Module 1: This module will enable you to discern the roles of educational

Topic 2 technology which will help in selecting particular lessons and situations
where technology can be applied. This knowledge will help you in
designing activities and projects with the appropriate technology
application.

Competencies  Infer the roles of educational technology in the 21 st century

classroom.
 Describe the roles of educational technology through pictures.
 Distinguish the different roles of educational technology in the
teaching-learning process.

Discussion Role 1. Motivation

 Gaining Learner Attention
According to learning theorist, Robert Gagne, gaining the
learner’s attention is a critical first event in providing optimal
conditions for instruction. Substantial empirical evidence indicates
that teachers frequently capitalize on the novelty and television-like
attraction of computers and multimedia to achieve the essential
instructional goal of capturing and holding students’ attention.
 Encouraging the Learner through Production Work
Teachers often try to engage the students in creating their own
technology-based products. This strategy has been used
effectively with word processing (Tibbs, 1989; Franklin, 1991),
hypermedia (Volker, 1992; LaRoue, 1990), computer-generated art
(Buchholz, 1991), and telecommunications (Taylor, 1989; Marcus,
1995). Students seem to like the activities because they promote
creativity, self-expression, and feelings of self-efficacy and result in
professional-looking products they can view with pride. Example is
creating a product which can be sold for an entrepreneurial project.
 Increasing Perceptions of Leaner Control
When students perceive themselves as in control of their
learning, the result has been called intrinsic motivation, or being
motivated by the awareness that they are learning (Amone &
Grabowski, 1991; Relan, 1992). However, when learning paths
become complex, students with weak learning skills seem to profit
most when teachers supply structure to the activities (Kozma,
1991, 1994; McNeil & Nelson, 1991). Some teachers use concept
diagram to make the students understand better the
interrelationships of various concepts. An example is the study of
the solar system.
 Technology Use as Motivation
The drive to keep students in school is an urgent national
priority. Technology has an important role to play in achieving this
goal. Kozma and Croniger (1992) described several ways in which
technology might help to address the cognitive, motivational, and
social needs of at-risk students; Bialo and Slivin (1989) listed
several software packages that were either designed or adapted to
appeal to these kinds of students. Technology-based methods
have successfully promoted several kinds of motivational strategies
that may be used individually or in combination.
Role 2. Unique Instructional Capabilities
This role is closely related to the four pillars of education namely:
learning to know, learning to do, learning to be and learning to live
together. They set the use of technology in molding the individual to
meet the demands of the 21st century through the following:
 Linking Learners to Information Sources (Learning to know)
Through hypertext systems, as seen on many Internet Web
pages, students can select a keyboard from a screen and get
pointers from several other sources with information on the same
topic. These lead to other related sources and topics, forming an
endless chain of information. For example, a student can surf the
internet to gather information about a certain topic.
 Enabling Learners Visualize Problems and Solutions (Learning to
do)
Kozma (1991) also reports that interactive visual media seem
to have unique instructional capabilities for topics that involve
social situations or problem solving. He notes that these media
provide powerful visual means of “representing social situation
and tasks such as interpersonal problem solving, foreign language
learning, or moral decision making”.
 Tracking Learners’ Progress (Learning to be)
Students’ progress can be recorded and reported in many
ways. Preparing portfolio on class accomplishment can be
recorded in a logbook or in an electronic diary. A system of
recording students’ progress can be done through computer
programs which can be availed of by both the students and the
parents within and after a grading period.
 Linking Learners to Learning Tools
There are many ways by which the learners can use technology
to link with information needed in their lessons and in solving
problems for lifelong learning. Several computer programs enable
students to solve statistical data, researches about different topics
and other data related to their interests ranging from humanities,
the arts, communication history and many more.

Role 3. Support for New Instructional Approaches

To cater the complex demands of life in the technology-driven 21 st
century, several new instructional initiatives can benefit from
applications of technology:
 Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning demonstrates the value of small groups
with members coming from different learning abilities. Example of
technology-based activities through cooperative work is
development a project done by a small group. Each member has a
task to do to complete the task. Small groups can utilize their
computers using and studying the teachers’ powerpoint
presentation of the lesson. In this case, they have a grasp of what
are expected from them to discuss during class time. The time for
small group discussion can be done outside class time. In
cooperative learning, students also experience learning to live
together.
 Shared Intelligence
 An emerging definition for intelligence is termed shared
intelligence or distributed intelligence. “Intellectual partnership
with computers suggests the possibility that resources enable and
shape activity and do not reside in one or another agent but are
genuinely distributed between persons, situation and tools” (Polin,
1992). Many students at present feel confident in doing research
work due to the speed of surfing in the internet. During recitation,
they refer to their computers to immediately get the ideas being
asked from them.
 Problem Solving and Higher-level Skills
Students can solve problems and represent their knowledge by
engaging in higher level skills. Problem solving can be done by:
sensing the problem; researching the problem; formulating the
problem; finding the alternatives; choosing the solution; and
building acceptance.

Role 4. Increased Teacher Productivity

 Freeing time to work with students by helping with production and
record keeping tasks.
Using technology resources can help teachers cope with their
growing paperwork load. Teachers and organizations realized that
they spend less time on record keeping and preparation so they can
spend more time analyzing student needs and having direct contact
with students.
 Providing more accurate information quickly.
Teacher can be more productive through training in technology-
based methods and access accurate information that may help them
meet individual needs. Any technology resource can help teachers
increase their productivity; word processing, spreadsheet, database,
graphics, desktop publishing, instructional management and test
generator programs along with online communications between
teachers (e-mail) and other online services.
 Allowing teachers to produce better-looking, more “student-friendly”
materials quickly.
The teachers can be encouraged to prepare interesting teaching
materials for their students efficiently in a shorter time. A
compilation of these materials can lessen their workload when they
teach the same subject in the future.

Role 5. Required Skills for an Information Age

The final and most compelling reason for integrating technology
into teaching and learning is the need for students to learn skills that
will prepare them to become lifelong learners in an information
society. They need to be equipped with the skills to learn to know by
gathering information in addressing problems in school and in real-life
situations.
 Technology Literacy
Soloman (1995) says that “Technology for students is about
economic competitiveness”. The International Society for
Technology in Education (ISTE), the group that collaborated with the
National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
to develop educational technology standards for pre-service
 programs, also developed the National Educational Technology
(NET) for K-12 students. These sets of standards are recognizing
that technology skills are becoming required job skills. This trend
makes it essential that teachers both model and teach the use of
technology-based methods to their students.
 Information Literacy
Johnson and Eisenberg (1996) introduced the “Big Six” skills
namely: 1) task definition; 2) information-seeking strategies; 3)
location and access; 4) use of information; 5) synthesis; and 6)
evaluation. The information explosion fostered by the Internet has
made the Big Six skills more important to learning and more
involved with technology. These skills are also emphasized in the
21st century skills under information, media, and technology skills.
 Visual Literacy
Christopherson (1997) & Roblyer (1998) emphasized the need for
improved visual literacy skills so many people are heavily using
images on visual communications. Christopherson (1997) affirmed
that a visually literate person can interpret, understand, and
appreciate the meaning of visual messages; communicate more
effectively through applying the basic principles and concepts of
visual design; produce visual messages using the computer and
other technology; and use visual thinking to conceptualize solutions
to problems. Roblyer (1998) reports on research that correlates
visual literacy skills to higher scores on intelligence tests and to
later success in more technical-vocational areas such as
engineering.
The research findings reveal the importance of visual literacy
among teachers. They must utilize well-planned images when
preparing instructional materials to capture the real essence of what
they like to convey to the learners. Here, technology will make the
task easier. Illustrations and pictures are found in the computer
which they can easily access and use.

Enrichment Given the following roles of Educational Technology, find an

Activities instructional material that can best suit these roles. Get a picture or
screenshot of the instructional material and place it in the box
designated. Opposite it, describe how you will use the instructional
material to describe the role.
1. Motivation

Picture Description how you will use

2. Unique Instructional Capabilities

Picture Description how you will use

3. Support for New Instructional Approaches

4. Increase Teacher Productivity

5. Required Skill for an Information Age

Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper using the format

below:

FAMILY NAME, GIVEN NAME, MI: SUBJECT TITLE:

COURSE, YEAR AND SECTION: CP #:
MODULE/TOPIC # + NAME OF ACTIVITY: EMAIL ADDRESS:
DATE OF SUBMISSION:
ANSWER/S:

And if you have access online, encode your answers in a word

document using the format above and save it using the format FAMILY
NAME, GIVEN NAME, MI_COURSE_YEAR AND SECTION_SUBJECT
TITLE_MODULE NUMBER AND TOPIC NUMBER_NAME OF ACTIVITY.
Please send the activity at claudine.tomas@qsu.edu.ph using the
format FAMILY NAME_COURSE_YEAR AND SECTION_SUBJECT
TITLE_MODULE NUMBER AND TOPIC NUMBER_NAME OF ACTIVITY as the
subject.

Rubrics in Rating the Descriptions

5 – Role is described comprehensively accompanied with a vivid example. English
construct is outstanding.

4 – Role is well-described accompanied with a vivid example. English construct is

 average.

3 – Role is described accompanied with an example. English construct is average.

2 – Role is not clearly described but an example is given. English construct is average.

1 – Role is not clearly described and no example is given. English construct is poor.