technology tools and using various delivery/communication tools; and creating a Webquest using google sites. Paper III: Technology Tools (Presented in the ...
Examining digital native preservice teachers’ perceptions of an educational technology course Introduction (Presented in the first and second hour) David Rutledge, PhD.; New Mexico State University, USA; USA Digital native preservice teachers (DNPSTs) have the potential to adopt technology more quickly simply because they grew up in the digital era (Lei, 2009; Levin & Arafeh, 2002; Iding, Crosby, & Speitel, 2002). Teacher education engages in preparing teachers to teach “digital natives” or the “Net generation” in the 21st century schools. It is important for DNPSTs to have the ability to access, evaluate, produce, and communicate using a variety of media - also called digital literacy- so that they can communicate and connect with the students of today and the future (Schrum & Levin, 2009; Prensky, 2010). In an effort to prepare DNPSTs for the 21st century, this exploratory research examined DNPSTs’ perceptions of an educational technology course - Integrating Technology with Teaching. This course is required for all DNPSTs at New Mexico State University (NMSU). Sixty six DNPSTs were surveyed in this research. In this symposia, we will share the findings from this research. The papers will be presented in the following order: Paper I: Instructional approach (Presented in the first hour) Binod Gurung; New Mexico State University, USA; Nepal For meaningful learning experiences, a well-designed instructional approach plays vital role on determining what students learn and how they learn. This learning technology course for PSTs is designed using the LeKAC approach: Le- learner centered, K- knowledge centered, A- assessment centered, and C- community centered (Bransford, Brown, & Hocking, 1999). Within the LeKAC approach, the course focuses in knowledge, skills, and attitudes the DNPSTs bring to their learning engagement; technological and pedagogical knowledge, skills, and competencies that are necessary for them to learn; scaffolding of the their learning through continuous and authentic assessments; and connecting their learning with the real world contexts (e.g. field-based experiences). The syllabus, learning activities, technology tools, and assessment are designed in this course using the LeKAC approach as a design framework to create meaningful learning environments for the DNPSTs. Paper II: Curriculum (Presented in the first hour) Syllabus and Schedule Yousef Arouri; New Mexico State University, USA; Jordan A course syllabus is an educational plan and contract, a communication device, and a learning tool between the teacher and the learner (Parks & Harris, 2002). The syllabus represents a contract that describes procedures, policies, and guidelines for what and when students will be expected to accomplish, and how they will be assessed. The syllabus is considered as the language of communication that learners and teachers will utilize it in order to understand each other to achieve the course objectives. Habanek (2005) states that “The syllabus functions as a major communication device that provides details of how students’ learning will be assessed and about the roles of both students and instructors in the learning and the assessment process” (p. 62). The results reveal that DNPSTs’ perspectives regarding the design and the usefulness of the course syllabus was positive. Learning Activities Joyce G. Asing-Cashman, PhD.; New Mexico State University, USA; Malaysia Meaningful learning activities are activities designed based on these attributes of meaningful learning: intentional, active, constructive, cooperative, and authentic learning (Howland, Jonassen, & Marra, 2012). In the EDLT368 course, learning activities are designed to support meaningful learning. DNPSTs are engaged in learning by doing, and to achieve the highest classification of learning outcomes specified in the Bloom’s taxonomy: Creating. Based on the results, DNPSTs showed positive views on the learning activities designed for this course. They indicated that all the learning activities were useful and they learned a great deal about technology and its integration into the classroom. DNPSTs communicated that these three activities are the most useful, and possibly
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use them in their future classroom: Planning and creating thematic unit; Creating thematic contents integrating technology tools and using various delivery/communication tools; and creating a Webquest using google sites. Paper III: Technology Tools (Presented in the second hour) Mariam Abdelmalak; New Mexico State University, USA; Egypt Integrating new digital technologies such as web 2.0 technologies in educational technology courses in teacher education programs is necessary. Once DNPSTs become familiar with these new digital technologies, they will be able to adapt such technologies in their future classroom. The results revealed that DNPSTs strongly agreed that Microsoft power point (77%), Microsoft excel (63%), YouTube (62%), and Google sites (60%) were the most useful tools for their future classroom. The results also revealed that DNPSTs strongly agreed that Microsoft power point (77%), Google sites (59%), YouTube (65%), and Wiki spaces (51%) were the easiest tools to use in their future classroom. Given that perceived usefulness and easy to use are determinants of people’s intention to use computer (Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989), these findings suggest that pre-service teachers will integrate Google sites, YouTube, and Wiki spaces in their future teaching because of its perceived usefulness and ease to use. Paper IV: Assessment (Presented in the second hour) Joyce G. Asing-Cashman; New Mexico State University, USA; Malaysia Yolonda Pawielski; New Mexico State University, USA; USA According to Gagne, Bridges, and Wagne (1998), assessment is the process of gathering data and analyzing it to determine if intended learning outcomes have been achieved. For our assessments to be in alignment with the learning activities constructed for the EDLT368 course, a performance assessment practices were adopted. The results inferred that when assessment are in placed to guide students in completing their learning activities, students are motivated to accomplish the learning goals. In addition, the types of performance assessment used in this course assisted the instructors to assess meaningful learning and perhaps, most important, to provide a window into discovering what learners really know, and at the same time providing rich information that can be organized into meaningful feedback that can improve learners’ performance. Applying this type of assessment help us, the instructors, know more about what students know and whenever we can attain that knowledge, we can, in turn help students to learn more and better. Paper V: Multicultural Education Inclusion (Presented in the second hour) Ashley Ryan; New Mexico State University, USA; USA Teacher education programs often facilitate multicultural education knowledge and technology integration as separate entities, however they are interwoven. The use of technology in the classroom continues to rise, as well as the understanding and integration of multicultural education tenets (Kobayashi, 2012). However, little research has been done on how multicultural education and technology integration can be examined. For this research student’s thematic unit lessons were chosen to understand the level of multicultural tenets that were incorporated into the websites. Each student is required to create a thematic unit for the course that comprise of five (5) subjects areas that evolves from an essential question. The unit includes information on the lesson, activities for each subject area, student assessment, and connection to New Mexico Standards and Benchmarks. Boyer and Baptiste’s (1996) typology was used to examine what the level of multicultural education tenets that were present within the thematic units. Organization of the symposia: An Outline The first hour: • A short introduction of the symposium title, the papers and the presenters - presented by the Symposia Leader • Description of the symposia and how the theme of the symposia connects with the papers that will be presented - Symposia Leader • Presentation of Paper I: Instructional Approach • Presentation of Paper II: Curriculum
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The second hour: • A short introduction of the symposium title, the papers and the presenters - presented by the Symposia Leader • Description of the symposia and how the theme of the symposia connects with the papers that will be presented - Symposia Leader • Presentation of Paper III: Technology Tools • Presentation of Paper IV: Assessment • Presentation of Paper V: Multicultural Inclusion • Conclusion by the Symposia Leader Reference Boyer, J. B., & Baptiste, H. P. (1996) Transforming the curriculum for multicultural understandings: A practitioner’s handbook. Cappo Gap Press: San Francisco, CA. Bransford, John, Brown, Ann L., & Cocking, Rodney R. (Eds.). (1999). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P., & Warshaw, P. R. (1989). User acceptance of computer technology a comparison of two theoretical models. Management Science, 35(8), 928–1003. Gagne, R. M., Bridges, L. J., & Wagne, W. W. (1998). Principles of instructional design. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Habanek, D. V. (2005). An examination of the integrity of the syllabus. College Teaching 53 (2) 62-64. Howland, J. L., Jonassen, D., & Marra, R. M. (2012). Meaningful Learning with Technology. (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Iding, M., Crosby, M., & Speitel, T. (2002). Teachers and Technology: Beliefs and Practices. International Journal of Instructional Media, 29(2), 153-170. Kobayashi, M. (2012). A digital storytelling project in a multicultural education class for pre-service teachers. Journal of Education for Teaching, 38(2), p. 215-219. Lei, J. (2009). Digital natives as preservice teachers: what technology preparation is needed? Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 25(3), 87-97. Levin, D. & Arafeh, S. (2002). The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap Between Internet-Savvy Students and Their Schools. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Available at http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=67. Parks, J. & Harris, M. B. (2002). The purpose of a syllabus. College Teaching 50 (2) 55-61. Prensky, M. (2010). Teaching digital natives. Partnering for real learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Company.
A SAGE
Schrum, L., & Levin, B. B. (2009). Leading 21st century schools: Harnessing technology for engagement and achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: A SAGE Company.
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