EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

1. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM AIZE OBAYAN, Ph.D Education Secretary (LFCWW) & Past Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota

2. Educational technology (ET) is … • Efficient organization of learning systems by adopting methods, processes, and products to serve identified educational goals [1]. • Learning theory–Explains how learning takes place • Instructional theory–Defines how it should take place.

3. Educational technology (ET) is … • “The study and ethical practice of facilitating e-learning”

4. E-learning is … • The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as conduit for the delivery of electronic media content for educational purposes.

5. Educational technologyinvolves[1]… • Identification of educational goals • Acknowledgement of diversity of learners’ needs • Identification of learning contexts • Definition of provisions needed for the above • Design of teaching-learning systems to facilitate realization of identified goals.

6. Active learning • Responsibility for learning is focused on the student • Encourages participatory learning • Popularized in a report for ASHE by (Bonwell & Eison 1991) • Based on the premise that learners Must do more than listen to learn effectively: • Must Read, Write, Discuss and/or Solve problems

7. Problem-based learning (PBL): Howard Barrows Model[2] • A form of Active, student-centeredLearning, with the following steps: • Learning is done in Small (6-10) Student Groups • Facilitators act as guides (and not teachers) • Defined Problem serves as focus for stimulating learning • Problem stimulates the cognitive process and drives the development of problem solving skills • Self-Directed Learning (SDL) becomes basis of obtaining new knowledge [a]

8. Bloom’s taxonomy:holistic {3H} approach to education [3] • Classification of learning objectives: • Cognitive – Knowing • Affective – Feeling • Psychomotor – Doing • Aim – Create holistic approachto learning by engaging all three

9. BEST PRACTICES IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY [4] • Study of innovative projects from around the world by Cisco in 2010 where technology was used to support learning revealed some interesting Trends and Challenges. • 22 of the projects were shortlisted and developed into case studies • The Trends are classified as follows into five broad groups:

10. BEST PRACTICES IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY [4] • New structures and funding models • Teacher – Student – Parents Relationship • Education – Technology – Innovation Relationship • Better and more sophisticated approaches to learning • More sophisticated forms of assessment and evaluation

11. New structures and funding models [4] • Adopting cutting-edge technology amplifies existing learning and teaching activities. • The use of technology in education is improving effectiveness. • Traditional school structures are challenged vis-à-vis: place and time of learning {Instruction} and their funding. • It is now possible for teachers and students to interact beyond normal constraints of formal education. • Teaching and learning is no longer just a classroom affair.

12. Teacher – student – parent relationship[4] • New collaborative approaches with teachers and students as co-learners. • Focus on participation and negotiation rather than direction and instruction. • Personalization of learning is increasing, students now have say as co-designers of their own education. • Connectivity is allowing for new learner-mentor relationships beyond the classroom or school wall.

13. Education – Technology – Innovation Relationship [4] • The most successful projects considered use existing, easily accessible technologies that learners are familiar with {Social Networks, Games, etc.} • The relationship between education and technology is becoming more and more symbiotic. • Technology and educational change happen alongside one another

14. More sophisticated forms of assessment and evaluation [4] • Learning outside the classroom are getting increasingly recognized integrated • Learning can be formal (Standard Curricula) or informal (Learner-initiated) • A balance is necessary between virtual and face-to-face contact, formal and informal learning, and serious and playful learning.

15. More sophisticated forms of assessment and evaluation [4] • Though Assessment plays a crucial role in learning, it should not become self-serving – meeting only the need of the system. • It must provide adequate information to learners to allow them to take steps to improve their own performance. • “In some instances a more sophisticated approach to assessment is developed. Greater emphasis on formative and competency-based evaluation and improved ability to track achievements with greater reliability, accuracy, and frequency are being developed.”

16. ET. provisioning via town-gown collaboration:Cu – new horizons partnership • 1st Phase – IT Certifications • 2nd Phase – Full-blown ICT Collaboration • State-of-the-art e-Boards for lecture delivery • Customized Tablet for CU Students • E-books & Courseware

17. conclusion • The approach to ET should be holistic encompassing ALL levels of education • There’s an urgent need to educate the educators, as only few academics have relevant training in education. • HEI regulating bodies should evolve integrated ICT policies.

18. references • P. Rajakumar et al. (2006), “Position paper – National focus group on Educational Technology”, ver.2.6, Available at http://qr.net/kgGD, Accessed: 2013.03.28. • Barrows, Howard S., ‘Problem-based learning in medicine and beyond: A brief overview’, New Directions for Teaching and Learning Vol. 1996, Issue 68, ISSN 1536-0768, Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tl.37219966804 • [c] Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R., ‘Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals; Handbook I: Cognitive Domain, New York, Longmans, Green, 1956. • Cisco, White paper (2010), “Best practices in Education Technology”.

19. Thank You!