Comments on: People Before Technology

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:23:36 +0000

I think with all the new technology options springing up, it’s important to stay on the ball. It’s easier to reach an audience by speaking their language, and that language may just be through an iPhone or Twitter.

By: Technology Slice

Technology Slice — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:25:54 +0000

Too often people forget to focus their energies on the target audience, and just incorporate the “WOW” factor instead. In the end everything comes down to how well you convey your message to the audience. If your message is lost no amount of “cool” will bring it back.

By: AIDS.gov

AIDS.gov — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:52:39 +0000

Thank you for your comment, David. We’re very familiar with your work and it’s an inspiration to see how you’re using new media to reach your target audience AND engage and enrich students. As you mentioned, the “cool” factor can, and often does, help engage audiences. We’re striving to strike that balance and hope that tools like the POST method, will help us all to be a more strategic in how and when we use new media.

By: David Wessner

David Wessner — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:54:38 +0000

As a college professor, I repeatedly evaluate the ‘cool’ factor of technology in the classroom. Will an animation further my learning objectives? Or will the animation simply look neat? Obviously, furthering my learning objectives takes precedence. But, as you note, technology can help you reach your target audience and engage them more fully. At Davidson College, students in my HIV/AIDS class have been developing installments for an HIV/AIDS blog and podcast (The AIDS Pandemic) for the past two years. In this case, the use of technology serves two purposes. First, we are effectively reaching our target audience. We now have subscribers from all over the world. Second, my students feel a deep-seated ownership in the project. They realize that their class assignment may profoundly affect other people. As a result, they have a strong desire to provide useful, informative content. Thus, their educational experience has been enriched.