Lesson 16

THE INTERNET AND EDUCATION

                                                

The Internet, also simply called the Net, is the largest and far-flung

network system of all systems. Surprisingly, the Internet is not really a

network but loosely organized collection of about 25,000 network accessed by

computers on the planet. It is astonishing to know that no one owns the

Internet. It has no central headquarters, no centrally offered services, and no

comprehensive online index to tell users what information is available on the

system.

How is everything coordinated through the Internet? This is done through a

standardize4d protocol called Transmission Control protocol/Internet Protocol

(TCP/IP). To gain access to the Internet, the computer must be with what is

called a Server which has special software that uses the Internet protocol.

Originally developed and still subsidized by the United States government, the

Internet connect not only commercial, industrial, scientific establishments but

all other sectors including education and its libraries, campuses, and computer

centers.

The great attraction of Internet is that one the sign-up fees are paid,

there are no extra charges. Electronic mail, for example, is free regardless of

the amount of use. In contrast, individuals using the Internet on their own

personal computers must pay ongoing monthly fees to whoever is their service

provider.

Getting around the Net

The vast sea of information now in the Internet, including news and

trivia, is an overwhelming to those who wish to navigate it. Everyday, the Net

user-population and the available information continue to grow, and new ways are

continuously being developed to tour the Internet.

The most attractive way to move around the Internet is called browsing.

Using a program called a browser, the user can use a mouse to point and click on

the screen icons to surf the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web (the

Web), an Internet’s subset of text, images, and sounds are linked together to

allow users to access data or information needed.

The future of the Internet seems limitless. Already its complexity has

spawned and continues to spawn Net sites including new demand for services to

business, industries, science, government, and even homes. Many experts predict

that Internet is destined to become the centerpiece of all online communications

on the planet and in some future time in the solar system using interplanetary

satellite communications stations.

A view of educational uses of the Internet

Today, even elementary school graders in progressive countries like the

United States are corresponding via e-mail with pen pals in all 50 states. They

ask probing questions like, “What is your state’s most serious problems,” or How

much does a pizza cost in your state? This educational activity prodded by their

schools are paying dividends from increasing the pupil’s interest in Geography

to a greater understanding of how people live in large cities and other places

in the United States or the world.

Educational software materials have also developed both in sophistication

and appeal. There is now a wider choice from rote arithmetic or grammar lessons

to discovery and innovation projects. But the real possibility today is

connecting with the world outside homes, classrooms, and Internet cafes. And

today schools are gearing up to take advantage of Internet access, where they

can plug into the Library of Congress, make virtual visits to famous museums in

the world, write to celebrities, and even send questions to heads of states.

Lesson 15

Understanding Hypermedia

Hypermedia is nothing but multimedia, but this time packaged as an educational computer software where information is presented and student activities are integrated in a virtual learning environment. Most educational IT applications are hypermedia and these include:

1. Tutorial software packages
2. Knowledge webpages
3. Simulation instructional games
4. Learning project management, and others

The presentation of information-learning activities in hypermedia is said to be sequenced in a non-linear manner, meaning that the learner may follow his path of activities thus providing an environment of learner autonomy and thinking skills.
The flight simulator used to train pilots is an example of a highly developed hypermedia program. Observe that it simulates an environment that allows student pilots to practice authentic (as is needed to be done in the real world) tasks while reducing the load of the cognitive mode of learning.

Characteristics of hypermedia applications

There are two important features that are outstanding—among other features – that characterize the hypermedia software:

1. Learner control.
This means the learner makes his own decisions on the path, flow or events of instruction.

2. Learner wide range of navigation routes.
The learner controls the sequence and pace of his path depending on his ability and motivation.

3. Variety of media.
Includes more than one media (text, graphics, audio, animation and video clip) but does not necessarily use all types of media in one presentation.

In the use of hypermedia the following instructional events will prove useful to the teacher:

1. Get the learner’s attention
2. Recall prior learning
3. Inform learners of lesson objectives
4. Introduce the software and its distinctive features
5. Guide learning, eliciting performance
6. Provide learning feedback
7. Assess performance
8. Enhance retention and learning transfer

Lesson 14

THE SOFTWARE AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE


Whenever people think about computers, they are most likely thinking about the computer machine such as the television-like monitor screen, the keyboard to type on, the printer which produce copies of text-and-graphics material, and the computer housing called “the box” which contains the electronic parts and circuits (the central processing unit) that receives/stores data and is naturally an attention-getter.

There are two kinds of software:

1. The system software. This is the operating system that is found or bundled inside all computer machines.
2. The applications software. This contains the system that commands the particular task or solves a particular problem.
In turn the applications software may be:
(a) a custom software that is made for specific task often by large corporations, or
(b) a commercial software packaged for personal computers that helps with a variety of task such as writing papers, calculating numbers, drawing grapghs, playing games, and such more.

MICROSOFT WINDOWS

Also referred to as a program, Microsoft Windows or windows for short is an operating environmental between the user and the computer operating system. Also called a shell, it is a layer that creates the way the computer should work. Windows uses a colorful graphics interface (called GUI – pronounced “gooee”) that can be seen on the computer screen or monitor whenever the computer is turned on.
The user can work with on-screen pictures (icons) and suggestions (menus) to arrive at the desired software. Windows 95 (now improved with Windows 2003 and 2007) is a software designed for Microsoft Windows. Actually, Windows is in itself a self-contained operating system which provides

• User convenience – just click a file name to retrieve data or click from program to program as easy as changing channels in your TV screen.
• A new look – fancy borders, smooth and streamlined text fonts.
• Information center – Windows puts all communications activities (e-mail, downloads, etc. in a single screen icon); adapts/configures the computer for the Internet.
• Plug and play – configures the computer with added components, such as for sounds and video.

INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE

Instructional software can be visited on the Internet or can be bought from software shops or dealers. The teacher through his school should decide on the best computer-based instructional (CBI) materials for the school resource collection. But beware since CBIs need much improvement, while web-based educational resources are either extremely good or what is complete garbage. In evaluating computer-based educational materials, the following can serve as guidelines:

• Be extremely cautious in using CBIs and “free” internet materials.
• Don’t be caught up by attractive graphics, sound, animation, pictures, video clips and music forgetting their instructional worth.
• Teachers must evaluate these resources using sound pedagogical principles.
• Among design and content elements to evaluate are: the text legibility, effective use of color schemes, attractive layout and design, and easy navigation from section-to-section (such as from game to tutorial to drill-and-practice section)
• Clarity in the explanations and illustrations of concepts and principles.
• Accuracy, coherence, logic of information
• Their being current since data/statistics continually change
• Relevance/effectiveness in attaining learning objectives
• Absence of biased materials (e.g. gender bias or racial bias)

Lesson 11

 The Computer as the Teacher’s Tool

In the previous lesson, we saw how the computer can act as a tutor, particularly along with the behaviorist and cognitivist approach to learning. But we also saw how certain computer software programs have been developed to foster higher thinking skills and creativity.

In this lesson, we shall again look at the computer, but this time from another perspective the computer as the teacher’s handy-tool. It can in fact support the constructivist and social constructivist paradigms of constructivist learning.

Constructivism was introduced by Piaget (1981) and Bruner (1990). They gave stress to the knowledge discovery of new meaning/concepts/principles in the learning process. Various strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge discovery, among these, is making students engaged in gathering unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles. Students are also asked to apply discovered knowledge to new situations, a process for making their knowledge applicable to real life situations.

While knowledge is constructed by the individual learner in constructivism, knowledge can also be socially constructed. Social constructivism. This is an effort to show that the construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical and cultural contexts.

In effect, this is to say that the learner who interprets knowledge has a predetermined point of view according to the social perspectives of the community or society he lives in.

The psychologist Vygotsky stressed that learning is affected by social influences. He therefore suggested the interactive process in learning. The more capable adult (teacher or parent) or classmate can aid or complement what the learner sees in a given class project. In addition, Dewy sees language as a medium for social coordination and adaptation. For Dewey human learning is really human languaging that occurs when students socially share, build and agree upon meanings and knowledge.

Learning framework --Constructivism  --Social Constructivism

Assumption  --Knowledge is constructed by the individual --Knowledge is constructed within a social context

Definition of learning --Students build their own learning --Students build knowledge influenced by the social context

Learning Strategies --Gather unorganized information to create new concept/principle --Exchange and share from ideas, stimulates thinking

General Orientation --Personal discovery of knowledge --Students discuss and discover meanings

Example --8*5 – 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 --Two alternative job offers Option 1 – 8 hrs./day for 6 days/week

Option 2 -  9hrs./ day  for 5 days a week

The Computer’s Capabilities

Given its present-day speed, flexibility and sophistication, the computer can provide access to information, foster creative social knowledge-building, and enhance the communication of the achieved project package. Without the computer, today’s learners may still be assuming the tedious task of low-level information gathering, building and new knowledge packaging. But this is not so since the modern computer can help teacher-and-students to focus on more high level cognitive tasks.

Based on the two learning theories, the teacher can employ the computer as a/an:

• An information tool

• A communication tool

• A constructive too

• As co-constructive tool

• A situating tool

Lesson 9

Computer as Information and Communication Technology

In the Educational technology 1, the role of the computer was well discussed. It was pointed out that the advent of the computer is recognized as the third revolution in education. The first was the invention of the printing press; the second, the introduction of the libraries; and the third, the invention of the computer, especially so with the advent of the microcomputer in 1975. Thus emerged computer technology in education.

Through computer technology, educators saw the amplification of learning along computer literacy. Much like reading, the modern student can now interact with computer messages; even respond to question or to computer commands. Again, much like writing, the learner can form messages using computer language or program.

Soon computer-assisted instruction (CAI) was introduced using the principle of individualized learning through positive climate that includes realism appeal with drill-exercises that uses color, music, and animation. The novelty of CAI has not waned to this especially in the basic education level as this is offered by computer-equipped private schools. But the evolving pace of innovation I today’s Information Age is so dynamic that within the first decade of the 21st century computer technology in education has matured to transform into n educative information and communication.

The Personal Computer (PC) as ICT

Until the nineties, it was still possible to distinguish between instruction media and the educational communication media.

Instructional media consist of audio-visual aid that served to enhance and enriched the teaching-learning process. Examples are the blackboard, photo, film and video.

On the other hand, educational communication media comprise the media of communication to audience including learners using the print, film, radio, television on satellite means of communication. For example, distance learning was implemented using correspondence, radio, televisions on the computer satellite system.

Close to turn of the 21st century, however such a distinction merged during to the advent of the microprocessor, also known s the personal computer (PC). This is due to the fact that the PC user at home, office and school has before him tool for both audio-visual creation and media communication.

To illustrate, let’s examine the programs (capabilities) normally installed in an ordinary modern PC:

• Microsoft Office- program for comparing text, graphics, photos into letters, articles, reports, etc.
• Power Point- for preparing lecture presentations.
• Excel – for spreadsheets and similar graphic sheets.
• Internet Explorer – Access to the internet.
• Yahoo or Google – Websites; e-mail, chat rooms, Blog sites new service (print/video) educational software etc.
• Adobe Reader – Graphs/photo composition and editing.
• M.S.N.-Mail/chat messaging.
• Windows media player – CV, VCD, player.
• Cyber link power – DVD player.
• Game house – video games.

Lesson 8

Higher Thinking Skills Through IT-Based Projects

A college freshman once thought of taking a rest in a library after
classes by casually taking reference books off the shelf and browsing over their
contents. Being a Liberal Arts student, he lifted a book of St. Thomas Aquinas,
the famous proponent of Scholastic Philosophy. The written words of the Doctor
of Philosophy didn’t come easy in the understanding of the student, but he
nonetheless mulled over each word and phrase, reflecting over ideas leisurely.
After a few minutes, the student felt awakened to the fact that he was engaged
in a very pleasant activity, such that he exclaimed to himself, “Wow, I’m
thinking!”

The story didn’t end there because since that day, reflective study
became the student’s pleasurable and most profitable activity. Unwittingly, he
made an opening for exercising higher thinking skills. As a reward, the student
carried himself through college with the highest honor and achievements.

In this lesson, we shall discuss four types of IT-based projects
which can effectively be used in order to engage students in activities of a
higher plane of thinking. To be noted is the fact that these projects differ on
the specific process and skills employed, also in the ultimate activity or
platform used to communicate completed products to others.

It is to be understood that these projects do not address all of the
thinking skills shown previously in the Thinking Skills Framework. But these
projects represent constructivist projects, containing the key elements of a
constructivist approach to instruction, namely:

(a) the teacher creating the learning environment
(b) the teacher giving students the tools and facilities , and
(c) the teacher facilitating learning.

On the other hand, it is the students themselves who demonstrate higher thinking
skills and creativity through such activities searching for information,
organizing and synthesizing ideas, creating presentations, and the like.

Now let us see four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher thinking
skills and creativity among learners.

I. Resource-Based Projects

In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being an
content expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find
their own facts and information. Only when necessary for the active learning
process does the teacher steps in to supply data or information. The general
flows of events in resource-based projects are:

1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of the class
2. The teacher presents the problem to the class.
3. The students find information on the problem/questions.
4. Students organize their information in response the problem/questions.

Relating to finding information, the central principle is to make the student go
beyond the textbook and curriculum materials. Students are also encouraged to go
to the library, particularly the modern extension of the modern library, the
internet.

Furthermore, the inquiry-based or discovery approach is given importance in
resource-based projects. This requires that the students, individually or
cooperatively with members of his group, relate gathered information to the
‘real world.

Finally, the process is given more importance then the project product. It
doesn’t matter for example, if each group comes up with the different answer to
the problem. What matters are the varied sources of information, the line of
thinking and the ability to argue in defense of their answers.

The table below can provide the difference between the traditional and
resource-based learning approach to instruction.


Traditional Learning Model

Resource-based Learning Model

Teacher is expert and information provider

Teacher is a guide and facilitator

Textbook is key source of information

Sources are varied

Focus on facts information is package in neat parcels

Focus on learning inquiry/quest/discovery

The product the be-all and end-all of learning

Emphasis on process

Assessment is quantitative

Assessment is quantitative and qualitative

II. Simple Creation

Students can also be assigned to create their software materials to supplement
the need for relevant and effective materials. Of course, there are available
software materials such us Creative Writer on writing, KidWork Deluxe on drawing
and painting, and MediaWeave on multimedia.

In developing software, creativity is an outcome should not be
equated with ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with
planning, making, assembling, designing or building. Creativity is said to
combine three kinds of skills/abilities:

• Analyzing – distinguishing similarities and differences/seeing the
project as a problem to be solved
• Synthesizing – making spontaneous connection among ideas, thus
generating interesting or new ideas
• Promoting – selling of new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas
themselves

To develop creativity, the following five key tasks may be
recommended:

1. Define the task. Clarity the goal of the completed project to the students

2. Brainstorm. The students themselves will be allowed to generate their own
ideas on the project. Rather than shoot down ideas, the teacher encourages idea
exchange.
3. Judge the ideas. The students themselves make an appraisal for or against
any idea. Only when students are completely off track should the teacher
intervene

4. Act. The students to do their work the teacher a facilitator.
5. Adopt flexibility. The students should be allowed to shift gears and not
follow an action path rigidly.

III. Guided Hypermedia Projects

The production of self made multimedia projects can be approach into
different ways:

1. As an instructive tool, such as in the production by the students of a
power-point presentation of a selected topic.
2. As a constructivist tool, such as when student do a multimedia
presentation to stimulate a television news show.

IV. Web-Based Projects

Students can be made to create and post webpages on a given topic. But creating
a webpages, even single page webpages, may be too sophisticated and time
consuming for the average student.

It should be said however, that posting of webpages in the Internet allows
the students a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites
in the Internet. But as of now, this creativity project may be too ambitious as
a tool in the teaching-learning process.

Lesson 7

Higher Level Learning Outcomes

To define higher level thinking skills and creativity, we may adopt a framework that is a helpful synthesis of many models and definitions on the subject matter. The framework is not exhaustive but a helpful guide for teacher’s effort to understand the learner’s higher learning process.

Complex Thinking Skills Sub-skills
Focusing -- Defining the problem, goal/objective-setting, brainstorming
Information gathering -- Selection, recording of data of information
Remembering -- Associating, relating new data with old
Analyzing -- Identifying idea constructs, patterns
Generating -- Deducing, inducting, elaborating
Organizing -- Classifying, relating
Imagining -- Visualizing, predicting
Designing -- Planning, formulating
Integration -- Summarizing, abstracting
Evaluating -- Setting criteria, testing idea, verifying outcomes, revising

Figure 4 – THINKING SKILLS FRAMEWORK

The Upgraded Project-Method

Given these complex thinking skills, the modern day teacher can now be guided on his goal to help student achieve higher level thinking skills and creativity beyond the ordinary benchmark of the student’s passing, even excelling achievement tests. Given the fact that the ordinary classroom is awfully lacking in instructional toolkits to bring students to the higher domains of learning and achieving, the project method is suggested.
To explain, the project method for higher learning outcomes consists in having the students work on projects with dept, complexity, duration and relevance to the real world. Improving on the Dewey project method, this new method involves students in the active creation of information, such that there is sustained reflective thinking on topics that have a real-world quality to them.
In this revised project method, there is a tighter link between the uses of projects for simply coming up with products to having the students undergo the process of complex/higher thinking under the framework of the constructivist paradigm. Under this framework, the students, not the teacher, make decisions about what to put into the project, how to organize information, how to package the outcomes for presentation, and the like. Meanwhile, the teacher, without staying away from the project endeavor, guides and facilitates the learning process.

The Process

The process of project implementation takes the students to the steps, efforts, and experiences in project completion. Meanwhile, thus principle to be borne in mind is that:

THE PROCESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PRODUCT.
The process refers to the thinking /affective/psycho-motor process that occurs on the part of the learner. This comprises the journey that actualizes learning.
The product is the result of this all-important process consisting in possibly a summary, a poster, an essay, a term paper, a dramatic presentation, or an IT-based product. This is the destination which should be rewarding, but as the teacher seeks to develop in students’ higher level thinking skills and creativity, he/she should give more focus and attention to the journey.
In the succeeding lessons, we shall examine examples of IT-based projects. These are:
Resource-based projects
Simple creations
Guided hyper-media projects
Web-based projects

But for now, let’s recap: LET’S TAKE THE JOURNEY TO HIGHER/COMPLEX THINKING SKILLS AND CREATIVITY for teaching-and-learning in an information age.

Lesson 2

An Overview of Educational Technology 2

- Is concerned with “Integrating Technology into Teaching and Learning”.
- Involves a deeper understanding of the computer as well as hands-on application of computer skills.

Objectives:

• To provide education in the use of technology in instruction by providing knowledge and skills in technology integration – in – instruction in learners.
• To impart learning experiences in instructional technology- supported instructional planning.
• To acquaint students on information technology or I.T related learning theories with the computer as a tutor.
• To learn to use and evaluate computer – based educational resources.
• To engage learners on practical- technology integration issues including managing I.T classrooms, use of the internet for learning, cooperative learning through the use of information technology.
• To inculcate higher – level thinking and creativity among students while providing them knowledge of I.T related learning theories.

LESSON 6

IT ENTERS A NEW LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

It is most helpful to see useful models of school learning that is idea achieving instructional goals to preferred application of educational technology. These are the models of Meaningful Learning, Discovery Learning, Generative Learning and Constructivism.
In these conceptual models, we shall see how effective teacher best interact with students in innovative learning activities, while integrating technology to the teaching-learning process.

MEANINGFUL LEARNING

If the traditional learning environment gives stress to rote learning and simple memorization, meaningful learning gives focus to new experience that is related to what the learner already knows. New experience departs from the learning of a sequence of words but gives attention to meaning. It assumes that.

• Students already have some knowledge that is relevant to new learning.
• Students are willing to perform class work to find connections between what they know and what they can learn.

In the learning process, the learner is encouraged to recognize relevant personal experiences. A reward structure is set so that the learner will have both interest and confidence, and this incentive system sets a positive environment to learning. Facts that are subsequently assimilated are subjected to the learner’s understanding and application. In the classroom, hands-on activities are introduced so as to simulate learning in every living.

DISCOVERY LEARNING

Discovery Learning is differentiated from reception learning in which ideas are presented directly to students in a well-organized way, such as through a detailed set of instructions to complete an experiments or task. To make a contrast, in discovery learning students perform task to uncover what is to be learned. New ideas and new decisions are generated in the learning process, regardless of the need to move on and depart from organized setoff activities previously set. In discovery learning, it is important that the student become personally engaged and not subjected by the teacher to produces he/she is not allowed to depart from.

In applying technology, the computer can present a tutorial process by which the learner is presented key concepts and the rules of learning in a directed manner for receptive learning. But the computer has other uses rather than delivering tutorials. In a computer simulation process, for example, the learner himself is made to identify key concepts by interacting with a responsive virtual environment. The learner thus discovers the concepts from the experience the virtual environment proves.

SELF-HELP
By way of small-group discussion, add your ideas/personal explanations to the above graph figure. Each group will prepare a cartolina presentation on the results of discussion.

GENERATIVE LEARNING
In generative learning, we have active learners who attend to learning events and generate meaning from this experience and draw inferences thereby creating a personal models or explanation to the new experience in the context of existing knowledge.
Generative learning is viewed as different from the simple process of storing information. Motivation and responsibility are seen to be crucial to this domain of learning. The area of language comprehension offers examples of this type of generative learning activities, such as in writing paragraph summaries, developing answers and questions, drawing pictures, creating paragraph titles, organizing ideas/concepts, and other. In sum, generative learning gives emphasis to what can be done with pieces of information, not only on access to them.

CONSTRUCTIVISM
In constructivism, the learner builds a personal understanding through appropriate learning activities and a good learning environment. The most accepted principles constructivism are:
• Learning consists in what a person can actively assemble for himself and not what he can receive passively.
• The role of learning is to help the individual life/adapt to his personal world.
These two principles in turn lead to three practical implications:
• The learner is directly responsible for learning. He creates personal understanding and transforms information into knowledge.
• The context of meaningful learning consist in the learner “connecting” his school activity with real life.
• The purpose of education is the acquisition of practical and personal knowledge, not abstract or universal truths.

There are common themes to these four learning demands. They are given below:
Learners

• Are active, purposeful learners.
• Set personal goals and strategies to achieve these goals
• Make their learning experience meaningful and relevant to their lives.
• Seek to build an understanding of their personal words so they can work/live productively.
• Build on what they already know in order to interpret and respond to new experiences.

Through this new conceptual models of learning, we now know that there are better ways to learn other than rote learning or memorization and that learning is for use not only in school but in real life.

LESSON 3

Educational Technology in the Asia Pacific Region

To provide confidence to educators that they are taking the right steps in adopting technology in education, it is good to know that the last few years, progressive countries in the Asia pacific region have formulated state policies and strategies to infuse technology in schools. The reason for this move is not difficult to understand since there is now a pervasive awareness that a nation’s socio economic success in the 21st century is linked to how well it can compete in a global information and communication technology (ICT) region. This imperative among nations has therefore given tremendous responsibilities on educators to create an educational technology environment in schools.

And since it is understood that state policies will continue to change, it is helpful to examine prevailing ICT policies and strategies of five progressive states/city, namely New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
New Zealand 2001 ICT Goals and Strategy (Weblink for more a detailed document) http://www.tki.org.nz/ict/

Goal
Government with the education and technology sectors, community groups, and industry envisions to support to the development of the capability of schools to use information and communication technologies in teaching-and-learning and in administration.

Strategy
It foresees schools to be:
• Improving learning outcomes for students using ICT to support the curriculum.
• Using ICT to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration.
• Developing partnerships with communities to enhance access to learning through ICT.

Focus areas
• Infrastructure for increasing schools’ access to ICTs to enhance education
• Professional development so that school managers and teachers can increase their capacity to use ICT.

Initiatives
• An On-line Resource Center with a centrally managed website for the delivery of multimedia resources to schools

• A computer recycling scheme
• A planning and implementation guide for schools
• ICT professional development schools/clusters

Australia IT Initiatives
(http.//www.deet.gov.au/schools/Adelaide/text.htm)

In the Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for schools, information technology is one of the eight national goals/learning areas students should achieve. Students should be confident, creative and productive users of new technologies on society.

The plans for achieving the national goal for IT are left to individual states and territories with the Educational Network Australia (EdNA) as the coordinating and advisory body. Across the states and territories, the common features to planning, funding and implementation strategies are:

• East and local wide area networks linking schools, across the state and territory
• Substantial number of computers in schools, ensuring adequate access
• Continuing teacher training in the use of technology for instruction
• Technical support to each school
• Sufficient hardware and software
• Digital library resources
• Technology demonstrations as models for schools

Malaysia Smart School-level Technology Project (http://www.ppk.kpm.my/smartschool/)

Technology plays many roles in a Smart School from facilitating teaching-and-learning activities to assisting with school management. Fully equipping a school includes:

• Classrooms with multimedia, presentation facilities, e-mail and groupware for collaborative work
• Library media center with database for multimedia courseware and network access to the internet
• Computer laboratory for teaching, readily accessible multimedia and audiovisual equipment
• Multimedia development center with tools for creating multimedia materials. Computer studies as a subject
• Studio/theater with control room for centralized audio-visual equipment, teleconferencing studio, audio room, video and laser disc video room
• Teachers’ room with on-line access to courseware catalogues and databases, information and resource management systems and professional networking tools, such as e-mail and groupware.
• Server room equipped to handle applications, management databases and web servers
• Administration offices capable of managing databases of students and facilities, tracking student and teacher performance and resources, distributing notices and other information electronically

Singapore Masterplan for IT in Education (http://www.moe.edu.sg/iteducation/masterplan/welcome.htm)

The masterplan has four key detentions:
Curriculum and assessment
• A balance between acquisition of factual knowledge and mastery of concepts and skills
• Students in more active independent learning
• Assessment to measure abilities in applying information, thinking and communicating
Learning Resources
• Development of a wide range of educational software for instruction
• Use of relevant Internet resources for teaching-and-learning
• Convenient and timely procurement of software materials

Teacher development
• Training on purposeful use of IT for teaching
• Equipping each trainee teacher with core skills in teaching with IT
• Tie-ups with institutions of higher learning and industry partners

Physical and Technological infrastructure
• Pupil computer ratio of 2:1
• Access to IT in all learning areas in the school
• School-wide network and school linkages through wide area network (WAN), eventually connected to Singapore One (a broadband access for high-speedy delivery of multimedia services on island-wide basis

Hong Kong Education Program Highlights
(http://www.info.gov.hk/emb/eng/prog_high/schoolprog.html)

Government aims to raise the quality of school education by promoting the use of IT in teaching and learning. The IT initiatives are:
• On average, 40 computers for each primary school and 82 computers for each secondary school
• About 85,000 IT training places for teachers at four levels
• Technical support for each schools
• An information Education Resource Center for all schools and teachers
• An IT coordinator for each of 250 schools which should have sounds IT plans
• Computer rooms for use by students after normal school hours
• An IT pilot Scheme to provide schools with additional resources
• Review of school curriculum to incorporate IT element
• Development of appropriate software in collaboration with government, the private sector, tertiary institutions and schools
• Exploring the feasibility of setting up an education-specific Internet

Lesson 1

A Review of Educational Technology 1

Danger of Educational Technology
1. Ideological propaganda
2. Pornography
3. Financial fraud
4. Exploitative use of technology

Phases of Application of Ed. Tech. in Teaching and Learning
1. Setting of learning objectives
2. Designing specific learning experiences
3. Evaluating the effectiveness of the learning experience/objectives.
4. Revision as needed of the whole teaching- learning process, or elements of it for further improving future instructional activities.

Terms Distinguished in Ed. Tech.
1. Instructional Technology- use of technology in instruction, different from school management.
2. Educational Media – equipment and materials, apart from the teacher himself.
3. Audiovisual Aids – learning media to stir the senses for more effective learning.

Objectives of Ed. Tech.
• To orient the learner to the pervasiveness of educational technology.
• To lend familiarization on how educational technology can be utilized as media for the avenues teaching- learning process in the school.
• To uplift the learner to human learning through the use of learning technology.
• To impart skills in planning, designing, using and evaluating the technology- enriched teaching-learning process.
• To acquaint learners on basic aspects of community education, function of the school media center, and finally
• To introduce the learner to what is recognized as the third revolution in education, the computer.