Education and Technology: Quality

Quality education is a universal goal. It is common to hear arguments that instructional

technology will be the key to educational quality as we enter the new millenium (cf.
Fiske and Hammond, 1997). Investment in educational technology is urged upon policy-
makers as the path to educational quality (Mergendollar, 1996). In fact, enthusiasts for
educational technology argue that quality has and will continue to increase rapidly,
creating a "new educational culture" (Connick, 1997). Whatever problems exist are seen
as ones which can be handled through better administrative and technological planning
- that is, technology believers perceive no intrinsic obstacles to total quality assurance
using information technology in higher education. The unruly growth of online distance
education is the basis of these concerns. One has only to look at popular books like,
The Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools: Earning Your Degree without Leaving
Home (Phillips and Yager, 1998). This work profiles 195 accredited institutions that
offered graduate degrees via distance learning as of 1997-98. It acknowledges that
"diploma mills" are a danger. Even accredited programs from recognized institutions of
higher learning may have been thrown together as experiments or simply in quick
response to administrative fiat. "Caveat emptor" is definitely a precept for student
consumers of online education.
Education and Technology: Cyber Issues
The Internet allows for access to information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For
schools (public and nonpublic), online capabilities not only create entrée to a vast
amount of resources but also facilitate distance learning and collaboration between
classes and students in different locations.1 Along with the benefits the Internet brings,
however, come costs such as new threats to students. Recent news articles provide
examples of these threats: One man extorted sexually explicit images from minors using
social media, i and instances of cyberbullying have reportedly soared in New York City
schools. ii These incidents can lead to depression and anxiety, health complaints, and
decreased academic achievement by students. Some protections for children online are
provided by Federal law and regulations, such as the Children’s Internet Protection Act
(CIPA). iv CIPA aims to protect children from obscene or harmful content on the
Internet. Schools or libraries that are eligible to receive discounts for
telecommunications, Internet access, or internal connections through the E-rate
program (Universal Service Program for Schools and Libraries) must certify they have
an Internet safety policy that blocks or filters access to pictures that are obscene, child
pornography, or harmful to minors. While CIPA may help prevent students from
accessing inappropriate content on the Internet, this will not protect students from the
full range of online threats. To help address these, information is provided below on the
most common online threats facing students and what schools can do before, during,
and after an incident.
 Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices such as cell
phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, text, and
 mobile applications (apps) or online in social media, forums, or gaming where
people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending,
posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone
else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else,
causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into
unlawful or criminal behavior.
 Inappropriate Content. Adolescents and children can unintentionally come into
contact with inappropriate content, such as sexually explicit material. Unsolicited
obscene materials can also be received electronically.
 Sexting is the sharing and receiving of sexually explicit messages and nude or
partially nude images via text messages or apps. Sexting, while commonly
occurring off school grounds, also occurs on school property, with content being
sent and viewed on cell phones. Of note is that possession of sexually explicit
photos received by sexting can be considered a type of possession of child
pornography from a legal perspective.
 Sextortion/Ransomware Students may also become victim to sextortion, possibly
via ransomware, if they engage in sexting. Sextortion occurs when someone
threatens to distribute private and sensitive material if not provided with images
of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money. Ransomware is a particular form of
computer malware in which perpetrators encrypt users’ files, then demand the
payment of a ransom for users to regain access to their data. Ransomware can
also include an element of extortion, in which the perpetrator threatens to publish
data or (possibly sexually explicit) images if the victim does not do what the
perpetrator wants, such as provide nude photos.
Education and Technology: Inclusivity
Inclusive education means students with diverse and different learning and physical
abilities staying in the same classroom to learn side by side. It is the act of placing
students in age-appropriate general education classes in schools available in their
immediate environment that gives access to high-quality instructions, interventions and
assistance to meet up primary academic curriculum irrespective of any challenges they
may have.
Educators need to recognise the fact that children with disabilities have equal capacities
to learn and perform optimally as their age-mates that are without limitations. These
children are therefore supposed to be part of all educational activities in their
classrooms and within the neighbourhood. Such activities include excursions,
academic debates, student government, sports and other related activities.
Recognizing the values in the diversity and unique contribution of each student in the
classroom is one of the key drivers of an inclusive education system. Every child feels
safe and develops a sense of belonging. The students along with their parents are
involved in setting academic goals and making decisions that determine the success of
their learning and education.
A lot of schools claim to be inclusive, but this is often not the case. Sharing the same
physical space and performing different activities is not inclusive. Most educational
institutions in Nigeria do not operate an inclusive setting; the reason for this could be
inadequate funding, cultural beliefs, negative perception and teacher qualification.
However, this is an area they should look into and take seriously. The country can join
forces with other progressive nations to advocate for the right of learners with
disabilities.
There are several benefits of including special need students in the classroom with
other students. Research-based evidence on the importance of Inclusive education has
become significant over the years, and it has, therefore, become a vital system that
should be included in the classroom.
Individuals who encounter false information on social media may actively spread it
further, by sharing or otherwise engaging with it. Much of the spread of disinformation
can thus be attributed to human action. Misinformation refers to inaccurate reporting
that stems from inaccuracies; as such, the term does not imply an intent to deceive.
Disinformation, on the other hand. refers to the intentional spread of inaccurate
information with the intent to deceive. Once disinformation has initially been seeded
online by its creators, one of the ways in which it spreads is through the actions of
individual social media users. Ordinary people may propagate the material to their own
social networks through deliberate sharing–a core function of platforms such as
Facebook and Twitter. Other interactions with it, such as ‘liking’, also trigger the
algorithms of social media platforms to display it to other users. This is a phenomenon
known as ‘organic reach’. It can lead to false information spreading exponentially. When
individuals share or interact with disinformation they see online, they have essentially
been persuaded to do so by its originators. Influential models of social information
processing suggest there are different routes to persuasion. Under some
circumstances, we may carefully consider the information available. At other times, we
make rapid decisions based on heuristics and peripheral cues. When sharing
information on social media occurs, it is likely to be spontaneous and rapid, rather than
being a considered action that people spend time deliberating over. To be clear,
disinformation is always misinformation, while misinformation may be disinformation,
depending on the intent. For example, if an article discussing a political figure is found
to contain a factual error, it is misinformation. If it is discovered that the inaccuracy was
intentional, the article can be called disinformation. Since intent can be hard to
determine, these terms are often used interchangeably.
It has been over a year since the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal
life. Among those institutions that have been gravely affected is the country’s education
system. In an effort to ensure that the needs of learners are not neglected in this so-
called new normal, the Department of Education (DepEd) has implemented a series of
adjustments, which has now been simply referred to as “blended learning.” Education is
key for generations of Filipinos to become full-fledged, productive members of society.
Internet connectivity, and the issue of the curriculum and educational materials that
have to be adapted for use with a blended learning environment. Access to educational
materials through the Internet isn’t worth much if the Internet itself is inaccessible due to
lack of service or network infrastructure. Be it through provisions for budget, equipment,
and commercial access to the Internet, much has to be done to improve digital
connectivity throughout the country. As for the case of improving how blended learning
can be unpacked for our children, we have to call on and support an integral resource
for the family: the parents. Indeed, parents—and guardians—must be empowered to
help the learning process of the students. All these issues should be carefully and
properly built into the educational system for the new normal. 
Students not only come from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, race, and gender, but
students also bring different talents and styles of learning. All students should have the
opportunity to learn in a way that works for them and they should be able to showcase
their talents. Inclusion is limited to the culture inside of our organization and perhaps, at
its best, the experiences of an organization’s customers. But it does little to address the
significant barriers that women and people of color face in even making it into the very
spaces that purport inclusive practices. Inclusion is not straightforward; it requires a lot
of compassion and effort. I once worked on a team where all seven of us were of
different nationalities and mother tongues. It wasn’t easy – we would often get lost in
translation or misunderstand certain cultural behaviors, but it was one of the highest-
performing teams I’ve worked with. As long as everyone on a team is aware of inclusion
and has an open heart and mind, it can work. However, many times we had to admit to
being wrong and learn how to work better together.