Current Trend in Educational Technology For Science Teaching
Current Trend in Educational Technology For Science Teaching
CLASSROOM
THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM
Educational technology research has moved through several stages or “ages”, focusing
at the beginning on the content to be learned, then on the format of instructional messages and,
finally on the interaction between computers, students, and teachers. (Mihalca et al., 2007). In
2016, we saw new tech-based opportunities for connecting with students in the classroom and
beyond. Recently, Google launched Google Expeditions, which offers virtual field trips to
everywhere from zoos and museums to Mars and ancient civilizations. Meanwhile, other
companies, such as Nearpod, started working to combine traditional lesson plans with virtual
reality. This technology gives students the ability to experience places they can’t see in person
due to distance or cost, as well as to “visit” times far in the past. This is how technology “flips”
In line with this, there is also another way of flipping a single class; the process is
scalable for flipping portions of each unit or an entire course. A flipped classroom is an
instructional strategy and a type of blended learning that reverses the traditional learning
flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry
out research at home while engaging in concepts in the classroom with the guidance of a
mentor. A flipped class is one that inverts the typical cycle of content acquisition and
application so that: (1) students gain necessary knowledge before class, and (2) instructors
guide students to actively and interactively clarify and apply that knowledge during class.
Benefits of this “flipped classroom” are very evident since students are more active
participants in the learning process, hence guide them to think deeply. Besides, interaction
increases and students learn from one another. This technology-based discovery method will
GAMIFICATION
Science teaching is such a complex, dynamic profession that it is difficult for a teacher
to stay up-to-date. For a teacher to grow professionally and become better as a teacher of
To better prepare students for the science and technology of the 21st century, the
current science education reforms ask science teachers to integrate technology and inquiry-
based teaching into their instruction (American Association for the Advancement of Science,
1993; National Research Council [NRC], 1996, 2000). The National Science Education
Standards (NSES) define inquiry as “the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural
world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work” (NRC, 1996,
p. 23). The NSES encourage teachers to apply “a variety of technologies, such as hand tools,
classrooms allows students to work as scientists (Novak & Krajcik, 2006, p. 76).
As games become a bigger part of culture, the potential they have to transform students’
experiences in school grows. Utilizing games for teaching and learning science has developed
significantly. Gamification is more likely to be successful today because students are more
willing to be active participants in its implementation. They naturally gravitate to the aesthetics
of games and immediately understand and respect their mechanics and rules.
participation, good behavior, and 21st-century skills like collaboration. Increasing the learners’
engagement with their lessons. Everything they learn in class stays the same, but they get to
Reference:
CITE Journal (Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education), 2012. Retrieved from
http://www.citejournal.org/volume-12/issue-2-12/science/integrating-educational-technology-into-the-secondary-science-
teaching/