CLASSROOM  TECHNOLOGY

3 Critical Issues about Technology Integration

Last Updated 13 September 2023/ By Zineb DJOUB

Technology has become a major tool through which education can be accessed within and beyond the classroom learning context. With the wide variety of educational technologies and students’ interest in using them, instructional technologies are becoming a necessary component of teachers’ practices. But, are teachers integrating these tools effectively into their teaching, thus supporting their students’ learning? What are the most common issues about technology integration among teachers?

Based on research evidence, below are 3 critical issues related to the way teachers integrate educational technologies in the classrooms. These were common among more than one hundred surveyed teachers. Those teachers were from different countries, teaching different subject matters (more details about this study are found in the first reference below).

 

#1. Simply using technology instead of integrating technology

The majority of teachers reported that their major challenge with technology integration is deciding which technological tools best fit their desired objectives and how to effectively integrate them according to the course aim. This is because they were not trained in the application and integration of content and the technological device.  So, they were just USING technology, a process that does not require much time and preparation as they claimed.

But what is the difference between using technology and integrating it into teaching and learning?

Technology integration is not simply using technological tools like our use of the whiteboard. It is purposeful, i.e., has a pedagogical intent, and an integral part of how the classroom functions. It needs to account for which device needs to be selected, and when and how it should be introduced and integrated into the content to support teaching and learning.

To integrate technology more effectively, we must coordinate our knowledge of students, knowledge of the content, best instructional practices, and technology to engage students and foster their learning. We must also engage deliberately in conscious mindful actions, adapting and reflecting more on that technology to ensure that students are learning.

When the ‘why’ is grounded on our reflection on students’ needs, our goals, the content, and our knowledge of technology; our selection of those educational technologies becomes more purposeful. When we think about pedagogy and how it needs to be combined with technology, we are far beyond simply using technology where the following scenario is more likely to occur as depicted by one teacher:

 Teachers rely too much on in-class technology: Lights off, boring PowerPoint presentations that have not been updated, students on laptops with little real interaction, time lost as teachers fumble around finding things to show students on the screen, students passively watching and not doing….

 

#2. Technology is the object of learning

One of the major issues about technology integration is that teachers focus more on how the technological device functions in the classroom (technical issues) rather than how to adapt that technology to their context to maximize learning opportunities.  According to them, when there is no technical issue, learning is assured.

So technology is considered the object of learning which teachers should have ultimate control over. For this reason, they limit its use to the classroom; leaving no opportunities for their students to learn with technology beyond such boundaries.

What is then successful or effective technology integration in teaching and learning?

Successful technology integration is where the technology supports and scaffolds the learning rather than being the object or derivative of the learning. This requires expanding students’ interaction with its tools beyond the classroom to promote more independent and self-motivated learning.

Also, we do not have to get fascinated by any technological device and depend entirely on it to guarantee the intended outcomes. The technology alone may deceive us.

Although technical skills are important, we need to go beyond these and think about how to support our practices (use of the textbook and other materials) with technology. We need to be involved in critical reflection on the context, disciplinary knowledge, and pedagogy, as well as the assumed knowledge and experiences of the students in the course.

Enhancing learning must be our focus and this cannot be achieved without reflecting on HOW MUCH  that integration would change the learning experience so that it is improved over traditional methods. So, have we ever addressed this question prior to planning for any technology integration!

 

#3. Technology is used to provide content

The majority of teachers use technology for the sake of lecturing or delivering instruction on basic skills (for instance, English language teachers focus on assigning activities to enhance language usage). In such teacher-centred learning environments, they act as the dispensers of knowledge, while their students are passive and disengaged.

What is the primary premise of integrating technology in teaching and learning?

As Tezci (2011) states technology should be used for more than just to support traditional teaching methods. Its power lies in triggering students’ curiosity to search, work out different contents, collaborate, discover, and create through incorporating a variety of applications that focus on problem-solving and collaborative learning.

So, we must integrate a variety of digital tools in a flexible way to draw on individual learning styles and help students become more versatile learners. Besides, such incorporation needs to bring the paradigm shift from teacher-centred to student-centred learning, endorsing thus students’ active learning, autonomy, and reflection.

We need to accept that learning with technology is different from learning in a traditional way. Technology can support us to engage and motivate students to manage their own learning, reinforce content learning, and meet varying students’ learning styles.

If we do not exploit technology’s potential to support students to learn and develop the necessary skills to cope with change, what is then its worthiness in the classroom!

These were the 3 critical issues about technology integration as my survey data demonstrated. To enhance students’ learning, we need to move beyond using technology to integrating the technology. The process involves creating a close alignment between students’ interests and academic needs, course objectives, and technology. Technology can support teachers in creating opportunities for adaptive learning and differentiating instructions. Its potential must not be limited to content presentations.

References

Djoub. Z.(2017). Teachers’ Attitudes towards Technology Integration: Implications for Pre-service Teachers. In Z. Djoub (Ed.) Fostering Reflective Teaching Practice in Pre-Service Education .USA: IGI Global. (An affiliate link)

Tezci, E. (2011). Factors that influence preservice teachers’ ICT usage in education. European Journal of Teacher Education, vol. 34, pp.483-499.