The Future Higher Education: How Technology will Shape Learning

Lyceum of the Philippines University

Batangas

Graduate School

Masters of Arts in Psychology

In Final Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject Course

ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Julia Kristia A. Deveza, RPm

October 2018
 INTRODUCTION

In today’s generation, technology has influenced our every day lives and

education is not exempted from this. Throughout the years, teachers and students have

witnessed the changes in the learning environment the moment technology was

introduced in education, making its mark in the classroom.

Students of prior generations were hyped about shopping for their notebooks and

pens as they start school, while today’s students come to class with smartphones,

laptops, and tablets on their hands. Nowadays homework and requirements are

submitted on line instead of being done on paper. Several institutions are even

implementing programs such as going paperless. In addition, schools are focusing on

the enhancement of both learning and teaching strategies by introducing more

technology inside the classroom to be more effective and efficient such as educational

clips, gamification, podcasting, etc. New technologies also created a wider access to

education and social network, expanding opportunities for both the school and the

students. Susan Henderson of Queens College says that “students have become much

more engaged and achieving learning success is through ability”. Singhal (2017) added

that students have become more excited to learn since they have different learning

methods to choose from.

Undeniably, there are endless arguments whether incorporating technology in the

teaching and learning methods is advantageous or not. Many believe that too much

technology in our instruction will hinder the students’ ability to think for themselves,

making them dependent and unaware of the old style methods or research. It is a
sensitive topic. Is technology truly shaping one’s learning? Or are we creating

dependent and idle learners?

DISCUSSION

The education system today aims to provide every learner functional literacy,

wherein each will acquire skills, knowledge and practices that are adequate to manage

daily origin and employment tasks that would make learners globally competitive.

Countries around the globe are competitive when it comes to having life-long learning

skills, critical and creative thinking. Nature of jobs is continuously changing resulting to

the need for the students to update theirs skills throughout their careers. Institutions

shall equip them to become capable learners with cross-disciplinary problem solving

skills that can assure success in the future. Thus, the concept of education for students

is not anymore limited to the four corners of the classroom. The traditional form of

teaching is now integrated with engaging illustrations and demonstrations - innovating

the delivery of instruction.

While argument on whether technology is effective or not seems endless, there

are several studies that indicate that the use of technology helps increase student

achievement and self-efficacy (Liu, Hsieh, Cho, and Scallert, 2006) The role of

technology in the delivery of teaching undoubtedly shape the way students learn and it

continues to have a significant impact on higher education. Applying technology allows

students to be more active about processing information, making choices, and

executing skills than just having a lecture led by the teacher. “Outcome-based and
student-centered will be the method of teaching” says Polley Ann McClure of University

in Ithaca, New York.

Furthermore, in the context of Curriculum Development System, a teacher has

two major roles: one is character formation where learning can take place through

modeling, counseling, and behavior management or discipline. The second role is

instruction, a set of learning resources and experiences used to obtain the learning

objectives that is to produce an "Ideal Graduate”.

Subsequently, teachers continue to find ways to accomplish their roles. They

enhance their teaching methods, using different technologies and develop their lesson

plans that revolve on students working with the concepts that they are trying to learn to

better their understanding. In integrating technology in class, they will become

instructors and facilitators focusing on the application of knowledge to a particular

situation, moving from learner to learner providing suggestions, guidelines, resources

and support for the student to gain not just their knowledge but also to better their

character.

Therefore, technology-based learning and teaching method shapes learners’

character as motivated students. In a forum of educators, teachers talk about motivation

from different perspectives. Students of theirs began working on their task even on their

breaks while some show a greater willingness to learn a specific subject area. A study

conducted by Godzicki, Krofel, & Michaels (2013) found out that students were more

likely to engage in an activity simply because technology is being used in class. Oigara

and Keenwe (2013) shared that when students used clickers, they felt more engaged to

the topic and was more active in student learning. Other researches suggested that
students who learn through technology tend to invest more in their learning (Li, Pow, &

Fung, 2010)

Another effect of technology in students’ character formation is letting them

discover the importance of collaborative learning or working with their peers. Although

working in groups may not be new to the students, technology-based tasks lead

students in situations where students ask help from another who has mastered a

specific skill. Ruest (2018) states that students tend to perform better in an environment

that allows them to work together. “Students collaboration is absolutely essential in

preparing them for the real world, where innovation is driven by partnerships and

cooperation”, he added. Technology encourages collaboration inside the classroom and

with other classrooms within the same school and even with other classrooms around

the world.

Technology-infused learning helps learners to become more responsible - of their

own devices or taking care of the school’s devices. This way, technology teaches them

to improve their ability to take ownership of something valuable. This is also an

opportunity for them to be responsible of taking care of their environment. Students are

oriented that one reason why schools are encouraging the use of technology is to

reduce the usage of paper. There’s also the element of convenience - one can simply

send his work online instead of having to print or copy every material a teacher would

want his students have.

With regard to addressing the aim of the education system on acquiring skills to

be globally competitive, by using technology, students can develop skills essential for

the 21st century. Students can learn useful life skills that they will need to be successful
in the future. Educational technology can serve as a tool in modern learning such as

solving complex problems, leadership skills, critical thinking. Students can also develop

their practical skills such as creating presentations, differentiating reliable and valid

sources on the Internet, observing online etiquette, and writing formal letters.

CompTIA’s study indicated that students using technology in the classroom would help

prepare them for the future. Education in the 21st century isn’t about memorizing facts

and mastering vocabulary words, it’s about loving complex problems and being able to

work with others in the workforce.

While several countries are already maximizing the benefits of educational

technology, unfortunately, it is not the same for the Philippines. The situation of

educational technology in our country is far too behind compared with the other

countries. Although multimedia sources, usage LCD projector eLearning, and the

Internet are being integrated in the classroom, however it is still limited. Fund intended

for education is already insufficient especially for public schools, what more for

educational technology. Philippines is still developing and preparing for the challenges

of the 21st century learning in terms of trainings of teachers, sufficient facilities and

adequate system. We may not be there yet but the government is taking action.

Education is prioritized and given importance in order to produce globally competitive

filipino learners.
 CONCLUSION

Teachers are paving their way to make their teaching methods more effective

and efficient. They continuously develop their strategies to form their learners’ character

and attain the standards of achievement to produce an “Ideal Graduate”. These

strategies include integrating technologies in the classroom. Technology has had major

impacts in education and will still continue to develop. Several studies convey that

making use of technology in class creates motivated, responsible and sociable learners.

And while learners outside Philippines are enjoying their facilities, educational

technology in our country is still trying to make its mark in the classroom. Nevertheless,

even though our teaching and learning methods are a bit short, we must be able to

make use of our resources, contemplate without limits, maximize our knowledge and

skills to produce globally competitive and successful filipino learners.

References:

International, S. (n.d.). Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Retrieved

from https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

James Francis (2017). The Effects Of Technology On Student Motivation and

Engagement In Classroom-Based Learning. Retrieved from https://dune.une.edu/cgi/
viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/
&httpsredir=1&article=1120&context=theses

Mark Granito (2012) The Effect of Technology on a Student’s Motivation and Knowledge
Retention. Retrieved from: https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1014&context=education_masters

Perspectives from Students and Educators on the Role of Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved
from https://www.comptia.org/resources/perspectives-from-students-and-educators-on-
the-role-of-technology

Singhal, A. (2017, August 03). 10 Ways Technology Has Made Education Better and
More Inclusive. Retrieved from http://www.iamwire.com/2017/08/technology-teaching-
education/156418

"Technology enhances collaborative learning". (2018, October 22). Retrieved from

https://bold.expert/technology-enhances-collaborative-learning/

The Economist Intelligence (2008). The Future of Higher Education: How Technology
Will Shape Learning. Retrieved from https://www.nmc.org/pdf/Future-of-Higher-Ed-
(NMC).pdf