Republic of the Philippines

Pangasinan State University

OPEN UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS
Lingayen, Pangasinan

Course Code: EDM 315

Course Title: Educational Innovations and Technology
Professor: Dr. Grace G. De Vera
Ethel Grace R. Gabriel, EdD – Educational Management Student

USE and MISUSE OF TECHNOLOGY IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

DISTANCE EDUCATION DEFINED

 any learning that takes place without the students being physically present in
the classroom. (However, in some cases, this could also apply to the teacher.)
 is a type of education in which students are taught and engaged through
technology outside of the traditional classroom
 allows instructors in both schools and higher institutions to reach students
anywhere, at any time, encouraging collaboration, access, and digital
experiences.

EVOLUTION OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

 First Generation: Correspondence Model

o The first generation of distance education refers to those which mainly
utilize written and printed texts and postal services for delivering such
texts in the forms of books, newspapers, and manuals.
o It is so-called print-based correspondence education.
o In this stage, the interaction between teachers and students was
usually limited to correspondence, meaning hand-written texts that
were sent via postal mail.
  Second Generation: Multimedia Model
o The second generation is characterized by the use of radio and
television as instructional media in addition to print materials.
o This generation is often referred to as the “industrial mode” of
distance education with highly specialized division of labor in producing
and delivering instructional materials and the potential to educate
thousands of students at once.

 Third Generation: Tele-Learning Model

o “Televisual” includes such visual broadcast media as television, video,
and videoconferencing.
o As a tool for teacher education, televisually based distance education
is often used to show teachers real teacher-student interactions in the
classroom, thus enabling them to observe the management of learning
activities.

 Fourth Generation: Flexible Leaning Model

o The fourth generation is based on online delivery via the Internet.
Utilization of Interactive multimedia (IMM) online, Internet-based
access to WWW resources and Computer mediated communication
are highly encouraged.

 Fifth Generation: Smart and Flexible Leaning Model

o The fifth generation of distance education is essentially a derivation of
the fourth generation, which aims to capitalize on the features of the
Internet and the Web.
o The fifth generation (Intelligent Flexible Learning) model of distance
education, incorporating the use of automated response systems and
intelligent object databases in the context of Internet-based delivery,
has the potential to provide students with a valuable, personalized
pedagogical experience at noticeably lower cost than traditional
approaches to distance education and conventional face-to-face
education.

ELEMENTS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

 Requirements
o We need many tools and equipment in the distance educational
process, such as the computer, the Internet, and the printer, in addition
to the basic drivers, such as office programs, file play applications of all
kinds, and multimedia players, such as video, audio and images,
educational sites, and approved educational platforms.

 Skills
o These are skills that the learner needs to acquire, such as:
 Technical skills:
 Such as dealing with the Windows system, such as
creating new documents, using word and image
processing software, producing visual presentations, e-
 mail, safe navigation through the Internet, and the ability
to download the required programs and applications.

 Personal skills:
 These are the skills that a person must acquire and
develop in order to equip him with strengths, such as
taking responsibility, patience, perseverance, time
management, self-learning, research, flexibility and
passion, and critical and creative thinking.

 Learning event
o The learning event is divided into two types:
 Synchronous learning:
 Synchronous learning is a type of group learning in which
a group of students are engaging in learning at the same
time and in the same place.
 In synchronous education, the teacher and students
interact at the same time. Targeted learners are required
to log in to their computers during specified times.
 Synchronous learning happens in real-time, often with a
set class schedule and required login times.

 Asynchronous learning:
 Asynchronous learning is a form of education, instruction,
and learning that does not occur in the same place or at
the same time.
 Asynchronous learning is more self-directed, and the
student decides the times that he will learn and uses
resources that facilitate information sharing outside the
constraints of time and place among a network of people.
 For the success of the education process, students need
to know the basics of dealing with educational platforms,
through preparation, communication, and interaction with
explanations and assignments, interaction with activities,
their design, browsing and navigation between sites, and
ease of sharing information.

 Responsibility
o To achieve the desired success in distance education, we need
seriousness, solidarity, cooperation, and a great deal of awareness and
responsibility from (family - school)
o In order to achieve success, the distance education stage is a critical
stage, and it requires a high degree of honesty and responsibility.
Because it is a patriotic, training and educational duty.
 The role of the family:
 Family is the key to success because it plays the role of
the direct supervisory authority on the student in the
distance learning stage. Its responsibility is to follow up,
 monitor and observe, organize student time, and allocate
time for study.
 It is the family's duty to follow up on educational
developments, communicate with the school, request
technical support, and consult when needed, without
hesitation.

 The role of the school:

 The school’s role requires skills in responding quickly and
adapting to events. This is to meet the students' needs,
by preparing electronic educational content, broadcasting
and presenting it in a timely manner.
 The teacher should prepare students mentally and
psychologically as in the usual class, through electronic
content, and thorough preparation.
 The school's role also requires the formation of
teamwork, to achieve the goals that ensure the success
of the distance education process, such as follow-up,
electronic support, digital content design, creative output,
preparation of schedules for the study material plan,
following up of students ’attendance, measuring their
progress, designing discussion sessions and dialogue
with students in the scientific material, and addressing
their deficiencies and the needs of educational losses.

TYPES OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

 Video conferencing is a common way for teachers to interact directly with

students in live lessons. This could be a one-on-one session or a class-like
scenario in which multiple students connect to the teacher live.
o Synchronous learning is when all the students learn together at the
same time (and often even place) but the instructor is at another
 location. It often features video or teleconferencing that connects
teachers and learners digitally.
o Asynchronous learning is a less connected but also less constrained
format. Instead of live online lessons, students are given learning tasks
with deadlines. They then self-study to complete the assignments.

 Open-schedule online courses add yet another layer of flexibility. It is a

type of asynchronous course setup, except there aren’t any deadlines
either. This is ideal for learners with other demands on their time, such as
professionals or stay-at-home parents.

 Fixed-time online courses are a type of synchronous course that requires

online users to all visit a specific virtual location at a set time and place
(e.g. a webinar). Unlike more rigid synchronous lessons, this does allow
students from anywhere in the world to connect and interact online.

 Computer-based distance education is a fixed-time, synchronous lesson

on computers, usually a computer lab. This is most common in existing
institutions that already have access to the necessary devices.
o Hybrid learning is a specific type of blended learning where students
are learning the same lesson in real-time (i.e. synchronous distance
learning) but some of the students are physically present while others
are learning remotely.

KINDS OF TECHNOLOGIES USED IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

 Audioconference
o An audioconference connects instructors and students using standard
telephone lines for real-time discussion. Course times are scheduled
and can include the entire class or small groups.

 Multimedia
o Course material is available on CD, DVD, videocassette,
audiocassette, or other types of stored media. Multimedia courses may
combine text, graphics, audio, video and other elements. Material is
designed to be flexible, self-paced, and modular. In some cases,
access to the Internet is required. The students learning choices
influence how material is presented and reviewed.

 Online
o Online courses are delivered over the Internet and are usually web-
based. Courseware management systems (D2L, WebCT, Blackboard,
and others) are often used to organize content, activities,
communication, and assessment. Some courses may have specific
computer hardware and/or software requirements.
  Print
o Course packets, textbooks and other materials are sent to students
through the mail. Students submit lessons by mail, fax, or in some
cases, e-mail. Assignments, exams and completions are self-paced
within an agreed timeframe.

 Telecourse / Datacast
o Telecourses are highly produced videotaped course segments
broadcast at scheduled times by television stations (public TV and
others) or local cable access channels. Textbooks and study guides
provide students with assignments and direction. Some courses
require additional independent work through the mail. Datacasting is
the transmission of text, graphics, video, audio and other media over
the airwaves along with the digital television signal. Datacast course
materials can be downloaded to a computer or viewed on a television.

 Videoconference
o A videoconference connects instructors and students in simultaneous
two-way communication. Everyone may see and speak with each other
for real-time discussions. Videoconference sites are located worldwide
in public and private locations, including schools, government agencies
and businesses. Some types of videoconferences can be delivered
directly to the desktop.

 Webcast
o A webcast captures and records audio, video, slides and other types of
digital data, then synchronizes it as a single streamed media
presentation. The course is either viewed live over the Internet or
linked to later. Instructors can interact with students by various means:
email, chat, scheduled audioconferences, or other methods.

 Webconference
o A webconference combines the use of a Web browser for visuals and
an audioconference for discussion. Students and instructors
communicate and collaborate in real-time. Students can show and
receive graphics, draw, add text, demonstrate Web sites, share
documents and use Web chat. Students can interact with each other to
create new collaborative content during the course.

BENEFITS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

 Flexibility
o The top benefit of distance education is its flexibility. Students can
choose when, where, and how they learn by selecting the time, place,
and medium for their education. For those who want direct, live access
to teachers there are video conferencing options. But for students who
may be doing their training around a job or other responsibilities, a
more relaxed schedule may work better. There are options to match
virtually anyone’s needs.
  Easy Access
o Whether due to remote location or being differently-abled, some
students lack basic access to educational facilities. Remote learning
programs offer every student the opportunity to learn and improve
themself in the environment they find the most effective.

 Less Cost
o Thanks to the scalable nature of digital learning especially, distance
learning is driving down the cost of education. Online degrees are
becoming almost commonplace, and there are even accredited online-
only universities that can eliminate expensive infrastructure overhead
and get straight to the teaching.

FIVE (5) RISKS POSED BY THE INCREASING MISUSE OF TECHNOLOGY IN

SCHOOLS

 Risk One: The Threat to Student Privacy

o Risk one is the invasion of student privacy, utilizing data by tech
companies collected when students are online.

 Risk Two: The Proliferation of 'Personalized Learning'

o Personalized learning, or “competency-based education,” are both
euphemisms for computer adaptive instruction. Again, a parent
rebellion is brewing, because parents want their children taught by a
human being, not a computer. They fear that their children will be
mechanized, standardized, subjected to depersonalized instruction, not
“personalized learning.” While many entrepreneurs are investing in
software to capture this burgeoning industry, there is still no solid
evidence that students learn more or better when taught by a
computer.

 Risk Three: The Extensive Use of Technology for Assessment.

o Technology is highly compatible with standardized testing, which
encourages standardized questions and standardized answers. If the
goal of learning is to teach creativity, imagination, and risk-taking,
assessment should encourage students to be critical thinkers, not
accepting the conventional wisdom, not checking off the right answer.
Furthermore, the ability of computers to judge essays is still
undeveloped and may remain so. Professor Les Perelman at MIT
demonstrated that computer-graded essays can get high scores for
gibberish and that computers lack the “intelligence” to reason or
understand what matters most in writing.

 Risk Four: The Cyber Charter School

o Most such virtual schools, or cyber charters, are operated for profit; the
largest of them is a chain called K12 Inc., which is listed on the New
York Stock Exchange. Its executives are paid millions of dollars each
year. Its biggest initial investor was the junk bond king Michael Milken.
 Numerous articles in publications such as the New York Times and the
Washington Post have documented high student attrition, low teacher
wages, low student test scores and low graduation rates. Yet the
company is profitable.

 Risk Five: Money in Edtech

o The greatest fear of parents and teachers is that the tech industry
wants to replace teachers with computers. They fear that the business
leaders want to cut costs by replacing expensive humans with
inexpensive machines, that never require health care or a pension.
They believe that education requires human interaction. They prefer
experience, wisdom, judgment, sensibility, sensitivity and compassion
in the classroom to the cold, static excellence of a machine.

FIVE (5) DISADVANTAGES OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

 Distracting Students
o Smartphones have a bad reputation in classrooms and there have
been strong cases for banning them in schools. Research suggests
that during class time, when smartphones 42% of the time that
students spent on their smartphones in the classroom, it was to text,
tweet, or otherwise engage in social media rather than the lesson.
o However, bans on devices such as smartphones are unlikely to work
as students will inevitably get around them. Also, such bans would be
resented by students, who consider the use of technology to be a
matter of personal autonomy that should only be regulated when it
distracts other students. While teachers can help students learn better
self-control methods to help them to regulate their own use of devices,
research shows that better lesson plans that promote student
engagement have less off-task use of technology.

 Requires Management and Training

o The rise of EdTech means that being effective in the classroom
requires that teachers are effective on the screen and tech platform.
Studies show that three-quarters of teachers say the internet and other
digital tools have added new demands to their lives and have
dramatically increased the range of content and skills about which they
must be knowledgeable, with nearly half saying it has increased their
workload.

 Leads to Tech Disparity

o Tech disparity refers to how much access students have to the
necessary devices. The differences in access can be seen between
school districts, with more affluent districts having greater resources,
but it can also refer to differences among students in the same school,
where students from wealthier families having greater access. A recent
survey indicates that while 84 percent of American teens have a
smartphone, the other 16 percent don’t. Reaching out to that 16
percent is the goal.
 o Tech disparity also refers to school policymaking and tech
management. For example, the above survey also points out that while
three-quarters of teachers working in wealthier districts felt that their
schools provided adequate training, only half of the teachers in low-
income areas agreed. Around 40 percent of teachers in economically
disadvantaged areas saw their schools as behind the curve in
technology advancement.
o Teachers and
administrators can take
practical steps toward
bridging the tech divide.
Assuming unequal access
to devices, schools can
focus on technology that
can be shared among
classes, for example,
shared tablet computers
and school computer labs,
not to mention school-
based Wi-Fi.

 Cost Money
o Nothing in this world is
free, and buying cutting-
edge electronics for a
classroom is downright
expensive. While there’s
no way to avoid spending
money modernizing a
classroom, it is at least
possible to maximize the
total cost of ownership
(TCO) by installing devices
with longer lifespans and
reduced maintenance.
Tech with higher upfront
costs might actually save
the school money as it will
face fewer issues and have
less downtime while being
easier to use. Schools
need to assess TCO
carefully before choosing
purchasing tech.

 Less Face Time

o No amount of technology in
the classroom can replace
talented, inspired teachers. As the adage goes, any teacher that can
be replaced with a tech device probably deserves to be replaced.
o Technology is not the solution to ensuring a healthy vigorous learning
culture, it is simply a pedagogical tool that is only as valuable as the
instructor who wields it. In fact, while billions of dollars are spent on
EdTech, countries that don’t deploy tech often have better educational
outcomes than countries that spend heavily.