Role Of Technology In Education Research Articles

Enhancing future teachers’ competencies for technology integration in education: Turning theory into practice


 The main aim of this conceptual paper is to provide an overview of effective strategies to support pre-service teachers to adequately integrate ICT in teaching and learning activities. Specifically, the focus is on the strategies included in the SQD (Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence) model: 1) using teacher educators as role models, 2) reflecting on the role of technology in education, 3) learning how to use technology by design, 4) collaboration with peers, 5) scaffolding authentic technology experiences, and 6) providing continuous feedback. To turn this model into practice, the approach of teacher design teams is adopted. A teacher design team can be described as a group of two or more (pre-service) teachers who design (ICT-rich) curriculum materials. Based on the SQD model – theory - and the implementation of the key themes emerging from this model via teacher design teams – practice -, this conceptual paper provides recommendations to improve the potential of pre-service training to enhance future teachers use of ICT in their educational practice.

IMPROVING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ SELF-EFFICACY ON TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION THROUGH SERVICE LEARNING

The paper reports an action research study that investigated pre-service teachers’ beliefs about service-learning in a Makerspace lab at an elementary school. As part of the service-learning project requirement in an Educational Technology course, the pre-service teachers were asked to work in an elementary school to provide service to the technology teacher and the school students utilizing what they had learned in the university course. The findings of the research indicated that the service-learning experience at the elementary school’s Makerspace lab had positive impact on pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy on technology competency, their beliefs in technology integration in future classroom instructions, and their understanding of the role of technology in education.

THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PROCESS OF PROFESSIONALLY-ORIENTED FOREIGN LANGUAGES TEACHING

MAKSIMUK Lar y sa – Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, A ssociate P rofessor of the Foreign Languages Department, Brest State University named after A.S. Pushkin , bvd. Kosmonavtov, 21, Brest, 224016, Belarus ( flk@brsu.brest.by ) ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8163-0842 ResearcherID: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/K-9760-2018 LEVONYUK Lilia – senior lecturer of the Foreign Languages Department, Brest State University named after A.S. Pushkin , bvd. Kosmonavtov, 21, Brest, 224016, Belarus ( flk@ brsu.brest.by ) ORCID: https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-1560-2747 ResearcherID: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/K-4500-2018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24919/2313-2094.7/39.140936 To cite this article: Maksimuk, L., & Levonyuk, L. (2018). The role of educational technologies in the process of professionally-oriented foreign languages teaching. Liudynoznavchi studii. Seriia «Pedahohika» – Human Studies. Series of «Pedagogy», 7/39, 185‒199. doi: 10.24919/2313-2094.7/39.140936 [in English]. Article history Received: 25 March 2018 Received in revised form: 15 May 2018 Accepted: 10 July 2018 Available online: 12 September 2018 Abstract. The article is dedicated to the issues of organization of productive educational activities in foreign language teaching at non-linguistic specialties of the university with the purpose of more successful development of students’ professional foreign language communication skills and ultimate improvement of the quality of foreign language training of future specialists. It is pointed out that the improvement of the pedagogical process and its components is directly connected with the innovative activity of the teacher. One of the most important components of pedagogical process is educational technology as a system of forms, methods and means of instruction that ensure the most effective achievement of the goals set. As the article shows the use of effective educational technologies, the integration of educational process and scientific activities and the involvement of students in it, the individualization of education and upbringing, the continuous self-development and self-realization of students in educational process are the basis for ensuring a perfect quality of higher education. The article focuses on the use of different innovative educational technologies and methods in the process of foreign languages teaching, namely: communicative method, role-play game and project technologies as well as computer multimedia programs. The main object of communicative method is speech itself, that is, this technique first of all teaches students to communicate in everyday situations as well as in the situations connected with their future professional activity. A role-play game contributes not only to the formation of a professional communicative competence in a foreign language of future specialists, but also fulfills the educational function of uniting a student group. Project technologies, as the practical application proves, play an important role in the organization of independent student learning activities, since joint work on the project leads to the transfer of knowledge, stimulates independent productive activity, identifies and develops the creative abilities of each student. And, finally, the use of computer multimedia programs, gives the possibility to create a natural language environment during foreign language classes and, thereby, carry out successfully productive training of foreign language speech activity. Thus, the practical application of the results of the conducted research allows making a conclusion that purposeful and systematic use of innovative pedagogical technologies in the educational process helps to form the basic structural components of students’ speech activity in a foreign language. Acknowledgments. Sincere thanks to pedagogical staff at the Foreign Languages Department of Brest State University named after A.S. Pushkin. Funding. The author received no financial support for the research and publication of this article.

Peran Teknologi dalam Pendidikan di Era Globalisasi

The aim of the government in organizing education is to educate the life of the nation. Intelligence is needed by everyone to face the times that have entered the era of globalization.Education in the global era can be interpreted as the integration of national education into world education. In the era of globalization, the progress of the nation is largely determined by the use of science and technology. Technology that is developing now has entered the digital era, where all fields have utilized technology to facilitate work, including in the field of education. Educational technology is a system that is used to support learning so that desired results are achieved. The role of technology in education is implemented in the use of learning media,administrative tools, and lerning resources. The positive impact of technology implementation in education is more efficient in terms of time, cost, logistics and other institutional problems, while the negative impact is that technology can change social life.

ICollaborate or Not: Does Technology Impede Collaborative Learning among Primary Grade Students?

The practice of education promotes both social interaction and the utilization of technology. Although significant research has explored the role of technology in education, less attention has considered the effect of technology on group learning processes. This experimental study examined the way in which technology affected group interactions among primary grades youth who were engaged in a learning task. The social processes in the learning groups that used technology showed little difference from the groups not using technology, except for a measure that tracked role fulfillment. The report compares the groups and discusses ICT mediated collaborative learning. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.17.5.5

Contemplation and the Suffering Earth: Thomas Merton, Pope Francis, and the Next Generation

Abstract During his address to the US Congress in 2015, Pope Francis lifted up the Trappist monk and famed spiritual writer Thomas Merton as one of four “great” Americans who “offer us a way of seeing and interpreting reality” that is life-giving and brings hope. Drawing from Merton and gesturing to Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, the author explores the epistemological roots of the environmental crisis, arguing that while intellectual conversion to the crisis is crucial, Merton’s witness suggests a deeper kind of transformation is required. Reading Merton schools the imagination in the way of wisdom, or sapientia, a contemplative disposition that senses its kinship with Earth through the eyes of the heart, illuminating what Pope Francis has called “an integral ecology.” The author considers the impact of two major influences on Merton’s thought: the Russian Wisdom school of theology, or sophiology, and French theologian Jacques Ellul, whose 1964 book “The Technological Society” raises prescient questions about the role of technology in education and spiritual formation. Arguing that our present crisis is both technological and spiritual, epistemological and metaphysical, the author foregrounds Merton’s contributions to a sapiential theology and theopoetics while asking how the sciences and humanities might work together more intentionally toward the transformation of the personal and collective human heart.

Can MOOCs reduce global inequality in education?

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been hailed as means for unprecedented access to education, crossing divisions of race, class, age, gender, and geography. Yet empirical studies have demonstrated that students of MOOCs are primarily those already advantaged in terms of education and socioeconomic status. Drawing on recent academic literature and a theoretical understanding of the role of technology in education, this article examines whether MOOCs can indeed reduce global inequality in education. The paper concludes that while MOOCs can provide a novel form of learning through technology and remove a significant cost barrier to education, they will do little to reduce global educational gaps until they are able to reach and retain those most lacking education.

A multilevel analysis of what matters in the training of pre-service teacher's ICT competencies

Few empirical studies investigate the impact of pre-service teachers' background and ICT profile in combination with the support they receive from their teacher training institution on their ICT competencies. Moreover, research focusing on preparing future teachers for ICT integration is generally limited to the impact of one single strategy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test a model to explain pre-service teachers' perceived ICT competencies that integrates pre-service teachers' background characteristics (age and gender), their ICT profile (e.g., attitudes towards ICT) and the multiple strategies pre-service teachers experience in their teacher training institution: 1) using teacher educators as role models, 2) reflecting on the role of technology in education, 3) learning how to use technology by design, 4) collaboration with peers, 5) scaffolding authentic technology experiences, and 6) continuous feedback. Based on a survey among 931 final-year pre-service teachers in Flanders (Belgium), the multilevel analyses indicated a positive association between the strategies and pre-service teachers' ICT competencies. The more pre-service teachers perceive the occurrences of the strategies during their teacher education, the higher their perceived competence to use ICT for learning processes and to strengthen their instructional practice. Gender and age did not affect pre-service teachers' ICT competence for educational practice. Furthermore, the results revealed a positive impact of pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards ICT (in education) and ease of use, on their ICT competence for educational practice. These results can provide guidance for the preparation of pre-service teachers for the 21st century learning environments with new technologies.

Learn to embrace the enabling power of tech

The role of technology in education is continually changing. As technology enables us to record whole lecture courses with ease, shift from pen and paper to electronic note taking and engage learners in new and innovative ways, how do we embrace technology without fearing it? Lecture capture is just one way in which new technology is changing teaching, but we should embrace its opportunities rather than fear its shortcomings, argues Katherine Haxton.

Contextual Understandings in the TPACK Framework

The technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) framework considers the role of technology in teaching. Although TPACK is grounded in context, one limitation is the lack of understanding about the interactions between particular contexts, knowledge development, and instruction. This qualitative multiple-case study was designed to explore the contextual factors that contribute to teachers' development of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge and practice. Researchers focused on the Catholic educational environment to develop a more refined understanding of specific, and unique, contextual factors within the TPACK framework. Individual case analysis of interview and observation data pointed toward microlevel, or teacher-centric, factors, including background, attitudes, and personal conceptualization of contemporary education, to be primary influences of the development and use of technological knowledge. Recommendations are made for educators to think about how changes in context influence the distinct overlapping components of the TPACK framework, and accordingly their individual TPACK. (Keywords: TPACK, educational technology, teacher practice, teacher context)

Investigating the impact of teacher education strategies on preservice teachers' TPACK

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine preservice teachers' perceptions of the support their teacher education programs provide for developing their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The research was conducted with 215 preservice teachers in the last year of teacher education programs and teaching certificate programs in three universities in Turkey. Data sources were the synthesis of qualitative evidence (SQD) scale that was validated in the Turkish context as part of this study and the TPACK‐practical scale. The strategies investigated in the SQD‐model included: using teacher educators as role models; reflecting on the role of technology in education; learning how to use technology by design; collaboration with peers; scaffolding authentic technology experiences; and providing continuous feedback. The linear regression analysis revealed a positive relation between teacher education strategies and preservice teachers' TPACK. Reflection and teacher educators' as role models were the most frequently used teacher education strategies in teacher education programs included in this study. Results provided recommendations for further research on the connection between the teacher education strategies and the development of preservice teachers' TPACK in teacher education programs.

Elementary School Teachers' Beliefs about the Role of Technology in 21st-Century Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACTTechnological advancements have led to changes in the expectations placed on K-12 teachers. Teachers are now expected to better equip students with 21st-century skills, making it important to understand teachers' beliefs about the role of technology in teaching and learning and the skills their students need to be successful. Using a qualitative approach, the current study explores these beliefs among a group of urban elementary school teachers in the southeastern United States. Results suggest that, although teachers see the value of technology for teaching and learning, they require more guidance on what constitutes 21st-century skills and how to effectively integrate technology.

Death by PowerPoint: alternatives for life

SummaryThe use of PowerPoint has become nearly ubiquitous in medical education and continuing professional development; however, many alternatives are emerging that can be used in its place. These may confer some advantages, but they also have potential drawbacks. It is helpful that educators are aware of these new presentation options and their pros and cons, including any financial implications and issues of data protection. This article considers the role of technology in teaching and learning, identifying underlying assumptions that are often made. It identifies and appraises technology that can be used with or instead of PowerPoint to best facilitate deep learning. The potential pedagogical benefits and practical limitations of these technologies are considered, and strategies are highlighted to maximise the impact of PowerPoint where it is the software of choice.

大学教育・FDに関する研究における教育工学の役割( 大学教育の改善・FD)

大学教育・FDに関する研究における教育工学の役割( 大学教育の改善・FD)

Erratum

Margulieux, L. E., Chen, D.-W., McDonald, J. D., Bujak, K. R., Gable, T. M., Darling, C. M., Schaeffer, L. M., & Barg-Walkow, L. H. (2016). Online collaboration applications evaluated based on ease of use. Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications, 24(2), 21-30. (Original DOI: 10.1177/1064804615611273 ) In the above article, two of the author photos were switched. The correct photos and biographies are given below. [Formula: see text] Laura M. Schaeffer is a doctoral student in the engineering psychology program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She received her master of science degree in engineering psychology from Georgia Tech. Her research interests include instructional design, the role of technology in education, and aiding students during problem solving. [Formula: see text] Laura H. Barg-Walkow is a doctoral student in the engineering psychology program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She received her master of science degree in engineering psychology from Georgia Tech. Her research interests include medical human factors, interruptions, errors, and training, particularly in the domain of health care.

Digital disconnect or digital difference? A socio-ecological perspective on young children’s technology use in the home and the early childhood centre

A digital disconnect perspective is founded on an assumption that technology use in the home is frequent, creative and generative, and that technology use in the early childhood centre should be the same as that found in the home. However, such arguments divert our attention from understanding the nature of the setting and thereby from an understanding of the role of technologies in education and at home. This study adopts a socio-ecological approach to explore the influence of setting, in particular the elements of activity, time, place and role on young children’s use of digital technologies. It concludes that technology use is characterised by different imperatives in each setting so that thinking about digital differences may be more productive than continuing to focus on the concept of disconnect.

ICT-enabled innovation in technology rich schools?

This article takes its point of departure from the main findings from research into four upper secondary schools that have implemented digital technology through one-to-one laptop initiatives. Various data sources have been used in order to identify and understand how teaching and learning are organised and the reasons why and how digital technologies are used in educational settings. This is a response to a demand for more knowledge regarding the ways in which desirable changes of education can be realised and the potential role of educational technology this process. The conclusion drawn is that fundamental transformations in education are less concerned with technology and have more to do with changing structures and discourses regarding teaching, learning and education.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING

Today, more than ever, the role of educational technology in teaching is of great importance because of the use of information and communication technologies. With the help of various applications for distance education, the Internet, teachers, and students themselves, they see the advantage of educational technology. The question is whether schools and teachers themselves are ready for the use of technology in education and whether they are aware of its benefits? In this paper, we try to give an overview of the importance and use of educational technology in the classroom.

Tecnologia e Educação: Quais os desafios?

Nos últimos anos temos assistido a um enorme investimento em recursos tecnológicos na educação. É internacionalmente reconhecido que Portugal ocupa uns dos primeiros lugares europeus em termos de disponibilização de tecnologias nas escolas. Contudo, são muitas as vozes que colocam algumas dúvidas sobre a eficácia e eficiência desses investimentos. No momento de avaliar os projectos tecnológicos encontram-se com alguma frequência, falhas ao nível da formação de professores e nas metodologias com que esses recursos são utilizados. Este artigo visa compreender o verdadeiro papel da tecnologia na educação e apresentar algumas orientações para que a sua integração aconteça com maior intencionalidade educativa.

Teachers as participatory designers: two case studies with technology-enhanced learning environments

Teachers are not typically involved as participatory designers in the design of technology-enhanced learning environments. As they have unique and valuable perspectives on the role of technology in education, it is of utmost importance to engage them in a participatory design process. Adopting a case study methodology, we aim to reveal in what ways teachers work as participatory designers and define conditions that support teachers in that. Two initiatives of participatory design in Canada and Singapore were investigated. Design materials, transcripts of design meetings, and interviews with teachers were qualitatively analyzed. Case study 1 (Canada) showed that two teachers participating in software design for an astronomy curriculum contributed by suggesting new design features, introducing pedagogical requirements, and providing feedback on prototypes or design ideas. It appeared essential that teachers feel that their ideas were valued and respected in the entire process. In case study 2 (Singapore), six teachers contributed to the design of a mobile learning trail through: Theorizing and bridging knowledge building principles, collaborative prototyping, contextual inquiry of activity relevance and activity execution, and collaborative evaluation of technology integration. Teachers valued case study discussions with similar cultural contexts and visiting the learning site to design with contextual knowledge. From our case studies, it can be concluded that teachers contribute to the design processes by engaging in theoretical discussion, active participation in a design partnership, reflection about pedagogy and practice, and experimenting with enactment. Conditions that support teachers include support in emergent processes and an atmosphere of trust and inclusion.