Assignment on the topic " teacher in the digital era"
With the rapid technological developments during the last few years, new methods and areas of utilization have emerged in the field of higher education. As a result of this, new knowledge and experience can be disseminated and can contribute to an overall increase in quality and general level of knowledge. The authors of this article have substantial experience as lecturers and academic tutoring in various professions from the foundation level up to post-qualifying education. In the article, the focus is based upon the role of the teacher under the new regime of information- and communications technology in education.
The use of this technology in academic education puts high demands on the technology due to the complex nature of the communication, and the authors maintain that the content and goals of the teaching and tutoring must decide the choice of technology. It must also be considered whether different technological methods should be used exclusively or combined with one another or with teaching or tutoring in the same room. The methods demand both pedagogical and didactical knowledge in order to ensure quality in the various areas where the technology is applied, and furthermore, a basic understanding of technical possibilities and limitations of the technology. This is essential in order to ensure that the whole spectrum of perception (senses) is activated when this is important in a dialogue. The paper presentation will be based upon reports from different projects, experience, field trips, discussions and reviews of literature concerning the use of video-conferencing, computer- and video-based learning. It is not possible to offer a complete picture of all the various media and methods in this portrayal, but we aim to provide some input about what we see as being important elements in this debate.
The changing role of the teacher
The educational system is constantly being challenged to offer better education to more people, at the same time as technological development continually opens up new possibilities and methods of learning. Education and tutoring can be described as complicated relationships in which many factors affect the whole. Some of these factors are the students’ learning preconditions and which framework factors apply at any given time. By framework factors we mean: "given factors enhancing or preventing learning", and in this context associated with ICT. The framework factors will be different in relation to various methods. The students’ preconditions for learning concern their working habits, attitudes, motivation and knowledge which are all central factors in teaching and learning. It is important that the teacher is conscious of this, and intervenes in the processes when it is desirable or natural to do so. Methods in the field of ICT often require different things of the teacher at the same time demanding more student activity.
As a professional practitioner, the teacher is likely to become a role model or standard for his or her students. The teacher should also be a subject developer. By this one means that the teacher should, through continual work, bring new knowledge to the subject through his/her own experience, and research and development work. The teacher’s role as a subject disseminator is also emphasized by focusing on the "good teacher", who in an inspiring and lively manner, awakens the desire, and therefore also the motivation for learning. Some teachers feel threatened by new technology and experience - that this may make the teacher superfluous. The way we see it, however, technology will never be able to make the teacher redundant, but it may make the teacher’s role different.
The teacher’s daily plan is often full of countless challenges and the time constraints are very tight. However, it is expected that creativity should be given space at work in an active search for new knowledge and new methods. In this connection it is important that the teacher feels competent to move forward with the new tasks in hand. Motivation and competence are closely connected. Increased competence leads to increased motivation to develop what one is doing, and this in turn leads to one wanting to try something new. In this the interplay between teachers, teacher and student and between students becomes very important. Positive interplay and commitment increases the motivation and the learning effect.
In distance education, as in all types of teaching, teaching material is presented and a structure for dialogue between teacher and student is established. Here the teacher and students meet as part of the learning process. The students are fellow members and must to a larger degree than in traditional teaching, be made responsible for their own learning and faith in their own ability to master the learning situation. The teacher has a responsibility to help promote learning preconditions such as working habits, attitudes, knowledge and motivation.
Thinking through various teaching methods and assessing which possibilities they offer for learning is, in our opinion, not just important, but also challenging for the teacher. New technology is continually opening up new applications, and without the urge to try out new methods the teacher’s work can seem monotonous, and the students can miss out on good and varied teaching set-ups. The importance of variation in teaching is often overlooked, although this is closely connected to the students’ motivation and activity. The use of ICT must be carefully planned and put into a pedagogical framework. It must, in other words, have a subject context and never be slung about in a careless way. It requires the teacher to possess good pedagogical and didactical knowledge and be able to apply this in such a way as to promote learning processes.
The ICT Competencies are a set of technology standards that define proficiency in using computer technology in the classroom. The competencies consist of computer-related skills grouped into four general domains: (1) Basic Technology Operation, (2) Personal and Professional Use of Technology Tools, (3) Social, Ethical, and Human Issues, and (4) Application of Technology in Instruction.
The use of this technology in academic education puts high demands on the technology due to the complex nature of the communication, and the authors maintain that the content and goals of the teaching and tutoring must decide the choice of technology. It must also be considered whether different technological methods should be used exclusively or combined with one another or with teaching or tutoring in the same room. The methods demand both pedagogical and didactical knowledge in order to ensure quality in the various areas where the technology is applied, and furthermore, a basic understanding of technical possibilities and limitations of the technology. This is essential in order to ensure that the whole spectrum of perception (senses) is activated when this is important in a dialogue. The paper presentation will be based upon reports from different projects, experience, field trips, discussions and reviews of literature concerning the use of video-conferencing, computer- and video-based learning. It is not possible to offer a complete picture of all the various media and methods in this portrayal, but we aim to provide some input about what we see as being important elements in this debate.
The changing role of the teacher
The educational system is constantly being challenged to offer better education to more people, at the same time as technological development continually opens up new possibilities and methods of learning. Education and tutoring can be described as complicated relationships in which many factors affect the whole. Some of these factors are the students’ learning preconditions and which framework factors apply at any given time. By framework factors we mean: "given factors enhancing or preventing learning", and in this context associated with ICT. The framework factors will be different in relation to various methods. The students’ preconditions for learning concern their working habits, attitudes, motivation and knowledge which are all central factors in teaching and learning. It is important that the teacher is conscious of this, and intervenes in the processes when it is desirable or natural to do so. Methods in the field of ICT often require different things of the teacher at the same time demanding more student activity.
As a professional practitioner, the teacher is likely to become a role model or standard for his or her students. The teacher should also be a subject developer. By this one means that the teacher should, through continual work, bring new knowledge to the subject through his/her own experience, and research and development work. The teacher’s role as a subject disseminator is also emphasized by focusing on the "good teacher", who in an inspiring and lively manner, awakens the desire, and therefore also the motivation for learning. Some teachers feel threatened by new technology and experience - that this may make the teacher superfluous. The way we see it, however, technology will never be able to make the teacher redundant, but it may make the teacher’s role different.
The teacher’s daily plan is often full of countless challenges and the time constraints are very tight. However, it is expected that creativity should be given space at work in an active search for new knowledge and new methods. In this connection it is important that the teacher feels competent to move forward with the new tasks in hand. Motivation and competence are closely connected. Increased competence leads to increased motivation to develop what one is doing, and this in turn leads to one wanting to try something new. In this the interplay between teachers, teacher and student and between students becomes very important. Positive interplay and commitment increases the motivation and the learning effect.
In distance education, as in all types of teaching, teaching material is presented and a structure for dialogue between teacher and student is established. Here the teacher and students meet as part of the learning process. The students are fellow members and must to a larger degree than in traditional teaching, be made responsible for their own learning and faith in their own ability to master the learning situation. The teacher has a responsibility to help promote learning preconditions such as working habits, attitudes, knowledge and motivation.
Thinking through various teaching methods and assessing which possibilities they offer for learning is, in our opinion, not just important, but also challenging for the teacher. New technology is continually opening up new applications, and without the urge to try out new methods the teacher’s work can seem monotonous, and the students can miss out on good and varied teaching set-ups. The importance of variation in teaching is often overlooked, although this is closely connected to the students’ motivation and activity. The use of ICT must be carefully planned and put into a pedagogical framework. It must, in other words, have a subject context and never be slung about in a careless way. It requires the teacher to possess good pedagogical and didactical knowledge and be able to apply this in such a way as to promote learning processes.
The ICT Competencies are a set of technology standards that define proficiency in using computer technology in the classroom. The competencies consist of computer-related skills grouped into four general domains: (1) Basic Technology Operation, (2) Personal and Professional Use of Technology Tools, (3) Social, Ethical, and Human Issues, and (4) Application of Technology in Instruction.
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