TECHNOLOGY AS THE TEACHER’S TOOL

In the previous lesson, we saw how the computer can act as a tutor, particularly along a behaviorist
and cognitivist approach to learning. But we also saw how certain computer software programs have been
developed to foster higher order thinking skills and creativity.
In this lesson, we shall again look at ICT, but this time from another perspective of ICT as the
teacher’s handy tool. It can in fact support the constructivist and social constructivist paradigms of
learning.
Constructivism was introduced by Jean Piaget
and Bruner. They gave stress to knowledge discovery of new
meaning/concepts/principles in the learning process. Various
strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge discovery,
among these, is making students engaged in gathering
unorganized information from which they can induced ideas
and principles. Student are also asked to apply discovered
knowledge to new situations, a process for making their
knowledge applicable to real life situations.
While knowledge is constructed by the individual
learner in constructivism, knowledge can also be socially
constructed. Social constructivism is an effort to show that the
Jean Piaget (1896-1980) construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical, and
liberaldictionary.com cultural contexts. In effect, this is to say that the learner who
interprets knowledge has a predetermined point of view according to
the social perspectives of the community or the society he lives in.
The psychologist Vygotsky stressed that learning is affected by social influences. He therefore suggested the
interactive process in learning. The more capable adult (teacher or parent) or classmate can aid or complement what
the learner sees in a given class project. In addition. John Dewey sees language as a medium for social coordination
and adaption. For Dewey, human learning is really human languaging that occurs when students socially share, build
and agree upon meanings and knowledge.

The Computer’s Capability

Given its present-day speed, flexibility and
sophistication, the computer and other allied gadgets can
provide access to information, foster creative social-
knowledge building, and enhance the communication of the
achieved project packaged. Without the computer and other
modern-day technologies, today’s learners may still be
assuming the tedious tasks of low-level information gathering,
building and new knowledge packaging. But this is not so,
since the modern computer can help teacher and students to
focus on more high-level cognitive tasks.
Based on the two learning theories, the teacher can
employ the computer as a/an:
➢ Information tool Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
➢ Communication tool en.wikipedia.org
 ➢ Constructive tool
➢ Co-constructive tool
➢ Situating tool
Information Tool
The computer can provide vast amounts of information in various forms, such as text, graphics,
sound and video. Even multimedia information are readily available now in the internet.
The internet itself provides enormous
database from which user can access global
information resources that includes the latest news,
weather forecast, airline schedule and many more, as
well as educational information directly useful to
learners.
Along the constructivist’s point of view, it is not
enough for learners to download relevant information
using the computer as an information tool. Students
can use gathered information for composition or
presentation of projects as may be assigned by the
aiim.org teacher.

Constructive Tool
We managed to use ICT to create a constructive learning environment from the following
four perspectives.
a. Challenge and support learners' higher-
order thinking.
Higher-order thinking requires students to
manipulate information and ideas in ways that
transform their meaning and implications, such as
combining facts and ideas to synthesize, generalize,
explain, hypothesize, or arrive at some conclusion or
interpretation (Newmann and Wehlage 1994). During
Microsoft Office Applications constructive learning processes, students are often
lsntop.org engaged in higher-order thinking, for instance, solving
problems actively and generating new meanings and
understandings. Teaching should be done by inquiring at the leading edge 'of the learner's thinking', rather
than just telling students what to do and how to think (Fosnot 1989). In this sense, ICT should be used to
stimulate and facilitate learners' higher-order thinking, rather than merely to transmit more information.
b. Promote learners' deep and flexible understanding on the base of introductory knowledge
acquisition.
Students with deep understanding can make clear distinctions, develop their own arguments,
construct their explanations for related phenomenon, and solve more complex problems creatively. Those
with merely some superficial and fragmented understanding can only recall and apply the knowledge in rote
ways. Accordingly, there is no doubt that we should promote learners' advanced knowledge acquisition in ill-
structured domains (Spiro et. al, 1995; Jonnasen 1993), However, advanced knowledge acquisition needs
to be based on learners' achievement in introductory knowledge acquisition stage, in which learners may
need more basic training.
c. Enhance learners' conversation and collaboration.
 Knowledge is socially negotiated. More substantive conversation and collaboration among learners
and between learners and the teacher are needed in order to pursue constructive learning and teaching. The
importance of a learning community where ideas are discussed and understanding enriched is critical to the
design of an effective learning environment (Savery and Duffy 1995). ICT should be used to enhance
learners' social interaction, which is another critical perspective of knowledge construction.
d. Facilitate learners' self-regulation during learning.
We should help learners to plan and monitor their own learning processes, evaluate their learning
outcomes, and regulate their learning activities towards effective knowledge construction.

Co-constructive Tool
Students can use constructive tools to work
cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of
new information. Or support the construction of
knowledge through a shared understanding
(collaboratively consolidate the ideas) one ways of co-
constructive is the use of the electronic whiteboard
where students may post notices to a shared
document/whiteboard. Students may also co-edit the
same document from their homes.
The learning theory emphasizes in the co-
constructive tool are cognitive theory, constructivism
and behavior theory.
Interactive boards
indiamart.com

Situating Tool

By means of virtual reality (RS) extension systems, the computer can create 3-D images on display
to give the user the feeling that is situated in a virtual environment. The advantages of using situating tools
are that you can guide the students learning and at the same time students also get the supportive services
from the ICTs.

Situating tools is a system that lay the

students in the environment where it involves a
context and the occurrence of a situation. Examples
of such systems include simulation, virtual reality
and multi-user domain. Situating tools software
tools such as CD-ROM. CD-ROM offers
hypermedia application which gives better
opportunities for teachers to enhance the learning
environment. Hypermedia application covers more
than one of the following media such as text, audio,
graphic images (still images), animation and video
Virtual reality
Learn.g2.com clips.
 Hypermedia applications are well integrated into the learning environment to enhance student
autonomy and thinking. A multimedia presentation topic will help students to conceptualize the ideas of the
real world by integrating the theories in the practical application of real-world situations.
It is to increase student’s ability to use the conceptual tools of the discipline in authentic practice.
Multimedia able to put the amazing array of resources on student and lecturer resources on teaching and
students one control. “Multimedia learning active learning to create a more dynamic, interactive, collaborative,
and satisfying”.

TECHNOLOGY AS A LEARNING TOOL

As a learning tool, technology can have the following:

1. Investigating reality and building knowledge
ICT allows students to investigate more thoroughly the real world. They can more readily access
information sources outside the classroom and can use tools to analyze and interpret such information.
Information may be accessed through online systems or through data logging systems. It also makes it easier
for individuals to interact and gain expert knowledge with a very short time, thus making the acquisition of
knowledge to take place easily within a very short period of time (Amalnik, Moayyedi, & Mirzaei, 2015)

Active learning and authentic assessment ICTs potentially offer increased possibilities for codification
of knowledge about teaching and for innovation in teaching activities through being able to deliver learning
and cognitive activities anywhere at any time (Larsen & Vincent-Lancrin, 2005). In many classroom situations
it is difficult to allow students to be sufficiently active as participants. Typically students are often passive,
spending a lot of time listening or reading. It is well known that students are more likely to be interested and
attentive and will achieve a wider range of learning outcomes if they can be active. Their engagement with
the curriculum will increase as they are afforded opportunities to create their own information and represent
their own ideas. Expert system can be used to provide students with learning experiences where they are
interacting directly with the computer system, and are not just passive but active participants in the learning
process, thus increasing the quality of education (Salekhova, Nurgaliev, Zaripova & Khakimullina, 2013).
According to Motamedi (undated), technology makes the students take an active role in learning instead of
taking on a passive role of receiving information from the teacher.

2. Provide tools to increase student productivity

In the past students have spent a lot of time doing repetitive, low-level tasks particularly involving
writing, drawing and computation. While it may be necessary for students to developing these skills at some
times on most occasions they are pre-requisite to some higher-level task. Unnecessary repetition of low-level
tasks is inefficient, non-motivational and may obscure the real purpose of the learning activity. Many computer
applications provide the tools to support students in quickly completing these lower-level tasks so that they
can focus on the main purpose of the activity. Word processors, graphics packages, database packages,
spreadsheets and other software support the performance of students. ICT has transformed teaching and
learning processes from being highly teacher-dominated to student- centered, and that this transformation
will result in increased learning gains for students, creating and allowing for opportunities for learners to
develop their creativity, problem-solving abilities, informational reasoning skills, communication skills, and
other higher-order thinking skills (Bhaurao, 2015).