Comments on: Paying at the Pump http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/ As an educational technologist, I am exploring ways to make learning more relevant, engaging and authentic. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:36:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Tarmo Toikkanen http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26551 Tarmo Toikkanen Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:11:39 +0000 http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26551 Heh, also here in Finland we've had completely "cold stations" for years. They're completely unstaffed and obviously you only pay by bank or credit card. But with manned stations the choice is made quite clear: there are pumps that require you to use your card at the pump ("auto") and then there are pumps that require you to go in and pay at the desk. So when you've driven your car to a pump, you no longer have a choice, and thus the choice is made while maneuvering the car to one of the free pumps. And I assume people have made mistakes with their choice of pump, and then have had to either drive another one, or just accept the payment method available. So many have learned that it's a lot easier to and faster to use your card right there and then. Most gas stations have more of the pumps that use a card reader nowadays. PS. Oh yes, the cost for gasoline here is around 1.3-1.4 euros per litre, and creeping higher all the time. :) Heh, also here in Finland we’ve had completely “cold stations” for years. They’re completely unstaffed and obviously you only pay by bank or credit card. But with manned stations the choice is made quite clear: there are pumps that require you to use your card at the pump (”auto”) and then there are pumps that require you to go in and pay at the desk. So when you’ve driven your car to a pump, you no longer have a choice, and thus the choice is made while maneuvering the car to one of the free pumps. And I assume people have made mistakes with their choice of pump, and then have had to either drive another one, or just accept the payment method available. So many have learned that it’s a lot easier to and faster to use your card right there and then. Most gas stations have more of the pumps that use a card reader nowadays.

PS. Oh yes, the cost for gasoline here is around 1.3-1.4 euros per litre, and creeping higher all the time. :)

]]> By: Dean Shareski http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26510 Dean Shareski Thu, 31 May 2007 06:45:23 +0000 http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26510 Paul, It's a new deal in Moose Jaw. The station I was at is the only one in town...I think. Anyway, while I agree with your skepticism argument, I think the analogy continues with the idea that it's still too new to fully see the benefits. Most at the pump have never considered using the pay at the pump options simply because they feel it's not really a big difference. Yesterday when it there was a lineup, I likely saved 5 minutes. That's significant. The skepticism is hard to understand once you dive in and change. Again, lack of experience and fear to try a new method/approach is the biggest factor. Thanks for the thoughts. Paul,

It’s a new deal in Moose Jaw. The station I was at is the only one in town…I think. Anyway, while I agree with your skepticism argument, I think the analogy continues with the idea that it’s still too new to fully see the benefits. Most at the pump have never considered using the pay at the pump options simply because they feel it’s not really a big difference. Yesterday when it there was a lineup, I likely saved 5 minutes. That’s significant.

The skepticism is hard to understand once you dive in and change. Again, lack of experience and fear to try a new method/approach is the biggest factor.

Thanks for the thoughts.

]]> By: Paul Wilkinson http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26509 Paul Wilkinson Thu, 31 May 2007 06:32:33 +0000 http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26509 I had a laugh reading your blog today. Is pay at the pump a new deal? In New Zealand many petrol stations have had pay at the pump for years. We are now getting a number that have no kiosk to pay at. My local supermarket has pumps in the carpark but there is no attendant or kiosk at all. You have to pay by card at the pump. I don't think this will catch on in a big hurry until the government changes the taxation policy on fuel. At the moment petrol station owners make about 3 or 4 cents a litre on a pump price of $1.52. The way they make a profit is to sell icecreams, coke and chips. They want you to go inside and spend up large on all sorts of extras that you don't really need. Now there has to be room for an educational analogy there. TTWWADI is powerful but I'm not sure it is the only factor. I think many teachers are willing to change when they can see technology adding something of benefit. I think there should be a healthy scepticism about the benefits of technology. (Not because I don't believe in the value). I think we ought to be able to hold up good models of technology use and if they stand up to scrutiny they will speak for themselves. Maybe many teachers do not use technology in their classes because the barriers are perceived to be bigger then the benefits. I think this is slowly changing and there will come a time when technology use is so integrated into everything we do that it will just become natural. One barrier for us in NZ is access to the gear. Laptops are still too expensive for 1:1 access. When computers become embedded in furniture http://d5.allthingsd.com/20070530/microsoft-surface/ (who would have thought we'd see Bill and Steve presenting together) then we will start to see some change. The future is exciting. I had a laugh reading your blog today. Is pay at the pump a new deal? In New Zealand many petrol stations have had pay at the pump for years. We are now getting a number that have no kiosk to pay at. My local supermarket has pumps in the carpark but there is no attendant or kiosk at all. You have to pay by card at the pump. I don’t think this will catch on in a big hurry until the government changes the taxation policy on fuel. At the moment petrol station owners make about 3 or 4 cents a litre on a pump price of $1.52. The way they make a profit is to sell icecreams, coke and chips. They want you to go inside and spend up large on all sorts of extras that you don’t really need.

Now there has to be room for an educational analogy there. TTWWADI is powerful but I’m not sure it is the only factor. I think many teachers are willing to change when they can see technology adding something of benefit. I think there should be a healthy scepticism about the benefits of technology. (Not because I don’t believe in the value). I think we ought to be able to hold up good models of technology use and if they stand up to scrutiny they will speak for themselves. Maybe many teachers do not use technology in their classes because the barriers are perceived to be bigger then the benefits. I think this is slowly changing and there will come a time when technology use is so integrated into everything we do that it will just become natural. One barrier for us in NZ is access to the gear. Laptops are still too expensive for 1:1 access. When computers become embedded in furniture http://d5.allthingsd.com/20070530/microsoft-surface/
(who would have thought we’d see Bill and Steve presenting together)
then we will start to see some change.

The future is exciting.

]]> By: Pam Shoemaker http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26506 Pam Shoemaker Thu, 31 May 2007 02:55:52 +0000 http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26506 I love your gas station analogy. I have had similar (tough) conversations with teachers about whether it is professional malpractice to not use technology in schools. I wouldn't go to a physician who did not pay attention to the latest research and technolgy if I was ill. Why do we accept not using technology for education when the research shows that we should? I love your gas station analogy. I have had similar (tough) conversations with teachers about whether it is professional malpractice to not use technology in schools. I wouldn’t go to a physician who did not pay attention to the latest research and technolgy if I was ill. Why do we accept not using technology for education when the research shows that we should?

]]> By: Kim Cofino http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26505 Kim Cofino Thu, 31 May 2007 02:44:26 +0000 http://ideasandthoughts.org/2007/05/30/paying-at-the-pump/#comment-26505 I totally agree. I've been beating my head against this brick wall all year. But how do we change a group of people that are so resistant to change in the first place? I'm trying to work through this myself and I'm not sure I'm getting anywhere... I totally agree. I’ve been beating my head against this brick wall all year. But how do we change a group of people that are so resistant to change in the first place? I’m trying to work through this myself and I’m not sure I’m getting anywhere…

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