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1 moocs.avu.org www.avu.org USING ICT TO ENRICH TEACHING AND LEARNING moocs.avu.org This work was originally created in English. This is the 1st edition published in March 2015 MODULE 2 Why use ICTs in Teaching and Learning African Virtual University Unive rsité Virt uelle A fricaine Universidade Virtual Africana Commonwealth of Learning

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moocs.avu.orgwww.avu.org

USING ICTTO ENRICH TEACHING AND LEARNING

moocs.avu.org

This work was originally created in English.This is the 1st edition published in March 2015

MODULE 2Why use ICTs inTeaching and Learning

African Virtual University Université Virt uelle AfricaineUniversidade Virtual Africana

Commonwealthof Learning

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Module 2 - Why use ICTs in Teaching and Learning?

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Production Credits

AuthorJanet Thomson

Instructional DesignerLee-Anne Ragan

Peer ReviewerBrenda MallinsonAndrew Moore

Instructional Design Reviewer Sofia Alexandre

Graphic DesignerSidney McGregorBarry Savala

Video CreationSidney McGregorBarry Savala

EditorSofia Alexandre

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Copyright

Content is copyright Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and African Virtual University (AVU) 2014.

COL and AVU as joint copyright holder license the module hereby presented under a Cre-ative Commons-Attribution-Share Alike (CC-BY-SA) licence agreement.

Module Template is copyright African Virtual University licensed under a Creative Com-mons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. CC-BY, SA

This template is derived from a template produced by the Commonwealth of Learning for the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth at www.col.org/resources/pub-lications/Pages/detail.aspx?PID=304

Commonwealth of Learning4710 Kingsway, Suite 2500Burnaby, BC V5H 4M2Canada

E-mail: [email protected]: www.col.org

African Virtual University Headquarters

Cape Office Park (Opposite Yaya Center)Ring Road, Kilimani

PO Box 25405 - 00603Nairobi, Kenya

E-mail: [email protected]: www.avu.org

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Acknowledgements

The African Virtual University and module author Janet Thomson wish to thank Gerald Roos - author to the Commonwealth Certificate for Teacher ICT Integration for his contri-bution to this module.

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Table of Contents

Production Credits........................................................................................................................Copyright........................................................................................................................................ Acknowledgments.........................................................................................................................Table of Contents..........................................................................................................................Module 2 Overview...................................................................................................................... Welcome to Module 2 ‘Why use ICTs in Teaching and Learning?’....................................... Prerequisites...................................................................................................................... Module Goals..................................................................................................................... Summary of Units.............................................................................................................. Assessment......................................................................................................................... Schedule............................................................................................................................ Module Readings and Other Resources............................................................................

Unit 1. The rationale for using ICTs in education........................................................................... Unit Introduction............................................................................................................... Unit 1 Objectives............................................................................................................... Key Terms.......................................................................................................................... Learning Activities............................................................................................................. Activity 1.1 - Why bother with technology? (30 Minutes)..................................... Introduction.................................................................................................. Activity Details............................................................................................. Conclusion...................................................................................................

Activity 1.2 - Developing a strong rationale for the role of ICT in educational transformation (45 minutes)................................................................................. Introduction................................................................................................. Activity Details............................................................................................. Conclusion.................................................................................................. Activity 1.3 – Transformational teaching practice with ICT’s (45 minutes).............. Introduction.................................................................................................. Activity Details................................... ......................................................... Conclusion................................................................................................... Unit Summary.................................................................................................................... Unit Assessment................................................................................................................ Unit One Group Discussion................................................................................................. Instructions............................................................................................................ Unit Readings and Other Resources...................................................................................

Unit 2. Pedagogical implications of using ICT............................................................................. Unit 2 Introduction............................................................................................................. Unit 2 Objectives................................................................................................................ Key Terms...........................................................................................................................

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Learning Activities................................................................................................................ Activity 2.1 – Planning lessons that include ICT integration (45 minutes)................. Introduction..................................................................................................... Activity Details................................................................................................ Conclusion.................................................................................... Activity 2.2 – What does it mean to teach? (45 minutes).......................................... Introduction................................................................................................... Activity Details............................................................................................... Conclusion............................................................................................. Activity 2.3 – The role of ICTs to mediate learning (45 minutes)................................ Introduction..................................................................................................... Activity Details............................................................................................... Conclusion............................................................................................ Activity 2.4 – The potential of ICTs to assess learning (45 minutes).......................... Introduction..................................................................................................... Activity Details................................................................................................ Activity 2.4 Part one: ............................................................................ Activity 2.4 part two: ............................................................................ Conclusion....................................................................................................... Activity 2.5 - Applying your learning to your own project (45 minutes)................... Introduction...................................................................................................... Activity Details............................................................................................... Conclusion........................................................................................................ Unit Summary............................................................................................................. Unit Assessment........................................................................................................ Unit Two Group Discussion............................................................................. Instructions........................................................................................... Unit Readings and Other Resources........................................................................Module References.........................................................................................................................

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Welcome to Module 2 ‘Why use ICTs in Teaching and Learning?’

Here is a short welcome message from your guide for Module 2, Janet Thomson: http://youtu.be/z4WwoGiJel4?list=UUMQUq-OFDOmmsadLBYwoqFw

Figure 1. WelcomeAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/76416192@N06/13952977433/

Welcome to Module 2 where we will consider some of the reasons why we use ICTs in teaching and learning. In this module we will explore the rationales that we put forward for ICTs in education. How can we justify the costs of integrating ICTs in education? Do we argue for an improved labour force with just ICT skills or do we argue for better educat-ed digital citizens? What are the pedagogical implications of rationales such as these and others?

PrerequisitesThere are no official prerequisites for this module except a desire to learn more about and try ICTs as they relate to teaching and learning. Regular access to a computer and the internet are necessary to complete this module.

It is not mandatory, but given your particular experience and background with ICTs you may want to have completed Module 1 before moving onto this module.

Module GoalsUpon completion of this module participants should be able to provide a strong rationale as to why teachers use technology in their classrooms. Participants will gain an appreci-ation of the value of learning technologies and an understanding of the relationship be-tween the information and communication technologies (ICT), the teaching methodology (pedagogy) and their subject content. A further goal is for participants to be able to use technology to assist with assessing their students.

Module 2 Overview

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Summary of Units

Figure 2. SummaryAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/60141638@N06/9002177586/

• Unit 1: The rationale for using ICTs in education Explores the rationale for using technology in teaching by examining international theories that classify and explain teacher usage.

• Unit 2: Pedagogical implications of using ICT takes participants through the process of analysing the effectiveness of technology to assist learning and provides illustrations that help us understand how this can be achieved to the extent that it can transform education.

Assessment

Figure 3. AssessAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/36947317@N02/7245220580/

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Schedule

Figure 4. ScheduleAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/34234650@N00/128355181/

We will cover a lot of ground. To help keep you organized and on track we’ve designed a learning checklist for you to fill in. This isn’t a typical schedule as it is a way to help you keep your learning organized and focused, plus a way to help you choose which ones are your priority (as explained above we’ve designed more learning activities that will fit into 4-6 hours. You’re not expected to do them all).

Below you’ll find a checklist for each of Module Two’s learning activities. Then in each unit you’ll see them listed again, just for that unit.

Check off the activities of Module 2 Progress Tracker as you complete them for each unit or after you’ve finished the entire module, as you wish. You’ll be able to see what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve got left to do. This will help you know where you are with regards to your learning.

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Module Readings and Other Resource

Figure 5. ResourcesAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/88138723@N00/89575978/

The readings and other resources in this course are:

Unit 1Readings, videos and other resources:

• The Norwegian Centre for ICT in Education (2012, September 12) The Future starts now video• Morrison, Mark (2009, July 4) Panasonic Challenge in Education video• Brown, R.J. (2012, May 21) The Role of ICT in Education video• Finley, Todd (2014, July 28) 4 things transformational teachers do • Finely, Todd (2014, July 29) 9 Ways to Plan Transformational Lessons: Planning the Best Curriculum Unit

Ever• DC Education Fun, (2014, April 21) Blended Learning: Transforming Classrooms with Technology video• The North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL) (2000, May) Computer-Based Technology and

Learning: Evolving Uses and Expectations• Robinson, Ken (2010, October 14) Changing Education Paradigms video• Puentedura, Ruben R. (2013, June 13) The SAMR Model Explained by Ruben R. Puentedura (condensed

video)• Puentedura, Ruben R. (2013, January 7) Technology In Education: A Brief Introduction (full video)• Oxnevad, Susan (2013, July 4) Using SAMR to teach above the line (article)• Iftekhar, Adnan (2014, July 16) The SAMR Model – Giving Educational Technology a much needed

Framework (article)• Schrock, Kathy (Last updated: 01/13/2015) Resources to support the SAMR Model

Unit 2Readings and other resources:

• Schrock, Kathy (undated) Resources to support the SAMR Model• Gruber, Heidi (2014, September 10) ASSURE model video• Delafosse, Sonja (2011, October 24) Teaching in the 21st Century video• MacArthur Foundation (2010, February 17) Re-imagining learning in the 21st Century video • Edutopia (2010, May 12) Schools Use Games for Learning and Assessment video• Academic IT Oxford University IT Services (2012, February 15) Assessment for Learning: Using Mobile

Polls in the Classroom video• Wisconsin Media Lab (2008, December 8) World Language Assessment | Technology in Assessment

video

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Figure 6. Start hereAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/15125347@N00/2000555581/

Unit Introduction

Watch the video The Future starts now (www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfN5SSiRoPs) (4:39min) which was published on Sep 12, 2012 by The Norwegian Centre for ICT in Educa-tion (www.iktsenteret.no).

Even though the video is based on the Norwegian education system and economy, can you see the parallels with your own country? You may not have oil in your country, but is the economy not fragile as well? Do students in your classes not also experience a “discon-nect” between school and their real lives? Do you not also need a smarter way of teaching and learning in your schools? Do you think that ICTs can help achieve that?

Unit 1 Objectives

Upon completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. Provide a clear rationale for using ICT in education2. Describe how ICTs support educational transformation 3. Analyse how teaching activities relate to the SAMR and TPACK models for tech-

nology integration

UNIT 1. The rationale for using ICTs in education

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Key Terms

Figure 7. VocabularyAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/79782201@N08/13263616953/

SAMR: Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition ModelTPACK: Technological Pedagogical and Content KnowledgeUNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationCFT: Curriculum Framework for Teachers21st Century Skills: A broad skill set that includes collaboration, critical thinking, communication and creativity and are believed to be required for success in today’s world of work.

Learning Activities

Activity 1.1 - Why bother with technology? (30 Minutes)

Please watch the welcome video here. There’s an activity within the video, if you care to play along and have some fun.

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Figure 8. Why Bother with TechnologyAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/barelyfitz/2898020303/

Introduction In this first activity of the unit we examine the reasons for using ICTs in education. Perhaps we should reflect and even brainstorm some ideas in the discussion forum with other participants on this course. Write down at least 4 benefits and 2 drawbacks before you start sharing. Let us look more carefully at why we have schools and whether schools should be technology-rich environments. The first thoughts we usually have are around the changing nature and pace of the world around us and how technology has impacted on how we live, work and play. The crucial element for us, as educators, is to look at how technology has impacted on learning. Take a look at this very short video by Panasonic (41 seconds). This type of separation between real life and school is not a new phenomenon. It was in fact John Dewey in 1897 who drew attention to the need for schools to be relevant, “…education is a pro-cess of living and not a preparation for future living. Education is life itself”[1] Activity Details Newspaper headlines: “Industry needs digital workers”, “New maths to solve skills shortage”. Are schools production facilities for workers of the future? It could be ar-gued that schools were initially established to satisfy a bureaucracy hungry for more

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skilled workers. To what extent do schools still bow to the pressures of industry’s needs? It could be argued that many corporates invest in specialised education proj-ects (such as science fairs and computer olympiads) primarily so that the resulting participants would be better skilled in the fields of those industries. One could proba-bly not argue strongly against developing maths and science skills in school-goers, but what about literacy and digital literacies, or critical thinking, or creativity; what about citizenship? What does society need from schools? Take a moment to think about these questions and formulate responses that reflect your own experience and philosophy of education. Since the accessibility of ICTs to the average consumer and the introduction of ICTs into schools there has been a rationale that ICTs are necessary because there is a need for ICTs skills in the labour force. This led to a focus in some countries on the develop-ment of career-skills in IT (computer programming) as part of the school curriculum. This soon led to a glut of ICT professionals in those countries so that many ICT-related qualifications are common and do not guarantee the holders of IT certificates or de-grees jobs in that field.

Even at the lower end of the spectrum, more basic skills such as word-processing and general Internet use do not secure even the most basic jobs for school leavers. Clearly, to base one’s rationale for ICT in schools on the need for ICT skills alone is a perspec-tive that has limitations. What about the broader curriculum? Let us accept that the current curriculum is a cumbersome and slow-changing aspect of the education system, but let us also as-sume that the basic curriculum is based on sound reasoning and planning.

What role can ICT play in the curriculum? Should it be used to deliver digital content? What do we mean by digital content? Is it just a case of digitizing text books, or do we mean digital tutorials and educational software which directly covers curriculum skills, concepts and understanding? Does this use of ICT alone justify the cost of technology and resource production? How will this transform learning in the classroom? Watch the video The Role of ICT in Education www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbxbNKsZ9gQ, (8:52 min) published by Australian teach-ers in 2012, in which both positive and negative opinions are expressed about ICT in the classroom.

How has the development of ICT changed perspectives, attitudes and practices in the contemporary classroom? How can ICT be most effectively applied in an effective learning environment? What would the rationale for ICT be in the case of a school such as this?

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Conclusion There are a range of rationales for using ICTs in teaching and learning. These range from technology or skill-focused approaches to rationales for students to use tech-nology in the classroom to develop cognitive skills and make use of opportunities to enhance their skills in digital literacies, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity.

[1] John Dewey, (1897). My Pedagogic Creed, The School Journal, Vol. LIV, No. 3, January 16,

Activity 1.2 - Developing a strong rationale for the role of ICT in educa-tional transformation (45 minutes)

Figure 9. TransformationAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/48710796@N06/4545070433/

Introduction

In this activity you will develop a rationale for ICT’s role in educational transformation.

Activity Details

Read 4 things transformational teachers do (http://www.edutopia.org/blog/big-things-transformational-teachers-do-todd-finley) and note the teaching approach-es and teaching activities that you regard as transformational. Read 9 Ways to Plan Transformational Lessons: Planning the Best Curriculum Unit Ever (http://www.edutopia.org/blog/9-ways-plan-transformational-lessons-todd-finley)

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and list the student actions that would typify transformational learning. The video Blended Learning: Transforming Classrooms with Technology

(3:20 min) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hu4Jy7LHtE) is one of hundreds of online videos that shows how ICT has the potential to make learning more interesting and relevant. It makes teaching and assessing more efficient, and lifelong learning a reality. Is ICT a necessary and effective platform on which to build education for the 21st century? How are the conclusions by the Edutopia blog author Todd Finley and evidence in this video backed up by findings over the years since technology has been introduced into the classroom? As you read this content decide in each case whether the conclusions being present-ed, represent educational transformation in your educational/school context. How would each conclusion strengthen your rationale for ICT as a transformational agent? ICTs in schools is not a mere delivery mechanism, but rather:

• a vehicle for the development of lifelong ICT competencies in a local and glob-al society that is increasingly characterized by e-Government, e-commerce and e-learning;

• a support tool for the development of cognitive skills, specifically because it pro-vides efficient and relatively cheap access to information, interactivity and simula-tions that fuel higher order thinking.

The North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL) (2000) has published hundreds of studies on the impact of technology on teaching and learning. One of these reports, Computer-Based Technology and Learning: Evolving Uses and Ex-pectations takes an in-depth look at three distinct phases in technology uses and expectations and addresses whether the use of technology has a positive effect on learning. It concludes that technology has an important role to play in K-12 education, but it will not solve all educational problems.

“Technology can:• Make learning more interactive;• Enhance the enjoyment of learning;• Individualize and customize the curriculum to match learners’ developmental

needs as well as personal interests;• Capture and store data for informing data-driven decision making;• Enhance avenues for collaboration among family members and the school

community;• Improve methods of accountability and reporting. “• http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED456816

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Alignment with national policy and initiatives

Does your country have an educational ICT policy or implementation plan?

What does your country’s policy say about:• computers and software for administrative purposes;• school access to a networked computer facility for teaching and learning;• schools’ use of software;• how ICT facilities are safe and effectively used to facilitate ICT integration into

teaching and learning;• how schools are using educational content that is developed according to a nation-

al set of norms and standards;• school access to an updated database of evaluated content resources such as a

portal?

As a way of both practicing your ICTs use and creating a potentially valuable resource, please upload a link to your country’s educational ICTs policy and/or implementation plan to this google doc. Please also take a look at what others have uploaded and feel free to comment in the discussion forum.

Role in curriculum support

The dissemination of educational information and curriculum resources is an import-ant part of the systemic implementation of an ICT policy. The elimination of disadvantages caused by distance is a major advantage of ICT, although it remains a national challenge to provide the infrastructure for ICT to all schools. Hardware and software can be designed or adapted to cater for any kind of special educational need, whether medical disabilities, physical handicaps, or learning disabilities. (http://www.nalandainstitute.org/) ICT does not deliver curriculum as effectively as it can enhance the depth and breadth of the teachers’ (and learners’) curriculum interpretation, which is one of the well-known seven roles of the educator. Jamie McKenzie (2003) pointed this out in his observations of ICT supported learning “This lesson was dramatically enhanced by rich online materials superior to what the textbook company could afford to print. McDougal-Littell has done a superior job of combining the benefits of the old technology (the textbook) with the advantages of the new.” “These Earth Science online activities breathe life into a topic that could seem cold and dead. They enrich, illustrate and vitalize. They offer the teacher a broader menu of learning choices to reach students.”Jamie MacKenzie, (2003) From Now On, The Educational Technology Journal,

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Computers are not the panacea (remedy for all ills) of all educational problems and good management by the teacher is required because they need to be able to identi-fy the appropriate role of ICT in supporting learning. After attending a lesson on rock crystals, McKenzie (2003) wrote: “Rob Kohl was not seduced by the technology, his room was not chaotic and the work was impressively rigorous as teams discussed a series of very challenging questions he had provided to structure the inquiry. He was actively engaged monitoring, assisting and prodding. His students were not floundering, wandering, socializing or wasting time. I spent a few hours observing classes and saw well organized, rigorous lessons that kept technologies in perspective.

Quite clearly ICT did make an impact on enhancing that curriculum, but with the teacher playing an active facilitating role. Note the important implications of this for staff development in ICT integration.

Computer rooms can be powerfully used to efficiently enhance the curriculum and learners’ understanding of vital mathematics and science concepts with interactive, learner-centered software such as The Geometer’s Sketchpad.” Jamie MacKenzie, (2003) From Now On, Education Technology Journal,

Classroom impacts Not only does ICT impact on knowledge acquisition and cognitive gains, but it tends to benefit class discipline because of the learners’ heightened level of interest. This encourages learners to take responsibility for their own learning, although they are probably not aware of the extent to which they are doing this. Some of the most important conclusions from recent studies on the benefits of tech-nology for education will show that:

• Learners provided with technology-rich learning environments continue to per-form well on standardized tests and develop a variety of competencies not usually measured which include:

● increased social awareness and self confidence ● increased capacity to communicate effectively about complex processes ● more independent learning ● increase self-initiative ● spontaneous sharing of ideas ● higher quality assignments ● higher attendance ● improved writing skills ● improved higher order thinking skills.

• The use of the Internet as an educational tool when integrated into curriculum

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is extending learning opportunities for learners by increasing skills in conducting independent research, interpersonal communications, written expression, and mo-tivation while significantly extending learning beyond the walls of the classroom.

• Online learning improves student achievement at least as much as traditional methods of instruction while expanding student access to high quality instruction previously unavailable to rural schools.

• Telecommunications serves as an effective bridge between teachers and learners that can facilitate their communications and it is the actions of educators, and not the technology, that will initiate and sustain desired educational change

Cradler: http://home.earthlink.net/~cradler/techprog.htm

At a relatively early stage in the implementation of ICT in schools the SITES (2001) 1

report concluded that ICT has the potential to:

● change and improve the nature and quality of thinking and problem-solv-ing processes

● support students to learn more about themselves and their world and to take action and make a difference locally and globally

● enhance the power and effectiveness of the message being communicated or the position argued

● improve students’ critical engagement with and analysis of information being created and explored

● improve literacy and numeracy outcomes ● improve the independent and collaborative skills of all learners ● support students in learning how to learn

Research associated with the World Bank Institute’s ICT for Education programme con-cludes that after the introduction of ICT:

• Students take much more control of their own learning because resources exist for them to discover things on their own.

• Student writing with the support of the word processor is characterised by more instinctive writing, more drafts and more feedback

• Students have access to a variety of online resources to supplement the available print resources. Online resources are more than documents. Students can commu-nicate with subject experts or students in remote places.

• Students collect data locally and share with students in remote locations. Collabo-ration with other lands and cultures enhances the experience.

• Student have a wider group of mentors and help sources beyond the classroom • World-wide Web publication of curriculum documents makes them easily updat-

1 SITES (2001) Multimedia Development Tools as Focus for Learning through Authentic Tasks using Teamwork, Problem-solving, Higher order thinking skills, & Communication, Case study AU002, International research

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ed and revised. The curriculum is evergreen. The web provides means for many enhancements to the curriculum.

http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/ictforeducation/policymakers/docs/pol_mod4_act2_doc1.pdf

Now try to formulate your own rationale for ICTs in teaching and learning by doing the following:

1. Consider the prompt questions which you’ll find here2. Draft your own rationale for ICTs in teaching and learning3. Upload your rationale here4. Review what others have uploaded and edit yours if need be

Conclusion In this lesson activity you were exposed to a variety of research findings and real life evidence of the transformational impact of ICTs in teaching and learning. Your ratio-nale for ICTs in teaching and learning should now represent a broader perspective than merely reflecting industry’s needs although the skills, attitudes, knowledge and experience of school-leavers who have experienced technology in the transformation-al classroom will be an extremely valuable by-product to a growing economy.

Activity 1.3 – Transformational teaching practice with ICT’s (45 min-utes)

Figure 10. Developing PossibilitiesAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/47691521@N07/5752191246/

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Introduction

In this lesson activity you will learn how to analyse and categorise teaching and learn-ing activity with ICTs. In order to gain a wider perspective on the purpose of edu-cation and why we teach the way we do, please click on this link to watch this video Changing Education Paradigms (11:41 min) by Ken Robinson www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

Although his ideas emanate from either the USA or the UK, the message is clear and applicable to other countries. Teachers have a moral duty or obligation to engage learners in authentic tasks using media that is appealing, relevant and effective in their environments.

Activity Details In Module 1, you were exposed to The UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teach-ers, which outlined three different approaches to teaching (three successive stages of teacher development). As you re-read the summary reflect on how each stage represents an increasing degree of transformation from teacher/technology-centred approaches to approaches characterized by student initiative and knowledge-creation with ICTs:

1. The first is Technology Literacy which enables students to use ICT to learn more efficiently.

2. The second is Knowledge Deepening, enabling students to acquire in-depth knowledge of their school subjects and apply it to complex, real-world prob-lems.

3. The third is Knowledge Creation, enabling students, citizens and the work-force they become, to create the new knowledge required for more harmoni-ous, fulfilling and prosperous societies.

Two useful instruments for analyzing how you integrate ICTs as a teacher are the TPACK and SAMR models.

TPACK

“Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a framework that identifies the knowledge teachers need to teach effectively with technology.” 2

2 http://www.tpack.org/

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Figure 11. The TPACK Image (Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 Adapted from www.tpack.org

This model identi fi es three main areas of knowledge that are at play when we teach with technology, as shown in the Venn diagram above. The purple area of overlapping circles in the diagram (Technology Knowledge and Content Knowledge overlap) refers to knowledge on how technology helps you to access and present the content of your subject. The dark pink area, which represents the overlap between the Technical and Pedagogical Knowledge circles, refers to knowledge on how technology can infl uence the way you teach. What the model is really wanti ng to communicate is that teachers should plan lessons holisti cally, taking all three areas of knowledge into account, so the knowledge you implement in planning and implementi ng the lesson represents the middle, dark green area where all three circles overlap.Teachers will struggle to achieve this if they have a knowledge defi ciency in one or more of the three knowledge areas. Most good practi cing teachers experience this knowledge defi ciency in the Technology Knowledge area when they fi rst come into contact with technology.Sound teacher development in technology integrati on recognizes the combinati ons of the three areas and strives to achieve the TPACK integrati on of technology with peda-gogy and content knowledge during technology-enriched learning acti viti es.Intersecti ons of two knowledge forms such as Technological Pedagogy (TPK) are not necessarily less important than the intersecti on between all three (TPACK) in teacher development. While a pencil is a pedagogical technology (used primarily for writ-ing) the modern-day equivalent is the word processor (an extension of the keyboard technology) and while word processing skills may be exclusively in the Technological Knowledge (TK) domain, knowledge of how to use the word processor as a pedagogi-cal tool in the classroom (more than by just replicati ng the pencil) is a signifi cant step

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for developing literacy skills across the curriculum. Similarly, whereas books could be seen as the forerunners of “content technology”, teachers are now faced with a myriad of opti ons for delivering content through technology and need to have techno-logical content knowledge (TCK) to know the diff erence between these opti ons. This would naturally lead to a scruti ny of the pedagogical approaches and subsequently to the questi on, “What is the best way to teach my subject content with technology?” which would be a TPACK aligned questi on.

SAMR MODEL The Substi tuti on Augmentati on Modifi cati on Redefi niti on (SAMR) Model off ers a method of seeing how, on the one hand, technology might impact teaching and learn-ing, but on the other hand, how levels of student engagement might increase as tech-nology off ers more opportuniti es for learning.

Figure 12. SAMR Model, TPACK and SAMR: The Process View, Puentadora,R (online) Adapted from http://hippasus.com/rrpweblog/

The SAMR model was developed by Dr Ruben Puentadora, an educati onal research-er who has spent many years focusing on transformati ve applicati ons of informati on technologies to educati on. Puentadora describes it as a process view, one in which the presence of technology in the classroom may at fi rst enhance existi ng teaching prac-ti ce, but eventually be responsible for transformati on of learning. The model provides a clear point of reference for teachers wishing to bett er under-stand the impact of technology integrati on on teaching and learning. Here is a video of Ruben R. Puentedura, talking about his model (4:06 min) htt p://goo.gl/HMB0iv.

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This is the condensed version. The original version is available here (12:58 min) http://youtu.be/rMazGEAiZ9c if you have time to watch it.There are many articles and blogs about the SAMR model that are well worth re-searching; here are links to three of varying lengths:Using SAMR to teach above the line (article)The SAMR Model – Giving Educational Technology a much needed Framework (very short article)And Kathy Schrock’s blog about SAMR where she takes the model a step further by aligning it to the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy to ensure that higher order thinking hap-pens at the higher levels of the transformation of teaching.

Conclusion In this lesson activity you were exposed to two models which any teacher could use to analyse the nature and the transformational impact of teaching and learning activities in which ICTs are integrated. In this way teachers can plan specifically to:

• Include technology, pedagogical and content knowledge in lesson activities;• Strive for the more transformational kinds of learning activities as outlined in the

SAMR model.

Draw up a table comparing the way you teach in your classroom with the characteris-tics outlined in any of the three models (UNESCO CFT, SAMR or TPACK). Share these ideas in the discussion forum.

Unit Summary

Figure 13. SummaryAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/60141638@N06/9002177586/

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Now that you’ve completed Unit 1 you should be able to justify a clear rationale for using ICTs in education, describe how ICTs support educational transformation and analyse how teaching activities relate to the SAMR and TPACK models for technology integration.

Unit Assessment

Figure 14. Assess

Adapted from www.flickr.com/photos/36947317@N02/7245220580/

Check your understanding!

Unit One Group Discussion Instructions

Just a gentle reminder that there is no formal assessment for this not-for-credit course but we encourage you to take charge of your learning and ensure you are taking away learning that is relevant and applicable to your particular needs.

With that in mind please ensure you have participated in at least one of the group discussions (especially if you wish to receive a certificate of participation);

● Activity 1.1: Why bother with technology? ● Activity 1.2 Developing a rationale for the role of ICTs in educational

transformation ● Activity 1.3 Transformational teaching practice with ICTs

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Unit Readings and Other Resources

Figure 15. ResourcesAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/88138723@N00/89575978/

The readings in this unit are to be found at the module level section readings and other resources. 

Figure 16. Start hereAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/15125347@N00/2000555581/

Unit 2. Pedagogical implications of using ICT

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Unit 2 Introduction Where does ICT integration fall into the sequence of your planning for a lesson? Should this unit be entitled “Pedagogical implications for using ICT” or “How our pedagogical ap-proach defines our use of ICT”? Do you consider pedagogy first or are you unduly influenced by the ICT resources before you plan how you will lead learning? Responses to such questions will be different according to the role of ICT in your subject, your ICT skills, attitude towards ICT, knowledge of ICT and experience in teaching with ICT. In this unit we will explore how ICTs affordances make demands on our pedagogical prac-tices. Unit 2 Objectives Upon completion of unit 2 you should be able to:

1. Create a learning activity that incorporates appropriate ICT integration2. Describe what it means to teach with ICT3. List the tools that you would like to explore to enhance teaching and learning4. Evaluate the role of ICT in mediating learning5. Evaluate the ability of ICT to support assessment of learning

Key Terms

Figure 17. Vocabulary

Adapted from www.flickr.com/photos/79782201@N08/13263616953/

ASSURE: model of instructional design for teachers to plan lessons enhanced by technology

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Learning Activities Activity 2.1 – Planning lessons that include ICT integration (45 min-utes)

Figure 18. IntegrateAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/64519085@N00/4422382987/

Introduction In this activity you will apply a lesson planning sequence to experience how and when the decisions about ICT integration take place in learning design. Activity Details There are many templates for lesson planning and it is possible that your education Ministry or district prescribes a specific template for lesson planning. It is less likely (but not inconceivable) that these lesson templates give you guidance on how to plan for ICT integration. For the sake of simplicity we propose using the ASSURE model to illustrate when and how to plan for ICT integration while designing learning. Watch this video explanation of the ASSURE model (www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8t-5P5xc1v8) (11:15 min). As you do so pause it regularly to reflect on how your school’s and your students’ contexts influence the decisions you make before planning a lesson

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and while planning a lesson, especially in terms of the technology and other media resources that you will be able to use. Notice how the model requires you to make decisions about your method before you decide which technology and media can best support this method. Apply this model to a lesson which you have already taught and experience how this influences your thinking about ICTs. Of course, having a knowledge of the learning po-tential of ICT resources will influence your thinking when planning your method. How did it influence your decision this time?

One of the most important considerations when deciding whether technology use is appropriate is the focus on learning. Appropriate use of technology is when one is not focusing on the technology. If one concentrates on the skills required in order to use the computer instead of the skills required in order to manage information then one could easily fall into the trap of allowing the learners to think that the technology is more important than the learning that is taking place.

Checklist of appropriate use of technology

When you are concerned about the appropriateness of your use of ICT in the class-room, ask yourself these questions:• Is the use of ICT simple? Is your choice guided by what is available to your stu-

dents?• Are you sure that you are not including ICT just because you think it is important to

know?• Are learners who are working with ICT focusing on the content?• Is your role facilitative i.e. are you giving the learners the opportunity to work with

ICT on their own?• Does working with ICT enhance the learning process?• Are learners using higher order thinking skills before and during and after the use

of ICT?• Is ICT a part of the learning process, and not an add-on?• If you answered “Yes” to all of the above questions, it is likely that you are making

appropriate use of ICT.

Now that you’ve watched the ASSURE video please design one example for ICTs use that fits the listed criteria. When you’re done post it online, and review other’s exam-ples (feel free to edit yours if you wish, after reviewing other’s work).Conclusion In this lesson activity you experienced how your context and your decisions about your learning objectives and method will precede the planning decisions you make about which ICT and media resources you will use and how you will implement their use

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Activity 2.2 – What does it mean to teach? (45 minutes)

Figure 19. What does it mean to teachAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/16105263@N00/51860972/

Introduction In this activity you will learn about student engagement and how the opportunities provided by ICTs can help you to redefine how you teach. You will analyse the oppor-tunities provided by ICTs in terms of the skills, attitudes, knowledge and experiences that your students can acquire when integrating ICTs. Activity Details Watch the video Teaching in the 21st Century (www.youtube.com/watch?v=075aWD-dZUlM) (9:27 min). While you watch pause the video regularly to think about and answer these questions: 1. What is the role of a teacher when integrating ICTs?2. What are typical student activities and tasks (essentially, what methods should the teacher employ)?3. What is the role of the students and other human resources during these activities and tasks?4. What skills do you and your students acquire (or wish to acquire)?5. What knowledge do you and your students gain (or wish to gain)?6. What attitudes do you and your students (need to) adopt?7. What experiences will you and your students potentially be exposed to? Lastly, analyse your responses to these questions and describe how your view of

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teaching may have altered as a result of this exercise. Did watching the video result in you developing a short list of ICT tools that you would like to explore? Write down this list in your reflective journal, share your learnings in the discussion forum and allocate yourself time to explore these tools.

Each one of you will have come up with a different conclusion. Share your revelations with other participants in the group discussion, being aware of what resource will you use to do this (especially if sharing your learnings includes with people / communities outside of this course).

Conclusion In the lesson activity you analysed the potential of ICTs to redefine your personal ap-proach to thinking about method and ICTs during your lesson planning.

Activity 2.3 – The role of ICTs to mediate learning (45 minutes)

Figure 20. Mediating learningAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/58411470@N00/6834141860/

Introduction In this activity you will evaluate the role of ICTs in playing “indirect causation, connec-tion, or relation”[1] to learning. You will be reminded how ICTs can sometimes be the topic of the lesson (not always justifiably), while at other times it is the background supporting resource, which is typically how we integrate ICTs with teaching and learn-ing. Finally, you will see how ICTs mediate learning in what is regarded as an approach more accessible to a generation of video game- playing youth.

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Activity Details When teachers feel the need to assist student understanding or to “mediate” learn-ing they often resort to their own experience of teaching and learning. As a result we have the global problem of the old industrial paradigm of learning being perpetuated – teachers talking and students sitting passively, hardly absorbing anything. In fact this is not mediating at all; this is “fronting” the class, being the primary source of infor-mation. Mediating means adopting a middle position. If the teachers were to adopt the “middle” position, what would the primary source of the students’ attention be? There are at least two possible answers: 1) ICTs or 2) student engagement in a learning activity. Let us examine these scenarios more closely. ICTs as the primary source of attentionThis is the case when teachers teach about technology. Some teachers’ only experi-ence of technology is to be in a training room where they were taught the mastery if ICT skills. These teachers consequently believe that the only way that students will use technology is to be taught about technology. Many ICT literacy programmes are based on this premise and Ministries often prescribe training such as the International Com-puter Drivers Licence (ICDL) in the same misconception that if teachers know the ICT skills they will properly integrate ICT in their classrooms. Unfortunately this invariably turns out to be a false assumption and the result is disillusionment with ICT, while the disillusionment should actually be with the approach of the programme. ICDL only assesses skills and not their application in teaching and learning contexts. Of course Information Technology teachers, teaching the vocational skills of computer programming, for instance, would justifiably give ICTs a more dominant role because their subject is about technology. Some teachers, and indeed some national curriculum strategies, contend that the learning of ICT skills should precede or be separated from the integration of the ICT with the curriculum and learning activities. Others believe that the skills should be integrated with the learning activities in a just-in-time approach. This would mean that new skills are demonstrated at the time when the context of their use is most appropriate, just as the need to know the skill arises in the learning activity. The “just-in-time” approach could mean that the acquisition of the skill will be more successful because it has been learned in a meaningful context. In these approaches the teacher’s role can range from being the demonstrator and instructor (especially when the skills are taught separately) to being the demonstrator reverting to a coaching role or fading into the background and allowing student infor-mal learning takes over (which is more typical of the “just-in-time” approach. Student engagement the primary focusYou were exposed to this approach in the previous learning activity of this unit and also in the previous unit when exploring educational transformation. In this approach the teacher has taken on the role of facilitator and has designed a method that is

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student-centred and makes good use of technology and media as supporting resourc-es. The challenge of the students’ complex thinking skills through a problem, task or question will engage students in activities during which they will exercise thinking and digital literacy skills in the pursuit of a conclusion/solution/answer. This scenario is typical of the project-based, problem-based approaches to learning and the scientific method of investigation. What happens if ICT occupies the “middle position” in learning? That would effectively be a case of ICT mediating learning.

Watch the MacArthur Foundation video Re-imagining learning in the 21st Century (www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6_U6jOKsG4&feature=youtu.be) (3:59 min) and make a note on what you think they mean by re-imagining learning. Judging on what you heard and saw in the visuals, what are the possible roles of ICT in re-imagining learn-ing and where are the teacher and students positioned in this approach?

Watch the Edutopia video Schools Use Games for Learning and Assessment (www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-GVEANUEVo) (10:51 min). After watching the video explain to yourself in writing how computer simulations could be effective learning tools for a generation of video game players. What other ways are there for teachers to bring their students into a twenty-first century learning environment?

Notice how the teacher, having designed the learning activity, fades into the back-ground to a greater extent than strictly teacher-mediated learning (with technology in background support). Notice how the students are primarily engaged with their chal-lenges and imaginations. Do you think that ICT can be an effective mediator of learn-ing?

Share your learnings in your reflective journal and/or in the discussion forum.

Conclusion In this activity you evaluated the role of ICTs in learning. You were reminded of how ICT can sometimes be the focus of learning and at other times be a background learn-ing support resource. Finally, you were exposed to how ICT can be a mediator of learn-ing, with the teacher in the background and student engagement in the foreground. You should be in a position to form an opinion of ICT’s potential to mediate learning. Perhaps you would like to explore this idea further.

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Activity 2.4 – The potential of ICTs to assess learning (45 minutes)

Figure 21. Assessing learningAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/67272961@N03/6123892769/

Introduction

In this activity you will evaluate ICT’s potential to assess learning. This topic is covered in a practical way in the next module, which means that we will focus on evaluating the potential of ICTs to assess learning. Before we do that we need to clarify what we mean by assessment and what roles we expect ICTs to play in assessment. Activity Details Let us assume that we have a common understanding that assessment is not only a summative judgment of a student’s ability, but that it is a continuous process of:

· gaining feedback about the effectiveness of our teaching· giving feedback to students about their learning · building a picture of each student’s development

Gathering evidence to serve these three purposes could take place at any time before, during or after a lesson. Typically teachers give students assignments or tests/exams which they assess. Assignments may take place in a variety of formats but tests and exams tend to be written, unless a practical subject is involved. Teachers do not usual-ly regard the role of ICT to be significant in assessment other than using a spreadsheet or a school administration programme to capture and process grades. On the other hand, given the drudgery of marking assignments and tests, teachers are

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often very receptive to the idea of ICT being used to generate self-grading tests and will use such instruments widely. Other teachers are more discerning about assess-ment and claim that self-grading tests are limited in their usefulness given that the computer can mostly only match exact responses. A small typing error could generate an incorrect response, which would only be picking up that the student cannot type or spell correctly, while the student may very well have the understanding required for a correct response to the question. Computers are generally not good at assessing essay questions or responses requiring recognition of complex processes. Another ICT-related way of assessment is to conduct polls which require the use of a clicker system or using an online website such as Kahoot (www.getkahoot.com/) or one which provides a survey form (for example, Google Docs) or other polling apps or plugins. Watch Assessment for Learning: Using Mobile Polls in the Classroom (www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DhA469rN68) (9:19 min). Teachers who recognize the process of learning as much as the product will be able to integrate ICT and assess processes using ICT. One way of doing this is to use online collaborative spaces such as mind maps (for example Mindmeister), collaborative doc-uments (such as wikis or a Google Doc) or threaded discussion boards (such as Buddy-Press on a WordPress blog) to provide all students in a class with the opportunity to express their thinking in writing simultaneously.

Teachers may also use the products of ICT integration to assess student understand-ing in lieu of a concluding test. Watch this Wisconsin Media Lab video Technology in Assessment (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS0JOT2WdaE) (14:40 min).Although some of this technology has been replaced by mobile phones, you can listen to teach-ers discussing the advantages of using different technologies to engage their students in world language learning. How you value the use of ICTs in assessment is probably dependent on how you value assessment of learning beyond the formal, mandatory written assignments, tests and exams. Did you know that in Ireland by 2017 the school-leaving certificate will be replaced with a digital portfolio? Essentially, assessment requires the capture of evi-dence in some or other format. Consider how ICTs could assist you in achieving this.

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Activity 2.4 Part one:

Figure 22. CommunityAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/56347498@N02/5429309141/

As with Module 1 we want to assist you with making the module content as practical as possible. To do that we’ll use the S.A.K.E.© technique, which stands for Skills, Atti-tudes, Knowledge and Experience.

Skills are your abilities, talents or proficiencies.Attitude is your worldview, values or feelings.Knowledge is your body of information, theory, or data.Experience is your history of applying your skills, attitude and knowledge.

You can apply the S.A.K.E.© technique to you as an individual learner, to your school, your organization (as not everyone may work in a school), to the courses you teach and/or to the community(ies) you work with.

For our purposes we’ll begin by focusing on you as a learner.

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Reflect back on the content and learning activities you’ve accomplished so far and use the worksheet to guide your analysis.

Evaluating ICT’s potential to assess

learning

Skills Attitude Knowledge Experience

What skills, attitudes, knowledge and expe-rience did you have before you started this module in using ICTs to assess learning? List them briefly to the right.

What skills, attitudes, knowledge and experi-ence do you have now after completing this module in using ICTs to assess learning? List them briefly to the right.

What skills, attitudes, knowledge and expe-rience would you still like to gain in using ICTs to assess learning? List them briefly to the right.

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Activity 2.4 part two:Optional second part to this activity- create a word cloud.

Figure 23. Word cloudAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/25650455@N03/5451897212/

Word clouds, if you’re not already familiar with them, are visual representations of data. Words appear in word clouds in various sizes - the larger the word, the more frequently it is mentioned in the text that’s been used to create the word cloud. Con-versely the smaller the text, the less frequently those words were used in the text.

The options to use word clouds are endless. They’re easy and free to use and easy and free to share. Why not try your hand at making one? Simply copy your text from the above exercise, go to www.wordle.net, a popular word cloud site, click ‘create your own’, and paste your text into the box that appears. Click ‘go’ and watch what happens. You can play with both the layout and fonts if you like.

If you want to save your word cloud make sure you click ‘save’ and make note of the resulting url. Upload your link to the group discussion so we can see your results.

Conclusion In this learning activity you were provided with a brief overview of how ICT resources are typically available to teachers for conducting and processing assessment. How you value these resources would depend on your personal view and needs of assessment.

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Activity 2.5 - Applying your learning to your own project (45 minutes)

Figure 24. Apply

Adapted from www.flickr.com/photos/73645804@N00/2336784676/

Introduction

Continuing to apply and practice your learning, in activity 2.5 you’ll reflect back on what you’ve learned from Unit 2 and apply your chosen learning activities to an ICTs project you select. (If this sounds familiar it’s because you may have done a similar activity in Module 1, activity 2.6).

Activity Details

If you haven’t already selected your project please visit the above link that will help you select one.

Now take some time to think about how you’ll continue to apply what you’ve learned so far to your specific project.

Make a list of 3 things you’ll do to continue to incorporate ICTs into your project. Be as specific as possible.

1. ____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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Share this list with other participants via a group discussion if you like or keep it to yourself, whichever is most helpful to you. We’ll declare our bias right now - it would be great if you shared so you can seek inspiration from and give inspiration to other learners.

ConclusionContinuing to apply and practice your learning, activity 2.5 reflected on what you’ve learned from Unit 2 and applied your chosen learning activities to an ICTs project you selected, while making a list of 3 things you’ll continue to do to incorporate ICTs into your project.

[1] Merriam-Webster Dictionary (online) www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mediate

Unit Summary

Figure 25. SummaryAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/60141638@N06/9002177586/

Now that you’ve mastered unit 2 you should be able to create a learning activity that incorporates appropriate ICT integration, describe what it means to teach with ICT, list the tools that you would like to explore to enhance teaching and learning, evaluate the role of ICT in mediating learning and evaluate the ability of ICT to support assess-ment of learning.

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Unit Assessment

Figure 26. AssessAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/36947317@N02/7245220580/

Check your understanding!

Unit Two Group Discussion

Instructions

Just a gentle reminder that there is no formal assessment for this not-for-credit course but we encourage you to take charge of your learning and ensure you are taking away learning that is relevant and applicable to your particular needs.

With that in mind please ensure you have participated in at least one of the group discussions above (especially if you wish to receive a certificate of participation);

● activity 2.1 Planning lessons that include ICT integration ● activity 2.2 What does it meant to teach? ● activity 2.3 The role of ICTs to mediate learning ● activity 2.4 Potential of ICTs to assess learning, parts 1 and 2 ● activity 2.5 Applying your learning to your project

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Unit Readings and Other Resources

Figure 27. ResourcesAdapted from www.flickr.com/photos/88138723@N00/89575978/

The readings in this unit are to be found at module level readings and other resources.

Module References

The Commonwealth of Learning (2014), Commonwealth Certificate for Teacher ICT Integration, retrieved from http://www.cctionline.org