Flexibility – Pedagogy – Technology combined with TPACK

Over the past four weeks we have learnt different topics such as: Flexibility in learning, Pedagogical approaches, Technology integration and TPACK (Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge). In each topics there was lecture, detail discussions and assignments  which helped us to know more about the course. Let us combine them and see the added value of  TPACK in short.  

 Now a days, there are a lot of chances available for students so that everyone can get skill & knowledge not only on a traditional way of education  but also with different kinds flexibility supported by  technology. Technology helped learning by making  more flexible, but it doesn’t mean that only for distance learning but much more. In addition, the different kinds of flexibility learning can be also supported by variety of pedagogical approaches to achieve the required learning goals. And the carefully selected technology to address the specific content  by using an appropriate pedagogical approach become the paramount factor to attain the desired educational goal. However, for all listed benefits,  there is one and main area of binding , the teacher, whose  role become the main factor for the successful achievement of any educational system. According to the TPACK model, a good teacher is expected to be competent  in the areas such as, Content knowledge (CK), Pedagogical knowledge (PK), Technological Knowledge (TK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). But, how the TPACK can be combined with the topics leaned so far?

 Flexibility – Pedagogy – Technology - TPACK

According to Collins and Moonen (2001), flexible learning is a movement away from a situation in which key decisions about learning dimensions are made in advance by the instructor or institution, toward a situation where the learner has a range of options from which to choose with respect to key dimensions. The value of flexibility is to have a variety of opportunities for the learners in order to attend in a different way, such as, locations, different courses, interactions, form of communications, or study materials. In this case, the teacher is the main decision factor to facilitate & make the system available. As clearly stated, the availability of technology & infrastructure in school, the readiness for teacher & the cooperation of institutions in all areas become the main factors for flexibility of learning. What else?

As discussed before on the other post, pedagogy has been called "the art and science of teaching," the "knowledge and skills that practitioners of the profession of teaching employ, in performing their duties of facilitating desired learning’s in others", as Dunkin explained. Now a day, the innovation of new technology and its availability brings an advantage for the current application of different kinds of pedagogical approaches. A lot of pedagogical approaches can be supported by different ways of technological integrations, which leads the learner to me more motivated. Some of the approaches are,  Self study, Discussion, Authentic activities, Collaborative learning and Resource-based learning. These and other kinds of pedagogical approaches are mainly integrated with relevant  kinds of technology with an active role of Teacher.

Flexibility learning which is designed in a way with relevant pedagogical approach, supported by different  technology, brings a valuable  impact for an educational change. To be more clear, there are main areas which have to be discussed, Content, Pedagogy & Technology.

·         For any kind of education a clearly known content is expected, which means on the other word, the actual subject matter that is to be learned or taught.

·         On the other hand, the pedagogy which is the processes and practices or methods of teaching and learning and how it encompasses (among other things) overall educational purposes, values and aims need to be clearly known. This is a generic form of knowledge that is involved in all issues of student learning, classroom management, lesson plan development and implementation, and student evaluation. It includes knowledge about techniques or methods to be used in the classroom; the nature of the target audience; and strategies for evaluating student understanding.

·         Then how to use standard technologies such as books and chalk and blackboard, as well as more advanced technologies such as the Internet and digital video comes. This would involve the skills required to operate particular technologies. In the case of digital technologies this would include knowledge of operating systems, and computer hardware, as well as the ability to use standard set of software tools such as word processors, spreadsheets, browsers, email etc.

We can see one example : A college teacher need to give Business Administration course for his diploma students in different mode. Some of his students are learning off-campus while some of them are in-campus and the others are by far distance in other country. This may be a challenge for the teacher on how to manage all the issues in order to address as per the students demand. The school is equipped with the required technology & the system can work.

First of all, the actual subject matter that is to be learned or taught should known by the teacher as discussed before. The teachers must know and understand the subjects what he teach, including: knowledge of central facts, concepts, theories and procedures within a given field; knowledge of explanatory frameworks that organize and connect ideas; and knowledge of the rules of evidence and proof as Shulman explained. This is considered as the Content Knowledge (CK). Then, which processes and practices or methods of teaching and learning and how it encompasses (among other things) overall educational purposes, values and aims need to be clearly known by the teacher (PK). Finally, the teacher need to know how to select the standard technology which can support his learning activity as per the required content & the teaching method (TK). So that, he can address the required content with any kind of flexible way, with the appropriate kind of approach supported by the standard technology. It will give him also an additional benefit to create a various ways of approach, even for those students who are in-campus to have group discussion, chat room, or other ways of online contact.

To sum up, the whole topics learned during the last four weeks, which are flexibility, pedagogy & technology tells us how the teaching and learning process become smooth and handy to foster a countries education system. And the TPACK, which has an added value and has great impact towards the teacher’s competency and his knowledge for implementation. In short, the whole topic tells us, the teacher with Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge become the main area to be seen carefully, so that the whole education process will function properly.