<p>The field of education is currently undergoing a massive revolution in terms of enthusiasm for the use of new and varied digital tools in the classroom. The most persuasive selling point for educators who find themselves in this digital age is technology’s immense potential to enhance the teaching and learning experience.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Given that the ultimate objective is a worthy one, educators ought to analyse the effective outcomes of using education technology, when compared with what is purported. This would help tease out the difference between exhaustively planned technology assisted instruction (TAI) from the superficial me-too race to “install technology” at schools. <br /><br />We can begin to think about how to leverage education technology more effectively in our classrooms by taking stock of the expected advantages. One of the oldest technology enhancements has been the use of audio-visual stimulation. In the early days, “innovation” took the form of slide projectors, VHS cassettes, TV sets and overhead projectors. The prime goal was to add variety to the lecture-chalk-and-talk mode of instruction.<br /><br />These soon gave way to digital and web content, and the LCD projector (which served to combine the previously separate functionalities). Learning from a textbook can be confining, in which the onus of capturing the concepts in the mind’s eye is often left to the students’ individual abilities. Visual and auditory aids facilitate that process by giving the imagination training wheels, so to speak, allowing students to grasp ideas quicker. Showing a video in class is a great way to explicate a complex idea through animation or to act as a generator of discussion.<br /><br />But what is innovation today can quickly become routine tomorrow. The tendency toward rote teaching is just as troubling as the much lamented rote learning. And so it is that the use of audio-visual technology can just as quickly become a superficial addition to a class. <br />Say, for example, students of a computer science class are at an intermediate level of coding. Simply inserting in the day’s lesson plan a video, which doesn’t further any particular learning outcome, for the sake of claiming TAI compliance is disingenuous. In this case, TAI might more effectively take the form of engaging students in learn-by-doing activities at the computer lab. <br /><br />Keeping in line with the context is a key concern of effective TAI. Ultimately, outcomes the use of any kind of technology in any kind of context is rendered less effective without a chance for students to engage in a follow-up discussion and acknowledgement of the learning outcomes of the day.<br /><br />No matter where teachers train for their profession, the idea of multiple learning styles is introduced and reinforced. This can relate to the various modes of receiving instruction (verbal, auditory, tactile), as well as interpersonal tendencies (performance when subject to a pair versus small group or large group). It is the responsibility of an educator to ascertain through observation and interaction what kind of stimulation best leads to comprehension and higher order abilities. <br />For example, student A is a cricket fanatic, and may well learn a particular Maths concept better through the analysis of a video excerpt from a match. Student B may be inclined to tactile learning, wherein a more hands-on-the-device experience is more likely to see success than a how-to video. Student C completely grasps video content, but best internalises concepts through peer learning and validation. The permutations are endless, but the attempt to amplify teaching strategies begins here.<br /><br />A particular advantage technology brings to the teaching role is the ability to reach many at once. Consider that the typical class size in India is in the range of 45-55 students. A corollary benefit is the increased probability of success in engaging as many students as possible at an individual level. This is especially relevant, given the discussion on how students exhibit different combinations of learning needs.<br /><br />As with the introduction of any new instrument or toy to the classroom, the new tech devices are in themselves a source of excitement, if not awe. This immediate interest significantly improves the chances that students will pay attention, until their curiosity is satiated. Students (and very nearly everybody) are genuinely pleased to be given access to technological hardware in the classroom, and most around the world are not yet privileged enough to be jaded by the experience. <br /><br />The challenge ahead though is that of staying technologically savvy yet pedagogically relevant. One does not have to look far to see schools scrambling to add buzz words to their PR materials, many often losing sight of the core requirements of quality content and teacher preparedness. At the end of the day, while technology is subject to the whims of stored electrical power, enhancing the teaching learning experience is subject to the imagination of passionate educators.</p>
<p>The field of education is currently undergoing a massive revolution in terms of enthusiasm for the use of new and varied digital tools in the classroom. The most persuasive selling point for educators who find themselves in this digital age is technology’s immense potential to enhance the teaching and learning experience.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Given that the ultimate objective is a worthy one, educators ought to analyse the effective outcomes of using education technology, when compared with what is purported. This would help tease out the difference between exhaustively planned technology assisted instruction (TAI) from the superficial me-too race to “install technology” at schools. <br /><br />We can begin to think about how to leverage education technology more effectively in our classrooms by taking stock of the expected advantages. One of the oldest technology enhancements has been the use of audio-visual stimulation. In the early days, “innovation” took the form of slide projectors, VHS cassettes, TV sets and overhead projectors. The prime goal was to add variety to the lecture-chalk-and-talk mode of instruction.<br /><br />These soon gave way to digital and web content, and the LCD projector (which served to combine the previously separate functionalities). Learning from a textbook can be confining, in which the onus of capturing the concepts in the mind’s eye is often left to the students’ individual abilities. Visual and auditory aids facilitate that process by giving the imagination training wheels, so to speak, allowing students to grasp ideas quicker. Showing a video in class is a great way to explicate a complex idea through animation or to act as a generator of discussion.<br /><br />But what is innovation today can quickly become routine tomorrow. The tendency toward rote teaching is just as troubling as the much lamented rote learning. And so it is that the use of audio-visual technology can just as quickly become a superficial addition to a class. <br />Say, for example, students of a computer science class are at an intermediate level of coding. Simply inserting in the day’s lesson plan a video, which doesn’t further any particular learning outcome, for the sake of claiming TAI compliance is disingenuous. In this case, TAI might more effectively take the form of engaging students in learn-by-doing activities at the computer lab. <br /><br />Keeping in line with the context is a key concern of effective TAI. Ultimately, outcomes the use of any kind of technology in any kind of context is rendered less effective without a chance for students to engage in a follow-up discussion and acknowledgement of the learning outcomes of the day.<br /><br />No matter where teachers train for their profession, the idea of multiple learning styles is introduced and reinforced. This can relate to the various modes of receiving instruction (verbal, auditory, tactile), as well as interpersonal tendencies (performance when subject to a pair versus small group or large group). It is the responsibility of an educator to ascertain through observation and interaction what kind of stimulation best leads to comprehension and higher order abilities. <br />For example, student A is a cricket fanatic, and may well learn a particular Maths concept better through the analysis of a video excerpt from a match. Student B may be inclined to tactile learning, wherein a more hands-on-the-device experience is more likely to see success than a how-to video. Student C completely grasps video content, but best internalises concepts through peer learning and validation. The permutations are endless, but the attempt to amplify teaching strategies begins here.<br /><br />A particular advantage technology brings to the teaching role is the ability to reach many at once. Consider that the typical class size in India is in the range of 45-55 students. A corollary benefit is the increased probability of success in engaging as many students as possible at an individual level. This is especially relevant, given the discussion on how students exhibit different combinations of learning needs.<br /><br />As with the introduction of any new instrument or toy to the classroom, the new tech devices are in themselves a source of excitement, if not awe. This immediate interest significantly improves the chances that students will pay attention, until their curiosity is satiated. Students (and very nearly everybody) are genuinely pleased to be given access to technological hardware in the classroom, and most around the world are not yet privileged enough to be jaded by the experience. <br /><br />The challenge ahead though is that of staying technologically savvy yet pedagogically relevant. One does not have to look far to see schools scrambling to add buzz words to their PR materials, many often losing sight of the core requirements of quality content and teacher preparedness. At the end of the day, while technology is subject to the whims of stored electrical power, enhancing the teaching learning experience is subject to the imagination of passionate educators.</p>
