PEDAGOGY AND TECHNOLOGY : TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE AGE OF COVID-19
BY : NATASHA COX
Globally , educators have
altered their methods of instructional facilitation , due to COVID-19 , prompting pandemic driven teaching and learning practices . As a result , technology has never played a greater role in education . Whether instruction is delivered face-to-face , virtually , or by hybrid method , the effective use of technology is critical to teaching and learning outcomes . A running theme in my observations during this crisis , is teachers wrestling with how to optimize time , resources and digital technologies at their disposal , despite compacted curriculum , loss of time , possible learning gaps , and lack of tech savvy that may exist in their specific environments . One of my recommendations to educators is to remember their training on pedagogy and seek out models of technology integration . There must be a synthesis of pedagogy , technology and practice , if we expect gains to be made in student achievement . Planning and instruction from this point of view , positively impacts teacher practices and learners in virtual environments . This article highlights Problem-Based Learning ( PBL ) and the Technology Integration Matrix ( TIM ) as examples that can be used to ; engage , motivate ,
teach , and assess students at higher levels during an unprecedented time in education .
Problem-Based Learning
Problem-based learning ( PBL ) is a student-centered pedagogy , defined as a “ teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects ” ( PBLWorks , n . d .). PBL has been shown in multiple studies to promote student autonomy , goal setting and orientation , self-regulation , critical thinking at higher levels , self-efficacy , reflection , motivation , and increased competence in using collaborative and communicative educational technologies ( Kokatsaki et al ., 2016 ; Bloom et al ., 2017 ). In the classroom , the PBL approach looks like student centered learning . Students work beyond simple recollection of facts and closed-ended challenges to answer driving questions through constructive investigations presented by the teacher ( PBLWorks , n . d .).
An example of this might be an observation that there is a lack of student friendly resources to learn about the history of civil rights . To mediate this dilemma , students could role-play as historians , creating a virtual museum application , which is focused on the civil rights movement . Students would engage in an entry event ( i . e ., Field trip to an actual or virtual museum ), and seek out answers to driving questions . During this phase , students would access primary resources and artifacts about civil rights . After further investigations , and reading of appropriately related literature , they would create “ Need to Know ” content for a web-based app . In the process , students could gain knowledge , understanding , and engage in collaborative discussions , using the Charrette Protocol and coaching sessions with their peers and teacher for reflection . The process could be monitored by the teacher with checkpoints to ensure students were on track with the identified goals of the selected tasks . While adding content in the form of tags on pictures , they might also defend their choices for resources included in the projects . Using feedback from others , projects could be fine-tuned , and a public presentation would then be made to a public audience , which is one of the most important components of problem and project-based learning ( March Through Nashville Project , 2019 ).
Technology Integration
Liu et al . ( 2016 ) offer interpretations of technology integration as a process where “ technology adds value to the curriculum not by affecting quantitative changes ( doing more of the same in less time ) but by facilitating qualitative ones ( accomplishing more authentic and complex goals ) ( p . 797 ),” and involves “ technology for instructional preparation , technology for instructional delivery , and technology as a learning tool ” ( p . 797 ). Kolb ( 2018 ) posits research-based technology integration practices include using digital tools that make learning a social affair . The writer explains that Google Docs , or applications
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Term 2 Jan - Mar 2021 Class Time