Technology integration and use has been achieved in almost every sector of society whether that is business, industry or medicine and contributed to bringing significant changes to the way these sectors work and in general, produced many positive outcomes. Consequently, technology is beginning to be integrated in the sector of education as well with the hope to bring major changes to the educational system and hence, to have positive effects on students learning and on the teaching process. As with any kind of innovation, similarly in the case of technology integration into schools, there are those who defend the innovation by outlining the positive effects that technology can have to the teaching and learning process and those who oppose to technology integration and use into schools by supporting the use of the traditional ways and means for carrying out the teaching and learning process. Based on these kinds of debates regarding the integration and use of technology into schools, the current essay provides a comprehensive discussion on the effects that technology has on student learning and the teaching process as well as a report on the kind of technology that should be available in all schools today in order to successfully prepare students for the future.
Technology plays an important role in our everyday lives and therefore, children should be educated in its use and in its principles of operation in order to get prepared for its encounter with it in the workplace and elsewhere (Underwood, 1990). Technology should be seen as a catalyst. Technology is important because it provides us with the means of producing significant changes to the teaching and learning process and helps improve children’s intellectual development. It allows teachers and students to access amounts of information that would otherwise be impossible for them to access (Seternus, 2008). To begin with, a distinction must be made between the two aspects of technology. Technology is classified into two forms and those are: Educational Technology and Instructional Technology. Educational technology is the practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by using appropriate technological processes and resources (Whitehead, 2005). Instructional technology, which is a part of Educational technology, refers to the use of a variety of technological means to support and improve learning as well as to improve the effectiveness of instruction such as cameras, PDA’s, CD-players, GPS devices, computers, calculators, interactive media as well as various electronic tools (Molenda, 2003). In addition, Instructional technology includes elements such as the design of instruction, the selection of delivery systems and the design of techniques, the conduct of evaluation as well as the managing of projects; elements that constitute in general the goal of Instructional technology and that aim to an understanding of how people learn and how to design instructional systems and materials in the best way in order to facilitate learning and improve the delivery of instruction (Williams, 2005).
It is apparent that teaching is changing and becoming a more difficult job due to the increasingly contradictory expectations and therefore, teachers must prepare for a technology-rich future and keep up with change by adopting effective strategies and teaching methods that provide technology-based lessons (Valdez, 2005). The concept of technology opens up new directions in education that challenge the roles of both teacher and student (Underwood, 1990). Technology can help achieve the important goals of education by promoting achievement in basic skills, growth in higher-level problem solving as well as by promoting positive attitudes towards learning and social development (Clements, 1985). Technology constitutes an effective motivator for students’ learning. When students make use of computers in the learning process, they are motivated and they are more willing to work in a specific subject area while, they are also motivated by and satisfied with the immediate feedback that is provided by the computer. In addition to the students’ increased motivation produced by the use of computers, students’ self-esteem is also enhanced. In particular, when students manage to complete a task that is based on technology they feel more competent and therefore, their sense of self worth is increased.Increased motivation and self-esteem were also found to be the effects of technology use in a study made by Singh and Means (n.d), who among others found based on the answers of the teachers that participated, that students were motivated when they worked in a subject area and showed greater willingness to write on computational skills while, other teachers outlined the students’ satisfaction with the immediate feedback provided by the computer and the sense of accomplishment and power that were gained when they worked with technology.
Moreover, the teachers that participated in the study denoted also an enhancement of the students’ self-esteem due to the increased competence they felt after mastering technology-based tasks and also due to their awareness of the value placed upon technology within our culture. Technology use in the teaching and learning process promotes collaboration among the students. Students working in collaborative learning environments appear to function better when the learning activities involve technology use (Valdez, 2005). In addition, as Honey, Culp and Spielvogel (2005) pointed out, a following consequence of the collaboration among students that is fostered by technology use is the positive effect that it has on student achievement. In particular, collaboration is fostered when students are assigned to work in pairs or small groups using computers. Students tend to show an increased inclination to work collaboratively in order to provide peer tutoring while, they also show an increased frequency of helping each other (Singh and Means, n.d). Another positive effect that technology use has on students’ learning is the promotion of creativity. Technology use facilitates creativity since it provides environments whereby creative learning can flourish (Mullan, 1984). In addition, technology use offers students the opportunity to explore areas of interest and express their work creatively (Machnaik, 2002). An important change that technology use has to the students’ learning is the shift of the students’ role. Students become active participants who take responsibility for their own learning, become more self-directed and abandon the role of the passive learners who are just spectators of the learning situation in a traditional classroom. In addition, as Mullan (1984) noted, the fact of students becoming active participants when using technology in the learning environment indicates that interactivity is also promoted. In particular, when students are using technology, they are in an active role rather than the passive role of the recipient of information transmitted by the teacher. Students are actively making choices about how to obtain, manipulate, process and present information, and they execute skills and actions that are absent in teacher-led traditional lessons (Singh and Means, n.d). In addition, students acting like this and hence being active participants are also able to define their goals, make design decisions as well as evaluate their progress. And as Machnaik (2002) pointed out, students that learn in technology-based environments become empowered and are more active self-directed learners.
The effective use of technology changes significantly the way students learn. In particular, technology in a constructivist learning environment engages students in constructing knowledge and provides them with tools that enable them to build their own interpretations by constructing knowledge and handling information (Machnaik, 2002). And as Machnaik supported, technology opens the real world to students where they can explore and construct knowledge since they are provided with real life experiences through the use of technology. The effective use of technology affects students’ attitudes towards learning. As Protheroe (2006) supported based on the results of a study made by Sivin-Kachala et al, the effective use of technology fosters the development of more positive student attitudes toward learning and toward themselves while, based on the results of the study made by Stratham and Torell, Protheroe indicated that students who participated in that study, and had computer-based classrooms demonstrated better behavior and had lower absentee rates than students from classrooms lacking computers. Except for these, the effective use of technology changes the learning process and contributes to making students accomplish more complex tasks and develop critical thinking skills. In particular, students are able to handle more complex assignments and tasks and they do more with higher-order skills because of the supports and capabilities provided by technology (Singh and Means, n.d). Technology use has effects not only on students’ learning but also on the teaching process. Because the effectiveness of technology use on student learning depends not only on what outcomes are achieved but also on how teachers assess students’ learning in the classroom and adjust instruction accordingly by making use of the broad array of tools that technology offers in order to collect and analyze data and to guide instructional decisions (Honey et. al, 2005). Effective use of technology brings changes to the teachers’ role that is shifted from that of a lecturer to that of a facilitator or coach (Gahala, 2001). The teacher is no longer the center of attention as the dispenser and transmitter of information but rather plays the role of the facilitator who provides guidelines and resources, provides suggestions and support to the students (Singh and Means, n.d). In other words, technology use brings a shift in the teacher’s role from the more teacher directed approach to one of being a guide, a facilitator, a coach and lifelong co-learner (Machnaik, 2002). As a consequence of the shift of the teacher’s and the student’s role, a closer relationship develops between the students and the teacher (Machnaik, 2002). Teacher-student and student-student discussion is encouraged (Valdez, 2005).
Teacher-student interactions are increased (Protheroe, 2006). In addition, technology use contributes to making teachers more successful and assists achieve many of their expectations. For instance, as Valdez noted, teachers are expected to meet the needs of all their students and help them fulfill their potential, to prepare them for maximum performance on assessment tests; technology can assist teachers fulfill this kind of expectations. The issues discussed above regarding the effects of technology use on student learning and on the teaching process undoubtedly indicate positive changes and improvements on the teaching and learning process. But now the following question occurs: “What kind of technology should be available in all schools today to successfully prepare students for the future?” An answer to this question in next provided with a report and discussion on the kind of technology that should be available today in all schools in order to successfully prepare students for the future and in order to produce the positive changes to the teaching process and student learning, that were mentioned and discussed previously in the current essay. Many different kinds of technology can be used to support and enhance learning and teaching and hence, to successfully prepare students for the future such as, video content, laptop computing, handheld devices, database and spreadsheet programs, email, word processing etc. Each kind of technology should be used to serve different purposes in the classroom. For instance, the use of word processing and email promote communication skills; database and spreadsheet programs promote organizational skills while, modeling software promotes the understanding of math and science concepts (Honey et. al, 2005).In particular, databases provide a flexible framework into which students can place their data while, they also provide search and sort statistical techniques, which allow students to handle more data than would be possible using pen and paper methods and hence, they encourage students to explore situations in full instead of coming to simple conclusions (Underwood, 1990). Moreover, as Underwood supported, the word processor can be used as a tool for developing reading skills and, as flexible, information handling device with which students can learn to think about the structure and purpose of language. Based on the fact that each kind of technology plays a different role in students’ learning, Honey et. al (2005) made two distinctions according to the purpose for which a kind of technology is used, and those are: (a) students learning from computers, where technology is used as a tutor in order to increase students’ skills and knowledge; and (b) students learning with computers, where technology is used as a tool and serves as a resource to help develop higher order thinking, research skills and creativity.
Another classification of the various types of technology was done by Means, Blando, Olson, Middleton, Morocco, Remz and Zorfass (1993) who classified technology into the following four categories: tutor, exploratory environment, tool, and communication media. As Means et. al supported, tutoring programs such as tutorials, are used to directly teach students by providing information and practice opportunities; exploratory programs such as microworlds (e.g. LOGO), simulations and hypertext-based or hypermedia-based learning environments are used to encourage active student exploration and discovery learning; tool programs and data-analysis such as word processing, spreadsheet software refer to the general purpose technological tools; communication media such as email, computer-references, computer supported-collaborative learning (CSCL) systems and the Internet, which allow teachers and students to communicate and share information electronically, to learn and to collaborate across distance. In conclusion, it can be denoted that technology has the possibility to bring major changes on student learning as well as on the teaching process. What is needed is that those holding the reins of education to understand that indeed technology can change the existing educational system and improve the teaching and learning process and therefore, they need to make the necessary moves and actions for technology’s effective integration and use into schools. The tremendous growth of information technologies is transforming the world and the way education is conducted. Electronic data processing, graphic designs, information systems and computer-mediated communication are making the computer an increasingly necessary tool in nearly every aspect of work and life. The computer is reshaping our social and economic systems as well as the traditional methods to teaching and learning (Provenzo, Brett & McCloskey, 2005). Students must be given the opportunity to use technology into schools to facilitate their learning in various subjects as well as to acquire technology knowledge and skills that will be necessary to them in their work life and elsewhere.
References
Clements, D.H. (1985) Computers in Early and Primary Education. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, INC., Englewood Cliffs
Gahala, J. (2001) Promoting Technology Use in Schools, Retrieved May 6, 2009, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200.htm
Honey, M., Culp, K.M., & Spielvogel, R. (2005) Critical Issue: Using Technology to Improve Student Achievement, Retrieved May 6, 2009, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te800.htm#issue
Machnaik, J. (2002) Investigating the Effect(s) of Technology Integration on Teaching Practices that May Lead to the Development of a Community ofLearners, Retrieved May 7, 2009, from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/machnaik/index.htm
Means, B., Blando, J., Olson, K., Middleton, T., Morocco, C.C., Remz, A.R., & Zorfass, J. (1993). Using technology to support education reform, Retrieved May 10, 2009, from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/TechReforms/index.html
Molenda, M. (2003) Instructional Technology, Retrieved May 8, 2009, from http://www.indiana.edu/~molpage/Instruc_Technol_Encyclo.pdf
Mullan, A.P. (1984) Children and Computers in The classroom. London: Castle House.
Protheroe, N. (2006) Technology and Student Achievement, Retrieved May 7, 2009, from http://www.learning.com/resources/NAESP-Technology-and-Student-Achievement.pdf
Provenzo, E. F., Brett, A., & McCloskey, G. N (2005) Computers, curriculum, and cultural change. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Seternus, D. (2008) Technology in the Classroom: How is Used on a Regular Basis, Retrieved May 9, 2009, from http://www.docstoc.com/docs/3935667/There-are-multiple-types-of-technology-that-can-be-used-in-a-classroom
Singh, R. & Means, B. (n.d.) Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students, Retrieved May 7, 2009, from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html
Underwood, J.D.M. and Underwood, G. (1990) Computers and Learning. Helping Children acquire thinking skills. United Kingdom: Basil Blackwell.
Valdez, G. (2005) Critical Issue: Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom, Retrieved May 6, 2009, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te600.pdf
Whitehead, B. (2005) Educational Technology allows for flexibility in learning and teaching, Retrieved May 8, 2009, from http://www.web-conferencing-zone.com/4030-educational-technology.htm
Williams, A. (2005) Task 1: Definition of Instructional Technology, Retrieved May 9, 2009,from http://arthurw.net/uga_portfolio/dependent_images/UGA%20Docs/EDIT%206100/Task%201/Task%201%20with%20research%20&%20reflection.ppt#267,11,Reflection
No comments:
Post a Comment