Relationship Between Technology and Pedagogy
Using technology for teaching and learning
Produce note for a file which:
a) Examine the relationship between technology and pedagogy
The relationship between technology and pedagogy is clearly explained in a structured manner. the information is sufficiently detailed and understandable.
b) Assess the learning needs of students to a stimulus-response methodology using technology
• Learning Needs Of Students
More than 4 ( 5 is enough) examples of learning needs of different students or groups are provided from actual practice
• Stimulus-Response Methodology Using Technology
The assessment clearly identifies more than 4 (5 is enough) benefits and drawbacks of using stimulus-response methodology using technology
c) Discuss the concept of lifelong learning using technology
• The Concept Of Life-Long Learning Using Technology
The concept of life-long learning using technology is clearly discussed in a structured manner. the information is sufficiently detailed and understandable.
• Judgement
All judgments are based on reasoning and supported with multiple pieces of evidence
d) Assess the changes to the role of the classroom teacher in the 21st century due to technology
• Benefits And Drawbacks Of Changes To The Role Of The Classroom Teacher In The 21st Century Due To Technology
The assessment clearly identifies more than 4( 5 is enough) benefits and drawbacks of the change of the role of the classroom teacher in the 21st century with more than 4 examples(5 is enough)
• Changes To The Role Of The Classroom Teacher In The 21st Century Due To Technology
The assessment clearly describes the degree of change of the role of the teacher in the 21st century with more than 4examples (5 examples enough)
• Judgement
All judgments are based on reasoning and supported with multiple pieces of evidence
e) Evaluate edu-tec tools and their usage in teaching and learning in the classroom
• Edu-Tech Tools And Their Usage In Teaching And Learning In The Classroom
The evaluation is clearly detailed identifying more than 3 benefits and drawbacks of the use of each edu-tech tool
• Judgement
All judgments are based on reasoning and supported with multiple pieces of evidence
• Number Of Edu-Tech Tools Evaluated
More than 4 (5 is enough) Edu-tech tools are clearly evaluated in detail with more than 4 ( 5 is enough) supportive pieces of evidence
Using Technology for Teaching and Learning
The Relationship between Technology and Pedagogy
The main reasons for inadequate use of technology in supporting instruction in schools are a shortage of computers, computer intimidation, and a lack of computer skills. Whereas these factors affect the integration of technology in schools, it should be known that the level of success educators have in employing technology for education could rely on their ability to explore the relationship between technology and pedagogy. Technology incorporation into education should be considered together with the issues involved in the teaching and learning of the students. Such issues include selecting methods of teaching, developing learning objectives, evaluation and assessment activities, and feedback (Maier, Barnett, Warren, & Brunner, 2018). Therefore, the technology employed for teaching as well as learning should be regarded as an integral part of teaching. The main problem that is related to the integration of technology in schools is that several teachers have not explored the pedagogical principles or beliefs that will direct their use of technology in classrooms. Understanding the relationship between pedagogy and technology plays a crucial role in enhancing teachers’ critical thinking as they try to incorporate technology into the learning and teaching process. For technology to operate effectively, it must only be integrated into education if it is suitable for a chosen instructional task. Furthermore, technology can be effective in the learning and teaching process only if educators take part in the decisions of adopting technology. And this is because educators play a crucial role in facilitating instruction and adopting technology in schools.
The Learning Needs of Students to a Stimulus-Response Methodology using technology
With the incorporation of technology in education, classrooms are being redesigned in various ways to meet the learning needs of the students. And these learning needs of the students are that, first, the students will be able to connect the classroom curriculum to the real world. This is important because students will be able to draw parallels between coursework and their own lives. Second, the students will be able to access course materials easily and submit assignments quickly and receive feedback promptly using technology. The student will use technology to find and research information faster and accurately (Price & Kirkwood, 2017). Third, the students will be able to use the technology to hold virtual meetings and share as well as edit projects or assignments with each other. Fourth, the learners will be able to synthesize the course materials easily and provide appropriate responses using the technology. The fifth is that they will be able to develop communication skills and problem-solving skills.
Stimulus-Response Methodology Using Technology
Stimulus-response strategy can be adopted using available technologies such as mobile phone apps or clickers, graphing software to enhance the teaching and learning of the students. The students’ performance in school largely depends on the quality as well as the medium or means by which educators offer the learning content. With technology, teachers develop their own education instruction for promoting interactive learning of the students. Stimulus-response learning uses various technological stimuli to produce the required response, and more specifically, PowerPoint and lecture presentations define the part of the readings that educators view to be important. The learning is supplemented by assignments such as group projects, study guides, problem sets, and case studies, which give the permissible range of responses to problems. By the time the learners do their course assessments or tests, they are conditioned or programmed to reproduce the responses and strategies (Maier, P., Barnett, Warren & Brunner, 2018). The benefit of using Stimulus prompt methodology using technology is that, first, it is easier to fade as compared to verbal responses, and this is because they can easily be changed. Second, stimulus prompt methodology is easy to implement or adapt if the students understand how to utilize them. Third, prompt stimulus methodology using technology can expose students to different materials and positions hence contributing to their development. Fourth, it enables students to collaborate through holding virtual meetings and sharing as well as editing projects or assignments with each other. Fifth is that it helps the students to draw parallels between coursework and their own lives easier. On the other hand, the limitations of the stimulus prompt using technology are that they consume time when preparing, and it can easily be part of the activity itself.
The Concept of Lifelong Learning using technology
In today’s world, there are constant changes in education due to the adoption of technology, and formal education seems to be inadequate as well as unsuitable for the modern needs in the society (Voitovska and Tolochko, 2019). To eliminate these shortcomings, society is introducing lifelong training through informal, formal, and non-formal education. Lifelong learning refers to a type of self-initiated learning that focuses on personal development. It is about attaining and updating all types of interests, knowledge, qualifications, and abilities from the start of schooling years to postretirement. It is learning that happens outside the formal educational institutions such as corporate training, university, or school. Lifelong learning recognizes that people possess a natural drive of exploring and learning, and it encourages people to improve their quality of life. With electronic tools, individuals can learn almost anytime, as well as at any place. Technology has turned out to be an important facet of teaching as well as a learning process and, more specifically, because of its potential to improve the teaching process and learning. Education technology has of late become a vital facet for enhancing lifelong learning. Today, the knowledge acquired in formal training is inadequate for modern markets. Therefore digital technology plays an important role in lifelong learning because it provides basics for easy access, irrespective of time, context, and place.
Changes to the Role of the Classroom Teacher in the 21st Century due to technology
The education needs of the 21stCentury are different as compared to those of the 20thCentury. The teachers of the 21stCentury are facilitators of learning and establish a productive learning environment in which learners can develop their skills. The incorporation of technology has radically changed the 21st-century education system. Using technology in education allows teachers to experiment in pedagogy and receives instant feedback. It ensures that there is active learning, which increases student engagement by asking questions or online polling. The 21st-century education system relies on interpersonal skills, thinking skills, technological skills, life skills, as well as information media. Teachers adapt their responsibilities and roles with the changing education systems.
The Degree of Change of the Role of the Teacher in the 21st Century
The 21st-century teachers use various performance-based assessments or evaluations to assess the learning of the students. The tests or assignments that measured the ability of the students to memorize and remember facts are not the only means of evaluating the learning of the students. Instead, educators are using presentations, student projects, and other performance assessments that determine the achievement of the students. Teachers of the 21st century now team-teach, collaborate, and co-teach with other members of the department. They understand that they should engage their learners in learning and offer effective instruction utilizing various instructional methods and technology. They are digital teachers, who are not educators for students’ learning only but teach or train students to increase their employability skills, creativity, and critical thinking skills (Uerz, Volman, & Kral, 2018).
The changing roles of the 21st-century teachers require changes in knowledge and classroom behaviors. The teacher should understand or know how to first, act as the classroom facilitator; they utilize opportunities and appropriate resources to develop a learning environment that permits every learner to develop his own knowledge (Voitovska & Tolochko, 2019). Second, promote cooperation among the learners in the classrooms. The instructors’ or teachers’ models as well as foster democratic processes and values that are important in the real world. Third, promote cultural sensitivity and awareness in the students. Educators encourage the learners to learn other cultures and to respect others and their diversity. Fourth, make learners feel valued; the educators emphasize cooperative effort and not individual effort through using teamwork and collaborative projects. Fifth, communicate effectively with the parents, students, and colleagues; teachers use oral, technological, and written communication to develop a positive learning encounter or experience. On the other hand, the change in the roles of teachers has resulted in drawbacks such as, first, increased workload; teachers spend most of their time attending to the needs of the students. Second, lack of support from the school administration; teachers or instructors need to be supported and valued in their work for them to be passionate and positive in the teaching role. Third, schools emphasize standard testing and results; teachers are experiencing ever-increasing pressure of ensuring that their learners attain high scores. Fourth, poor salaries, teachers receive salaries that are not in line with the new roles despite having a large workload. Fifth, professional development time and staff meetings; teachers spend most of the time in meetings that are not their passion.
Edu-tec Tools and their Usage in Teaching and Learning
Edu-tech refers to any digital learning, mobile learning platform, application, or software available for a modern teaching environment. The adoption of edu-tech has changed today’s classrooms, and this is because the rise in the number of students accessing technology provides teachers with several learning opportunities for learners that can change how learning happens. Previous research has indicated that the use of edu-tech tools can improve the learning of skills and procedures in classrooms. Also, edu-tech tools provide students with access to coursework concepts that they may not have had the chance to engage with (Cullen, Hertel & Nickels, 2020). Most importantly, edu-tech tools enable learners to collaborate with others by bringing out higher-level thinking skills through debates, collaborations, and discussions (O’Neal, Gibson, & Cotten, 2017).
Several different edu-tech tools can be used in the classroom, and they include online collaboration tools, presentation software, course management tools, smartphones and clickers, and lecture capture tools.
Online collaboration tools– online collaboration tools like Google Apps enable teachers and learners to share classroom documents and edit them easily online. It gives the learners a collaborative platform that allows learners to brainstorm their ideas. It is also cost-effective as compared to other traditional methods. The disadvantages of using edu-tech are that first, personal contact of the students and teachers is reduced, and this can confuse what is anticipated of the team members. Second, it is tempting that students may collaborate with other people without appropriately evaluating their reasons for their engagement with them. And this can result in diffusion of the focus, hence slowing down the collaborative process. Third, it generates a lot of emails, and this can be counterproductive (Voitovskan & Tolochko, 2019).
Presentation software such as PowerPoint helps teachers to embed diagrams, sound files, videos, and high-resolution photographs to augment verbal lecture content. The advantages of the presentation software are that it is easy to use, can create a smooth presentation, and it is easy to modify as compared to other traditional tools such as posters and charts. The disadvantages are that it cannot represent certain complex topics. Further, there is some basic equipment, such as a projector and computer required. Also, many students forget that presentation software is just a tool hence hindering the learning.
Course management tools– they are tools such as Canvas that enable teachers to organize or manage all the resources that learners need for the classroom. They offer important grading tools and develop spaces for audio and video commentary, discussions, and document sharing.
The benefit of course management tools is that they enable access to the course material at any time. Second, they offer several ways of communicating between the students and teachers. Third, they accommodate different styles of learning, including auditory and visual learners. The drawbacks of using this tool are that the online courses may make the learners feel isolated and personal contact of the students and teachers is reduced, and this can confuse what is anticipated of the team members.
Smartphones and clickers- are tools that allow teachers to survey the learners during the class quickly. They are great tools for prompt online polling, which is useful in quickly assessing the understanding of the students. The benefit of clickers and smartphones is that they instantly broaden the participation of the students in the classroom. The second benefit is that they provide instant feedback to both the teachers and students. The disadvantage of using these tools is that teachers must learn and understand how to incorporate them into the class. In addition, the teachers cover less material as compared to lecturing alone.
Lectures –capture tools- are tools that enable teachers to record classroom lectures directly from computers without additional equipment. And this enables the learners to review the classroom lectures at their own speed. The benefit of using lecture capture tools is that viewing the recorded materials offers opportunities for interaction. Furthermore, it is important to distance learning learners and part-time learners. The disadvantage of using this tool is that some teachers fear being recorded.
References
Maier, P., Barnett, L., Warren, A., & Brunner, D. (2018). Using technology in teaching & learning. Psychology Press.
McKnight, K., O’Malley, K., Ruzic, R., Horsley, M. K., Franey, J. J., & Bassett, K. (2016). Teaching in a digital age: How educators use technology to improve student learning. Journal of research on technology in education, 48(3), 194-211.
O’Neal, L. J., Gibson, P., & Cotten, S. R. (2017). Elementary school teachers’ beliefs about the role of technology in 21st-century teaching and learning. Computers in the Schools, 34(3), 192-206.
Price, L., & Kirkwood, A. (2017). Using technology for teaching and learning in higher education: A critical review of the role of evidence in informing practice. Higher Education Research & Development, 33(3), 549-564.
Uerz, D., Volman, M., & Kral, M. (2018). Teacher educators’ competences in fostering student teachers’ proficiency in teaching and learning with technology: An overview of relevant research literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 70, 12-23.
Voitovska, O., & Tolochko, S. (2019). Lifelong Learning as the Future Human Need. Philosophy & cosmology, (22), 144-151.