USING ‘TETSI’ TO HELP TEACHERS IDENTIFY

POTENTIAL EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

1 2
Siti Sarah Binti Mohd Johari , Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nazirah Ahmad Azli , Marzuki
3 4
Ab.Manan and Prof. Rozhan M. Idrus
1,2
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang
3
Intel Technology Sdn. Bhd, Pulau Pinang
4
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan

E-mail: sitisarahmjohari@gmail.com

Abstract: Supporting a constructivist approach to teaching and learning, technology is used as

knowledge-building tools and that pretty much is what is understood about best practices for
integrating technology into the curriculum. However, greater understanding of its impact on the
interactions of learners of all ages is yet to be explored. The government allocated billions of
ringgit providing a complete platform for schools and teachers to integrate ICT into their
teaching and learning process in the classrooms, however ICT usage in schools continues to lag
expectations-both in terms of quantity and quality (MoE, 2012). Many barriers preventing
teachers from effectively using technology, such as teachers’ lack of knowledge and skills in
technology integration and many teachers do not have the support needed to effectively integrate
it. Therefore, four aspects of learning: tasks, interactions, situations and tools are formatively
observed. This project introduces an innovative framework or process by using Apple
Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) model ‘level of adoption’ of technology integration to help
teachers identify the level of adoption they are in. Through this framework, the teachers are able
to rate themselves accordingly (Entry, Adoption, Adaptation, Appropriation and Invention) and
will be able to help them find out their potential educational technology skills and make use of
technology tools that will help them and students adjust to the innovation. Therefore, inspired by
this model, researchers try to come up with a web application called Teacher’s Educational
Technology Skills Identifier (TETSI) that will help teachers determine or identify what phase or
level they might be in. Learning how to use the technology is hard enough for some teachers and
by helping them to recognize their potential educational technology skills hopefully will be a
good start to help support teachers who are looking for a powerful tool to support collaborative
learning environment through technology.

Keywords: learners interactions, level of adoption, educational technology, constructivism,

teaching and learning

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INTRODUCTION
Throughout the countries in the past few decades, the use of educational technology in schools as
means to improve student learning has received extensive attention with the advent of the
internet and a variety of software and hardware applications (Miller, 2006). The acquisition of
hardware and computer network infrastructure has become the focus, predominantly by the
school districts in the pursuit of educational technology goals (Anderson & Becker,
2001).Moreover, from the first introduction of single computers for use in the classrooms, to
stand-alone computer labs with limited skill-based software, to school wide distributive networks
of computers running prescriptive curriculum-driven software applications, to wide area
networks featuring broadband internet access and streaming video, these innovations have
ranged over that time period (Parsad & Jones, 2005).

The First Malaysia Plan, 1966-1970, stated that ‘unless the educational system is geared to meet
the development needs of the country, there will be a misallocation of an important economic
resource, which will slow down the rate of economic and social advance (UNDP, 2005). During
the Tenth Malaysia Plan, almost all primary and secondary schools were equipped with internet
access and a virtual learning platform for teachers and principals to access various learning
resources to help them improve their practices (Economic Planning Unit, 2015). In the latest
Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025, the Malaysian government plans in the long-term to
equip more ICT facilities within Malaysian schools for students’ ICT literacy and to support
future innovations in pedagogical practices (Ministry of Education Malaysia, 2012, p. 163). In
the same education plan, the project titled 1BestariNet plans to provide Internet access and
virtual learning environments to all 10,000 Malaysian schools by the middle of 2013 (Ministry of
Education Malaysia, 2012, p. 41), providing a complete platform for teachers to integrate ICT
into their teaching and learning process in their classrooms. Moreover, the MEB 2013-2025 even
mentioned the reasons why it is important to leverage ICT in order to scale up quality of learning
across Malaysia,

…the Ministry has spent more than RM6 billion on information and communication
technology (ICT) over the past decade in education initiatives such as smart schools—
one of the most capital-intensive investments the system has undertaken. However, ICT
usage in schools continues to lag expectations—both in terms of quantity and quality.
For example, a 2010 Ministry study found that approximately 80% of teachers spend
less than one hour a week using ICT, and only a third of students perceive their teachers
to be using ICT regularly. Critically, the 2012 UNESCO review found that ICT usage has
not gone much further than the use of word-processing applications as an instructional
tool. ICT has tremendous potential to accelerate the learning of a wide range of
knowledge and thinking skills. However, this potential has yet to be achieved. (Ministry
of Education Malaysia, 2012, p. 41)

As mentioned before, the government plans to provide internet access and virtual learning
environments (VLE) to all Malaysian schools eventually, which will ensure the availability of
computer technology and therefore will enhance the teaching and learning in schools. Students
will enjoy greater personalization of their educational experience and they will also be able to
learn at their own pace, with teachers acting as facilitators rather than direct content providers
(Ministry of Education Malaysia, 2012).While access and availability to computer technologies

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has significantly increased in schools throughout the country, questions persist as to the actual
impact these technologies are having in the planning and delivery of instruction as well as the
perceived benefits to the learning process. Billions of ringgit is allocated for information and
communication technology (ICT) in educational programmes and initiatives yet little
information is available about the effectiveness and impact of past and present initiatives
(UNICEF, 2014). In 1985, Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) began a longitudinal
research study to investigate how the routine use of technology by teachers and students would
affect teaching and learning. One of the main concerns in the research, it was noted that there are
many barriers preventing teachers from effectively using technology, such as varied access (by
social class, gender, race, and native language), the way it is used (low achieving students are
less likely to use technology to enhance critical thinking skills) and teachers’ lack of knowledge
and skills in technology integration (Sandholtz, Ringstaff & Dwyer, 1997).In short, they do not
have the support needed to effectively integrate it. In addition, the researchers disagree with the
accusations of many people who continue to blame teachers for the lack of technology
integration in schools; without considering the context for teaching, teacher beliefs about
teaching and learning, and professional development. On the other hand, the ACOT study found
that when technology integration was used as one of many teaching strategies, when it was
integrated into the larger curricular framework, when tool applications (word processing,
hypermedia, etc.) were emphasized and when teachers adjusted the use of technology to
individual differences in interest and ability; there were a multitude of positive effects on
students.

This project introduces an innovative framework or process by using Apple Classrooms of

Tomorrow (ACOT) model ‘level of adoption’ of technology integration to help teachers identify
the level of adoption they are in. Through this framework, the teachers are able to rate
themselves accordingly (Entry, Adoption, Adaptation, Appropriation and Invention) and will be
able to help them identify their potential educational technology skills and make use of
technology tools that will help them and students adjust to the innovation. Learning how to use
the technology is hard enough for some teachers, and by being able to help them recognize their
potential educational technology skills hopefully will be a good start to help to support teachers
looking for a powerful tool to support collaborative learning environment through technology.

THE FRAMEWORK
This framework in Table 1, are the five stages of instructional evolution in the ACOT classrooms
which include: Entry, Adoption, Adaptation, Appropriation and Invention (Sandholtz, Ringstaff
& Dwyer, 1991). In this model, text-based curriculum delivered in a lecture-recitation-seat work
mode is first strengthened through the use of technology and then gradually replaced by far more
dynamic learning experiences for the students. Inspired by this model, researchers try to come up
with an application that will help teachers determine or identify what phase or level they might
be in. Once they have identified the level, the teachers are able to increase their knowledge of
theories on teaching and learning, encouraging them to share acquired knowledge and skills and
will help them to get ongoing-support from the top administrative body for professional
development. The application will also provide suggestions of application tools in that hopefully
will be useful for teachers to support or integrate them in their instructions.

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 Table 1: Instructional Evolution in Technology-Intensive Classrooms

INSTRUCTIONA
COLLEGIAL
PHASE DESCRIPTION L PEDAGOGY
INTERACTION
TECHNOLOGY
Lecture
Learn the basics of
Recitation Emotional
Entry using new Text
Seatwork Support
technology.
Lecture Emotional
Use new technology
Recitation Support
Adoption to support traditional Text
Seatwork Technical
instruction.
Assistance
Lecture
Emotional
Text Recitation
Integrate new Support
Seatwork
technology into Technical
Adaptation
traditional classroom Assistance
High Computer Play &
practice. Instructional
Access Experiment
Sharing
Lecture
Recitation
Text
Seatwork
Focus on cooperative,
Emotional
project-based and
Support
interdisciplinary Individualized
Technical
Appropriati work —incorporating Cooperative
Assistance
on the technology as Project-based
Instructional
needed and as one of Simulation
Sharing
many tools. Interdisciplina
Collaboration
ry Distance
High Computer
Multimodal
Access
Self-paced

Invention Discover new uses

for technology tools,
for example,
developing Interact
Immediate
spreadsheet macros Do
Computer Access
for teaching algebra Create
or designing projects
that combine multiple
technologies.

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THE WEB APPLICATION
The application will have two categories as in Figure 1; Know Your Skill Level and Web
Educational Tools. First, the application will determine whether the user is the beginner user or
experienced user based on the questions provided. These questions were adopted from Fisher
(2000) whose study examined the degree of information technology literacy competencies.
According to Fisher, beginner users were segmented as those who rated themselves as having
‘no skills’ or ‘beginner’ skills on all of the general ability items. The distinction between
‘experienced’ and ‘beginner’ is justified based on the breadth of their skill level across all six
criteria (Fisher, 2000). After the app identify whether he or she is the beginner or experienced
user, the app will help the user to determine the skill level of the educational technology
integration.

There are five phases or stages in the model; Entry, Adoption, Adaptation, Appropriation and
Invention. The Entry and Adoption phases will be grouped under beginner users and the
remaining three phases will be categorized under experienced users. The reason the first two
phases are categorized under ‘beginner’ is because their criteria fits the beginner skills which is
learning the basic of the new technology and only use them to support the traditional
instructions. The remaining three phases are grouped under experienced users because they are
more likely integrating educational technology into instructional activities. Know Your Skill
Level will help the users to be able to recognize their potential skills level and will be able to
make use of technology tools that will help them and students adjust to the innovation.
Hopefully, the identification of their skill level will be useful to help them to get ongoing-
support such as to get professional development and will be able to provide as much information
and knowledge especially regarding teachers comfort with technology.

Secondly, the Web Educational Tools as in Table 2 can act as an archive where the educational
tools from various sources from the internet is put in one place. This category will act as useful
links for teachers especially for those who are interested in exploring various resources to help
them in their instructions. Teachers can always browse and look into these applications and
learn how to use them so that they can slowly integrate technology into classroom environment
formatively.

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 Figure 1: Teacher’s Educational Technology Skills Identifier Flowchart

CONCLUSIONS
Technology is not just another educational fad that will come and go, failing to revolutionize
education like previous innovations that made similar promises as mentioned by Sandholtz,
Ringstaff & Dwyern (1997) in a review of ACOT study. They believed over time, technology
will gradually help to create classroom environments where technologies are used as knowledge
building tools for communication and collaboration, media-rich composition, simulation,
modeling across the curriculum, although in the beginning teachers will probably use it to simply
translate a traditional approach to an electronic medium. Therefore, it is very important to deliver
to teachers that technology has the potential to change education in beneficial ways. Sandholtz,
Ringstaff & Dwyern (1997) emphasize that the operating principle was not for the teachers to
use technology all the time, but to use the tool that best supported the learning objective. Thus,
by taking a simple step as developing an application based on this model may help the education
community especially teachers in the development of activities based on teacher strengths and as
well as improvement of new ideas and teaching methods.

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 Table 2: Web Educational Tools as teacher's helper

Educational
Purpose Description
Web tools

Collect formative assessment and provide real-time feedback

Plickers
to students.

Edpuzzle Create video lessons and track your students understanding.

Enhance students learning with various tools, games and

Quizlet
flashcards.

Create boards, add different forms of content and invite

Padlet
others to collaborate in real-time.

Create interactive lessons; get real-time feedback and post-

Nearpod
session reports on your students understanding.

A good visual way to enhance collaborative work and

Classroom Trello
organize group projects.
Management
Websites for teachers A suite of excellent tools to store documents and create
Google Drive
documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and drawings.

Build productive classroom communities with parents and

Classdojo
students.

Google A great platform to connect with students, ‘creates classes,

Classroom distribute assignments, communicate, and stay organized’.

Access tons of student interactive, learning tools,

ReadWriteThink professional development materials and several other
resources to use in class.

Create interactive videos by adding questions and monitor

Playposit
students’ performance.

Create Beautiful Easy and simple to use and does not require prior knowledge
Crello
Visuals for your class of graphic design.

Join a creative community of story tellers and get inspired to

Storybird
write your own stories.

Provides you with a set of pre-designed characters, scenes

Web Tools to Help
Witty Comics and dialogue boxes to write your story. You need to log in to
Students with Their
save your work.
Writing
Create amazing comics using a wide variety of materials
Make Beliefs
including characters, speech bubbles, props, backgrounds,
Comix
objects and many more.
MindMup Lets you ‘create unlimited mind maps for free, and store

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 them in the cloud. Your mind maps are available
everywhere, instantly, from any device.’
You can use Lucidchart to design concept maps, flowcharts
Lucidchart and different types of diagrams. It also supports collaborative
features and works across several devices.
An excellent educational platform to help students create
Book creator
published share their writing creations.
Reference: Educational Technology and Mobile Learning (https://www.educatorstechnology.com)

REFERENCES

Anderson, R. E., & Becker, H. J. (2001).School investments in instructional technology. Irvine,

CA: Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations.University
ofCalifornia, Irvine.

Economic Planning Unit. (2015). Eleventh Malaysia Plan: Strategy Paper 10: Transforming
Education System. Putrajaya: Prime Minister’s Department.

Fisher, M. (2000).Computer skills of initial teacher education students. Journal of Information

Technology for Teacher Education, 9(1), 109-123.

Miller R. K. (2006). The Impact of Educational Technology on Learner Interactions:

Multiple Case Studies of Elementary Classrooms. Wichita State University. Kansas, United
States.

Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2012). Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025.

Putrajaya: Ministry of Education Malaysia.

Parsad, B., & Jones, J. (2005).Internet access in U.S.public schools and classrooms:1994-
2003(No. NCES 2005-015). U.S. Department of Education. Washington,D.C.: National
Center for Education Statistics.

Sandholtz, J.H., Ringstaff, C., & Dwyer, D.C. (1991).The Relationship Between
TechnologicalInnovation and Collegial Interaction. Paper presented at the annual meeting of
theAmerican Educational Research Association: Boston.

Sandholtz, J.H., Ringstaff, C., & Dwyer, D.C. (1997).Teaching with Technology:
CreatingStudent-Centered Classrooms. Teachers College: New York, 211 pages.

UNDP. (2005). Malaysia: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals MDG 2.Kuala
Lumpur: UNDP Malaysia.

UNICEF. (2014). Exploring the Digital Landscape in Malaysia: Access and use of
digital technologies by children and adolescents. Kuala Lumpur: UNICEF Malaysia.

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