CHAPTER III: THE ROLES OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN LEARNING

Technology has many roles in learning. In terms of traditional role, technology is a delivery vehicle for instructional lessons. In this role, the learner learns from the technology and the technology serves as a teacher. In other words, the learner learns from the content presented by the technology in the same way the learner learns the content presented by the teacher. From the traditional point of view, technology serves as source and presenter of knowledge and it is assumed that knowledge is embedded in technology.

From the constructivist point of view, educational technology serves as learning tools that learners learn with. It engages learners in “active, constructive, intentional, authentic, and cooperative learning. It provides opportunities for technology and learner interaction for meaningful learning. Technology serves as supporter of knowledge construction such as representing learner’s ideas, understanding and beliefs, producing organized, multimedia knowledge bases by learners. It serves as information vehicles for exploring knowledge to support learning by constructing such as accessing needed information, comparing perspectives, beliefs and world views. It serves as context to support learning-by-doing like representing and simulating meaningful real-world problems, situations and contexts, defining safe, controllable problem space for student thinking. It serves as a social medium to support learning by conversing like for instance collaborating with others, discussing, arguing, and building consensus among members of the community. It serves as intellectual partner to support learning-by-reflecting such as helping learners articulate and represent what they know, reflecting on what they have learned and how they come to know it, supporting learner’s internal negotiations and meaning making.

Whether used from traditional or constructivist point of view, when used effectively, research indicates that technology increases student’s learning, understanding, and achievement but also augments motivation to learn, encourages collaborative learning and supports the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills.

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If technology serves as the presenter of technology, the role of the teacher is to help the students understand, and work through problems and situations. The teacher becomes the facilitator, catalyst, a guide to his or her students. Technologies nowadays have a big role in helping the students learn easily. Teachers must find a way to introduce the concept slowly in order to a have a smooth process of learning.