MODULE 4
Importance, Functions, Role & Impact of EdTEch
Today, technology gradually makes its venture in the field of education especially that
most of the schools are offering remote teaching and learning. We are forced to implement
Education 4.0 to be able to continue learning. While the implementation of education,
capitalizing in the affordances of technology, it might spell the difference between the rich
and the poor. However, in relation to blended learning, Bates (2019) argued that there is
no traditional classroom that is not using any sort of technology. This is supported by Cox
(2019), that technology in the classroom is becoming more and more predominant,
because of 21st century education. The knowledge that could be gained by the learners is
no longer limited to just printed books and the use of platforms such as websites, apps, and
videos, live chats, etc. Learning has been taken to the next level with the help of
technology.
Media and technology have been introduced into schools because it is believed that
they can have positive effects on teaching and learning (Reeves, T., 1998, p.1). Moreover,
“technology or media has been successfully evaluated as type of cognitive mind tool”
(Kenny, 2001, p. 210). According to the study conducted by IT Trade Association CompTIA,
it was revealed that around 75% of the educators have experience the firsthand positive
impact of using technology in the classroom. With this, educators now recognized how
significant it is to develop students’ technological skills that would help them to attain
academic success and would prepare them in entering the world of work once they
complete their schooling. They are now learning in applying emerging technologies such
as tablets, computers, Smart Boards, etc. to teach their students. Students, on the other
hand, shape how they learn with the use of these technologies.
Elements for Using Technology in Education (Tabbada & Buendia, 2015)
1. Motivation
a. Gaining learner attention – it is the critical first event in providing optimal
conditions for instruction, based on Robert Gagne. The visual and interactive
features of many technology resources help students to focus and encourage
more time in learning tasks.
b. Encouraging learner through production work – Engaging learners in creating
their own products promote creativity, self-expression, and feelings of self-
efficacy and result in professional-looking products they can be proud of.
c. Increasing perceptions of learner control – Learning control is important for
learners; it increases their intrinsic motivation.
d. Technology use as motivation – Technology-based methods have successfully
promoted several kinds of motivational strategies that can be used individually
or in combination.
2. Unique Instructional Capabilities
a. Linking learners to information sources – hypertext systems develop skills in
addition to those used with traditional reading materials.
b. Enabling learners visualize problems and solutions – interactive visual media
provide powerful visual means of “representing social situations and tasks such as
interpersonal problem solving, foreign language learning, or moral decision
making” (Kozma, 1991).
c. Tracking learners’ progress – there are many ways that students, as well as parents
can track students’ progress, like portfolio, electronic diary, and others. Schools
may also capitalize the showcase of the students’ outputs through technology.
d. Linking learners to learning tools – learners have an access to different
productivity tools and information needed in their lessons and in solving problems
that goes beyond classroom concerns.
Elements for Using Technology in Education (Tabbada & Buendia, 2015)
3. Support for New Instructional Approaches
a. Cooperative learning – many technology-based activities lend themselves to
cooperate, small-group work: development of hypermedia products, and
special purpose database and research projects using online and offline
databases and multimedia.
b. Shared 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).
c. Problem solving and higher-level skills – Students can solve problems and
represent their own knowledge by engaging in higher-level skills.
4. Increased Teacher Productivity
5. Required Skills for an Information Age
a. Technology literacy – Standards for all students based on the parameters set by
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), National Council
for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Partnerships
for 21st Century Education (P21.org).
b. Information literacy – it is simply a subset of technology literacy skills. 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. These skills are more important to learning and more
involved with technology.
c. Visual literacy – since most technology materials are visual, there is a need for
improved visual literacy skills to deal with visual communications, especially for
teachers in developing their instructional materials.
PRINICPLES OF TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY
As a future teacher, you are expected to be good communicator of your subject
area and at the same time, be good on the use of instructional materials. You should be
able to use effectively and efficiently any technology that is suitable to the content of
your lesson and most importantly to the learning objectives. How do we use educational
technology effectively and efficiently? There are different tips and suggestions we can
cull from researches and articles.
Teachers always think how they will design their instructional materials or
educational technology that makes an impact to their learners. Amplified by Design
(2018) listed some key attributes to think about when creating educational platforms. We
can also draw out some principles from what is being presented:
1. Personalization – learners have unique needs and interests; this is why they often thirst
for some personalization in their learning. We can customize our lessons using varied
ways like coaching struggling students and zeroing in on the specific concepts they
missed to help them catch up to their peers. There are a lot of technology available
for personalization or the use of adaptive strategies. In addition, the content can be
represented by learner in various ways. We can put it simply that, learning is
enhanced when it is personalized to the learners’ needs.
2. Flexibility – No student is the same, and schools differ as well. Students’ abilities,
affordances and accessibility to technology varies. When we design platforms that
work in various settings, we aim for inclusivity. There is no single way to do it, and there
is no single method that is best for the different kind of learners. Like what we are
experiencing now, because of the pandemic, learning should continue, flexibly.
Learning should be flexible enough to accommodate the learning styles and multiple
intelligences of learners.
3. Collaboration – As part of the 21st century skills for learning, students should recognize
that everyone is interdependent. Using technology in our classroom should also
promote collaboration skills and to tailor learning to students’ levels. Technology
opens new avenues for collaboration, giving students the ability to collaborate on a
learning project or to share their thoughts with others. Besides, in the workplace, one
of the key skills, employers are looking for is being a team player. Learning is
strengthened when social skills are developed.
4. Accessibility – Schools should provide a comparable alternative in content and
experience to differently-abled students. Learning should be accessible to everyone
or different kinds of learners, no one should be left behind.
5. Teachers are the heart of learning. Technology will not replace the great minds of
teachers in planning and implementing their lessons. Educational technology should
always support and amplify the role of the teacher. “For all the hype about artificial
intelligence replacing humans, the best results come from collaboration: humans
working with technology to find the best solutions.” Technology only helps when used
as a tool to support engaging, effective teaching.
The key takeaways you learned or will be able to learn in the course, Principles and
Strategies for Teaching will help you in teaching with technology. We always remember
the famous quotation of George Couros, educator and author of The Innovator’s
Mindset, “Technology will never replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of
great teachers is transformational.” You may also create a list of workable principles for
you.
