Introducing Computers into the Learning Environment - Essay Example

1. Introduction Introducing computers into the learning environment does not necessarily improve learning outcomes. The role of the teacher is critical to the effective use of computers for learning (Galligan, J. (1995). Computers and Pedagogy. Retrieved June 01, 2005 from http://www.educationau.edu.au/archives/CP/REFS/galligan.htm Content management and workflow management are two extremely important elements and a prerequisite for the successful and meaningful design of lessons. The primary assets of knowledge-based economies are data, information, and knowledge and digital technology extends the tools through which we create, acquire, share and manage our knowledge. And it is through engaging with ICT that learning defines itself as e-learning. Heavily content-driven models are no longer in demand and show little understanding of sustaining online culture or appreciation for engagement. Since content only describes the 'I' of ICT, while the 'C' is more about connectedness, community, communications, context, processes, interactions, and engagement. (Mason J. (2005). From e-Learning to e-Knowledge. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://www.educationau.edu.au 2. Analysis of Unit of Work 2.1 Definition and description of unit of work 2.1.1 Definition A unit of work is defined as a series of lessons that involve students in the activities of talking, listening, reading and writing around a focus of interest. 2.1.2 Description For the purpose of this exercise the unit of work consists of seven class periods, lectures were prepared for grade level 6-8 students and the subject area was Life Science. There were three topics, namely 1) What's New with Dinosaurs 2) Dinosaur Detectives, and 3) Dinosaurs in Argentina. (RecoverySchool.com (2001). Assignment Discovery Online Curriculum. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://www.discoveryschool.com). 2.2 Theoretical Perspectives Whether using computers in teaching or not, the importance, presence and influence of the 3P personal and situational presage factors (i.e. abilities, motivations, prior knowledge and contextual factors) attributed to a given learning situation remain unchanged. These factors influence the learning process, or the approach adopted by the student to the learning task; which in turn influences the product, or outcomes of learning. (The Nature of Learning and Teaching. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://education.qut.edu.au/irving/spb002/topic/construct/Construst.htm) 2.2.1 Constructivism Active construction of learning is generally accepted in contemporary education acknowledging that it is important for students to construct their own knowledge rather than acting as passive learners. Students should be encouraged to recognize this importance and should be allowed to construct their own learning. Guiding principles for constructivism are; 1) pose relevant problems, 2) secure lesson around 'big' concepts, 3) value students' point of view, 4) adapt curriculum to students' prior knowledge, and 5) assess authentically. The concept of self-directed learning brings about a changed perspective in respect instructional strategies. (Instructional Strategies In a Computer-Based Learning Environment. Retrieved, May 31, 2005 from http://www.education.unisa.edu.au/education/school/subjects/educ5092/Strategies.html Strategies must be designed and amended to acknowledge constructivist learning. Constructivist teachers encourage student independence, use terminology such as classify, analyze, predict, alter content based on student responses, find out what students already know, encourage students to engage in dialogue, ask students to elaborate on initial responses and allow students to link new to prior knowledge thus facilitating cognitive conflict as a result of contradictory experiences. (The Nature of Learning and Teaching. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://education.qut.edu.au/irving/spb002/topic/construct/Construst.htm) In the work unit these attributes are reflected in item 1 of the procedures applied to answer the question What's New with Dinosaurs It is recommended that the teacher spend a few minutes to find out from students what they believe to be true about dinosaurs. In order to keep the discussion focused, questions are structured to serve this purpose; e.g. When did dinosaurs live Did they all live at the same time What did they eat 2.2.2 Behavourism The behavioral approach places strong emphases on the role of the environment in instruction and learning. The main aim within this approach is the manipulation in instruction and learning whilst little consideration is given to the learners, individual learning differences etc. Learners are considered to be passive rather than active. The cognitive approach places emphasis on how the individuals process information to achieve learning outcomes. However, it would appear quite evident that contributions from the behavioral, cognitive and constructivist theories regarding the nature of teaching, are all relevant and applicable as we begin to consider the question ' how do we know when teaching is effective'. (The Nature of Learning and Teaching. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://education.qut.edu.au/irving/spb002/topic/construct/Construst.htm) In the unit of work under review the objectives were clearly specified for each module, classroom activity sheets were completed within sub-group context and results were exchanged on group level. Sub-group efforts were evaluated and Take-Home Activity Sheets were designed to monitor individual performance. 2.3 Strategies Strategies should flow naturally out of conceptual goals, should focus on clarification of purpose and should be developed to optimize the ability of students to develop their higher-order thinking skills. (The Slam Dunk Digital Lesson. The Educational Technology Journal: Vol.12, No.1 (September, 2002). Retrieved May 31 from http://fno.org/sept02/slamdunk.html Content is both a static resource and something that can flow through networks manifesting itself in endless ways - as documents, audio, video, animations, communications, financial data, transactional data, etc. Digital content finds expression as data, information, and knowledge. (Mason J. (2005). From e-Learning to e-Knowledge. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://www.educationau.edu.au Knowledge is conditional as is learning - both can be said to be complex adaptive systems. 2.3.1 Provision of Metacognitive Experience During the designing phase of instructional strategies, special attention should be paid to create a learning environment that will assist students to reflect on their own learning as well as teaching them strategies to become critical and independent learners and to improve their learning skills. In the unit of work being analysed both computers and home activity sheets are used as instruments to achieve this objective. In the sub-unit Dinosaurs in Argentina, students are given the opportunity to visit a number of Web sites to improve their knowledge on the subject and to develop their research skills. Questions have also been structured to involve analysis, interpretation, inference and synthesis. The sub-unit Dinosaur Detectives poses an excellent example with questions such as: Discuss what character traits a good paleontologist should have. Why are these qualities important What is the value of studying dinosaurs What does investigating the past teach about the present Certainly very though-provoking material. Working in pairs and small groups at the computer also supports metacognition as students verbalise their thinking to negotiate responses. 2.3.2 Teacher Instructions Teachers provide the necessary instructions in the learning environment that would facilitate the development of writing skills; provision of metacognitive prompts is one of the elements of the learning environment. (Common Application Software: Word Processing. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://education.unisa.edu.au/education/school/subjects/educ5092/Application.html Unit development should start with a focus on the key concepts acknowledging the importance of specific terms and supporting concepts requiring understanding and emphasis. The result of such teacher planning would logically contribute towards creating learning experiences likely to support understanding and following instructions necessary to optimize the advantage and benefit of the lesson. The work unit under review clearly states the key concept for each sub-unit supported by clear objectives and identified procedural applications. 2.3.3 Fostering of Cooperative Learning Teacher intervention in the form of explicit teacher guidance, mediated instruction, bridging between contexts and peer interaction are all essential elements to achieve the goal of fostering and promoting cooperative learning. (Instructional Strategies In a Computer-Based Learning Environment. Retrieved, May 31, 2005 from http://www.education.unisa.edu.au/education/school/subjects/educ5092/Strategies.html The work unit Dinosaur Detectives presents a good example since brainstorming is invited to confirm the students' knowledge about dinosaurs and the group is then also divided into sub-groups to conduct their research. 2.3.4 Direct Instruction and Scaffolding e-Learning is about actively building knowledge in a learner's memory. (von Brevern, H. (2204). Cognitive and Logical Rationales for e-Learning Objects. Educational Technology & Society, 7(4),2-25. Previously applied surface approaches tended to produce learning outcomes that had detail but little structure and did not provide a platform for building knowledge. This resulted in fragmented knowledge that is distinguished by few links between new concepts and earlier learning. One reason why children's performance may fail to reveal their actual competence is that they occasionally misunderstand the problem, instruction or context of arguments. Memory also serves as a battleground for opposing theories and paradigms of learning. (Learning Concepts: Learning with Software: Pedagogies and Practice). Retrieved, June 02, 2005 from http://www.educationau.edu.au/archives/cp/05.htm From the unit of work it is clear that the 'building' of knowledge served as the main drive. Initially the students were invited to share their existing knowledge about Dinosaurs and at the end of the particular sub-unit What's New with Dinosaurs the exercise was repeated, this time in as a revision exercise. The previous list was displayed and the newly acquired knowledge was added to the list. By adopting the process-oriented approach in instruction students are allowed and encouraged to explore their own learning as well as providing sufficient scaffolding to support their learning. Three elements constitute such an approach: 1) the use of carefully designed worksheets, 2) teacher questioning, and 3) the provision of a socially interactive and reflective environment. (Instructional Strategies in a Computer-Based Learning Environment. Retrieved, May 31 from http://www.education.unisa.edu.au/education/school/subjects/educ5092/Strategies.htm Material to be learned should be presented in a manner that emphasizes the characteristics to be learned and the content and context should be as meaningful as possible to the learner. Coaching plays and important part in promoting scaffolding techniques as learners begin to apply new skills and experience In the process of creating their learning technology and content strategy, teachers should ensure that they also create a transition strategy addressing how and at what point they will move from one technology platform to another. (Learning Objects & Learning Standards, April 2002. Retrieved June 01, 2005 from http://www.learnativity.com/standards.html 2.3.5 Increasing Adoption of an e-Learning Environment Teachers are instrumental in the implementation and transformation from the traditional methods to the e-learning environment. However, it would be essential to provide students with support to improve their learning skills in a computer-based learning environment. The work unit presented for analysis provides students with Web site addresses to assist them in their research when working together in groups. Directives are also provided to guide and assist students to access additional reading material to broaden their knowledge base on the topic. Students are also provided with Web site addresses they could visit to complete their home activity. The role that a teacher plays in a computer-based learning environment might depend on a number of factors such as the software used and the nature and objectives of the learning activities. For example when you select a certain type of tutorial software, often the instructional strategies are pre-determined in the design of the software and teachers often play very little role when using this type of software. However, the role of teachers becomes much more crucial when using other types of software in the classroom. (Instructional Strategies in a Computer-Based Learning Environment. Retrieved, May 31 from http://www.education.unisa.edu.au/education/school/subjects/educ5092/Strategies.htm The unit of work complies with this important prerequisite. Throughout the unit students are encouraged and guided to use the applicable Web sites and to generate their findings on computer. This technique is confirmed by the statement in the sub-unit Dinosaurs in Argentina; the question was asked Where else will you find fossils Students were invited to research the world's climatic regions to figure out other places that might be good areas to look for fossils and also to predict the other places that might be good for fossil-hunting and to label them on the world map. 2.4 Observation and Implementation If teachers were to observe the interactions of their students while using computers in the classroom they would assume a participative role. This would allow systematic observation resulting in specific problem identification as well as the measure of corrective action required. This would also contribute towards making the transformation easier for students as well as providing them with a pleasant learning experience. Many researchers have agreed that the role of the teacher is critical to the effective use of computers not only for learning, but also to monitor group interaction in the classroom. To fulfill this requirement the teacher would assume the role of manager carefully applying their management skills. Teachers decide by whom, when, where, how and why computers are used in the classroom, however, it is not sufficient to have clear objectives for computer use. These objectives should be translated into appropriate activities if the desired learning outcomes are to be achieved. The duration and sequencing of computer based activities will also affect learning outcomes. 2.5 Impact on Teachers and Learners 2.5.1 Impact on Teachers The importance of the role and influence of the teacher cannot be underestimated. They should provide means of intervention in the form of explicit teacher guidance, mediated instruction, assistance in bridging gaps between contexts and concepts, facilitating understanding whilst observing and assessing conceptual change and intellectual development as well as promoting and observing group interaction activities. These activities are clearly seen in the unit of work, and in particular the sub-unit Dinosaur Detectives. Guidance is provided by carefully and methodically designing the lessen structure. Instruction follows by explaining, for instance, that scientists began studying dinosaurs in the late 18th century and then adding some substance to the explanations. Structured questions are asked providing students with the opportunity to give feedback which enables the teacher to identify possible misunderstandings or uncertainties. The nature of the research to be conducted by the students is explained to them. Students are divided into groups and the teacher then becomes involved in the observation of the group interaction activities. Students learn differently as result of prior knowledge, cognitive styles, learning preferences, approached to learning, spatial and verbal abilities, aptitudes in different domains, and culture. When designing learning activities for students, it is extremely important to take into consideration the individual differences. Teachers must ensure that natural and smooth transition processes are maintained. The integration of technology into lessons should not have a negative impact on healthy and constructive lesson design. Teachers should guard against injecting technology for the mere sake of technology, sacrificing student learning and the benefit of education. In those cases where library books, interviews or field study may be preferable, they should prevail. This is illustrated in the unit of work where the materials used are listed. They include the following items: computers with internet access, encyclopedias, print resources about dinosaurs, pens and paper, and maps. The teacher then gave students time in class to write their group paragraphs and sharing a summary with the students. Since megacognitive skills are an important consideration for teachers when designing learning activities for students, such activities should focus on the development of self-directed learning skills. It is important to note that students' learning will not so much depend on the computer or the software, but rather, the learning environment created by the teachers. Using certain instructional methods, students learning outcome and their interactions in the classroom will correspondingly change. (Research on Instructional Strategies. Retrieved, May 31 from http://www.education.unisa.edu.au/education/school/subjects/educ5092/Research.htm One of the issues regarding such environments, however, needs to look at the possible discrepancy between knowledge acquired by (a) learner(s) versus the intended knowledge taught. In the unit of work the evaluation process is also clearly defined and accommodates scoring for 1) clear and thoughtful writing, addressing the scenario described; 2) wrote paragraph with few details and 3) did not write clear and thoughtful paragraph. The focus of modern education is to foster problem-solving skills and thinking skills among students and can be regarded as a major advantage in educational computing. It is important that teachers do not derive classroom activities that are purely technologically driven. It would be very useful if teachers do not lose sight of the educational agenda such as developing students' thinking skills while they use the Internet. It is therefore important for teachers to work with their students on the issue of evaluation of materials that are available on the Internet by suggesting the applicable Web sites to be used for their research. In the case of the work unit being reviewed, it is evident from the number of Web sites listed as part of the online curriculum. It is also stated that the teacher should assist students by recommending Web sites to be used as well as encouraging students to use maps of where the fieldwork took place. Suggested readings as well as Web links are also provided to the students. To optimize the benefits of collaborative learning the teacher should be a guide to his/her students by clearly explaining the objectives of the groups and use of roles within the groups necessary to accomplish positive interdependence. Referring to the work unit once again, an evaluation system is introduced to indicate participation. Scores range from 1) actively participated in classroom discussion; 2) participated somewhat in classroom discussion and 3) did not participate in classroom discussion. Students were also requested to write a short story about their research, as well as maps, pictures and other visuals. This exercise was conducted within a group framework and each group had to present its input to the class. A discussion followed where all the findings were combined. 2.5.2 Impact on Learners The concept of personal and relevant learning; i.e. that students learn better when they can see relevance of what they are learning with what they are interested in, is a given fact. Concepts are not static units of knowledge; they are dynamic and constantly changing. The child's mind is continually transforming its conceptual knowledge and, without conscious effort, detecting dimensions shared by two ideas that were originally separate and unrelated. Children between 6 to 8 has the ability to engage in mental operations, are flexible and understand certain basic logical rules and are therefore able to reason logically and quantitatively. Learning therefore needs to be situated in real context rather than based upon abstract situations. The benefits of the situated learning approach is that students come to understand the purpose of use of the knowledge and strategies they are acquiring and their learning then becomes more active and more grounded of practical experience. Perception can be identified as the detection, recognition, and interpretation of sensory stimuli. Children relate what they see both to what they saw a few minutes ago and to what they may see in the future - they integrate successive exposures. The perceived value of lessons would be based on the benefits derived from such factors as newly acquired knowledge, tutorial methodology, relevance, etc). The learner must be motivated to learn and encouraged to engage in active participation, material learned should be divided into learnable units and given in appropriately spaced sequence. The unit of work under review displays acknowledgement of the spacing of lessons. This statement is supported by the duration statements made; i.e. one to two class periods in the case of Dinosaur Detectives, two to three class periods in the case of Dinosaurs in Argentina. The sequence of the lessons also allows the student to detect, interpret, classify and remember the information. The lessons start with What's New with Dinosaurs followed by Dinosaur Detectives (which stimulates the evaluation of ideas, imagining possibilities, fantasy) and is concluded concluded with the topic Dinosaurs in Argentina. Conventionally, learners were assumed to be passive vessels ready to be filled with knowledge, this is due to the introduction of educational technologies into learning environments. (von Brevern, H. (2204). Cognitive and Logical Rationales for e-Learning Objects. Educational Technology & Society, 7(4),2-25). Learners are no longer passive, and teachers now have vessels from which to communicate and share content with their students. This is a shift of paradigm from the conventional way of instruction; now teachers and learners are 'partners' in the 'joint venture' of classroom technology. There needs to be an increase of interactions between the teacher and the learner, as well as among the learners themselves. Learners should recognize and appreciate the role of the teacher in coordinating, implementing and monitoring learner-centered interaction. Learners should also grasp the concept and benefits of e-Learning as well as the advantages linked to the acquisition of such skills. By improving their learning, communication, collaborative and problem-solving skills they are also actively building knowledge in their memories. Learning about computers, learning from the computers and learning with the computers in particular, has placed significant emphasis on this aspect and teachers have become increasingly focused on the use of computers to develop the thinking and problem-solving skills of the students. Research results show that students actively participated in collaborative learning in the context of computerized-mediated communication. Collaborative learning does not just mean group work, rather, a number of features can be found in the successful implementation of collaborative learning, e.g. positive interdependence among the learners, individual, accountability, shared responsibility. Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than solo race. Collaborative learning is a philosophy: working together, building together, learning together, changing together, improving together (Wiersema, N. (2000). How Does Collaborative Learning Actually Work in a Classroom and How do Students React to It A Brief Reflection. Retrieved June 01, 2005 from http://www.city.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations/collab.learning/wiersema.html. Students that are more capable could be encouraged to assist the less capable ones initially, but gradually the control of tasks should be transferred to the less able learners. 3. Conclusion Information technology can be a powerful medium for learning at all levels of education and training. However, learning experiences need to be meaningful, relevant and holistic and should be applied in a flexible learning environment. Learning is enhanced through collaboration which refers to the whole process of learning; to students teaching each other, the teacher teaching the students and the students teaching the teacher ! References Bowman, D (2004). Thinking Through The Technology Puzzle: The Educational Technology Journal Vol 14 (No 1) October, 2004. Retrieved on May 31, 2005 from http://www.fno.org/oct04/integrating.html DiscoverySchool (2001). Assignment Discovery Online Curriculum. What's New With Dinosaurs Retrieved May 30, 2005 from http://discoveryschool.com DiscoverySchool (2001). Assignment Discovery Online Curriculum. Dinosaur Detectives. Retrieved May 30, 2005 from http://discoveryschool.com DiscoverySchool (2001). Assignment Discovery Online Curriculum. Dinosaurs in Argentina. Retrieved May Hart, B. (1996). Information Technology and Flexible Learning in the Primary School. Retrieved June 02, 2005 from http://www.educationau.edu.au/archives/CP/REFS/hart.htm Learning Concepts (1996). Learning With Software: Pedagogies and Practice. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://www.educationau.edu.au/archives/cp/05.htm Learning Objects & Learning Standards (April, 2002). Retrieved on June 01, 2005 from http://www.learnativity.com/standards/html Mapp. L (undated). Interactive Media: Education's Response, Policy & Practice. 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Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://education.qut.edu.au/irving/spb002topic/construct/Construct.htm University of South Australia : Instructional Strategies In a Computer-Based Learning Environment. Retrieved May 31,2005 from http://www.education.unisa.edu.au/education/school/subject/educ5092/Strategies.htm University of South Australia : Research on Instructional Strategies. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://www.education.unisa.edu.au/education/school/subject/educ5092/Strategies.htm Wiersema, N. (2000). How Does Collaborative Learning Actually Work In a Classroom and How Do Students React To It A Brief Reflection. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from http://www.city.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations/collab.learning/wiersema.html Vesey, K. (2002). The Internet-only Research Approach: Does the Web Really Have All There Is To Say The Educational Technology Journal Vol 12 (No 1) September, 2002. Retrieved on May 31, 2005 from http://www.fno.org/sept02/internetonly.html von Brevern, H. (2004). Cognitive and Logical Rationales for e-Learning Objects. Edicational Technology & Society, 7(4), 2-25. REPORT ON A CASE STUDY INVOLVING ICT AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES C O N T E N T S 1. Introduction 2. Analysis of Unit of Work 2.1.1 Definition 2.1.2 Description 2.2 Theoretical Perspectives 2.2.1 Constructivsm 2.2.2 Behavourism 2.3 Strategies 2.3.1 Provision of Metacognitive Experience 2.3.2 Teacher Instructions 2.3.3 Fostering of Cooperative Learning 2.3.4 Direct Instruction and Scaffolding 2.3.5 Increasing Adoption of an e-Learning Environment 2.4 Observation and Implementation 2.5 Impact on Teachers and Learners 2.5.1 Teachers 2.5.2 Learners 3. Conclusion Read More