Running Head: TECHNOLOGICAL IMPACT ON EDUCATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technological Impact on Teaching and Learning

Alexa Flores-Hull

Northern Arizona University

September 2006

Abstract

 

Technology has had an impact on both instruction and learning in classrooms from PK to university level. This paper researches the evolution of learning theories that play a role in the implementation of technology in classrooms. It also reviews the history of technological usage in classrooms and various impacts such as teacher preparation and the ability to create meaningful lessons utilizing technology. If technology is “used as a catalyst for social interaction and conversations related to children’s work” (Van Scoter, Ellis, Railsback, 2001, p.9) then technology becomes a vital tool with positive impact for both the instructor and the student. In conclusion, technology is found to be most powerful when combined with a constructivist approach.

Introduction

     The use of technology in schools today has impacted both the students and the teachers on many levels, specifically the inclusion of more student centered and authentic tasks. In order to understand the manners in which technology has been implemented we must also look at the various research and theories about learning. It is from these learning theories that many educators take their approach to the implementation of technology in the classroom, be it a PK or university level setting. The manner in which they apply these technologies also varies based on teacher comfort levels with technologies available.

     Does technology have a valuable role in information acquisition or is it merely another bell and whistle used to capture an audience? Is the use of technology an asset or a burden on teacher lesson planning? How has technology been used in the past and has it been used to its full potential? Can true understanding occur? Where do we go from here? While one can not claim to have the answers to these questions, it is at least possible to try to provide the information in a way to stimulate further reading and perhaps find answers of one’s own.

     Let us begin with an overview of four learning theories: Behaviorism, Social Learning Theory, Cognitive Learning Theory, and Constructivism / Constructionism.

 

Learning Theories

     The behavioral learning theory is based on the belief that a behavior will only change due to an outside influence.  This theory has early roots in the research and findings of such people as Watson and Pavlov. The belief is that a specific defined stimulus will trigger a specific defined response. The findings of Skinner led to the notion of operant conditioning which states that a behavior will be repeated or avoided depending on the consequence. A behavior triggers a specific consequence and that consequence serves to reinforce the experience. If the reinforcement is positive in nature the person will more than likely repeat the specific behavior performed. If it is a negative experience the theory postulates that the behavior will change. There are many critics of behaviorism as en educational theory stemming from the belief that learners are not taking an active role in their information acquisition (Woolfolk, 2001).

     The theory of Social Learning has its roots in the work done by Gabriel Tarde. He formulated that learning occurred via three distinct stages: close contact, imitation of superiors and finally insertion. The fundamental belief of the theory “emphasizes learning through observation of others”(Woolfolk, 2001, p. 322). The theory developed as a way to explain deviant behaviors but again the learning occurs in a person due to outside influences and does not account for any internal factors.

     The cognitive learning theory (CLT) grew from behaviorism but allowed for the existence of internal mental states. It does not believe that everything is determined by outside stimuli. Noam Chomsky was a large proponent of CLT due to his research of language acquisition processes. The CLT sees the process as an active series of acquiring information, remembering the information and being able to use the knowledge in appropriate ways (Woolfolk, 2001, pg. 241).

     The educational learning theory of constructivism states that the learners take an active role in the acquisition and categorization of information. The learning occurs by utilizing students’ prior knowledge to actively “construct” new ideas or concepts. The teacher’s role is more of a facilitator and the student has a hands-on role. The true belief is that of learning by doing (Woolfolk, 2001, p. 329-332).

This theory is the main counterpoint to the cognitive learning theory. It is important to note that constructivism itself does not suggest a particular pedagogy. In fact, constructivism describes how learning happens, regardless of whether the learner is leveraging their experiences to understand a lecture or attempting to design a model airplane. In both cases, the theory of constructivism suggests that learners construct knowledge (Constructivist Theory, para. 2).

 

Brief History of Technology in Classrooms

     Technology has traditionally been used as an instructional aid – overhead projects, televisions, radios, record players and movie screens. It has also been a tool that enabled different means for students to complete the typical drill and practice activities often completed with pencil and paper. In some disciplines technology was merely another multi-media alternative for the teacher to be able to use as a way to present information to the students. Computers started to become a more important role in classrooms with the addition of the smaller personal computers such as the Apple IIE computer in the mid 1980s. It was with these smaller personal computers that schools first started to create computer labs. Many schools however still today do not have the proper funding for computer labs and those computers that they do have are available for specific classes such as business applications and/or keyboarding only.

     Many have felt that instituting the use of more technology in a school setting was also requiring the schools to tackle head on educational reform (Valdez, 2005). The use of technology in the classroom though is an issue that is on the forefront of many people’s minds, especially those who are looking to the economic future of our country. In an article by Gilbert Valdez entitled Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom he states,

The Internet is becoming an increasingly vital tool in our information society. More Americans are going online to conduct such day-to-day activities as education, business transactions, personal correspondence, research and information-gathering, and job searches. Each year, being digitally connected becomes ever more critical to economic and educational advancement and community participation. Now that a large number of Americans regularly use the Internet to conduct daily activities, people who lack access to these tools are at a growing disadvantage. Therefore, raising the level of digital inclusion by increasing the number of Americans using the technology tools of the digital age is a vitally important national goal (U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, & National Telecommunications and Information Administration (2000, p. xv).

 

Today the technology available to some students and schools range from handheld computers and graphing calculators to iPods used in language labs and software such as Inspiration on school laptops serviced by wireless networks. These have brought to the forefront an entirely new problem of school funding and requirements for at home technological resources. No school can expect their students to complete an assignment utilizing specific software if those students do not have the technology available to them at home. So how does one apply technology that can be used solely at school?

Impact of Technology

     The use of technology in today’s classrooms can assist both the teachers and the students not only with the task present for the lesson and unit being covered but it also “prepares learners to live responsibly in a democratic, technically-driven society” (Raley, 2006, Use of Technology section, bullet 1). By pairing technology in an appropriate manner it also “helps learners acquire knowledge, skills, communicate and manage information, and improve problem-solving, creative expression, research, design, and product development” (Raley, 2006, Use of Technology section, bullet 2).

     Where can technology go from here in an educational setting? As the Memphis City schools have done districts have implemented programs where technology coaches encourage principals and facilitators to make use of tools and they provide peer training (Parrish, Holcomb, Eller, 2006). One of the obstacles, besides funding for schools, is the lack of training in a comfortable environment for instructors. Teachers are more likely to utilize tools that will assist students if they themselves are first comfortable with the skills needed. Schools and their school districts would benefit from a program that assesses their teachers’ use of technology and readiness for use of technology, as well as their ability to utilize technology in an engaging and meaningful way for the students. One such example is the Teacher Education and Technology Planning Guide created by Learning Point Associates in November of 2004. It looks at eight key categories for the implementation of technology by pre-service teachers and colleges of education (Fulton, Glenn, Valdez, 2004).

     Technology can be implemented in a constructivist fashion in order to create real-world activities and engaging tasks (Herrington and Herrington, 2005). Such ideas are case studies or truly authentic situations that would stimulate student’s ability to work as problem solvers and not merely regurgitate the information back to the teacher. The students themselves crave more stimulating and engaging activities when technology is implanted (Valdez, 2005).

     The need for learning communities to exist within the use of technology is vital. The students and the instructors must be able to function in a constructivist environment. It is via the interactive learning that technology in the classroom can contribute the most; however, instructors must be mindful of the critics who say the use of technology in this form will create social isolation.

     In its current form the impact on education is apparent by the many communication styles available for both students and teachers. Many universities whether the class is a traditional or online course offer discussion boards and blogs. The reality is that the generation of today’s students are multimedia based, they were born and raised with the internet; to these students the internet and technology make up their understanding of the world around them. In an abstract from an article written by Sandra Jones in Authentic Learning Environments in Higher Education she states “[technology] can be used to augment the authenticity of the learning experience in student-centered learning environments. It argues that technology provides the opportunity to embed students in learning activity bridging the gap between the “real world” and “the classroom” (Herrington, Herrington, 2005, chapter XIII, p. 172). This would be in complete agreement with those who argue for a constructivist based learning theory and its impact on students.

 

Conclusion

     In summary does technology have a valuable role in information acquisition or is it merely another bell and whistle used to capture an audience? Yes, it does have an important role for the new generation of students but if the teachers are not adequately prepared it has the potential to be just another gimmick. Is the use of technology an asset or a burden on teacher lesson planning? It is an asset but again teachers but be prepared and skilled in ways to utilize technology in an engaging way in order for it to be a successful tool. Can true understanding occur? Undoubtedly, yes it can lead to meaning learning experiences if the technology is used in combination with a constructivist style classroom, allowing for the students to explore with guidance from their instructor. Where do we go from here? The sky is truly the limit and the only boundaries that apply are those that are in place in order to keep studies safe. Technology in the classroom utilized by the instructor “develops technology literate learners when they apply technology across curricular areas throughout the life-long learning process” (Raley, 2006, Use of Technology section, bullet 3). The process by which technology has the most impact and allows students to think, create and analyze in authentic situations is that of a constructivist design. As eloquently stated,

Just as pencils do not replace crayons but rather provide additional means of expression, computers, or cameras or any other form of technology, do not replace other tools but add to the array of tools available to children to explore, create and communicate (Van Scoter, Ellis, Railsback, 2001, p.25).

     The impact is that a teacher must learn to see themselves less as a person standing at a podium and more as a facilitator for self exploration with technology as a valuable tool by their side.

 

References

Constructivist theory. Retrieved September 22, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_%28learning_theory%29#Constructivist_theory

Fulton, K., Glenn, A., & Vladez, G. (2004). Teacher education and technology planning guide. Naperville, IL: Learning Point Associates. (Planning Guide) Retrieved September 23, 2006, from http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/tech/guide.pdf

Herrington, T., Herrington, J., & NetLibrary, I. (2005). Authentic Learning Environments in Higher Education. Hershey, PA: Information Science Pub.

Herrington, T., Herrington, J., & NetLibrary, I. (2006). Authentic Learning Environments in Higher Education. Hershey, PA: Information Science Pub.

Parrish, J., Holcomb, S., & Eller, L. (2006). Welcome Back to School [Instructional technology podcast] (1st ed.). Memphis

Raley, D. (2006). Instructional technology. Retrieved September 23, 2006 from http://www.mcsk12.net/admin/tlapages/tech/index.asp

U.S. Department of Commerce. (2000). Falling through the net: Toward digital inclusion (Government No. 4). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce. (Falling Through the Net)

Valdez, G. (2005). Technology: A catalyst for teaching and learning in the classroom. Retrieved September 23, 2006 from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te600.htm

Van Scoter, J., Ellis, D., & Railsback, J. (2001). Technology in early education: Finding the balance. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, June 2001, from http://www.nwrel.org/request/june01/ByRequest.pdf

Woolfolk, A. (2001). Educational Psychology (8th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.