more interactive. Although some teachers used the technology well and implemented the cool gadgets associated with the smart board such as writing directly on the screen it didn’t really support or do anything to help my learning. I remember that many of the teachers requested that whiteboards be brought back into the classrooms for them to use to explain/demonstrate concepts in addition to the smart board. I remember that this was the year also that many of my teachers transitioned from using the whiteboard to explain/write out concepts to using all power-point presentations (so what was the point of the smartboard if not many teachers wanted to use it). The transition to mostly PowerPoint based learning did not greatly support my learning and was just neutral to me at the time. In my opinion it was just a waste of money, and they should have given the money they spent on them to the arts programs which at my school were poorly funded!

Technology that is distracting to my learning:

I am a bit sick of PowerPoint presentations. At my work we definitely suffer from death by PowerPoint. At my work practically everything is presented to us for instruction or education as a PowerPoint or a video with an associated PowerPoint. Many times, especially with work education presentations, I find myself not paying attention to the PowerPoint presentation and ignoring it because frankly the slides are filled to the brim with information to the point, they are crowding the entire screen. The amount of information crammed onto the screen is overwhelming at times and I realistically just won’t remember all the information they put on each slide. Depending on the presentation many of the visuals are distracting or are not supportive of the educational materials and seem to only be there for decoration, which then what is the point of them being there at all. I really like PowerPoint as an application and piece of technology because it can do so much, I just want to figure out the best way to use it so that it does not detract from learning and doesn’t bore people to death.

Another type of technology that can detract from my learning is video presentations. I have a hard time learning from video presentations. I prefer reading and writing as my preferred learning style so videos, especially ones without any words are especially difficult for me to learn from. I also notice that they are predominant and the preferred method of teaching for our new educator at work which is frustrating for me personally. It’s difficult for me to learn from videos because I have to pause the video to write notes then rewind it to just the right spot and listen again to catch exactly what the presenter/speaker is saying which can take lots of time and can be extremely frustrating. I have many times spent 20-30 minutes on a 5–10-minute video due to pauses, re-watching sections and trying to write effective notes for my own retention of the information being presented in the video.

I am curious if anyone has found any resources or information about how to create good effective PowerPoint presentations that don’t bore everyone to death?

Morgan Sidles

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First off, I would like to say that I am grateful to live in the era of the Internet, where I can ask a question and get an immediate answer. I have so many questions, and I love that I can learn the answer right away. Sometimes I feel like the Matrix (a basic one), just uploading data from the Internet into my brain. The downside is that my memory does not hold all that information, so that's a bummer, but I can just look it up again!

School: I am really enjoying Padlet and feel like it engages me visually, so I want to read and watch the videos and follow the links. This contributes to me learning my classmate's opinions and developing my perspective. On the other hand, I found the Canvas discussion boards to detract from my learning. I was never motivated to read them and felt pressured to write answers rather than wanting to. I really feel like that was because I couldn't visually connect and get interested and engaged. I have really struggled to learn during Zoom breakrooms. I think they are a great concept, but my experience has been that people talk over each other or cut each other off unintentionally, and then you miss what someone said. I found it difficult to speak up because I felt like I was interrupting, and this would lead me to contribute less, detracting from learning and sharing.

Professional: I love simulation. It is probably because I have had really great experiences with it. The hands-on aspect helped me to practice my skills, gain confidence and improve teamwork collaboration. Does anyone work for a company where the ARC, aka annual review of competencies, is interesting/engaging/ doesn't make you want to poke your eyes out? I did this review 12 times at the same hospital, and it was excruciatingly painful. It was done on a boring PowerPoint, and it was so long, and you had to answer quiz questions at the end. If you missed an answer, you had to painfully navigate back through the PowerPoint to find the answer. I don't think I learned much because it was boring, overwhelming in amount, and I just wanted to be done with it.

Personal: Like Summer, I love TED talks! I appreciate that they are videos so you can see the speaker's body language and expressions, which I find engaging. The topics are always interesting and inspiring, and the presenter is always passionate about them, which helps pull me in and engage me in the content. Also, you can see the speaker and any visuals they want to show, so that helps solidify what they are teaching me. I have really enjoyed learning information about childhood development from Instagram. I follow a specialist who makes it easy to access information, uses attractive color schemes for her written information, inclusive cartoon images, and also does short videos reviewing the written content. I have learned so much this way because it is broken down into small, easily digestible chunks, is pretty to look at, and the repetition helps me to retain the information. I find podcasts interesting, but I am neutral about them. They just don't hold my attention. (Probably because I am a visual and kinesthetic learner) I find myself daydreaming and going over my To-Do list while listening.

Doing this reflection makes me wonder how difficult it would be for hospitals to use more engaging technology to train or do reviews for employees. What are the barriers to using technologies other than PowerPoint? Money? Hmm?? Does anyone have any thoughts?

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I think technology has contributed to my learning (academic) the most through access. Now instead of attending a classroom environment for multiple hours and days of the week, we have access to learning material, databases, and even communication with our instructors remotely at any time. This has had a massive overall impact on access. You can essentially be attending school from anywhere in the world and receive the same education. I do obviously see a benefit to in-person learning and activities as well, but the overall concept of access to learning anywhere at any time allows for flexibility. Individuals who may not have otherwise been able to attend school due to rigid in class schedules, now have the opportunity to receive and progress with their education and goals while working or attending other commitments they may have. On top of access, simply the amount of information and various formatting of information has been beneficial. This aids into the amount of material available to enhance education, but also adheres to different learning styles as well.

Interesting yet neutral learning/academic experiences for me are when individuals go over the top with technology. For example, a very elaborate and flamboyant presentation with many visualizations that are changing rapidly or if someone talks fast while the visualizations are changing frequently, these are all more distracting in my opinion than helpful. Although I do enjoy seeing how far technology has progressed, and elaborate presentations are interesting, I remain neutral in that it may not actually be enhancing my learning due to distraction.

In my professional experience, I find it similar that direct presentations where information is shared with intention (versus distraction) is best. I personally prefer a small to moderate amount of visualizations/technology, again, as long as it contributes to the material and is not distracting. At this point in my career, direct information presentation is important, without providing excess.

These videos where the background is white and the visuals contribute to what is being explained are the ones I like the most. I am sure some of you have seen this type of video in the past. This one is on ABG analysis as an example of my personal preferred use of technology in learning.

Understanding Arterial Blood Gases

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Technology in learning: PPT, High-fidelity Simulation, YouTube, and Zoom/Teams

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Technology in learning: PPT, High-fidelity Simulation, YouTube, and Zoom/Teams

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The technological advances made over the years have impacted every field of life, including learning, especially during the pandemic. As technology has become more accessible, it has penetrated every part of our lives. Often amid my busy, crazy daily schedule, I reflect on my old day when we relied on writing, note-taking, and going to the library to check out books, journals, literature, etc. It feels like I am living in a magic world. What could I do if I had this much technology and opportunity to access resources in my learning? Wow, that would have been phenomenal.

I love technology as much as I get headaches with technology as I need to train myself to be a pro-user and enjoy the benefits of technology.
Power Points! What could I have done without PPT in my instruction? PPT is my platform of teaching tools, I can embed anything I want in ppt slides. The variety of features is unlimited, using internet sources, artwork, embedding youtube videos, and creating notes in various ways. Creating, editing, saving, sharing, all that is so easy to access and user friendly, which does not require any training. It just needs to be played more to be a super user. I love it! YouTube as an OER source, is marvelous. There is so much content in various disciplines. It can be challenging to share as the professional level is varied. However, it is beneficial for students to pick up specific content quickly to view and learn. It offers a broader choice of materials that can be accessed easily. It allows learners to access the internet from anywhere at any time to access YouTube.

The use of educational technology has therefore become essential for today's learners because it offers them an opportunity to learn much faster than they would if they were not using such tools and programs.

Simulation is the key technology that is the pilot learning platform of critical thinking and clinical judgment in nursing education. Simulation modeling solves real-world problems safely and efficiently. It provides an important method of analysis that is easily verified, communicated, and understood. Across industries and disciplines, simulation modeling provides valuable solutions by giving clear insights into complex systems. The High Fidelity manikin in simulation is phenomenal. High-fidelity patient simulators are life-like manikins that react physiologically as if alive. These advanced manikins are used to recreate real-life situations and provide learners with an opportunity to practice and refine clinical skills without the risk of patient harm. However, maximizing learning in instruction with high-fidelity manikin simulation requires professional training, which can stress enough nursing faculty in their instruction as continuing education would be an ongoing burden.
The simulation is beneficial in learning clinical skills, communication skills, leadership, and social justice all in one place. Prebriefing and debriefing offer tremendous learning improvement. The technology embedded in the simulation is enormous. It also provides a fun and engaging learning experience for students.

Today's learners are not only required to learn but also to have fun while doing so. Educational technology offers students the opportunity to have fun while learning, which will also help them stay motivated and excited about their studies. The millennial characteristics need to be carefully considered in simulation education to weigh out the benefits. When the simulation is operated with trained faculty, it will bring maximized benefits.

Zoom/Teams technology offers the closing gap in space. The best benefit is to provide access in an equity setting. I admit that there are pros and cons. I hate that there is no face, no voice, but they still attend... learners can be isolated without interaction. Nevertheless, when it is set by the instructor in various features and formats, it can optimize learning experiences.

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I have to say that TED Talks are one of my most favorite ways to learn. They are short. engaging, interesting, and you can find nearly any topic. The speakers are typically skilled, confident, and excellent public speakers.  There have been multiple now we have watched for this course and I have been reminded just how incredible I think they are. It makes me want to spend an afternoon seeking out and curating a list of TED talks that I could provide to my resident nurses training to labor and delivery to watch, prior to a class or workshop with me.  I also have a not so subtle far off dream of one day being a skilled speaker, and doing a Ted talk on social justice in the obstetric setting.
I would not say I had a great simulation experience when I was in college. I found it very neutral, and in fact sometimes felt like it was a bit of a waste of time. It was always a big production, and took a long time. Inevitably something wouldn't work, or there would be some other hiccup.  I now have the huge task of learning how to implement simulation learning for my unit with the gift of a brand new birthing simulator, and I feel woefully underprepared.  I hope to make it an exciting valuable experience for our nurses.
Other things that feel neutral are quizzing games we play in classrooms with our personal phones. I just don't get that much out of them, and they feel gimmicky.
I have recently begun to record some of the learning opportunities I am providing to the unit, and I think there is a lot of untapped potential there. Yes, being in person is ideal, but honestly, for some, watching the recording with the option of pausing or rewinding may be even better, and I'd like to explore this further.
Personally I really enjoy some aspects of social media, and I follow some accounts that inspire, educate, inform, or present a different view than my own.  I also enjoy creating visual content on Instagram, and have been tossing around the idea of starting an obstetric nursing account.  It is nice to be scrolling and come accross a post that in a few minutes gives a little bit of important information, or a tip.
For this class I stumbed across information on how to start a podcast, and that has also gotten me thinking.... if I created content on other platforms like videos and podcasts, and could assign them to the resident nurses, they would get to interact with the information in a different way before coming to an in person class.  They could listen in their car or while making dinner. Maybe it would be more interesting for them and they would remember it better.
I think for me, when technology is used to share learning and information, it needs to be authentic, it needs to work, it needs to actually add to what I am learning, and frankly I expect a polished product.

Summer Hopkins

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Because of my age, I have seen so much change from the first computers to these incredible smart phone devices and AI technology. Interactive simulations is where I have learned the most, especially being able to review my own performance by myself. In the DNP program, they would record us in lab practicing our exam techniques, and I learned so much about myself and how I came across in addition to how I actually did assessing and giving the correct information back.

When I was approaching taking the NCLEX, the programs that offered flash card study sessions were such a wonderful gift to me. I could have the cards on my phone to study while I waited at the grocery check out, or for my kids to finish their school activities.  Having this  feature on the go, offered me flexibility and I spent a lot of time getting to know the logic behind the answers. I feel it helped me understand the exam a little bit better.

Because I learned on mainframes, and a bit neutral to the current Epic and other charting programs. I like the adaptability and speed of programs like Epic and that it can be customized to each user, but I absolutely hate how much time it now requires for nurses to be at the computer instead of the bedside. Part of this is liability and legal aspects of the profession, but some  of it is just endless boxes to check and make notes in. I honestly was faster when I was first a nurse on the paper charts we had, but certainly not as sticky key savvy and complete in the documentation. It would be difficult for me to remember much from situations that happen with those patients vs some of the newer charting technologies.

Sometimes I get weary of all of the new programs that are coming our way to replace the non-HIPAA compliant technologies. For example:  we had to move all of our meetings off of Webex and onto Teams, and honestly the platform does not perform as well, the sound is terrible at times, and Webex's features I feel were much better suited to our department needs.

No we are expected to take our work and track it on a new program called "Sheets", but we only get to have a trial program without functionality because the individual licenses are $1200 and we have 10 people in our department. To be honest, it isn't much different than a shared excel workbook, but my manager is pushing it on us. I am annoyed, but will comply because I must, but I track things in a simple word document much easier, which is in the format the manager requested. I spent at least 4 hours trying to figure out how to use the new program, only to learn it was not worth my own efforts and the tools it has are so basic, I will struggle through just entering my data. I am keeping track on my Word documents anyway, because I don't have much faith, which is a time waster.

I am not afraid of learning new programs and I used to be a unit tester on older mainframe systems. My job was to break the mainframe and expose flaws that could be sorted out with functions, or new programs that would interface with the mainframe to prevent users from breaking it. The one thing I will say is in my time working on mainframes: there was less flexibility in features but they went down a lot less than the systems we have in place now. And the upgrades were usually spot on because people like me tried to intentionally create issues and then fix them before they were ever launched. The biggest drawback for that was it took time and then by the time you got it all done, it was out of date already. Such a conundrum!

The biggest drawback from technology for me is the online proctored tests. I have massive test anxiety and during the pandemic it was awful to take proctored exams. If you don't have test anxiety, I am not sure how it is for people, but the constant interruption of get up and scan the room because you dog barked from the  other room where she is sequestered makes me so anxious I can't get back on track, and I need to look up to think. Looking up is a flag. Breathing is a flag. I crumped up my piece of scratch paper at the end of one of my exams, after I showed it to the camera, and I got flagged. It made my anxiety 20 times worse, and my test scores on the online proctored exams dropped so much, I was nervous I would not pass my courses. In-person proctored exams for me, are a much easier process. I don't mind them watching me, because I am not trying to do anything but stay calm.
-Shelley