Ways of Incorporating Technology in Learning - Research Paper Example

Project: Ways of incorporating technology in learning for increasing knowledge and outcomes for the learners Section Introduction The education of students in schools and colleges is an age old phenomenon. Several scholars all across the globe reached the pinnacle of their career because of the education that they received from the schools and universities. The method of teaching is, therefore, an important aspect of imparting education that goes a long way in determining the success of the students in their future lives. The text books and libraries have always been useful resources for the students as well as the teachers while engaging in the process of education. The reading of text books and the lectures delivered by the teachers have been extremely useful in the process of learning over the ages. The lectures delivered by the teachers and professors are captured by the students in form of notes for studying or as study materials for reference. However, it can never be denied that the population of students in any institution has always been a mix of good, average and below average caliber. Therefore, the power of retention of material studied or the lecture heard from the teachers, power of analysis of the content studied in the academic course and the intelligence to apply the learning in practical field have always varied from one student to another. Barring the difference in intellectualism among the students, the other limitations in terms of scope of access to lectures delivered by teachers, scope of discussion among fellow members have now been resolved with time with the evolution of technology in the field of education. The implementation of technology in the field of education has meant that students could listen to lectures delivered by their teachers through the use of digital and online media. The use of technology in the process of education has brought about some significant improvements in the overall performance of the students in the course of their study (Edwards, 2012). The gap in performance level between the average and above average students, average and below average students has narrowed down. This has led to rising interest in the research on the ways in which technology has been incorporated in the process of learning. The research also aims to find the several benefits that technology has offered to the learners that has led to improvement of their knowledge level learning outcomes. The motivation of carrying out this research lies with the hope of revealing the marked benefits derived by the learners due to the various ways of use of technology in the process of learning that has led to increase in acquired knowledge and learning outcome. The research work is being carried out with the hope of providing useful findings to the schools about the key areas that were lacking in the process of learning before integration of technology in the process of education. The use of social media, digital communication media by the schools would lay the platform for increasing interaction among the participants of learning. The technological innovation has nevertheless made the process of learning more interesting to the students which in turn impacted their output in a positive manner. Education is most effective when there is a two-way communication involved between the teacher and the students. It is not only about imparting lessons by the teachers but also the extent to which the students have been able to imbibe the lessons in the course of learning. The communication between the students and teacher has been greatly influenced by the use of technology in the field of education. Section 2: Review of Literature The review of literature suggests that the approach towards education has evolved over a period of time. The scholars have come out with distinction at all ages irrespective of the mode in which education has been imparted. This is due to the talent and skills present in the students for grabbing the lessons imparted by their teachers. The method of studying has not made immense impact on the bright students as they had the inner capability and potential to pass with good records. However, the students who were not so meritorious or who belonged to the average category of students have had faced several limitations in the traditional form of teaching methods followed in the schools and universities (Barta, Telem & Gev, 1995). The schools and the universities have also earned their places high in the ranks among other counterparts due to the quality of teaching and the ability of their students to make a mark in their professional lives. Several scholars and writers have highlighted this fact in their writings. The review of books and journals in the field of education brings out the fact that there have been outstanding teachers who have followed the traditional method of teaching as established by the educational institutions. The students who have been sincere to their studies have been able to get the most out of the learning that they received from their alma mater. However, there is one more aspect that has come out from the review of literature on the various methods of education imparted by the institutions to their students. It has been observed over the ages that there is always a heterogeneous mixture of talent, capability and potential in any group of students in any institution. While the main focus of the teachers have always been to impart highest quality of education, another important aspect of looking into effective impart of lesson to the target population have unfortunately lacked on the part of the institutions (Khosrow-Pour, 2014). This has been due to the invisible gap created among the mass of students who are divided among themselves as excellent, good, average and below-average calibers. A deeper introspection into the literature revealed the cause of such distinction has been due to the results of assessments undertaken by the students who have received the same lessons from the same teacher in the same classroom. The reasons behind the difference in outcomes for individuals despite the same learning or lessons imparted to a group of students have been found from the review of literature. The writers, education experts have opined that apart from the quality of education imparted, the grabbing power or the understanding skills of the students are strong determinants of the effectiveness with which lessons are imparted to the students. The process of understanding, inquiry and reconfirmation of understanding is extremely crucial for the students to get hold of the lessons imparted to them. This depends greatly on the communication skills of the students in asking questions to their teachers. The level of confidence, reasoning ability and the time to think over understanding of self determines the extent of inquisitiveness of the students (Tettegah & Hunter, 2006). The evolution of technology and its application in the field of education has helped to bring about new ideas of imparting education to the students. The application of technology in the methods of teaching has helped to reduce the limitations of the traditional approach towards teaching. The relationship between teachers and students is an important factor in the process of education. The teachers are living idols to the students and the sole attraction in the classroom. The review of literature suggests that bigger classrooms would require large number of students to concentrate towards the verbal delivery or lectures of the teacher. In practical scenario, there are instances of interruption, external noises, disturbances beyond which the students are required to concentrate of what is being taught by the teachers. The teachers are also required to ensure that the learning reaches out to individual students in a fair and equal manner. However, this varies from one teacher to another in practical situations. The incorporation of technology in the process of education has been able to reduce these limitations on the part of the students. It has been observed that the technological applications like Skype, Audio Conference, Video Conference, etc. have been widely adopted by the institutions to address the needs of the students (Selwyn, 2011). Interviews conducted with the teachers and students in the past have revealed interesting responses where the students have been happier than ever to interact with their teachers and the group through the audio, visual method using technology. The ability to view their teachers in their computer monitors or in a wide screen has led to the reduction of distance between the teachers and students. The technology has laid the platform of equal access for the students to their teachers. The additional interferences like noise, external comments in the groups have been mitigated and the students are able to concentrate on a one-to-one basis with their teachers. The incorporation of technology has also reduced the limitations of geographical boundaries. Due to technological applications, recorded lessons from teachers across the globe could be shared with the students over the audio-visual methods and applications. The technological applications have enabled the institutions to provide highest quality of education to the students and at the same time provide an easy way of communication with the teachers in order to put forward the queries and get answers to their questions (Wright, 2000). The ways of incorporating technology in the process of learning have helped the students to listen to the recorded lectures of their teachers in case they missed out on any part. Any gaps in understanding could be clarified by replaying the same lecture using technology which was not possible in the traditional method of teaching. Also, the technological applications provide the students to engage into discussion with peer groups which was not possible without the use of technology (Gordon, Hacker & Vries, 1993). Section 3: Design/ Methodology The methodology which is used for this research is the action research methodology involving collection of primary data. Action research requires an in depth assessment of the need of technology in education and then questioning the participants of the realized benefits in order to reach important conclusion on the benefits of technology in the process of education. The primary data collection technique has been chosen for this study which involves the activity of collecting data from the field. Since, this research is aimed at exploring the ways in which technology has been incorporated in the educational institutions and the difference it has brought about in the educational system, the responses of the students and teachers have been taken as the most reliable indicator for the purpose of attaining authentic findings (PANNEERSELVAM, 2004). The method of action research has been given preference in comparison to the secondary research method which involves investigation of case studies, collection of data from the existing research works on the same subject, consultation of journals, books, etc. Although the secondary research method is less costly and requires less amount of time, the chosen method of primary research on the subject have been preferred taking into consideration the collection of authentic data directly from the field as responses of the participants (Khanzode, 2004). The participants of this research are the teachers, students and the administration authorities of the educational institutions. The research has been carried out in the universities and schools where technology has been incorporated in the process of education. The teachers or the professors that have been chosen for this research are the departmental heads of individual subjects in those institutions and the students are chosen in random manner (Goddard & Melville, 2004). Apart from these, the head of administration have also been selected to get an overall idea of the progress of studies in the institutions. A survey has been conducted with all these participants where they have been asked to respond to a questionnaire that has been designed for collection of research data. The questions for the survey have been designed in such a way that the respondents would be required to answer in a close-ended fashion (Singh, 2010). This has been designed for the ease of analyzing the responses received from the participants during the process of research. The sample questionnaire that has been developed for the purpose of survey has been presented in the Appendix 1. The several parameters that are important in this research have been included in the questionnaire. These include factors of judgment whether the incorporation of technology in the field if education is a justified approach for the institutions. The responses of the participants would indicate whether the implementation of technology has provided better results for the institution and whether the same has been beneficial for the students making use of technology. The responses of the participants would also reveal whether technological applications have been accepted by the students as a change from the traditional methods of teaching. The rationale behind wide spread acceptance of technology by the participants in the field of education have also been analyzed from the responses received from the participants. The primary data collected with the help of surveys form the heart of this research activity. Although the time required to collect the data for research is considerable, however, the research findings obtained through the process of this research is authentic and conclusive. The action research carried out in this case looks at assessing the needs of the students, obtaining the responses from the participants through design of an appropriate questionnaire, analyzing the collected responses to reach at important findings in the field of education and technology. The findings of the research have been presented in graphical form which would indicate the educational institutions on the measures to be taken for taking advantage of the technological applications in the process of learning (Kothari, 2004). This would help the educational institution to set up a modern educational infrastructure to maximize the learning outcome of the students. The research study has been designed in such a way that the responses of the participants would act as stepping stone to bring about technological benefits in the field of education as they are themselves actual participants in the education system. Section 4: Changes There are few action research projects that could be carried out end to end as per the originally formulated plan. This section details the minor changes that have taken place while the research activity was undertaken. In the process of action research on the application of technology in the field of education, some changes have been encountered due to practical limitations faced during the process of collection of primary data. This has led to some adjustments in the research process due to changes from the original plan. As per the original plan, the administration authorities were also to be contacted to respond to the survey questionnaire designed for the purpose of research. However, due to limitations of availability of time the administration authorities could not be contact and the responses from this segment of participants could not be obtained. However, this would create a minimal impact on the collection of primary data through inquiry as the administration authorities would only give observation on the progress of learning that have been monitored. The actual real life experience in the process of learning lies with the responses of the students and the teachers. The limitations faced and the benefits realized irrespective of the scores obtained provide an indicative signal of the difference that technology could bring about in the educational system (Khan, 2011). Thus, the responses of the teachers and the students have been valued and the analysis has been carried out on the basis of these responses to find the benefits derived due to the incorporation of technology in the process of education and learning. Despite slight changes from the original action plan, the findings obtained from the research are good enough indication for the institution to take necessary measure for incorporation technology in educational system. Section 5: Results The results of the action research conducted on the incorporation of technology in the process of education has been derived from the analysis of the responses received from the participants against the close-ended questions designed in the survey questionnaire. The results obtained through the analysis of responses received from the participants have been analyzed and represented in tabular form. The tabular representation in terms of percentage of the total number of responses reflects the findings of the research that have been given in the Appendices section. The participants of the survey have given genuine responses over the fact whether their institutions have adopted the approach of incorporating technology in the process of learning. Out of the total number of participants, 65% of them have responded saying that they undergo a technology based process of learning in their educational institution. This meant that although a major percentage of the schools and universities have incorporated technology in the field of learning, a substantial percentage of schools counting up to 35% are yet to take advantage of the benefits of technology in the field of education. This research finding would provide an indicative signal to the schools that are yet to incorporate technology in their educational activities. The demand of the students, teachers and the society are required to be met in order to maximize the process of gaining knowledge and maximizing the learning outcomes (Barta, Telem & Gev, 1995). The results corresponding to this analysis have been shown in Appendix 2. The analysis of the responses received from the participants has provided useful insights on the views of the teachers and the student community, at large regarding the subject of implementation of technology in the process of education and learning. The implementation of technology is expected to have mixed reactions from the participants as this is a new concept that has been launched in the field of education (Edwards, 2012). The acceptance of the use of technology among the existing traditional methods of education is largely driven by the benefits realized by the participants of education. The teachers and the students see it as a positive step in the process of learning if it provides an easy way of communication that lays the platform for clarification of doubts and queries on the subject. The teachers have also supported the use of technology as it has allowed them to answer the queries of the students in a structured queue and at the same time share the findings with large group of audience in a fair and equal manner. The results on the acceptability of technology as a mean of education have been represented in tabular form in Appendix 3. It has been found that a large segment consisting of 90% of the participants consider or view the incorporation of technology as a positive step in the process of teaching and learning. In the course of implementation of technology, it is also to be kept in mind by the educational institutions of the aspect of knowledge of technology required among the students and teacher for using the modern applications. The incorporation of technology is the establishment of the infrastructure in the educational system whereas the knowledge of the end users or the participants is extremely important for the purpose of successful implementation and derivation of benefits. The students and the teachers who were accustomed to the traditional methods of teaching could obviously find it difficult to cope up with the new technology if they are not technology savvy or not trained. These facts have been interpreted from the findings that have been presented in Appendix 4 and Appendix 5. Appendix 4 shows that about 85% of the participants are technology savvy while 15% of the participants are not user friendly with the technological platforms used in the process of education. The various technological application used in the course of teaching and learning between the teachers and the students are in the form of Skype, Audio conferencing or Video Conferencing and others. On the aspect of training received by the participants on the use of technology, a majority of 80% of the participants responded saying that they received training on how to use technological applications in the process of learning (Khosrow-Pour, 2014). This also meant that there are a substantial 20% of the participants who are still unaware of the ways of using technology in the process of education. This is an indicative signal for institutions that they should focus on getting the remaining participant trained and user savvy in order to realize optimum benefits of technology in the process of education. The results and findings of the research provide an indication of the percentage of participants who are aware of the benefits of technology. The results obtained from the analysis of response of the participants have been represented in tabular form in Appendix 6. The participants of the learning process have found that the use of Skype, video and audio conferencing techniques have been able to address a wide group of audience. At the same time, the teacher could reach very close to the individual students through the virtual medium. The boundaries of geography could be removed. Highest quality of learning could be imparted to the students and at the same time the barriers of learning could be removed. Almost 90% of the participants have responded saying that they have been able to realize the benefits of technology in the process of education. The aspects of external noises, interruptions, opinions could be reduced and the students were able to concentrate on the subject of learning. The students could put forward their queries in a confident manner and the teachers could also clarify the doubts on a one-to one basis (Gordon, Hacker & Vries, 1993). The use of technology has been able to establish a better bonding between the teachers and the students in a fair and equal manner. The aspect of communication has also strengthened due to the use of technology. The use of technological media in communication has given a direct though virtual access to a wide base of students to reach out to their teachers irrespective of the distance between them. Due to the features of technology, the communication between a teacher and a student could also be shared among other students who are taking lessons in the same group during the process of learning. The results found in Appendix 7 show that 95% of the participants appreciate the use of technology in improving the communication between the peer groups in the process of learning. The findings obtained through analysis of participants’ responses and as depicted in Appendix 8 speak on the same lines in favor of the incorporation of technology in the field of learning. This is an overall judgment given by the participants on the extent up to which enrichment of knowledge is feasible due to the use of technology in the educational system. Out of the total number of participants, 90% of them believe that the exchange of learning between peer groups through the use of teleconferencing techniques, Skype, etc. helps in enhancement of knowledge. Moreover, recorded version of teachings delivered by the teachers could be used by the students in order to recall academic concepts and refer those learning in group discussion with the peers. The use of technology provides the flexibility to the students to engage into discussion with the fellow classmates as well as teachers in a mutually agreed time. This reduces the barriers of distance and time to engage in academic discussions required for enhancement of learning. All these advantages need to be recognized by the entire population of the students, teachers and school authorities in order to reap the highest benefits of technology in education. Section 6: Reflections The action research on the ways of incorporation of technology by the educational institutions in the field of learning has produced useful results and findings. The aspects of awareness of the students and teachers on the benefits of technology and the effects of technology on the enhancement of learning outcomes have been revealed with the help of this research. The review of literature carried out before applying the method of action research has provided useful insights on the research topic. The research findings on the same subject as derived by other researchers and scholars provided insights on the approach that could be adopted while conducting the research. An idea was also formed on the probable findings that could be expected from the research. The review of literature gave early indications that the changes in the field of education through incorporation of technology is inevitable and is bound to take place with the beneficial impacts it had already created in various parts of the world. Although the change with technological application was advantageous, it was found that there would also be resistance to changes from the traditional methods of teaching. Therefore, this research was not only conducted to reaffirm the existing research findings but also to find the percentage of participants that are still resistant to the changes brought about by the incorporation of technology. Although the percentage of population who are still not recognizing the advantages of technology in the educational system is very low as compared to their counterparts, this finding has been important in suggesting the principal stakeholders of the education comprising of the institutions, students and teachers to align themselves with the technological drive in the process of learning. The various advantages of the use of Skype, conferencing techniques using the digital media, etc. have been found with the help of this research. The widespread acceptance and acknowledgement of the participants of learning have been revealed with the help of this research. The entire research process also established the impact of action research on the subject. As a result of the methodology of action research being followed, it was possible to identify and assess the needs of using technology in the field of education. The identification of the distinct benefits due to the use of technology was evident from the acknowledgment and acceptance of technology by the learners’ community. In the process of action research, primary data was collected by way of inquires put forward to participant from a sample population. The responses of the participants on their experience of using technology in education are actual feelings shared by them during the stages of inquiry. The findings have been obtained after analyzing the responses of the participants which were then represented in graphical form for dissemination to the principal stakeholders. The findings of this research are indications for the educational institutions that should urge them to align with the ways of using technology in the process of learning. Reflecting on the progress of the research and the findings obtained through analysis of data collected, it is realized that the action research could be conducted in a different manner when the same is undertaken for the next time. Separate questionnaires could be developed for the different communities of participants in the process of education. For example, the questionnaires developed for the teachers would be different from the set of questions that could be designed for the students. Similarly, prior appointments could be taken from the school authorities and they could also be asked to respond on a third set of questions designed for this segment. In place of a single set of questions for undertaking the survey, specialized set of questions customized for the teachers, students and school authorities would help in deriving even more factual findings and would help in identify gaps for improvement in education. Apart from this, Likert Scale technique could be used rather than providing close-ended response options which would help in determining the extent to which the advantages of technology have been realized or to identify existing gaps in the process of education that need to be replenished for enhancement of learning among the students. These new ways of conducting the research could be tried in the next attempt to arrive at more specific findings on the effect of technological applications in education. These improvements in the process of research are proposed to be taken up while undertaking the research activity for the next time. These steps would help in moving towards the goal of perfection that would in turn lead to dissemination of accurate findings on the advantages of technology in the process of education. Section 7: References Selwyn, N. (2011). EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY: KEY ISSUES AND DEBATES. New York: A&C Black. Gordon, A., Hacker, M. & Vries, M. (1993). ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media. Khosrow-Pour, M. (2014). EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY USE AND DESIGN FOR IMPROVED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. New York: IGI Global. Edwards, A. (2012). NEW TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION. New York: A&C Black. Barta, B., Telem, M. & Gev, Y. (1995). INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT. New York: Springer Science & Business Media. Wright, C. (2000). ISSUES IN EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY: POLICY GUIDELINES AND STRATEGIES. New York: Commonwealth Secretariat. Tettegah, S.Y. & Hunter, R. C. (2006). TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION: ISSUES IN ADMINISTRATION, POLICY, AND APPLICATIONS IN K12 SCHOOLS. Amsterdam: Emerald Group Publishing. PANNEERSELVAM, R. (2004). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt Ltd. Kothari, C. R. (2004). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: METHODS AND TECHNIQUES. New Delhi: New Age International. Khan, J. A. (2011). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. New Delhi: APH Publishing. Singh, Y. K. (2010). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. New Delhi: APH Publishing. Goddard, W. D. & Melville, S. (2004). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION. New Delhi: Juta and Company Ltd. Khanzode, V. V. (2004). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. New Delhi: APH Publishing. Section 8: Appendices Appendix 1: Sl. No. Questionnaire 1 Does your school use technological applications in the process of learning? 2 Do you see this change as a positive step for enhancing the knowledge of students? 3 Are you savvy with the technological platforms that are used in the process of learning? 4 Have you been trained on how to use technology in the process of learning? 5 Are you able to engage in the process of studying with more concentration due to the incorporation of technology? 6 Are you able to introspect more into the subjects as a result of technological application used in the process of learning? 7 Are you able to put forward or resolve queries in an effective manner with the use of technology? 8 Has it been possible to establish a better bonding between the teacher and the overall group of students after technology is incorporated? 9 Does the use of technology give the students a second or third chance to reconfirm their understanding on the subjects? 10 Has technology fostered the growth of peer group discussion among the teachers and students? 11 Has technology been able to enrich the knowledge and learning outcome of the participants of education in a greater manner? Appendix 2: Educational Institutions using Technology in Education Response of Participants Percentage of Total Responses Yes 65 No 35 Appendix 3: Participants’ view towards Technology as a positive step in Education Response of Participants Percentage of Total Responses Yes 90 No 10 Appendix 4: Participants who are Technology savvy Response of Participants Percentage of Total Responses Yes 85 No 15 Appendix 5: Participants who received Training on the ways of using Technology Response of Participants Percentage of Total Responses Yes 80 No 20 Appendix 6: Participants who realized the benefits of Technology Response of Participants Percentage of Total Responses Yes 90 No 10 Appendix 7: Participants belief that Technology has fostered better ways of communication Response of Participants Percentage of Total Responses Yes 95 No 5 Appendix 8: Participants belief that Technology has enriched knowledge and learning outcome Response of Participants Percentage of Total Responses Yes 90 No 10 Section 9: Abstract The action research has been conducted in the field of education in order to find the ways in which technology has been incorporated in the process of learning and the benefits realized by the participants as a result of this implementation. The purpose of this research has been to recognize the ways in which technology could be incorporated in the process of learning and also underline the benefits of technology to the educational institutions which would help them to increase the knowledge and maximize learning outcome of their students. For this reason, an action research has been carried out that included identification of the research topic backed by literature review, design of a survey questionnaire for inquiry to the participants of the educational process, analysis of the collected data responses and disseminating the findings of the research. The findings of the research reveal that educational institutions should take advantage of various technological applications like Skype, Digital communication media, teleconferencing, etc. looking at the benefits derived by the teachers and the student community. This would lead to enhancement of knowledge and learning outcomes of the participants of education system. 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