TRANSFORMING LEARNING ACROSS DISCIPLINES: TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING 1 63

I : Innovative Technologies in
Teaching and Learning

COMPILATION
Desired Learning Outcome Topics
1. Explored the different online  EDMODO Classroom
classrooms in teaching and
 Google Classroom
learning; and
 Facebook Educational Platform
2. Identified the relevant and
 Microsoft OneNote
appropriate online classroom
that can be integrated in the
unit plan created.

Compiled by: Prof. Jieza Napone

TRANSFORMING LEARNING ACROSS DISCIPLINES: TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING 1 64
Mobile Technology
Education in the 21st century is considered mobile. Gone were the days when the class-
room is the only place where teachers stand and deliver. In this unprecedented time of the
Novel Coronavirus pandemic, mobile technology has even carved a bigger role in the continui-
ty of the teaching and learning process.
One of the advantages of using mobile technology in instructional delivery is the fact that
there are a lot of available applications that can be considered as avenues for the students to
interact with the content of the course and at the same time handle their own self-paced learn-
ing. These educational applications also give the students the opportunity to apply their own
learning styles therefore making the learning process more personal.
However, not all students own a mobile device due to economic factors and/or parents
who strongly oppose allowing their children ownership of such a device at a certain age. It is
therefore imperative that schools should offer orientation to parents should they choose to use
mobile technology to ensure the continuity of learning in their academic community.
Quick Response or popularly known as QR codes is an example application that can be
downloaded in a mobile phone. It was the Denso-Wave, a Japanese corporation that created
this technology mainly to scan codes attached to their products (Bilbao, 2019). These codes
usually links a customer or client to the URL of the website which provides further information
about the product. In this time of the pandemic, it is mostly used by restaurants, malls and oth-
er establishments to generate information from customers to make contact tracing easier. This
technology via the mobile phone can also be used in school for the same purpose and/or to
check the attendance of students and employees. Exploring the QR code can make both teach-
ers and students alike think of other useful ways to incorporate its use in instructional delivery.

Digital Readers, Tablets, and 3D Printing

A digital reader is otherwise known as an e-reader, e-book reader or e-book device. It is a

mobile electronic device that is primarily designed for the purpose of reading digitized content
from books, journals and periodicals. A standalone e-reader has wireless connectivity for down-
loading content and conducting web-based tasks. Popular dedicated e-reader are Amazon’s
Kindle and Sony’s e-reader (Rouse, 2011). Mobile devices that can display text, such as
smartphones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), can also function as e-readers.
William M. Ferriter has used Amazon’s Kindle in the classroom by downloading free sample
chapters from popular novels. He then gives the device to randomly selected students during
silent reading period and since has claimed that it has made a tremendous impact to strug-
gling readers. E-readers are providing a new and exciting way for students to find enjoyment in
reading. Books are easily accessible and provides an adjustable font size feature that has been
found to improve students’ success in reading especially for struggling readers (ETEC, 2012).
Tablets are portable computers that uses touchscreen technology as primary input device.
They are mostly smaller and weigh less than the laptop. Some tablets use fold out keyboards
but others only have a touchscreen input. Early tablet touchscreens were designed to work
TRANSFORMING LEARNING ACROSS DISCIPLINES: TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING 1 65
with light pens but currently, most tablets support human touch input (TechTerms, 2011).
Tablets are ready for education as they are the best way to show textbook. They can offer
enhanced e-books that feature images, videos, audio and these elements are impossible to in-
clude in print or in a standard e-book. Tablets are very important to students as they improve
collaboration, developing IT skills, publishing, sharing and searching for information, creativity,
flexibility in terms of space and time, and motivation in their studies (Soffar, 2015). The teach-
ers can find unique teaching approaches or methodologies by using tablets in instructional de-
livery. The teachers can also assess students using various applications that can be downloaded
in the tablet. They are also fully compatible with online teaching and learning platforms.
3D printing uses computer-aided design (CAD) to create three-dimensional objects through
a layering method. It is sometimes being referred to as additive manufacturing. 3D printing in-
volves layering of materials like plastic, composites or biomaterials to create objects that range
in shape, size, rigidity and color. Today, 3D printers can be seen building everything from
homes to cars and even viable personal protective equipment (PPE) which are used by
healthcare workers all over the world to fight COVID19 (TechJobs, 2019).
Technology in the classroom has gained traction, and as it shifts and develops, its used be-
come varied. Engineering, chemistry, math, biology and architecture, just to name a few , all
make use of 3D printers but the real advantages lie in the development of imagination and cre-
ativity. All students can benefit from the burst of imaginative capabilities that results from edu-
cational technology. 3D printing allows educators to design rich learning experiences for deep
theoretical constructs that bring learning from computer screens into the students’ hands. Digi-
tal 3D work come to life with 3D printers which can encourage sharing, teamwork, planning,
design, and thinking through difficult complex ideas (University of Texas Arlington, 2016).

Social Media in Educational Institutions

Social Media are websites or applications that enable users to create and share content or to
participate in social networking. These have gained credibility over the years as trusted sources
of information and platform where organizations can interact with audiences (Dlamini, 2018).

Just a few years ago, social networks meant so little to educators than the difficulty of defin-
ing learners for unsuitable activities on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
etc. but now teachers and students are using social media as a learning management platform
especially this time of the pandemic.

The following are the roles of social media in education:

The use of social media in education provides students with the ability to get useful infor-
mation, to connect with learning groups and other educational systems that make education
convenient.
Social network tools afford teachers and institutions with multiple opportunities to improve
pedagogy.
TRANSFORMING LEARNING ACROSS DISCIPLINES: TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING 1 66
Social media is also an avenue where students interact with experts on topics and can estab-
lish beneficial connections for their careers and as well as increase collaboration with fellow
students.
Schools and other institutions communicate with students and professionals via Facebook,
YouTube or Twitter for information dissemination.
Social media helps the research process. During and even before the COVID19 pandemic
researches have already used social media to gather data.
Enhanced learning management systems are networking software that deliver educational
programs and broaden both the students’ and teachers’ teaching and learning advantage.
Learners can build social credibility. This means that students and professionals can build a
portfolio for their career through social media (Dlamni, 2018).

Although educators and learners are pushing learning beyond the limits of the classroom
through social networking yet, also brings some obstacles. The following are the issues on the
use of Social Media in Education:

Social media can cause interruption in the learning process if rules for its use are not in
place and enforced well. Social media sites can turn away the attention from what is happening
in the class.
It is very challenging to keep an eye on what students are posting on social media. Some
post unsuitable content which could be distracting and harmful to other students.
Some educators are worried that although real-time online stream creates a safe platform
for learners to express themselves yet, students are missing valuable lessons in real-life skills.
Some teachers lack the pedagogy to properly use social media in instructional delivery
(Ozassignments, 2020).

Cloud Technology

As educational technology infuses higher education, many universities are turning cloud-
hosted learning management systems (LMSs) that connect student databases with learning
content. Flexible and cost effective, cloud technology has been a boon to teachers and stu-
dents alike, allowing them to assign complete classwork over the internet. Cloud technology
allows students access to homework wherever there is an internet connection, teachers to in-
stantly upload learning materials and administrators to easily collaborate with one another and
save money on data storage (Gottsegen, 2019).

Because students can instantly access their homework, quizzes, and course content
through cloud technology, their bags are lighter and they can work from wherever there is an
internet connection. They can also collaborate with their classmates on group assignments
without having to be in the same room, thus proving that the classroom can now be mobile in
the 21st century. The only downside of this is the poor internet connection in the Philippines
and especially in places outside the city.
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Virtual Reality (VR) in Education

In the era of digital devices, we have an opportunity to enable better learning with technolo-
gy. Virtual reality (VR) seems to be the natural next step for the evolution of education. VR can
be used to enhance student learning and engagement. VR education can transform the way
educational content is delivered; it works on the premise of creating a virtual world, real or im-
agined, and allows users to not only see it but also interact with it.
When students read about something, they often want to experience it. With VR, they are
not limited to word descriptions or book illustrations; they can explore the topic and see how
things are put together. VR allows students to learn about the subject by living it. Furthermore,
visceral reactions to what we are experiencing are fundamental to forming memories. VR in ed-
ucation makes it easy to engage students the whole time, making experiences memorable.
A lot of students are visual learners, VR is very helpful for this group of learners. Instead of
reading about things, students can actually see the things they are learning about. Being able
to visualize complex functions or mechanisms makes them easier to comprehend.
Virtual reality technology can also be used to engage students in topics related to geogra-
phy, history, or literature by offering a deeply immersive senses of place and time. Simply im-
agine geography lessons where one can visit any place on the globe, this type of experience is
much more enriching than just reading about it.
It is a well-known fact that people learn best by doing. VR in education provides an experi-
ence anchor to instruction. With VR education, learners are inspired to discover for themselves.
Students have an opportunity to learn by doing rather than passively reading. However, such
device are expensive and almost impossible to scale. They are also limited in the number of
things they can do (Babich, 2019).

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence is making its way into various academic communities by means of
automated grading systems, automated feedbacking of the performance of faculty members
and staff, and at the same time personalized learning through Learning Management Systems
(LMS) and Virtual Learning Environments (VLE).
Artificial Intelligence helps teachers by saving their precious time from checking manually
bulks and bulks of papers from quizzes and examinations. Some Learning Management Sys-
tems or Virtual Learning Environments automatically checks assessments of students when they
are done using multiple choice and true or false types of tests. The LMS/VLE also automatically
records scores and provides basic data through item analysis which offers greater insight on
the performance of students.
TRANSFORMING LEARNING ACROSS DISCIPLINES: TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING 1 68
Gamification

Gamification of education is a developing approach for increasing learners’ motivation

and engagement by incorporating game design elements in educational environments. In
games, students are given a sense of agency: they control the choices they make, and the more
agency students have, the better the students do.
Gamification is the use of game design and mechanics to enhance non-game contexts by
increasing participation, engagement, loyalty and competition. These methods can include
points, leader boards, direct competitions and sticker or badges, and can be found in industries
as varied as personal healthcare, retail and course, education. Games, in any form, increase mo-
tivation through engagement. Nowhere else is this more important than education.

Educators have tested this theory and seen positive results. Suzanne Holloway (2018) has
suggested a variety of ways to introduce the classroom to the gamification of education:

1. Gamification in grading
Make each assignment and each test feel rewarding rather than disheartening. Using ex-
perience points allows educators to align the levels with skills and highlight the inherent value
of education.

2. Award students with badges

For each assignment completed, award students with badges. This may seem like a re-
gression back to kindergarten stickers of gold stars but it is working for Khan Academy. As stu-
dents watch instructional videos and complete problem sets, Khan Academy awards them with
points and badges to track progress and encourage perseverance.

3. Integrate educational video games into the curriculum

The use of games allows students to fail, overcome, and persevere. Students are given a
sense of agency, they control the choices they make, and the more agency students have, the
better students do. Instantaneous feedback and small rewards are external motivators that
work.

4. Implement a class-wide reward system

Encourage camaraderie among students by setting up a rewards system where students
achieve something as a team. For example, set a goal of 80% of the class passing an exam. As a
reward, give the entire class bonus points or even a party. That way, students are working to
master the material together instead of competing, and the highest achieving students will
help those around them.

5. Gamifying homework to encourage informal learning

Ultimately, educators hope the games translate learning into informal environments.
There simply are not enough hours in the day for an educator. Games allow the curiosity – and
the learning – to continue after the bell rings.