ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN MODERN EDUCATION 1

Role of Technology in Modern Education:

More Content Interaction and Student Ownership

Michael Carway

EDUC 581: Principles of Instructional Design & Learning Theory

State University of New York College at Oneonta

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Introduction

Technology is everywhere. It controls the world and our lives. Is there a

substantial moment in one’s daily routine where they are not using a device of some sort?

Most likely not. Due to technology becoming the epicenter of present times, it is vital for

our students to be able to learn how to use technology in the classroom. There are many

advantages to teaching and learning with technology. It can provide multiple learning

avenues to meet diverse needs of students, gamify the material to make it more

entertaining, and improve student collaboration since they can interact with each other at

any time and any place (Bui, 2021). However, technology in the classroom costs money

and time to effectively implement it, sets out a plethora of distractions via the internet,

and creates a lack of physical interaction amongst peers and adults (5 Disadvantages of

Technology in the Classroom (And How to Overcome Them), 2020).

Though there are several disadvantages, technology integration is transforming

the ways in which education functions. The internet is a never-ending library that

contains an infinite amount of information. Although there are many distractions

available at students’ fingertips, there are thousands of educational resources also

available. As a result, students have the power to become more independent and search

for information on their own. Consequently, teachers are no longer the forefront of

information and can act more as a facilitator or trainer to teach the students how to

properly use the technology to learn.

On top of educational games, interactive learning programs can also provide more

engagement for students to individually connect with the content and make it more fun to

learn. For example, the online question game, Kahoot, has been a learning tool that high

school students have enjoyed using in math class (Curto Prieto et al., 2019). Another
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study showed high school math students felt they benefitted in terms of engagement and

mastery from using Pear Deck, an online learning presentation tool (Pringle, 2016).

These two tools on top of many others actively engage students due to the increase

amount of interaction they offer. Pear Deck specifically provides ways to differentiate the

content to suit many different learning needs through features such as audio and video

clips, a canvas for students to draw and demonstrate their understanding, and a feedback

tool for teachers. Students will become more motivated to show what they have learned

when they are easily able to do so using interactive, engaging tools like these.

Literature Review

Research portrays that both teachers and students enjoy using technology

compared to more traditional instructional methods. Technology-enhanced learning is a

win-win. It allows students to work independently while also providing them with

engaging ways to collaborate and interact with each other. Additionally, they have access

to an infinite amount of information that they can learn from. (Tawafak et al., 2018).

A study at Rice University validates the positive effect that online learning systems and

countless internet resources have on student learning. STEM undergraduate students were

able to score higher on their course exams after using OpenStax Tutor which focuses on

building student cognition (Butler et al., 2014). Instead of the more traditional process of

college students learning a topic and not seeing it again until the exam, students were

given practice problems to help them retain the information they learned through the

platform. Additionally, the students were motivated to practice their skills more with

various resources they found online outside of the course material. Without technology,

they would have been unable to read online texts or watch educational videos to reinforce

their learning.
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Technology has also created new avenues to accommodate for all types of

learners. Assistive technology tools support students with disabilities and make the

content more accessible for them in all subject matters (Kaur, 2021). In addition,

formative assessment technologies can improve students’ levels of achievement in

different classes and drive them to perform well (Humes, 2021). Interactive learning

platforms such as Pear Deck are great ways to formatively assess students. These

platforms have a self-pacing mode and can be used asynchronously to give students more

control of their learning process. Pear Deck also has a canvas mode where students can

draw, highlight, or type on the slides made by the teacher, providing them with more

opportunities to interact with the content they are learning. Teachers are also able to add

audio or video clips, translations, and other accommodations to the presentations to meet

the needs of diverse students. As previously stated, high school math students enjoy the

features of Pear Deck and believe they learned more from using it than without (Pringle,

2016).

Educational games can be a form of assessment tool as well. In general,

technology related engagement tactics such as educational games and interactive

computer programs help elementary school students absorb and remember the

fundamentals of math. The entertainment from the gamified instruction makes rehearsing

the fundamentals fun for the students (Nickel, 2021). Kahoot gamifies the content and is

proven to engage high school students in reviewing math concepts and practice problems

(Curto Prieto et al., 2019). Like Nickel, Denham (2013) also argues that elementary

school students must learn multiplication tables so they are able to understand higher-

level math at an earlier age. He argues educational games activate rote learning, meaning
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Kahoot and other game-based platforms can be an effective way for these students to

learn math facts fast and in a fun manner.

Discussion

In review, technology has allowed students more control over their learning. I use

many forms of technology in my lessons every day and can attest to this notion. My students

have loved using Kahoot over the years to review practice problems before an exam, and

they like the competitive aspect it brings. I have also used other interactive learning

platforms such as Pear Deck, Desmos, and Edpuzzle. Desmos is very similar to Pear Deck;

it is not as interactive but can be a presentation tool for any subject matter though it is

primarily used for math instruction. Edpuzzle is known as a very effective instructional

video platform on which teachers can upload or create educational videos or use one from

the Edpuzzle library for their students to watch. Out of the three, my students highly favored

Edpuzzle since it was easiest to watch a video and answer the practice problems that pop up

throughout the Edpuzzle. I consider myself very knowledgeable of these platforms along

with several other educational technology tools because I have attended professional

development sessions through my school system. Being properly trained on how to

effectively integrate technology into one’s classroom is key to technology-enhanced

instruction working. Technology is still a tool, and if a teacher does not know how to use it

then the class will break.

I am additionally learning about more tools that are an option for me to implement

with my students. This past winter, my old co-teacher and I implemented a classroom

banking simulation called Stash101 into our classrooms. Through the platform, students can

be rewarded virtual money for participating during class, answering a question correctly,

offering to help someone, assisting the teacher, and many other actions that the teacher can
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customize him or herself. The more advanced way of using it involves giving students

classroom jobs to fulfill such as being the class tutor, teacher assistant, class custodian, class

IT person, etc. etc. which they get paid for as well on top of the aforementioned action

items. Students can use the virtual money they earn to buy prizes on the platform’s store

which is also set up by the teacher. Our students loved it so much that it has now been

implemented schoolwide in all our classrooms. It gets the students really excited to come to

class since they have job responsibilities and want to cash in on homework passes, movie or

amusement park tickets, or other prizes we created in the store. Without technology, we

would not have a virtual economy that the students are now crazy for at our school, or at

least it would have been much harder to create without it. Programs and platforms like

Stash101, Pear Deck, and Kahoot each make school more gratifying and enjoyable, and

pushes them to take more ownership of their education.

Summation

In summary, technology is a very powerful classroom tool. Students have more

control of their learning through technology use and enjoy using it along with teachers.

There is additionally a surfeit of information available to both teachers and students

online. All in all, it is essential for our students to be able to interact with technology to

be prepared for their future endeavors in this digital age we are all a part of.
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References

Bui, S. T. (2021). Top Educational Technology Trends In 2020–2021. eLearning

Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/top-educational-technology-trends-2020-

2021

Butler, A. C., Marsh, E. J., Slavinsky, J. P., & Baraniuk, R. G. (2014). Integrating

Cognitive Science and Technology Improves Learning in a STEM Classroom.

Educational Psychology Review, 26(2), 331–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-

014-9256-4

Curto Prieto, M., Orcos Palma, L., Blázquez Tobías, P., & León, F. (2019). Student

Assessment of the Use of Kahoot in the Learning Process of Science and

Mathematics. Education Sciences, 9(1), 55.

https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9010055

Denham, A. R. (2013). Strategy Instruction and Maintenance of Basic Multiplication

Facts through Digital Game Play. International Journal of Game-Based Learning,

3(2), 36-54. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A429812321/AONE?

u=anon~1c53a071&sid=googleScholar&xid=4f8c4ef6

5 Disadvantages of Technology in the Classroom (And How to Overcome Them). (2020).

ViewSonic Library. https://www.viewsonic.com/library/education/5-

disadvantages-of-technology-in-the-classroom-and-how-to-overcome-them/

Humes, A. (2021). Formative Assessment and Technology in the Mathematics

Classroom.

Kaur, S. (2021). Assistive Technology for Learning Disabled – Making Room for

Diverse Learning Needs. International Journal of Research Publication and

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Reviews, 2(7), 2029-2034.

Nickel, K. (2021). Math Fact Fluency Instruction.

Pringle, B. (2016). Using Student Response Systems to Increase Student Participation

And Engagement in High School Mathematics Classes.

Tawafak, R. M., Romli, A. B., Arshah, R. B. A., & Almaroof, R. A. S. (2018). Assessing

the Impact of Technology Learning and Assessment Method on Academic

Performance: Review Paper. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and

Technology Education, 14(6). https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/87117