“Learning
technologies”
What do learning technologies
mean?
Now think about these
questions:
-
Do good teachers need to use
technology?
-
What technologies do you use with your
learners?
-
Will technology replace
teachers?
Make a note of your answers before you move
on.
Face-to-face: This is the traditional
method of instruction. Learners come to a physical classroom and
meet with a teacher who delivers the lesson. Most teachers around
the world are now using some form of digital technology
within these classes, even if it is only to play audio or
video.
Online
learning: Some schools and companies
have developed educational products which are delivered 100%
online using some form of web-based platform. These can vary from
being e-tutor-led courses, which include synchronous and
asynchronous communication, or they can be a mixture of interactive
multimedia and text-based learning activities with little or no
teacher support. Learners access the materials from wherever they
have an internet connection.
Blended
learning: The blended model of learning
delivery usually mixes online learning materials, which learners
access outside the classroom, with face-to-face instruction.
This is probably the most common model for the delivery of
technology-enabled learning, as any teacher who supplements their
classroom activities with any form of out-of-class computer-based
materials and instruction can be said to be employing
a blended learning approach. In some cases, this is more
formalized and the teacher or school has an online platform of some
kind where materials are organized and mapped onto the
classroom syllabus. However, in many cases the organization and
teachers are simply selecting materials from existing sources
to complement the work the learners do in the
classroom.
In the classroom, learning
technologies enable teachers to provide learners with a wider range
of materials and activities that are more appropriate to
their individual needs, interests and level. Since learners can
also access many digital activities outside the classroom, they
promote independent learning. Digital resources are also
likely to be multimodal making use of a combination of media –
text, graphics, sound and video – to enhance learning. This makes
them varied, novel and entertaining.
Online digital content is also authentic– created for a real
purpose and for a real audience. The web also gives learners an
audience for their work, which can be shared, making projects and
assignments more motivating. Being able to save and store digital
content is also more convenient for you, the teacher, when it
comes to resource-sharing and lesson planning.
The internet offers learners opportunities for authentic
and meaningful interaction via text, audio and video,
which helps to develop their communication skills. This can also
make project work more collaborative, helping learners develop
the ability to work together over distance and time.
Through using technology as part of their learning, learners can
develop digital literacy – key digital skills that
are relevant to their lives outside the
classroom.
Kudabayeva Marzhan
Ermekovna
English teacher
Secondary
school №17
Ili
region,Boraldai