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ACTIONS model

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Evaluate any new technology using the ACTIONS model. develop a proposal for your supervisor in support or rejection of the new technology being evaluated.

Outcome:
Discuss the relationship among knowledge, learning, teaching, and the nature of media and how this relationship should inform our use of technology in the health education field.

Learning Objective:
Evaluate the selection of a new technology using the ACTIONS model.

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Solution Summary

ACTIONS model is clearly explained and applied in this solution.

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I read the question as action model, which is sort of a general term that is too large to find anything useful in my university's library. When I looked back and saw ACTIONS, I did a search and found the reference to the 1995 book Technology, open learning, and distance education, which I find authored by A.W. Bates and T. Bates. Assuming that Tony Bates is the same person as A(nthony) W. Bates, I looked for his book online and couldn't access it. However, I found a chapter by Bates himself in the International Handbook of Distance Education that will help me explain this. I saved the chapter as a PDF and have attached it here.

Bates summarized the theory from his 1995 book as a decision-making model for technology using the following criteria: ACTIONS (Access, Cost, Teaching function, Interactivity, Organizational issues, Novelty, and Speed). You did not mention in your post what technology you would like to propose. However, I know that the iPad is a technology that higher education is wrestling with because it is incredibly useful, but at the same time pricey. I have a friend who works for a vocational school that is about to implement iPads in place of many of its textbooks and other tools. My friend, who is a technology expert, fought the decision for a number of reasons. Therefore, I will use his circumstance as an example here.

ACTIONS
Access: Bates notes that the criteria for decision-making are listed in order of priority, which puts access at the top. iPads certainly are accessible, but cost is a huge factor and I will deal with that next. Coincidentally, while I was tying my answer to your post, my friend called. He is likely to reject the iPad because the school's curricula use quite a bit of Flash media. Another thing you might consider in discussing access to any new technology is the Internet connection. Just because a student has a computer doesn't mean he or she can access the Internet conveniently from home. And just because students have computers or an iPad doesn't mean that they can afford all the software or peripherals to use them efficiently.

Cost: From the student standpoint, they are expensive - between $600 and $1,000 and more if you buy the 3G package. However, look at the other costs associated with being a student. Textbooks are expensive and quite a hassle, when you consider buying them and then selling them at the end of a semester. Additionally, instructors often print out articles, do PowerPoint presentations for which students take notes, etc. With an iPad, the student can read books, read handouts electronically, view PowerPoints, take notes, etc. So when you're talking about access in terms of cost, the iPad might be a cost-saver for students IF - and this is the IF my friend encountered ...

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