LESSON 6 Using and Evaluating Instructional Materials

LESSON 6

Using and Evaluating Instructional Materials

Objective:

What is an instructional material?

What is the importance of fieltrip?

            One of the instructional materials used to attain instructional objectives is field trip.

            It is not enough to bring the class out for a field trip and make them observe anything or anything or use other instructional materials for no preparation and clear lesson at all. Perhaps this is what happened to the field trip joined in by Linus, that’s why he seems not able to cite something specific that he learned from the field trip.

            For an effective use of instructional materials such as field trip, there are guidelines that ought to be observed, first of all, in their selection and second, in their use.

Selection of Materials            

            The following guide questions express standards to consider in the selection of instructional materials:

·         Do the materials give a true picture of the ideas they present? To avoid misconceptions, it is always good to ask when the material was produced.

·         Do the materials contribute meaningful content to the topic under study? Does the material help you achieve the instructional objective?

·         Is the material appropriate for the age, intelligence, and experience of the learners?

·         Is the physical condition of the material satisfactory? An example, is a photograph properly mounted?

·         Is there a teacher’s guide to provide a briefing for effective use? The chance that the instructional material will be used to maximum and to the optimum is increased with a teacher’s guide.

·         Can the materials in question help to make students better thinkers and develop their critical faculties? With exposure to mass media, it is highly important that we maintain and strengthen our rational powers.

·         Is the material worth the time, expense and effort involved? A field trip, for instance, requires much time, effort, and money. Is it more effective than any other less expensive and less demanding instructional material that can take its place? Or is there a better substitute?

                                                 P – Prepare yourself

                                                 P – Prepare your student

                                                 P – Present the material

F – Follow up

The Proper Use of Materials

            You may have selected your instructional material well. This is no guarantee that the instructional material will be effectively utilized. It is one thing to select, a good instructional material, it is another thing to use it well.

            To ensure effective use of instructional material, Hayden Smith and Thomas Nagel, (1972) book authors on Instructional Media, advise us to abide by the acronym PPPF.

            Prepare yourself. You know your lesson objective and what you expect from the class after the session and why you have selected such particular instructional material. You have a plan on how you will proceed, what question to ask, how you will evaluate learning and how you will tie loose ends before the bell rings.

            Present your students. Set class expectations and learning goals. It is sound practice to give them guide questions for them to be able to answer during the discussion. Motivate them and keep them interested and engaged.

            Present the material under the best possible conditions. Many teachers are guilty of the R.O.G Syndrome. This is means “running out of gas” which usually results from poor planning. (Smith, 1972) Using media and materials, especially if they are mechanical in nature, often requires rehearsal and a carefully planned performance. Wise are you if you try the materials ahead of your class use to avoid a fiasco.

            Follow up. Remember that you use instructional material to achieve an objective, not to kill time, nor to give yourself break, neither to merely entertain the class. You use the instructional for the attainment of a lesson objective. Your use of the instructional material is not the end in itself. It is a means to an end, the attainment of a learning objective. So, there is need to follow up to find out if objective was attained or not. 

LESSON 5 THE CONE OF EXPERIENCE

LESSON 5

THE CONE OF EXPERIENCE

Objective:

What is the Cone of Experience?

What are the differences of each kind of experiences in teaching?

            The Cone of Experience is a visual model, a pictorial device that presents bands of experience arrange according to degree of abstraction and not degree of difficulty. The farther you go from the bottom of the cone, the more abstract the experience becomes.

            Dale (1969) asserts that:

           

The pattern of the bands of experience is not difficulty but degree of abstraction-the amount of immediate sensory participation that is involved. A still photograph of a tree is not more difficult          to understand that a dramatization of Hamlet. It is simply in itself a less concrete teaching            material than the dramatization. (Dale, 1969)

            Dale further explains that “the individual bands of the Cone of Experience stands for experiences that re fluid, extensive, and continually interact.” (Dale, 1969) it should not be taken literally in its simplified forms. The different kinds of sensory aid often overlap and sometimes blend into one another. Motion pictures can be silent or they can combine sight and sound. Students merely view a demonstration or they may view it then participate in it.

           

            Does the Cone of Experience mean that all teaching and learning must move systematically from base to pinnacle, from direct purposeful experiences to verbal symbols? Dale (1969) categorically says:

            …No. We continually shuttle back and forth among various kinds of experiences. Everyday each    of us acquires new concrete experiences – through walking on street, gardening, dramatics, and    endless other means. Such learning by doing, such pleasurable return to the concrete is natural   throughout our lives – and at every each level. On the other hand, both the older child and he      young pupil make abstraction everyday and may need help in doing this well.                                                                            

In our teaching, then, we do not always begin with direct experience at the base of Cone.     Rather, we begin with the kind of experience that is the most appropriate to the needs and abilities of particular learner in a particular learning situation. Then, of course, we vary this experience with many other types of learning activities. (Dale, 1969)

            One kind of sensory experience is not necessary more educational useful than another. Sensory are mixed experiences and interrelated. When students listen to you as you give your lecture, they do not just have an auditory experience. They also have visual experience in the sense that they are “reading” your facial expressions and bodily gestures.

            We face some risk when we overemphasize the amount of direct experience to learn a concept. Too much reliance on concrete experience may actually obstruct the process of meaningful generalization. The best will be striking a balance between concrete and abstract, direct participation and symbolic expression for the learning that will continue throughout life.

            It is true that the older a person is, the more abstract his concepts are likely to be. This can be attributed to physical maturation, more vivid experiences and sometimes greater motivation for learner. But an older student does not live purely in this world of abstract ideas just as a child does not live only in the world of sensory experience. Both old and young shuttle in a world of the concrete and the abstract.

            What are these bands of experience in Dale’s Cone of Experience? It is best to look back at the Cone itself. But let us expound on each of them starting with the most direct.

            Direct purposeful experiences – These are first hand experiences which serves as the foundation of our learning. We built up our reservoir of meaningful information and ideas though seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. In the context of the teaching-learning process, it is learning by doing. If I want my student to learn how to focus a compound light microscope, I will let him focus one, of course, after I showed him how.

            Contrived Experiences – In here, we make use of a representative models or mock ups of reality for practical reasons and so that we can make the real-life accessible to the students’ perceptions and understanding. For instance a mock up of Apollo, the capsule for the exploration of the moon, enabled the North American Aviation Co. to study the problem of lunar flight.

            Remember how you were taught to tell time? Your teacher may have used a mock up, a clock whose hands you could turn to set the time you were instructed to set.

            Dramatized experiences – By dramatization, we can participate in a reconstructed experience, even though the original event is far removed us in time. We relive the outbreak of the Philippine revolution by acting out the role of characteristic in a drama.

            Demonstration – It is a visualized explanation of an important fact, idea or process by the use of photographs, drawings, films, displays, or guided motions. It is showing how things are done. A teacher in Physical Education shows the class how to dance tango.

            Study trips – These are excursions and visits conducted to observe an event that is unavailable within the classroom.

            Exhibits – These are displays to e seen by spectators. They may consist of working models arranged meaningfully or photographs with models, charts, and posters. Sometimes exhibits are “for your eyes only”. There are some exhibits, however, that include sensory experiences where spectators are allowed to touch or manipulate models displayed.

            Television and motion pictures – Television and motion pictures can reconstruct the reality of the past so effectively that were made to feel we are there. The unique value of the messages communicated by film and television lies in their feeling of realism, their emphasis on persons and personality, their organized presentation, and their ability to select, dramatized, highlight, and clarify.

            Still pictures, Recording, Radio – These are visual and auditory devices may be used by an individual or a group. Still pictures lack the sound and motion of a sound film. The radio broadcast of an actual event may often be likened to a televised broadcast minus its visual dimension.

            Visual symbols – They are no longer realistic reproduction of physical things for these are highly, abstract representations. Examples are charts, graphs, maps, and diagrams.

            Verbal symbols – They are not like the objects or ideas for which they stand. They usually do not contain visual clues to their meaning. Written words fall under this category. It may be a word for a concrete object (book), an idea (freedom of speech), a scientific principle (the principle of balance), a formula (e=mc )

            What are the implications of the Cone of Experience in the teaching-learning process?

1.      We do not use only one medium of communication in isolation. Rather we use many instructional materials to help the student conceptualize his experience.

2.      We avoid teaching directly at the symbol level of though without adequate foundation of the concrete. Students’ concepts will lack deep roots in direct experience. Dale cautions us when he said; “These rootless experiences will not have the generative power to produce additional concepts and will not enable the learner to deal with the new situations that he faces.” (Dale, 1969)

3.      When teaching, we don’t get stuck in the concrete. Let us strive to bring our students to the symbolic or abstract level to develop their higher order thinking skills.

LESSON 4 SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO LEARNING

LESSON 4

SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO LEARNING

Objective:

What is a systematic or system’s approach to teaching?

            As depicted in the chart, the focus of systematic instructional planning is the student. Instruction begins with the definition of instructional objectives that consider the students’ needs, interest and readiness. On the bases of these objectives, the teacher selects the appropriate teaching methods to be used and, in turn, based on the teaching method selected, the appropriate learning experiences and appropriate materials, equipment and facilities will also be selected.

            The used of learning materials, equipment and facilities necessitates assigning the appropriate personnel to assist the teacher and defining the role of any personnel involved in the preparation, setting and returning of these learning resources. (In some school settings, there is a custodian/librarian who takes care of the learning resources and/or technician who operates the equipment while teacher facilities.) the effective use of learning resources is dependent on the expertise of the teacher, the motivation level or responsiveness, and the involvement of the students in the learning process. With the instructional objective in mind, the teacher implements planned instruction with the use of the selected teaching method, learning activities, and learning materials with the help of the other personnel whose role has been defined by the teacher.

            Will the teacher use direct instruction or indirect instruction? Will he/she teach using the deductive of the inductive approach? It depends on his/her instructional objectives, nature of the subject matter, readiness of students and the expertise of the teacher himself or herself.

            Examples of learning activities that the teacher can choose from, depending on his/her instructional objective, nature of the lesson content, readiness of the students, are reading, writing, interviewing, reporting or doing presentation, discussing, thinking, reflecting, dramatizing, creating judging and evaluating.

            Some examples of learning resources for instructional use are textbooks, workbooks, programmed materials, computer, television programs, flat pictures, slides and transparencies, maps, charts, cartoons, posters, models, mock ups, flannel board materials, chalkboard, real objects and the like.

            After instruction, teacher evaluates the outcome of instruction. From the evaluation results, teacher comes to know if the instructional objective was attained. If the instructional objective was attained, teacher process to the next lesson going through the same cycle once more. If instructional objective was not attained, then teacher diagnoses what was not learned and finds out why it was not learned in order to introduce a remedial measure for improved student performance and attainment of instructional objective.

LESSON 3 The Roles of Educational Technology in Learning

LESSON 3

The Roles of Educational Technology in Learning

Objective:

    What are the roles of educational technology in learning?

From the traditional point of view, technology serves as source and presenter of knowledge. It is assumed that “knowledge is embedded in the technology (e.g. the content presented by films and tv programs or the teaching sequence in programmed instruction) and the technology presents that knowledge to the student (David H. Jonasssen, et al, 1999).

            Technology like computers is seen as a productivity tool. The popularity of word processing, databases, spreadsheets, graphic programs and desktop publishing in the 1980’s points to this productive role of educational technology.

            With the eruption of the INTERNET to the mid 90s, communication and multimedia have dominated the role of technology in the classroom for the past few years.

            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. In this case, technology will not be mere delivery vehicle for content. Rather it is used as facilitator of thinking and knowledge construction.

            From a constructivist perspective, the following are roles of technology in learning: (Jonassen, et al 1999)

·         Technology as tools to support knowledge construction:

·         for representing learners’ ideas, understanding and beliefs.

·         for producing organized, multimedia knowledge bases by learners.

·         Technology as information vehicles for exploring knowledge to support learning-by-constructing:

·         for accessing needed information.

·         for comparing perspectives, beliefs and world views.

·         Technology as context to support learning-by-doing:

·         for representing and simulating meaningful real-world problems, situations and context.

·         for representing beliefs, perspective, arguments, and stories of others.

·         for defining a safe, controllable problem space for student thinking.

·         Technology as a social medium to support learning by conversing:

·         for collaborating with others.

·         for discussing, arguing, and building consensus among members of a community.

·         for supporting discourse among knowledge-building communities.

·         Technology as intellectual partner (Jonassen 1996) to support learning-by-reflecting:

-           for helping learners to articulate and represent what they know.

-           for reflecting on what they have learned and how they came to know it.

-           for supporting learners ‘internal negotiations and meaning making.

-           for constructing personal representations of meaning.

-           for supporting mindful thinking.

            Whether used from the traditional or constructivist point of view, when used effectively, research indicates that technology not only “increases students’ learning, understanding and achievement but also augments motivation to learn, encourages and collaborative learning and supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills” (Scharter and Fagnano, 1999). Russell and Sorge (1999) also claims that the proper implementation of technology in the classroom gives students more “control of their own learning and… tends to move classrooms from teacher-dominated environments to ones that are more learner-centered. The use of technology in the classroom enables the teacher to do differentiated instruction considering the divergence of students’ readiness levels, interest, multiple intelligences, and learning styles. Technology also helps students become lifelong learners.

LESSON 2 TECHNOLOGY BOON OR BANE?

LESSON 2

TECHNOLOGY BOON OR BANE?

Objectives:

What is Boon and Bane?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of boon and bane?

            Technology is a blessing for man. With technology, there is a lot that we can do which we could not do then. With cell phones, webcam, you will be closer to someone miles and miles away, so far yet so close! That is your felling when you talk through a cell phone to a beloved who is far away from home. Just think of the many human lives saved because of speedy notifications via cell phones. Just think of how your teaching and learning have become more novel, stimulating, exciting and engaging with the use of multimedia in the classroom. With your tv, you can watch events as they happen all over the globe. President Ramos had a lively interaction with his audience in Tacloban in his tele-address without disrupting his work schedule in Manila, etc, etc.

            However, when not used properly, technology becomes a detriment to learning and development. It can destroy relationships. Think of a husband who is glued to tv unmindful of his wife seeking his attention. This may eventually erode marital relationship. Think of the student who surfs the Internet for pornographic scenes. He will have trouble with his development. The abuse and misuse of the Internet will have far reaching unfavorable effects on his moral life. The teacher who schedules class tv viewing for the whole hour to free herself from a one-hour teaching and so can engage in “tsismis”, likewise will not benefit from technology. Neither will her class truly benefit from the whole period of tv viewing.

In education, technology is bane when;

·         The learner is made to accept as Gospel truth information they get from the Internet.

·         The learner surf the Internet for pornography.

·         The learner has an uncritical mind on images floating on televisions and computers that represent modernity and progress.

·         The tv makes the learner a mere spectator not an active participant in the drama of life.

·         The learner gets glued to his computer for computer-assisted instruction unmindful of the world and so fails to develop the ability to relate to other.

·         We make used of Internet to do character assassination of people whom we hardly like.

·         Because of our cell phone, we spend most of our time in the classroom or in our workplace texting.

·         We use overuse and abuse tv or film viewing as a strategy to kill time.

Let’s go back to the question asked at the beginning of this lesson. Is technology boon or bane to education? It depends on how we use technology. If we use it to help our students and teachers become caring, relating, thinking, reflecting and analyzing and felling beings, then it is a boon, a blessing. But if we abuse and misuse it and so contribute to our own ruin and down fall and those of other persons, it becomes a bane or a curse.

lesson 1; EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

LESSON 1

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Objective:

What is Educational Technology?

What is the importance of educational technology in education?

What is Education Technology?

            To understand the meaning of educational technology, it may be good to begin with the meaning of technology. The word “technology” comes from the Greek word technewhich means craft or art. Based on the etymology of the word “technology”, the term educational technology, therefore, refers to the art or craft of responding to our educational needs.

            Many people think that technology refers only to machines such as computers, tv, videos, and the like. All these form part of technology but educational technology is all these and more! Technology is not jut machines. It is a “planned, systematic method of working to achieve planned outcomes – a process not a product. Technology is the applied side of scientific development. “(Dale, 1969) Technology also refers to any valid and reliable process or procedure that is derived from basic research using the scientific method.” (http://en.wikipedia.org?wiki/Educational_technology//Perspective and meaning) Technology refers to “all the ways people use their inventions and discoveries to satisfy the

needs and desires.” (The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 19) So, educational technology refers to how people used their inventions and discoveries to satisfy their educational needs and desires, i.e. learning.

            Educational technology is “a complex, integrated process involving people, procedures, ideas, devices, and organization for analyzing problems and devising, implementing, evaluating, and managing solutions to those problems, involved in all aspects of human learning.” (Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 1977. The definition of educational technology: A summary. In the definition of educational technology, 1-16, Washington D.C.: AECT.)

            Educational technology “consist of the designs and environments that engage learners … and reliable technique or method for engaging learning such as cognitive learning strategies and critical thinking skills.” (David II. Jonassen, et al 1999.)

            Educational technology is a theory about how problems in human learning are solved. (David H. Jonassen, Kyle L. Pook, Brent G, Wilson, 1999). As a theory, educational technology has an “integratedset of principles that explain and predict observed events.”

            Educational technology is a field study which is concerned with the practice of using educational methods and resources for the ultimate goal of facilitating the learning process. (Lucido and Borabo, 1977)  As a field it operates within the total field of education.

            Educational technology is a profession like teaching. It is made up of organized effort to implement the theory. Intellectual technique, and practical application of educational technology. (David H. Jonassen, et al 1999)

            From the definitions of educational technology given above, we can say that educational technology is a very broad term. It is the application of scientific findings in our method, process or procedure of working in the field of education in order to effect learning. It embraces curriculum and instructional design, learning environment, theories of teaching-learning. It is also a field study and a profession. It is the used of all human inventions for teachers to realize their mission to teach in order that students learn.

            There are other terms that are associated with educational technology. We come across terms like technology in education, instructional technology and technology integration in education books, educational media. Are they synonymous with educational technology?

            Technology in education is “the application of technology to any of those processes involved in operating the institutions which house the educational enterprise. It includes the application of technology to food, health, finance, scheduling, grade, reporting, and other processes which support educations within institutions.” (David H. Jonassen, et al, 1999).

            Instructional technology is a part of educational technology. Instructional technology refers to those aspects of educational technology that “are concerned with instruction as contrasted t designs and operations of educational instructions. Instructional technology is a systematic way of designing, carrying out, and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching in terms of specific objectives.” (Lucido and Borabo, 1997).

            Technology integration means using “learning technologies to introduce, reinforce, supplement and extend skills.” (Williams, ed. 2000). Like instructional technology, it is a part of educational technology. Technology integration is part and parcel of instructional technology, which in turn is a part of educational technology.

            Educational media are channels or avenues or instruments of communication. Examples are books, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, and internet. These media also serve educational purposes.