Lesson 7: Evaluation of Technology Learning

Content

            A new challenge has arisen for today’s learners and this is not simply to achieve learning objectives but to encourage the development of students, who can do more than receive, recall, recite and apply the knowledge they have acquired. Today, students are expected to be not only cognitive, but also flexible, analytical and creative. In this lesson, there are methods proposed for the use of computer-based technologies as an integral support to higher thinking skills and creativity. The standard student evaluation of learning must change. This is justified by the fact that not only has the new generation changed into digital learners, but the traditional world has metamorphosed into a digital world. Teachers must adopt a new mindset both for instruction and evaluation. Evaluation must be geared to assessment of essential knowledge and skills so that learners can function effectively, productively and creatively in a new world. It must use evaluative tools that measure the new basic skills of the 21^st century digital culture, namely: solution fluency, information fluency, collaboration fluency, media fluency, creativity fluency and digital citizenship. These six fluencies reflect process skills. On the other hand, the change in evaluation approach is referred to as mass amateurization, a term which implies a mass of student output.

Experience

            Back in high school, our teacher applied this new form of evaluation which uses computer-based technologies as an integral support to higher thinking skills and creativity. She would always give us electronic exams and make us do a computer-based project. I realized that those things really help me a lot in the field I studied today since it gives me the full awareness on how to apply technology in the evaluation for the digital learners. Also, in educational technology I have experienced technology-based evaluation such as electronic exams, and application through the use of IT-based projects like in Edmodo, Toondo and Rubistar.

Reflection

             As future teachers, we must employ an evaluation that is appropriate for the digital learners. With the integration of technology in evaluation, it should enhance and develop our students’ flexibility, analytical and creative thinking. In the teaching-learning process, teachers must facilitate and evaluate students with the use of technology learning. Computer-based technologies must be an integral support to higher learning process. We must use technology not only for leisure but for learning. Nowadays, it is very evident in the educational milieu that the use of technology is applied. Teachers compute grades using computer conveniently, power point presentations are used in the instruction and above all, the use of technology-based evaluation to assess students’ outcome of learning.

Application

            As a teacher equipped with the learning about technology-based evaluation, I should apply it to my future students. It will be applied through giving students computer-based assignment and projects, letting them use power point presentations in their reports, and even give them electronic exams to test their learning. The use of technology in evaluating students’ learning will not just test how far they have learned, but also enhances their analytical, flexibility and creativity because it is on their interest to use the technology so it is very easy to integrate it in the instruction.