1. How can technology be used most effectively in the various fields of specialization to support
and assess student learning?
➢ To support and assess student learning by the use of a certain technology, it will help the
students to produce an output easily. Technology will help them to learn more knowledge
by searching, viewing and creating an articles or blog that may people give a feedback to
support their output. And also they can easily reach each other to communicate on what
was the task that their want to do.
2. How will I apply all the knowledge and skills that I learned in TTL2 in teaching my field of
➢ I will apply my knowledge and skills in my field of specialization by implementing the use
of technology in teaching and also for learning. I will empower the technology as a tools
that may help to improve my techniques and strategies to catch up the students. Most of
the students are more efficient in terms of technology, so I will use it in Learning.
3. How will I develop learning plans for my classes to make sure that available technologies for
teaching and learning will be put to use for meaningful learning?
➢ I will use the power of technology to improve and develop my learning plans. Like for
example, I will use the available technology for having a fun for learning, such as short
film viewing and some digital games that the students will gain an information and clues
about the topics that we’re tackle at that day. In creating a lesson plan, given technology
will helps me to improve and organized my aims and objectives.
4. How will I ensure that my goals in this course will be achieved?
➢ To ensure my goals in this course will be achieved is to apply all the learnings that I gain
or gathered in this course, that’s why it will helps me to improve and develop my skills in
terms of technology in teaching and learning, so that in the future I am not new in this
kind of advance teaching or strategies in teaching.
“Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. Childhood is a small window of time to learn and develop at the pace which is right for each individual child”
All over the world educators are under pressure to deliver better outcomes for their learners to ensure that they are better equipped for the demands of the current world. One of the most effective ways for us to deliver these outcomes for learners is to ensure that their educators are well prepared to deliver this. For the educators to be highly effective, what is more important for us to acknowledge is that “educators need to deliver content with an understanding of each student’s learning needs” based on student’s interest, readiness and learning profile.
“Student Assessment” is a key word that has been part of the narrative for the past few years now, but this article aims to discuss the introduction of technology in assessments, a shift from paper based to a more tech enabled process of measuring learning profiles of students.
Traditionally school systems were based on hit and trial methods and outcomes, where systems were completely teacher centred, but today the paradigm has shifted from one way instruction to a more participatory process, which means students need “personalised” “engaging” and “useful” feedback in real time which gives them and their teachers an opportunity to understand their learning graph.
When we think of assessments, pens, pencils and piles of paper come to our mind, what happens when we bring in tech based tools in this process? Assessments are most helpful when it happens in real time. And technology can provide teachers with instant results, equipping them with real time data about students that ultimately helps the teachers to respond to their needs and planning their classrooms better, therefore maximising their student’s learning outcomes. A wide array of tech enabled assessment tools are available for teachers to conduct assessments and can help them in developing individual learning plans based on results they get. It not only helps teachers and students to identify their current learning needs but also displays tracked progress of each student over a period of time which plays a big role in maximizing learning.
According to the ASER report 2016, “Culture of measurement is not well developed in India. The capacity to analyze data and the ability to link assessment results to action on the ground has yet to be built at state, district, block, cluster and school level”. Therefore, simple, easy to use tools, easily understandable data, and evidence that can effectively be translated into action are all important elements that can improve overall assessment process in Indian context. The article discusses two such tools which are being used in many government schools in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. First, “The Reading Diagnostic Tool” is a tool used for assessing reading skills of children and the second “The Kobo Toolbox” is extensively used for collecting data of students in order to track their progress and assess their learning needs.
Concerted and consistent efforts over time are needed to build capacity of government officials at different levels to help them connect assessment to action for improving learning.
Using technology to test early grade reading skills
In the wake of assessing hindi reading skills, Educational Initiatives (EI) and READ Alliance, with the help of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) collaborated and conducted a research study across three districts of Rajasthan: Kota, Bundi and Jhalawar. This study tested over 426 students across 18 schools from grades 2 to 5, to create a comprehensive adaptive testing tool (tech — based) to diagnose early grade reading skills for Hindi language and conduct fundamental research on reading and building remediation tools that will act as the building blocks for large scale impact. This was done to help teachers identify language learning gaps and provide remediation methods.The students were expected to appear for test comprising of a total of 100 questions, the first 47 questions determining the overall language level of the child and rest 53 questions, part of a “fine test”, gets into further depths of diagnosing the issues each student is facing. The fine level of the test divides the student into three types — beginner, intermediate and proficient. If student performance is up to 30 percent then the student will appear for ‘Beginner level’, if the performance is between 31 to 55 percent then the student will appear for ‘Intermediate level’ and if the performance is above 55 percent then the student will appear for ‘Proficient level’ test.
Some of the insights of this study were that familiarity and proficiency in Hindi language increased as students moved from lower to higher grade and the test was able to outline the breakdown in learning for students clearly. Also the children at beginner and intermediate proficient level are seen to be struggling with the reading comprehension skill and more than 60% children in grade 2 and 3 were found to be in intermediate level and less than 50% in grade 4 and 5.
An important feature of the tool is that since the sessions are recorded and stored online, it allows the teachers to monitor the reading ability of each student, and also compare and contrast the recent sessions with the old ones for the entire class. For students, the tool is beneficial because multiple grade students are able to get assessed on the same test simultaneously at their own pace irrespective of their grade. There is easy access to recommendations which are tailored for each student based on their individual learning path. The tool allows teachers to take action and provide remediation, monitor progress, and group children basis their learning level etc. Also allows for Identification of misconceptions and errors that exist among students.
Data Collection for better classroom planning: A case of using KOBO toolbox
As mentioned earlier, supporting the practical shift from paper based assessment to a tech enabled assessment, Karadi Path in their “joyful reading” program supported by READ Alliance have adopted the use of a tool called “KOBO”. This enables their teachers to collect data across 90 schools in order to track student progress making assessments more accurate and reliable. Using a mobile based platform, teachers comfortably use the application to collect data of their students. The teachers find it convenient as they do not have to spend hours checking examination copies,in fact they get instant performance reports as the tool translates students’ responses as the assessment progresses.
The tool has been beneficial in a big way as it has reduced human error caused during manual assessments reducing a lot of pressure teachers used to go through while conducting manual assessments. Given the poor connectivity in schools, kobo has been beneficial as it functions accurately in difficult conditions such as limited connectivity. Unlike many other applications, this tool does not require continuous internet that allows it to be operationalized within rural areas.
Training conducted by KPEC on KOBO toolbox, helpful in assessing students learning in ‘Joyful Reading’ program
Way Forward
Using technology that empowers educators seems to be the most reliable model as it can ease out a lot of pressure educators face to assess students and understand their learning needs and enhance their learning outcomes. Education technologies will enable teachers to do more with fewer resources.
School systems need to aggressively track what works for their teachers and put all other unworkable systems aside. Technology enabled assessments empowers not only teachers with real time data, graphical representations of their students’ performance but also students who can see their progress at a glance which can help them identify their own learning needs thus making teachers and students both take ownership for better outcomes. Technology and education are a great combination if used together with a right reason and vision.Technology has proved to be effective for making students and educators efficiently adapt to various advancements in education. When technology is incorporated meaningfully into assessments, and instruction, students and teachers have new opportunities to learn and achieve. Technology can be used to create better examples of simulations and models that allow teachers to understand learning needs of their students.
But technology alone cannot transform assessment. We first need to overcome logistical and funding challenges that often impede efforts to maintain, administer, and update schools’ technological infrastructure. Successful changes to assessment will also require equally challenging revisions to standards, curriculum, instruction, and teacher training. Without deliberate attention to these areas from policymakers and educators, there is no guarantee that technology will fundamentally change core practices and methods in education, a field that is notoriously impervious to change.
Schools and educators participating in using tech-based assessments pilots should be given waivers and some incentives. There is also a dire need to evaluate and scale these assessments up along the way, starting with small pilots in a few schools, with incentives to build demand so that successful ideas reach more students in more districts and become worthy alternatives to current high-stakes testing.
New technologies offer us the opportunity to plot a course that maintains accountability goals but encourages significant innovation and prioritizes the use of technology-enabled assessments — not just for automation, but for substantive improvements in student achievement.