THE ROLES OF EDUCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY IN LEARNING
From the traditional point of
view, technology serves as source and presenter of knowledge. It is assumed the
“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)
Technology like computers is seen
as a productivity tool. The popularity of word processing, databases,
spreadsheets, graphic programs and desktop publishing in the 1980s point to
this productive role of educational technology.
With the eruption of the INTERNET
in the mid 90s, communication and multimedia have dominated the role of
technology in the classroom for the past few years.
From the constructivist point of
view, educational technology serves as learning tools that learners learn with.
It engages learners in “active, constructive, intentional, authentic, and
cooperative learning. It provides opportunities for technology and learner
interaction for meaningful learning. In this case, technology will 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)
·
Technology as tools to support knowledge
construction:
o
for representing learners’ ideas, understandings
and beliefs.
o
for producing organized, multimedia knowledge
bases by learners.
·
Technology as information vehicles for
exploring knowledge to support learning-by-constructing:
o
for accessing needed information
o
for comparing perspectives, beliefs and world
views.
·
Technology as context to support
learning-by-doing:
o
for representing and simulating meaningful
real-world problems, situations and context
o
for representing beliefs, perspectives,
arguments, and stories of others
o
for defining a safe, controllable problem space
for student thinking
·
Technology as a social medium to support
learning by conversing:
o
for collaborating with others
o
for discussing, arguing, and building consensus
among members of a community
o
for supporting discourse among
knowledge-building communities
·
Technology as intellectual partner
(Jonassen, 1996) to supports learning-by-reflecting:
o
for helping learners to articulate and represent
what they know
o
for reflecting on what they have learned and how
they came to know it
o
for supporting learners internal negotiations
and meaning making
o
for constructing personal representations of
meaning
o
for supporting mindful thinking
Whether used from the traditional
or constructivist point of view, when used effectively, research indicates that
technology not only “increases students” learning, understanding and
achievement but also augments motivation to learn, encourages collaborative
learning and supports development of critical thinking and problem-solving
skills” (Schacter and Fagnano, 1999). Russel and Sorgse (1999) also claims that
his proper implementation of technology in the classroom gives more student
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 divergences of students’ readiness levels,
interests, multiple intelligences, and learning styles. Technology also helps
students become lifelong partners.
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