Education Theory

For this post, I will talk a little about my perspective on the role, or expectations, of a teacher. Of course, I will talk based on my experience as an alumnus and former staff of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in UP Manila.

I see teaching as a social instrument in an ever-changing socio-politico-cultural-economic environment. Education should provide the learner with the politico-social awareness to help and contribute to the development of society. The educator, meanwhile, should take an active role in social development, understanding that education shapes the very society in which it is operating. The teacher does not just mold future leaders, but must help society pursue its development goals.

In this post, I will talk about my bias on how I look at education technology.

Teaching: Instruction and Curriculum Development

Of course, teachers must teach, hence, teachers must instruct. Regretfully, some teachers do not want to learn new ways of teaching to enhance the learning environment. They want to stick to their old ways.

This is why there is this part. I want to say that teachers must also continue to learn—new ideas, new concepts, and new ways of teaching our subjects.

In a round-table discussion at the College of Arts and Sciences, UP Manila, I heard of a faculty member who shared the idea of learning objects. The system was already in place, but for more than  a year (and even until 2012), no one has submitted the learning objects (which was also mentioned to have a monetary compensation to the faculty member for producing one).

A learning object is the same lesson in digital form—how you could create the same learning experience and achieve the same learning objective (If you are a humanist, you would say “create the same learning outcome.”) considering that the teacher and the student may not face each other.

We will talk about learning objects when we discuss e-learning, but for our discussion, consider this scenario if this is true: A faculty member comes to school late, and so hurries to the classroom while just remembering the old techniques used before. The teaches does not consider the learning styles of the students in the new class. As Dr. Erlyn Sana (former Dean, National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions, UP Manila) mentioned, “Kapag hindi handa, magpapa-quiz.”(“Methods of Instruction,” delivered during the CAS Faculty Conference at the DAP Conference Center, Tagaytay City, on April 24-25, 2009).

The students do not deserve this permanent ad lib style of teaching. Surely, if you have been a student of such a teacher, would you not feel that you were short-changed?

The creation of a learning object will force the teacher to study the whole experience so that the environment for the learning process can be enhanced and that the learner will learn for himself or herself, not simply receive what the teacher is saying.

Considering this, I consider that technology for instruction and curriculum development should address its various aspects: identification of learning needs, preparation for instruction, implementation and evaluation of effectiveness for continuing development.

(To continue on Research and Extension)