It used to be that a professor would walk into the classroom, notes and perhaps a book in hand, and scribble his or her notes on the blackboard with a piece of chalk. Students would dutifully take notes, and possibly ask a question or two. The bell would ring and the professor and students would pack up and leave the classroom.

Nowadays, teaching is a little different. The professor may walk into the classroom, laptop in hand, and hook up his or her school's computer system. Within a few minutes, he or she may project images on a wall-sized screen, download and show video clips, or even link to a live lecture going on someplace else in the world, project the image to the screen, and sit back as his or her students listen while someone else gives the lecture!

In between the blackboard and the internet, of course, there have been a host of other technologies that have come and gone or that are still with us. Among other things, these include the overhead projector, audio tapes, newsreels, the laser disk, the VCR and TV monitor, and CD Roms. With such choices, how does one determine which technology is best suited to one's teaching? Or should a teacher use any of these technologies?

Of course, with the relatively low cost of computers and computer accessories, the advent of distance learning and the explosion of information on the internet, all of us feel some pressure to explore the possibilities of using some sort of technology in the classroom. In fact, the past few years have witnessed a mad dash of sorts among teachers anxious to spice up or otherwise enhance their classroom teaching.

It is perhaps wise to remember, though, that all this high-tech gadgetry is better used as the means for providing information to our students rather than an end in and of itself. That is, often times we are anxious to use technology just for the sake of using it rather than using it in the service of teaching students about the concepts and issues that form the heart of our discipline. So the first question we need to ask ourselves in determining which technology we should use is whether we need any technology at all. Can we get our message across in an informative and interesting way without having to go high-tech?

For many of us, our answer will be yes. An effective in-class exercise or demonstration will get the point across clearly and may sometimes be fun for the students. Active learning centered classrooms rely on students to help teach each other, and so technology is of minimal use here as well. Clearly, there are some instances in which teaching is fine without all the bells and whistles that technology has to offer. A sizable literature attests to the fact that effective teaching may occur with nothing more than caring teacher, interested students, and good conversation.

However, while technology may not be necessary for effective teaching, it may certainly enhance teaching. How? Perhaps by using it to present materials that capture student's attention in ways that a lecture or even active learning can't or are unlikely to.

So now the question moves from the realm of "Is technology necessary to get our point across" into the realm of "Which technology is best for getting my point across?" That is only a question you can answer, given your personal style of teaching and orientation toward the discipline. However, considering the following questions may make the answer come a bit quicker:

1. What is the point I wish to make?
2. Is there information on the internet or a video clip or on other technological devices that can make the same point in a more interesting, informative, or entertaining way?

Answers to these will provide you some clues as to how to set up your lecture or to organize an active learning experience using technological resources. The answer to Question 2 will let you know just how far to move beyond the lecture or active learning to help you make your point. However, to answer Question 2 fully, one must know what information is out there on the web or filed away on a video in the first place. This can translate into literally hundreds of hours of search time for locating just the right information you are looking for in support of your point.

Thus while technology provides us the means of delivering information to our students in new and wondrous ways, we must first be willing to sift through the hordes of information currently available in technological caches before ultimately deciding what information to present. Fortunately databases and web site exist that may make the job easier. For example, Allyn & Bacon's Psych Site contains many useful links to psychologically-oriented web sites, which eliminates the initial time-consuming footwork in having find these sites.

If the information you find is easily extracted from existing sources, such as books and computerized data bases, you may find that an overhead or Power point presentation will suffice. However, information that is not so easily extracted, such as that found on video-tapes, CD-Roms, and internet data bases, may be better delivered to your students through classrooms that are fully electronically enhanced.

In sum, the first question to consider in deciding on classroom technology is whether you actually need such technology to help you teach. If the answer is no, then get on with the business of your own teaching in your own style. If the answer is yes, then you must ask yourself what is the best technological means of presenting information to your students. The answer to this question will lead you on a search for both the information you hope to present and the best technological means for presenting it.