ron) The Roles of Educational Technology in Learning “Technology makes the world a new place.” INTRODUCTION After understanding the comprehensive meaning of educational technology, let us now dwell on the roles of educational technology and whether it is a boon or a bane in the teaching-learning process. £22s acm 1. Go back to your learning experiences in school. Recall specific ways by which the use of educational technology helped you learn. 2. Get a partner then share your experiences. 3. Volunteer to share your experiences with the rest of theEducational Technology 1 content presented by the that the learner learns knowledge he constructivist Way, technology | personal interpretations of ich, technology In other words, the learner learns the technology in the same way presented by the teacher. In the | helps the learner build more meaningful fn, a life and his/her world. In the constructivist pee Car is a learning tool to learn with, not from. It makes ner gather, think, analyze, synthesize information and construct emg with what technology presents. Technology serves as @ me ium in representing what the learner knows and what he/she is learning. Discussion Question: Based on the experiences shared, which greater role did technology play in your learning experiences: technology-as-teacher or technology-as-partner in the learning process? AP \basresct0N From the traditional point of view, technology serves as source and presenter of knowledge. It is assumed that “knowledge is embedded in the technology (e.g. the content presented by films and tv programs or the teaching sequence in programmed instruction) and the technology presents that knowledge to the student (David H. Jonassen, et al, 1999),Lesson 2 ~ Technology: Boon or Bane? 31 not be mere delivery vehicle for content. Rather it is used as facilitator of thinking and knowledge construction. From a constructivist perspective, the following are roles of technology in learning: (Jonassen, et al 1999). ae @ Technology as tools to support knowledge construction: pee - for representing learners’ ideas, understandings and | point of view, beliefs ‘educational - for producing organized, multimedia knowledge bases by technology serves learners as leaning tools e Technology as information vehicles for exploring that leamers lean knowledge to support learning-by-constructing: with - for accessing needed information - for comparing perspectives, beliefs and world views e Technology as context to support learning-by-doing: - for representing and simulating meaningful real- world problems, situations and contexts - for representing beliefs, perspectives, arguments, and stories of others - for defining a safe, controllable problem space for student thinking © Technology as a social medium to support learning by with others and building consensus among32 Educational Technology d from the traditional or constructivist point of sh indicates that technology not erstanding and achievement Whether uses view, when used effectively, resear¢ only “increases students’ learning, und but also augments motivation to learn, : aA learning and supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills” (Schacter and Fagnano, 1999). Russell and Sorge (1999) also claims that the proper implementation of technology in the classroom gives students more “control of their own learning and... tends to move classrooms from teacher- dominated environments to ones that are more learner-centered, The use of technology in the classroom enables the teacher to do differentiated instruction considering the divergence of students’ readiness levels, interests, multiple intelligences, and learning styles. encourages collaborative Whether used Technology also helps students become lifelong learners. from the traditional or constructivist point comncstoot) GOS ppucno used effectively, research . indicates that 1. Based on the roles of educational technology from the technology not constructivist’s perspective given above, identify under which only “increases role and process is illustrated by each of the following: students’ learning, a. Water samples from ponds, streams and faucets were areas iit analyzed locally, then transmitted to researchers who also augments pooled the data and returned them to all sites, where ‘motivation to students drew conclusions and compared them can those IC F of other classes (Jonassen, 1999), understanding and a ress asked to give a graphic presentation of the sand effects of alcoholism. is from various e crisis and of‘Lesson 3 - The Roles of Educational Technology in Learning strip and present their own thinking also by way of a comic strip 2. Give at least 3 uses or functions of educational technology. Categorize them either as technology as teacher (source of knowledge) or technology as partner in learning (one that engages the student in thinking and in the construction of knowledge and meaning). Use the table given below. An example for each category is given for you, Technology as teacher Technology as partner in leaming 1. Video presentation on the tourist spots 1. Setting up an experiment shown through in the country video presentation and requiring the ‘student to predict the outcome of the ‘experimenting is thi Technology panne teach ould use the technologies to teach you agree with the constructivists? You will be asked to share your 3. The constructivists’ thinki students. Rather, learners sl themselves and others. Do Discuss with your group- answers with the class. wrong with the traditional use knowledge like the teacher as your small group then share 4, Is there anything pedagogically of technology as a presenter of. ‘a source of knowledge? Discuss in your answer with the class. 5. Why use technology in teaching? Answer this question based ‘on what you learned from this Lesson. Present it in your own creative way, other than merely enumerating them. : * ie ational technology plays various roles. From the traditional ee eer it serves as presenter of knowledge just like oe also serves as a productivity tool. With Internet, erspective, educational technology is a meaningfil § a leaming partner.Lesson 3 - The Roles of Educational Technology in Leaming B Personal Postscript No Other Choice But To Learn How to Use Recent Technology in the Classroom The younger generation of teachers is admittedly better than the older generation of teachers when it comes to the use of the most recent technology, like the computer. The younger crop of teachers, unlike the older generation, was blessed with basic computer courses in their college curriculum. But if the older group of teachers would like to remain responsive and relevant by keeping their teaching fresh, interesting and challenging, there is no choice but to lear how to use them, An “jdiot’s guide” to Computer may encourage you to learn how to use the computer in your teaching. It is part of your continuing professional development to become a “digital native” and not remain a “digital immigrant.” It is good to become @ “ netizen” or a “screenager” able to participate not only in seminars but also in “webinars”.