Technology in the Classroom

Technology plays an important role in the interplay between the theory and practice of teaching. Technology is often implemented to facilitate content presentation in the course, as in the case of the Smartboard or Powerpoint. However, the classroom enviroment can be considered as part of the role of technology as well (Bowers, 2010). When the technology is used as a cultural medium, rather than a tool, technology would be the framework for pedagogy,  supplement classroom management, and allow the students to actively engage with assessments.

 

Videos or animations

Videos or animations of applications of biotechnology in the medicine industry. For example, clips from Sumanas <http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/dnachips2.html>.

 

These clips would be best used after diagnostic assessment has been done. The main advantage is videos can be used to differentiate the lesson from what may be lectures on an entirely new process of DNA fingerprinting.

 

Sections of videos can be selected for their relevance to the curriculum and the learners. The video can be paused for the teacher to insert points that goes back to prior knowledge. For example, the illustration can be narrated by the teacher of what object each represents (DNA, proteins)

 

An animation of gene expression by Genome British Columbia, which includes both DNA translation and expression. It satisfies expectation F3.2 explain the the structure and functions of macromolecules.

 

Alternatively, it may be used as a summary, such as in BioByte. The videos present the big ideas and bring closure to how what they learnt is applied in the real world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Socrative

 

This instant-feedback technology is best suited for guided inquiry (Sadeh, Zion, 2012, p 832), since the teacher provides the questions in advance and the students investigate and determine the process and solutions. Since there is a certain degree of knowledge already known by the students, this technological tool is useful for assessing knowledge students would have learnt as an early part of a unit, or as a review near the end of the unit. When done as an open question, rather than a multiple choice one, it may motivate the learners to make use of their greater inquiry skills to ask their own questions (p 322). It does not promote higher-order thinking compared to summative assessments, but can reduce the student's frustration and fear of unknown knowledge (p 833) as they work towards a more independent and open inquiry.

Example of an open-ended question used in Socrative:

 

"Issues in Biotechnology include.."

Responses

• the public is often scared of anything that is new to them . they may think it could cause diseases or affect their way of living. anything that disrupts society is an ultimate threat.

• Lack of knowledge of the genome

• biowarfare