As part of my ETEC 533 course, which focuses on technology in the science and math classroom, we were given the following quote:
Kozma recommends that, “Designers should provide students with environments that restructure the discourse of …classrooms around collaborative knowledge building and the social construction of meaning” (Kozma, 2003, p.9).
What do you think designers of learning experiences should do? How would you design a technology-enhanced learning experience?
The following is my response as I paint a picture of how technology enhanced learning environments can be developed and supported.
Technology and science education are intrinsically linked. Using technology to enhance the learning is something that works very well in a practical context. Technology can support communication and collaboration in ways our classrooms have never seen, as Kozma attests to. I think the benefits of technology in this context extend well beyond these social issues; technology can provide practical benefits to both teachers and students as well as give students valuable technological skills for life.
The process of integrating technology is not easy however, and despite the research done and the efforts made there is no clear recipe for success. Through my experience as an educator I have begun to see what a well designed technology-enhanced learning experience looks like. What follows are some general ideas and guidelines for what this may look like.
Technology should fit the lesson/context
Technology should never be tacked on to the educational context but weaved into it. Technology should not be separate from learning a concept but be used to deliver that concept or support the students in reaching the objectives of the lesson. For instance: if the objective is to demonstrate proper manual titration technique (a skill-based outcome) it would make little sense to have a student complete an online simulation.
There must be benefits to using technology
The technology must provide a practical benefit, it should allow new social connections as Kozma said, but extend beyond this. Technology can save time for teachers such as a marksheet program or allow communication with parents and students through a shared calendar. In terms of students using technology in the science classroom provides two major benefits: (1) it fits their modern context and connected lifestyle and (2) technology is the application of science and thus teaching with technology as a medium or support offers some obvious benefits.
Technology should fit the students and teacher
Not all teachers or students are comfortable with technology being “forced” on them. Indeed this should not be the case, instead efforts should be made to develop a school or class culture around supporting technology and making an effort to use it as a tool for learning and life.
Technology should never distract from the true objectives
I think this is the hardest objective to achieve. It is tied to fitting educational context and setting. Ideally the technology is so infused into the learning environment as to never interfere with obtaining new knowledge or objectives. In my experience there is always a “bump” in the transition between learning and using technology. However small, the time it takes for a projector to turn on, or the day some laptop batteries die, will still impact learning from time to time. The key I think is to never have technology be the “focus”; it should merely be a support for the true objectives at hand: learning about science and technology!