The Use of Technology in Teaching

Political Science

In partial fulfillment in the course requirement in

POL SCI 509- Teaching Political Science

Submitted To:
Professor Macario T. Lumsit

Submitted By:
Bulawe, Christine Joy
Domingo, Michelle
Galvez, Rolando
Manabat, John Carlo
Galvez, Ma. Sheryl
 INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The time it takes to earn a degree in education today is

based on this model: the many hours students spend in a classroom

entitle them to a receipt in the form of a grade, and so many

receipts can be redeemed for a credential in the form of a

degree. Education today is just beginning to think of shifting

the basis of certification from time served, to skills and

knowledge obtained. (Schroeder, 2011)

Traditionally, classroom teachers stand in front of the

students, giving information, explanations and instructions. They

usually use chalk to write something on the board. This technique

needs to be modified with regard to the development of

technology. The use of technology cannot be denied anymore.

Technology in its broadest terms could include overhead

projectors and even pen and paper but, in the context of

learning, it is generally understood that we are focussing on

technologies that have arrived with the 'Information Revolution'

i.e. those associated with computers. (National Council for

Educational Research and Training, n.d.)

 Information Revolution (Muppudathi, 2014) has already

entered the field of education. Educational Technology is the

application of system approach to education and Training. It

emphasizes the interrelation of Men, Machine, Methods, Media and

Materials (5Ms) (Muppudathi, 2014). The National Council for

Educational Research and Training (NCERT) defined Educational

Technology as the development, application, and evaluation of

systems, techniques, and aids to improve the process of human

learning.

This study made use of principles underlying Educational

Technology as a springboard.

Technology has become essential in the field of education.

According to Muppudathi (2014), in his study entitled Technology

in teaching and learning, technology usage can enhance teaching

and learning by: providing multiple material types for all

learning styles; enhancing communication between faculty/student

and student/student; promoting constructivist and active

learning; enhancing collaborative teaching and learning;

providing asynchronous and synchronous communication; promoting

higher expectations via peer review and feedback; providing

prompt progress information; enabling stronger group

collaboration; and, promoting and fostering life long learning.

More specifically, this research intends to focus on

multimedia. Multimedia is the current buzzword in educational

technology. It refers to combining different electronic media,

commonly computers and videodiscs, in teaching materials. (Janda,

1992)

Additionally, Barbara Schroeder(2011), in one of her

studies, Micro-cycles: course design model for mobile learning

claimed that there are ten reasons to use Multimedia in the

classroom, namely: it facilitates and develops a community of

learners through online ice-breaker activities; help students

visualize difficult concepts or procedures more easily by using

static or dynamic multimedia; scaffold learning through

activities enhanced by videos and online games; make language and

culture come alive through the viewing and creation of audio and

video instruction; provide a menu for authentic assignment

options for students to complete, allowing them to explore and

identify their passions and talents; enhance accessibility

through the use of powerful multimedia software tools; enable

visualization of concepts and their connections through

collaborative construction and discussion of concept maps;

encourage collaboration and feedback by integrating assignments

with tools that support conversations and comments; make learning

situated and personal with easy to access information from you

and the rest of the world; and, help students document and

present their learning through authentic assessments.

 Furthermore, there are programs which were designed and

implemented to present the importance of usage of technology.

The Jasper Woodbury Problem Solving Series (Cognition and

Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1992) is a video package that

reflects contemporary beliefs about learning and instruction.

Each episode presents instruction in a motivating and realistic

environment that encourages students to explore, and to identify

and solve real problems.

The Geometric Supporter (Schwartz & Yerushalmy, 1985) is a

computer-based geometry tool that teaches deductive reasoning by

providing students with opportunities to experiment with

geometry. This program stimulates active learning by encouraging

learners to discover geometric properties. (Schwartz, 1993)

From all of these, it could be gleaned how helpful the usage

of technology, particularly usage of multimedia in teaching is.

The results and output of the study will be important as

this aims to describe the use of technology in teaching political

science.

The findings of this research will provide insights to

Higher Education Institutions in planning and implementing

programs regarding the use of technology in Political Science to

further adapt with the 21st Century Learning.

 This study is important to the Political Science Department

for this study will highlight the significance of the integration

of technology in various teaching strategies.

The results and findings of this study will help the

Political Science Department to determine possible solutions for

the problems encountered using technology in teaching Political

Science.

To the research students both in the undergraduate and

graduate programs, this study can be considered for their review

of related literature and can pave way for new researches

regarding the same subject matter.

To the Political Science Students, this study can inform the

students regarding the role of technology in teaching political

science and the conduct of teaching while using technology.

Theoretical Framework

The following theories shall serve as the backbone and

rationale of this study.(should be arranged thematically)

Forms of Technology Used in Teaching. The first theory is on

Cognitivism. The cognitive approach holds that if we are to

understand learning we cannot confine ourselves to observable

behavior, but must also concern ourselves with the learners

mental ability to re-organize his psychological field in response

to experience. This approach sees the individual not as the

somewhat mechanical product of his environment, but as an active

agent in the learning process, deliberately trying to process and

categorize the stream of information fed into him by the external

world. (Fontana, 1981)

Cognitive approaches to learning would mean focusing on

teaching learners how to learn, on developing stronger of new

(missing word?) mental processes for future learning, and on

developing deeper and constantly changing understanding of

concepts and ideas. Through Cognitivism, there is an increase of

understanding on how humans process and make sense of new

information, how humans access, interpret, integrate, process,

organize and manage knowledge and have given a beer (better term?)

understanding of the conditions that affect learners mental

states.

Another theory is that of Dr. Richard T. Mayer (2009), who

is the proponent of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning.

The theory is based on three main assumptions: there are two

separate channels (auditor and visual) for processing

information; there is limited channel capacity; and that learning

is an active process of filtering, selecting, organizing, and

integrating information. The principle known as multimedia

principle states that people learn more deeply from words and

pictures than from words alone. Simply put, the three most common
elements in multimedia presentations are relevant graphics, audio

narration and explanatory text. Combining any of these two

elements works better than using just one or all three.

Consequently, a learner can use more cognitive processing

capacities to study materials that combine auditory verbal

information with visual graphical information than to process

materials that combine printed text with visual graphical

information.

In addition, the Cognitive Load Theory, made famous by Dr.

John Sweller (1999) describes the mental effort that is related

to performing a task as falling into one of the categories:

germane, intrinsic and extraneous. Germane cognitive load is the

mental effort required to process the tasks information, make

sense of it and store it in long-term memory. Intrinsic cognitive

load is the mental effort required to perform the task itself.

Extraneous cognitive load is the mental effort imposed by the way

that the task is delivered, which may or may not be efficient.

Extent of Use of Technology in Teaching. Sweller (1999)

believes that an efficient instructional design shall be made to

reduce extraneous load by eliminating visual and auditory effects

and elements that are not central to the lesson, to reduce

germane load by delivering verbal information through audio

presentation while delivering relevant information through static

images or presentations and, to control intrinsic load by

breaking the lesson into smaller segments and giving learners the

control over the pace.

Dr. Ronald Berk (2009) in his study entitled Multimedia

teaching with video clips in the college classroom, claimed that

there are potential uses and value of video clips in the college

classroom. Video clips are a major source of for teaching the

students of todays generation for drawing out their multiple

intelligences and learning styles to increase the success of

every student. There is a match between the media and the

students intelligences (Gardner, 2000)

Problems Encountered in the Use of Technology. Dr. Kenneth

Janda (1992) in his experimental study entitled Multimedia in

Political Science: Sobering lessons from a Teaching Experiment

concluded that students in the multimedia sections performed no

better than those in the traditional sections and displayed no

distinctive interest in the course, no greater sense of

knowledge. The researcher in fact recommended that multimedia

advocates must assume a greater burden in demonstrating the value

of the technology. It is not enough to prove merely that students

like multimedia applications. Researchers must also show that

this teaching contributes to learning - either in self-reports of

learning, or on tests of course content, or along some other

dimensions of motivation of understanding.

 Enhance the framework, add findings of studies relevant to
the given theme of each sub-problem as indicated already in the
paragraph heading

Paradigm of the Study

The input of the study is __. The process would be ___. And

the output will be the identification of the common forms of

technology used as an aid in teaching political science, the

extent of use of technology in teaching political science, and

the problems encountered in the usage of technology as an aid in

teaching political science.

Input should be forms of technology used in teaching polical
science; problems encountered in using technology as an aid in
teaching political science; process shall be: survey, interview,
analysis of survey and interview data; output will be
identification of the common forms ., problems encountered and
the mitigating measures adopted
Statement of the Problem

The research aims to examine the use of technology in

teaching Political Science

Specifically, the research seeks to answer the specific

questions:

1. What are the common forms of technology used in teaching

Political Science?

2. What is the extent of use of technology in teaching

Political Science?

3. What are the problems encountered in using technology as an

aid in teaching Political Science?

DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

Research Design and Methodology

This research will employ a Quantitative method of research.

In particular the researchers shall be using the Descriptive-

Survey Method because the targeted respondents are relatively

large. Through stratified random sampling, the researchers could

acquire the sufficient number of respondents necessary to

complete this study.

 After determining the respondents, the researchers shall

diligently distribute the survey questionnaires to be answered by

the respondents. To obtain valid data, extensive data gathering

must be exercised by the researchers. After data collection, the

researchers shall be recording, interpreting, and analyzing the

collected data.

Population and Locale of the Study

The researchers target three different schools as the

researchs locale particularly Saint Louis University (SLU) at

Bonifacio Road, Baguio City, Saint Louis College (SLC) at San

Fernando, La Union, and Urdaneta City Universiy (UCU) at Urdaneta

City, Pangasinan.

The researchers target the Political Science students

currently enrolled and Political Science teachers with current

teaching loads of Political Science subjects as the respondents.

The researchers could seek assistance from the Students

Affairs Office and Registrars Office of the abovementioned

schools. The Student Affairs Office together with the Registrars

Office could provide the researchers the specific number of

enrolled Political Science students in every respondent school

together with their profiles. Through the acquired information,

the researchers could have an idea on how to manage their

stratified random sampling to determine their respondents. The

researchers would also seek the assistance of every schools

deans office for their approval on the researchers planned data

gathering.

The faculty members of the abovementioned schools shall also

form part of the researchers respondents. The needed information

as to the number of faculty members and their respective profiles

could be provided by the Human Resource Department of the

respondent schools.

Data Gathering Tool

For the first statement of the problem, a checklis-

questionnaire shall be used. The tool shall provide the forms of

technology used by Political Science teachers. The respondents

shall only be checking the appropriate options applicable to

them.

As to the second statement of the problem, a Rating Scale is

provided. A rating scale shall be most appropriate to determine

the extent of usage of technology by the respondents in teaching

Political Science. Thus, the researchers shall be analyzing how

often have respondents use different forms of technology as an

aid in teaching Political Science.

As to the last statement of the problem, the researchers

shall use an interview guide. Both respondents (Political Science

students and Political Science teachers) will be interviewed.

Treatment of Data
 The data to be gathered shall undergo the necessary data

treatment of being tabulated, categorized, analyzed and

interpreted through appropriate statistical tools.

 Interview Guide
Add other questions that may help you get the needed data

1. Forms of Technology
a. What technology do you often use or often used by your
teacher in teaching Political Science?
o Laptop

o LCD Projector

o Television

o Videos

o Smartphone

o Others (please specify): ___________

b. What is the reason for often choosing and using the cited
form of technology? (How do you describe your learning
whenever this form of technology is used by the teacher?)

c. Do you find the choice of technology appropriate to every

lesson in which it was used? Why?

2. Extent of Use of Technology:

a. How often do you use technology as an aid in teaching

Political Science? And why?
o Every Meeting

o Twice A Week

o Thrice A Week

o Never

o Others (please specify): ______

b. How do you immediately measure if the use of your chosen

technology is able to help attain the learning objectives
set for that lesson in which you used the chosen
technology?
 c. (Students)How do you find the teachers frequent use of
his/her chosen technology does it enhance the teaching-
learning process, effectively used, teachers total
reliance on it ?

3. Problems Encountered:

a. What are the problems encountered in using technology as

an aid in teaching Political Science?
o Availability

o Technical Aspect

o Knowledge on the use of technology

o Others (please specify) : ________

b. What are your practices in order to mitigate the problems

regarding the use of technology as an aid in teaching
Political Science? Etc.?

c. (Students):

1. Are the problems recurring? Why?

2. If yes, how do these recurring problems affect the
teaching-learning process?
3. Is the teacher able to change strategies whenever the
problems recur? Why?
4. In those situations when the teacher opted to
discontinue the use of technology due to certain
problems, how do you describe the teaching-learning
process?
5. Etc.
References (hanging indentation)

Berk, R.A (2009). Multimedia teaching with video clips in the

college classroom. International Journal of Technology in
Teaching and Learning. Vol. 5(1), 1-21

Fontana, D. (1999). Researching into Pre-school. British

Educational Research Journal. Vol.7 (2), 182-189

Gardener, H. (1983). Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic

Books

Janda, K. (1992). Multimedia in Political Science: Sobering

Lessons from a Teaching Experiment. Journal of Educational
Multimedia and Hypermedia. Vol., 341-354

Mayer, R.E. (2009). Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University

Press

Mayer, R.E (2002). Multimedia Learning. Psychology of Learning

and Motivation. Cambridge University Press. Vol.41, 85-139

Muppudathi, G. (2014). Technology in teaching and learning. n.p.

Schroeder, B. (2011). Course design model for mobile learning.

Ubiquitous Learning: A Survey of application, research and
trends. Charlotte, N.C: Information age Publishing

Sweller, J. (1999). Cognitive Load during problem-solving:

Effects on Learning. Australian Council for Educational
Research. Camberwell, Victoria, Australia