Unpacking Assumptions Part 1 – ‘Good’ technology:use and expectations
Investigation – Expectations of ‘good’ technologies and their use in the Mathematics and Science Classroom
Questions
What is a good use of technology in the math and science classroom? What would such a learning experience and environment look like? What would be some characteristics of what it is and what it isn’t?
What makes this a good use of technology? Is this a vision or is it possible in real classrooms? What makes this vision a challenge to implement and what might be needed to actualize it?
Response
Mathematics and Science traditionally involve inquiry, investigation, problem solving, testing and/or applying concepts/models within specific contexts or situations and analyzing results. As such technologies that facilitate such would be good inclusions. Both fields are interactive and the environment, technologies and learning experiences should allow for creating specific circumstances and situations in which students can use and apply concepts/areas of investigation and apply them to day to day experiences as well as global situations.
Appropriate Technologies and Learning Environments should:
i. Be Interactive – students would be able to enter formulas and be able to see and analyse results with opportunities for feedback
ii. Allow for self-direction and choice
iii. Provide support for self-directed inquiry (equipment/tools, background information, examples, simulations, testing procedures, feedback on results)
iv. Enable problem solving – allow for synthesizing and application. Students should be given real world problems and be able to use mathematical or scientific concepts to solve problems
v. Create conditions of use or for use of technologies, for example simulations
vi. Be applicable to/linked to personal, societal and global situations/experiences
vii. Be open ended – allowing for divergent options and/or further investigation
Appropriate Technologies and Learning Environments are not:
i. Static
ii. Only drills and practice – learn a formula and practice examples
iii. Singular/devoid of context (must be applied in context and show a variety of applications) – in the ‘not ideal model’ concept/formulas are presented by rote learning
iv. Stand alone (i.e. it must be linked to feed back and application) – in the ‘not ideal instance’ students are not able to have independent self-paced practice.
Vision or Reality
This is a good use of technology as it enables real life applications of concepts and the ability for students to engage in interactive, inquiry based processes reflective of the nature of the subject of study (Mathematics/Science). This will help to add interest and applicability to students and act as motivators as concepts will be less abstract. It also means that environments can be created in which students are able to work more independently at their own pace, in a fun and interactive way, while offering the teacher increased opportunity to facilitate the process and offer more individual and specific feedback.
All these are central tenets of theories of learning such as Constructivism; Situated cognition; Bruner’s Discovery Learning; Ausubel’s Meaningful Learning; and can provide opportunities to diversify learning as earmarked in Garner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.
It is possible to achieve such in the classroom through the use of technologies such as simulations (some offered free on internet), web inquiries, and software. However, challenges are presented as in many instances monetary investments are needed for implementation and use at higher levels of engagement, particularly if more context specific adjustments are required. For example simulations and software developed in first world countries not being directly applicable to, and most times not representative of, third world countries. Also, investments in internet accessibility, computers and other tools are needed. This is not always possible.
What is needed to make such technologies and their use available in creating desired learning environments are cheaper and readily accessible technology and support for building human capacity within countries to fuel context specific, user-friendly design and/or creating a global network or repository that offers open source context specific design and applications for simulations et al. Also essential to the realisation are: the building of internet capability and capacity within schools along with tools and infrastructure (such as computers and IT administrators); teacher and student training in using and managing the technology (often teachers express inability to use and apprehension in using technology in the classroom) and a general cultural awareness in the design and delivery of technological tools and technology mediated environments