Technology for Teaching & Learning 1-Module4 Page 1

Lesson 4- Roles of Technology for Teaching and Learning

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson the student should be able to:
1. Identified roles of technology in teaching and learning
2. Appreciated the value of technology in supporting student learning

According to Stosic (2015), educational technology has three domains:

1. Technology as a tutor. Together with the teacher, technology can support the
teacher to teach another person or technology when programmed by the teacher
can be a tutor on its own. The teacher will simply switch on or switch off radio
programs, television programs or play DVDs, or CDs that contain educational
programs. There are on-line tutorial educational programs, too.

2. Technology as a teaching tool. Like a tutor, technology is a teaching tool, but can
never replace a teacher. This is like the handyman, which is just there to be
reached. Like any other tool, it is being used to facilitate and lighten the work of
the teacher. It will be good if the teacher can also create or develop technology
tools that are needed in the classroom.

3. Technology as learning tool. While the teacher utilizes technology as the tool for
teaching, likewise it is an effective tool for learning. As a learning tool, it makes learning
easy and effective.it can produce learning outcomes that call for technology-assisted
teaching. Even the teachers who are teaching can utilize similar tools for learning. A
learning tool, it is very interesting that even the elderly use these tools for learning for
life.

A. For Teachers and Teaching

There are numerous roles that technology in the job of teachers. As a tool, technology has
opened wider avenues in management of resources and management of learning. Likewise, it has
modernized the teaching-learning environment in schools. Here are some examples of the myriad
of roles that technology can do for teachers and teaching.
1. Technology provides enormous support to the teacher as the facilitator of
learning. It transforms a passive classroom to an active and interactive one, with
audio-visual aids, charts and models, smart classrooms, e-learning classrooms
which motivate and increase attention level of learners. Many of these can be
searched on the web.

2. Technology has modernized the teaching-learning environment. The teachers are

assisted and supplemented with appropriately structured instructional materials for daily
activities. There are varied available technology-driven resources which can be utilized
for remedial lesson or activities. Likewise there are also a lot of technology-driven
resources that can be used for enrichment purposes. You may search for the examples on
the web.

3. Technology improves teaching-learning process and ways of teaching. This will

make the act of teaching more efficient and effective. There are arrays of teaching
methods and strategies that can use technology which are found compatible with
learning styles. The multiple intelligence theory of Howard Gardner tells us that
there is a genius in every child. This implies that there must be varied ways of
teaching as there are many varied ways of learning. All the learning styles can be
found support from technology, so that teaching will be more effective and
efficient.

4. Technology opens new fields in educational researches. The areas of teaching

testing and evaluation are enhanced by technologies for teaching and learning.
Current educational researchers will no longer find difficulty in interpreting tests,
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assessment and other evaluation results. There are available programs that can
analyze and interpret results with speed and accuracy. Reference retrieved is also
hastened because many of the research materials are in digital form. Technology
has also provided access to big data that can be processed for problem solving and
inquiry.

5. Technology adds to the competence of teachers and inculcates scientific outlook.

Through the utilization of theories of learning and intelligence, which are
explained in references uploaded in the net, the teachers are encouraged to imbibe
skills to source with speed and accuracy.

6. Technology supports teacher professional development. With the demand of

continuing professional development for teachers, the availability of technology
provides alternative way of attending professional development online. For those
who are involved as providers of continuing professional development like
trainers, facilitators or organizers, they can be level up or enhance their delivery
systems with the support of technology tools.

B. For Learners and Learning

1. Support Learners to learn how to learn on their own. All teachers fully understand
that subject matter or content is a means to achieve the learning outcomes. There are
three categories of knowledge according to Egbert (2009): declarative knowledge,
structural knowledge, and procedural knowledge.
a. Declarative Knowledge. Consists of the discrete pieces of information that
answers the questions what, who, when, where. It is often learned through
memorization of facts, drills and practice. It can be learned by simple mnenomics
or conceptual maps. Declarative knowledge is the fundamental knowledge
necessary for students to achieve more complex higher order thinking such as
critical thinking and creativity, inquiry and production.
b. Structural Knowledge. Consists of facts or pieces of declarative
knowledge put together to attain some form of meaning. An example of
declarative knowledge is pencil. The idea that evolved from a pencil is an
understanding that: ”it is something used to write”. This is referred to as structural
knowledge. It can be presented by concept maps, categorization or classification.
c. Procedural knowledge. Is knowledge in action or the knowledge of how to
do something. It is based on facts but learned through the process of procedural
knowledge. Examples include how to drive a car, how to use a cellphone, or how
to speak English. Procedural knowledge is indicated by a performance task or
graphical representation of a concept.

The traditional sources of knowledge are printed books, modules and journals. Other sources are
primary such as information taken from research. However, knowledge or content can be learned
in many ways.

But how can technology support the learning of declarative, structural or procedural knowledge?
To teach content, time is always an issue of teachers. Oftentimes, we hear teachers say: Too
many things to teach, too little time to do”, Technology may be the answer, however the
challenge is for teachers to use technology to learn the technology first. As a facilitator of
learning, the teacher can guide the students to look for the resources and to utilized them
appropriately. There are varied programs that can be used by students off-line or on-line for
students. What should be necessary is that the students are engaged, the tasks should focus on
questions like how, why and which in addition to who, what, when and where.

2. Technology enhance learners communication skills through social instructions.

This is commonly described as the transmittal of information from one person to
another as single individual or groups of individuals. According to Shirly (2003)
in Egbert (2009), there are three basic communication patterns:
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a. Point to point two way or one-to-one like internet chat, phone

conversation or even face to face conversation.
b. One to many outbound like a lecture or television. There is no social
interaction.
c. Many-to-many like group discussion, buzz session, heads together. This
kind of interaction provides opportunities for social interaction.

Social interaction occurs in Two ways where the participants ask clarification argue, challenge
each other and work towards common understanding. Social interaction through communication
occurs through technology (directly between two persons via email, a cell phone or other
communication technology). It can also occur around technology like students discussing about a
problem posed by a software program or with support of technology like teachers and students
interacting about the worksheet printed from a website. In all the three modalities,
communication occurs and technology is involved.

For this particular role, what are the benefits derived from technology supported
communication?
a. Enables any teacher to guide learners virtually and making learning unlimited
because communication and social interaction go beyond a school day or a school
environment.
b. Enhances student’s freedom to express and exchange ideas freely without the
snooping eyes of the teacher face to face.
c. Enables learners to construct meaning from joint experiences between the two or
more participants in communication.
d. Help learners solve problems from multiple sources since there is limitless
sources of information that the teacher can direct or refer to the learners.
e. Teaches learners to communicates with politeness, taking turns in sending
information and giving appropriate feedback.
f. Enhances collaboration by using communication strategies with wider community
and individual in a borderless learning environment.
g. Develops critical thinking, problem solving and creativity throughout the
communication.

3. Technology upgrades learners’ higher-order-thinking skills: critical thinking, problem

solving and creativity.

Twenty-first century learning requires the development of higher-order-thinking skills.

Technology has a great role to play in the development and enhancement of these skills.

Critical Thinking is a part of the cluster of higher order thinking skills. It refers to the ability to
interpret, explain, analyze, evaluate, infer and self-regulate in order to make good decisions.
With the use of technology, one will be able to evaluate the credibility of the source, ask
appropriate questions, become open-minded, defend a position on an issue and draw conclusion
with caution. All of these competencies are covered by Bloom’s Taxonomy of Analysis,
Synthesis and Evaluation.

Teachers play a significant role in supporting learners with technology. How?

As a role model, teachers should display and practice critical thinking process, so that learners
can imitate them. Here are some ways that teachers can be develop critical thinking.
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a. Ask the right questions:

Most often teachers ask questions to find if the students can simply repeat the information from
the lesson. Although these are necessary questions like what, who, when and where, these do not
develop critical thinking. Critical thinking questions should ask for clarity, accuracy, precision,
relevance, depth, breadth and logic.

Clarity: Here are some examples: Can you give examples of….
Accuracy: What pieces of evidence support your claim?
Precision: Exactly how much….
Breadth: What do you think will the other group say about the issue.

b. Use critical thinking tasks with appropriate level of challenge.

Teachers should be mindful of the readiness of the students. Students who have higher
ability may find the task easy, thus getting bored early, while those who have low ability
may find the task too difficult. This there can be determined by interview, observations
and other forms to determine the level of readiness.

What are some simple ways that teachers should do?

1. Vary the questions asked.
2. Introduce new technologies.
3. Modify the learner’s grouping.
4. Modify the critical thinking task.
5. Encourage curiosity.
By nature learners are curious. They ask lots of questions all the time. Why is the sky blue? Why
do I have to learn geometry? How do people choose what will they become in the future> Can
robots solve the problems of climate change? Why?

These questions will lead to critical thinking but some of these questions cannot be answered by
the teacher. The unanswered questions are avoided or answered unsatisfactorily. Sometimes
teachers shut down the question that curtails the first step in critical thinking. The internet as a
problem solving and research tool can help find answers to the questions.

Creativity is characterized as involving the ability to think flexibly, fluently, originally and
elaborately (Guilford, 1986 and Torrence, 1974 in Egbert, 2009). Flexibly means able to use
many points of view while able to generate new ideas and elaborately means able to add details.
Creativity is not merely a set of technical skills, but it also involves feelings, beliefs, knowledge
and motivation.

Seven Creative Strategies (Osborn, 1963). These have been simplified into fewer categories. To
be creative, one can use any of the strategies.
1. Substitute-Find something else to replace to do what it does.
2. Combine- Blend two things that do not usually go together.
3. Adapt- look for other ways this can be used.
4. Modify/Magnify/Minify-make a change, enlarge, decrease.
5. Put to another use- Find other sources.
6. Eliminate- Reduce, remove.
7. Reverse- Turn-upside-down, inside out, front-side back.

All together the strategies will be labelled as SCAMPER

What should teacher do to support student creativity? Here are some suggestions:
1. Provide an enriched environment.
2. Teach creative thinking strategies.
3. Allow learners to show what they can do.
4. Use creativity with technology.
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Further, teachers can do following to develop and enhance critical thinking, problem solving and
creativity. As a future teacher, try these suggestions:

1. Encourage students to find and use information from variety of sources both on-
line and off-line.
2. Assist students to compare information from different sources.
3. Allow student to reflect through different delivery modes like writing, speaking or
drawing.
4. Use real experiences and material to draw tentative decisions.
5. Involve students in creating and questioning assessment.

To do these, the teacher should see to it that right questions are asked, students tasks should be
appropriate to the levels of challenge and curiosity is encouraged.

There are several critical thinking tools and technology software that can support critical
thinking skills. Some of these you will encounter in the succeeding modules>

1. Encourage digital production projects.

2. Popularizes e-learning modalities.
3. Enhances global awareness and citizenship.

References:

1. Dequilla, Ma. Asuncion Christine V., Ph. D. et al. 2019, Technology for Teaching and
Learning 1 Prof. Ed. OBE- PPST and ICT Competency Based, Lorimar Publishing Inc.
2. National Educational Technology Standards for Students, Second Edition, © 2007,
ISTE® (International Society for Technology in Education), www.iste.org

Prepared by:

NOEL R. ROYO
Faculty, Tech. Educ. Dept.