In today’s world, teaching and learning changed dramatically: the world is accelerating at a hazardous fast speed, causing students to acquire skills and supersede these in a short time, moving quickly on the next one. Teachers are feeling under an enormous pressure to perform in front of students, their parents, their colleagues and the league tables. The schools are under siege, being demanded to show results, while students are taking their personalised learning to the next level, spending most of their time out of school on computers, tablets or phones (Collins and Halverson: 2009).
There is a vast amount of literature debating the effectiveness of e-learning. Most of this literature agrees and embrace the use of e-learning in schools, considering that schools should advance as fast as the world does. We are experiencing a revolution of knowledge, fuelled by computers, video games, internet and mobile devices, meant to empower people to take ownership of their learning, interaction with others and educational goals. As research suggest, youngsters can now afford to access information from billions of web pages and hundreds of digital TV Channels , chat with people from around the world on Facebook and Twitter, and meet people from diverse cultural backgrounds (Hsu and Wang: 2009 ). Ito et al (2008) share that social network sites, and gadgets such as I pads and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture. While a high percentage of students are finding their way in using ICT outside of school( Lenhart et al 2008; Levin and Arfeh 2002), for the most part they are not doing so inside of schools in ways that they find meaningful and relevant to their lives (Dunaleavy et al 2009; Ito et al 2008, 2009).
Research suggest that one of the contemporary purpose of education is the preparation of workers for the global knowledge economy. The necessity of information technology in education is regarded as a political convention, decreed not only as the driver of economic growth, but advertised as the cure for social exclusion (Selmin et al 2001). The need to keep pace with society and prepare students for their roles in society are just two reasons to use technology in education. Educators and researchers refers strongly to the potential of technology to upgrade motivation and engagement of learners, to provide for different learning styles and improve learning outcomes (Eady and Lockyer 2013).
Therefore, literature suggest that one of the most powerful promises offered by technology is that learning will become more engaging. For example, Black (2008) and Ito et al (2008) suggest that interactivity of new media technologies provide a number of capabilities to enhance education. In fact, this is why drill and practice games , such as typing tutors can tempt children to learn content that they might otherwise consider ‘boring’. Studies completed by Collette Daiute (1985) demonstrates that children using word processors write better, because they can read their typed words, while they cannot read easily their own hand writing. Hence they receive instant feedback on their work, which they can easily modify using a word processor.
Other research finds that students learn more when they use technology to create new content themselves, rather than just being the receivers of material designed by others. A number of studies have found that students demonstrate stronger engagement, self-efficacy, attitudes toward school, and skill development when they are involved in creating own projects, such as creating reports, Power point presentation or video productions (Figg and Mchartney 2010; Elam et al 2012).
Vygotsky’s and Bandura’s theories provide educators with guidance on how to use technology in teaching and learning. . Learning occurs within a social environment, and technology can be used to facilitate social interaction and communication among learners in class, within a school, between schools and around the world (Eady and Lockyer 2013). Collaboration is also deep-rooted in Vygotsky’s theory of learning. He believed that in group-based learning there is a natural social nature of learning .Vygotsky proposed the notion of the zone of proximal development, which in essence is the difference between a learner’s independent ability and what can be accomplished cognitively with guided support from others who are more knowledgeable. This means that teachers have an important role in facilitating and scaffolding collaborative learning (Eady and Lockyer 2013).
Similarly, Mayer (2008) suggested that digital learning resources support information processing by helping students to develop mental representations through the mix of media elements presented to them. Digital learning resources include content and, sometimes, learning activities. These combine multimedia elements such as text, image, video and audio to present information. Research on multimedia learning have demonstrated more positive outcomes for students who learn from resources that effectively combine words and pictures, rather than those that include words alone (Mayer, 2008).
Challenges
However, there are a number of challenges coming from concerns about how digital technologies are used in learning. Harris et al (2009) argue that current use of technology tends to be focused on skills required by teachers to integrate these in their classrooms, rather than students’ learning needs. Also, Burden and Atkinson (2008) suggests that most digital technologies in use in the classrooms were not created as educational tools, but have been adapted by educators for pedagogical purposes.
Numerous studies have focused on the barriers faced by the institutions when they attempt to integrate digital technologies in learning, and strategies that can be employed to overcome these barriers. Hew and Bush (2007) grouped these barriers in categories such as: structure of institutions, learning environment, assessment of learning or attitudes of learners.
Therefore, an example of barrier is found in Banyard research (2006), where it was found that the relationship between the use of digital technology and academic achievement is not direct. The findings of this research suggests that there is a weak or non-existing relationship between the introduction of digital technologies and the average performance of learners on standardised tests ( Banyard et al 2006, Underwood et al 2005). Banyard resumes by saying that the value of learning technologies can only be demonstrated if the assessments were able to model the learning that took place using these technologies.
Also, the hazards of the use of digital technology are described in research such as plagiarism (Banyard ad Davies 2007), pointless clicking (Wood 2003), pathological internet use (Niemz et al 2005), bullying and unwanted sexual solicitation (Banyard and Underwood 2012), or the sense of disinhibiting created by the internet (Joison and Banyard 2012). Fioretti (2014) is also questioning whether Google is making us stupid, or violating our privacy.
Chromebooks/ Kahoot
Chromebooks are laptops with no hard drives where nothing is stored in the device and all systems and programmes are accessed via the web browser. This gives the pupils the ability to access information and services within the cloud in a very short time. I had the opportunity to work with chromebooks in my first placement school, and it was a cheaper alternative to IPads, which seem to be more attractive for a school with a limited budget, costing less than I pads, being cheaper to fix or even to replace. Chromebooks can be easily shared. Rather than issuing an iPad to each student, a school could buy 30 Chromebooks and leave them in a single classroom. Every student could use a Chromebook in that particular class.
My second placement school does not have use of similar digital resources, therefore my research for this learning technology is limited.
The Chromebooks are used continuously by all teachers in the school, appearing to be an extremely useful teaching and learning tool in all departments.
The use of Chromebooks allowed me to plan a series of lessons in which various classes from year 9 had to revise for a following RE assessment. The reason behind my idea, is that I wanted to observe the interaction between pupils (set up in random groups, mixed abilities), the capability of knowing how to access information of the internet, and to assess the effectiveness of their research skills. Banyard (2015) explains that cognition is extended when learning technologies are used, such as searching information, processing data and connecting with people. These functions are part of how learners make sense of their world.
With the right instructions given (topic, key words, no of slides, timings), pupils managed to work together, research in an effective manner and produced a series of well-presented revision topics for the entire half term previously studied. In this sequence of lessons I also had the opportunity to apply the flipped learning style. According to Flipped Learning Network, (2014), this is a “pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter” (Flipped Learning Network, 2014). There are various studies researching the effectiveness of this teaching style, and the outcome looks positive, resulting in great improvements for pupils using this type of learning over a longer period of time.
. With the rise of issues in the world of internet, such as sexting, bullying or inappropriate material, it is left in our hands to educate the pupils (and their parents) of the dangers of the internet. Schools are all having specific policies dealing with the rules of using the internet, pictures from the web, or posting videos on the web, and I made sure that in the lessons where we used chromebooks I reinforced the rules of safety in all lessons.
Kahoot is a digital platform for creating and playing learning games in an interactive way. Kahoot can easily turn a class into a game show, based on social interaction, play and learning. It is a game that encourages pupils to look up (instead of looking at a computer screen), to look at other pupils and discuss in an interactive way, creating collaborative learning. Kahoot is about bringing emotion into learning experience, and it is done through sign design, game design and through language; therefore, creating emotions, Kahoot produces memorable moments, which can lead anywhere. It also has the power to make the quietest pupil, the one that seats at the back of the class to connect in an engaging, fun game. Kahoot uses language in the game that can show progress, and nevertheless the reward is there, for everybody: the name of the winner on the board in big, lively colours. Kahoot can offer a class its ‘epic moments’: it is so much fun winning with others, just like in sport events. A unique side of Kahoot is that pupils with low scores in assessments are succeeding continuously in Kahoot games. The aim of the game is to encourage the learners to become designers.
I used Kahoot in my year 8 lessons throughout my first placement. The purpose of using Kahoot was to assess the learning of a succession of lessons. As the founders of the game are suggesting, Kahoot turned out to be an excellent tool of engaging the students, of making them eager to participate, and to win the game. This learning game brings competition to life in my class. Kahoot engaged all students and at the same time, created competition by student responses and award points based on their speed and accuracy. The students will do all their best to get their name on the leader board. This entry points and rewards used by Kahoot, helped me to motivate my students to reinforce and their positive attitude towards learning. It also helped me to assess the level of knowledge for all my students, helping me to plan for future lesson. If in one game, a high number of pupils got a particular question wrong, I had to readdress the learning and go over that particular teaching episode one more time, in order to assure myself that all pupils achieved the same level of knowledge.
Therefore, the information gathered experiencing chromebooks suggests that this particular learning technology can improve learning, when used appropriately. There are limitations to the use of this learning technology, such as availability (there are 40 chrome books available for the Humanities department, and teachers have to book well in advance if they want to use the chromebooks in their class, therefore not all year 9’s could organise this revision activity in useful time), also there is the issue of IT support for students and teachers ( it happened in numerous occasions that half of the chromebooks had software malfunction, where both pupils and teachers looked for assistance and the IT department was unable to offer effective support).
Regarding the use of Kahoot in my year 8 classes, my experience suggest that this interactive game is a useful tool to control behaviour, to create a competitive atmosphere in the class and to include all students . However, I did not manage to see the connection between the use of this game in the classroom and the attainment in pupil’s assessments. Kahoot gave me the opportunity to build a better relationship with my students, becoming quickly the ‘cool teacher’ (pupils’ statement voiced in classroom) who uses a game in the classroom. This could suggest that probably other teachers do not use this learning technology in their classrooms.
Therefore, the issue of teacher’s view on the use of technology is an aspect of this matter that needs to be addressed. In my experience, the 2 placements schools I attended have a different view on the use of te Teachers reflect, debate and justify their engagement with technology continuously. Teachers’ understanding are informed by their knowledge and experiences, and represented in the decisions they make in their practice.
In the Coventry’s (2009) research, it was suggested that the absence of teachers’ knowledge in this field contributes to a great deal of suffering by teachers because they cannot live up to the unrealistic expectations of technologies practices imposed to them. Teachers are expected to change their knowledge beliefs and professional culture. As part of this change, teachers are expected to unlearn habits that have been useful in the past but may no longer be useful in the future, and create new pedagogies that are meaningful to leaners when learning is intertwined with technologies advance (McWilliam 2008).
Also, the attitude of the science teacher interviewed placement 2 suggests that even if the school invested in the purchase of some whiteboards, the teachers are feeling disaffection towards its use. This view is supported by many teachers, as research shows. In a study made in 2012 by Ciftci and Kurt, the teachers stated what works in a classroom, yet they were not consulted in change process. As a result, they stated there were many inappropriate decisions made for teachers regarding organisation of technology and expectations for the type of technology to be used. Lack of support provided as part of reform process for educational technology was problematic for teachers. They emphasised that they had no say in policies changes (as it happens most of the time), yet they were required to invest many hours into making the plans imposed into their work.
Maintenance of technology is also another problem for the teachers. They argue that they are not technicians, and there is a need for continuous professional hardware and software maintenance for technology to sustain its stability (Ciftci and Kurt 2012).
Therefore, can all these factors influence the learning of students? Comparing both schools’ performances there seems to be very little difference. In fact, placement 2 (where very little technology is used) have better results in the progress 8 scores and subsequently an increased number of pupils achieving A*- C in the GCSE results in the summer of 2016. Hence, this enquire cannot support fully the idea that learning technologies enhances learning.
However, the benefit of learning technologies used in classrooms is visible. With the use of games, such as Kahoot, the benefits are countless: when the game is played, 100% of students are concentrating on what is happening in the front, comparing with other learning activities; it can increase the level of concentration; it is fun and motivating; it can lead to the students to like that particular teacher, or that particular subject, just because is fun; Learning technologies are seen as increasing students’ confidence and motivation by making school work more enjoyable. Student’s attitudes and involvement in learning change and it is considered as fun and not as regular education.
But what makes a productive classroom environment, where learning technologies are used? Koehler et al (2004) suggest that technology, like language, is a medium for expression, communication and inquiry that can help teachers solve pedagogical problems in classrooms. Therefore, teachers’ ability to use technology must be closely connected to their ability to teach; that is, good teachers with technology must be first good teachers. Adding to that, BECTA (2008) argued that learning technologies can create a creative atmosphere in the classroom, through the expression of ideas, to use a combination of intuition, logic, reason and spontaneity and to make connections between classroom work and outside experiences.
Likewise, humans naturally ask questions about how the world works- this is the avenue for learning. It also lies at the heart of a needed shift in classroom pedagogies: transitioning away from dictating information and towards engaging students in learning and solving problems. Many believe that technology can empower students to take their learning into their own hands and become active agents of learning (Buckner and Kim 2014).
CONCLUSION
After researching for this topic, I can resume that I feel more confident in my practice with learning technologies. I have seen the benefits of learning technologies, but also the challenges.
The last 20 years have been marked by radical changes in technological inventions, however, it is still evolving so we can expect more changes to come. Schools have been reformed, wired and equipped to respond to the changes in technology. However, it has been seen that the most challenging aspect of education reform is that change is often debated around the economy of the schools, and is usually more complicated than it looks. This is clearly seen in my study, where placement 1 is considerably more technologically equipped than placement 2.
Nevertheless, where implemented, technology can empower pupils to experience autonomous learning, which makes it more memorable. Learning technologies have the possibility of changing one’s perspective on life chances, if used appropriately.
In this essay I have enlisted the positives, that: a) learning technologies can have a positive effect on levels of engagement in the classroom; b) learning technologies support information processing and c) when learning technologies are used, cognition is extended. Also, I enlisted some of the issues dealing with this topic such as: a) E- safety; b) the impact on conduct behaviour; c) the insecurity of some teachers to implement these technologies in their classrooms.
At this point in time, the look of the classroom of tomorrow in not a clear one. In present, even the nature of the curriculum for the near future has not been decided in full. What is more certain is that pupils from today will be the adults of tomorrow, and will need to be technologically aware in order to be able to participate in social, cultural, financial and even political issues. Pupils need to be able to access the internet in a safe and knowledgeable manner. Schools have the responsibility to teach the pupils to be digitally literate and equip them with the skills of critical analysis in order they can examine the array of information available. For the 20th century learner, knowledge is now easy to come by and relatively a cheap commodity. Pupils need to be equipped by schools with the skills and understanding of how to put that knowledge to use.
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