Module 3

PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE APPLICATION/TOOLS FOR

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lesson 1 – Productivity Application Software

According to Wikipedia, a productivity software also called personal productivity

software or office productivity software is an application software used for producing
information such as documents, presentations, worksheets, databases, charts, graphs,
digital paintings, electronic music and digital video. Moreover, Muslihat (2019) explains that
the definition also often extends to any software application that assists in completing a
task or project such as communication and collaboration tools.

It is called productivity software because it help makes people more efficient and
effective in their daily activities (Prose). While originally intended for business use,
productivity software is now commonly used for personal productivity purposes as well.
Additionally, most of these tools are also available on mobile platforms such as
smartphones and tablets. And as with any other product on the market, there are
advantages and disadvantages of productivity software (Muslihat, 2019).

MICROSOFT WORD

Microsoft Word Defined

Sometimes called WinWord, MS Word, or Word, Microsoft

Word is a word processor published by Microsoft, according to
Computer Hope (2020). An application you use to “process”—
format, manipulate, save, print, share — a text-based document
(Rodrigo, 2020).

Microsoft Word is available for Microsoft Windows, Apple

macOS, Android, and Apple iOS. It can also run on the Linux operating system using WINE
(Computer Hope, 2020).

What is Microsoft Word used for?

Microsoft Word allows you to create professional-quality documents, reports, letters,

and résumés. Unlike a plain text editor, Microsoft Word has features including spell check,
grammar check, text and font formatting, HTML support, image support, advanced page
layout, and more (Computer Hope, 2020).

Rodrigo, A. (2020) enumerated some uses of Microsoft Word for Business, School and
Personal documents. Here are some of its uses:
For Business or School
Microsoft Office's Word is a great tool for creating business documents. You can
also find templates to help you create the following:

• letter • sign
• report or paper • banner
• proposal • resume
• newsletter • business card
• brochure • invoice
• catalog • receipt
• poster • product packaging
• flyer • mailing label
• postcard

For Personal Purposes

There are also many personal uses of MS Word. Here are just a few:

• invitation
• card
• gift tag
• recipe card
• place card
• certificates

Key Features of MS Word

Microsoft Word is one of the most popular software programs in the world, used by
millions of office workers, students and home users to create, read and edit documents,
according to Melendez (2018). He also identified some key features of the program which
include the ability to enter and format text, the ability to save and print documents,
compatibility with older versions of Word and other software, support for cloud or local use
and collaboration features.

Importance of MS Word in Education

Microsoft Word uses and key features makes it so important in the academic
discipline and considered one of the mostly widely used educational application by students
and teachers by making innovative methods of teaching and learning. The application can
transform raw facts into meaningful and useful information.

Microsoft word can benefits teachers and students to create new innovative methods
of learning and teaching. Microsoft Word and Microsoft office suite for students help to
transmit educational materials and practice systematically in school and university faster
with higher quality (Sharma, 2017). Microsoft Word is an effective tool for creating all kinds
of documents like letters, memos, reports, term papers, and typesetting novels and
magazines, etc (InfoBitt, n.d.).
MICROSOFT EXCEL

Microsoft Excel Defined

Microsoft Excel is an spreadsheet program that is

used to record and analyze numerical data (Guru 99, n.d.).
Spreadsheets will provide you with the values arranged in
rows and columns that can be changed mathematically
using both basic and complex arithmetic operations
(GreyCampus, n.d.).

Techopedia explains Microsoft Excel as “a commercial

spreadsheet application that is produced and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft
Windows and Mac OS operating systems. It features the ability to perform basic
calculations, use graphing tools, create pivot tables and create macros, among other useful
features.

Spreadsheet applications such as MS Excel use a collection of cells arranged into

rows and columns to organize and manipulate data. They can also display data as charts,
histograms and line graphs” (Technopedia, 2020).

Uses of Microsoft Excel in Daily Life

Uses of Microsoft Excel according to Sharma (2017) in daily life is to perform the
calculation, analysis, and visualization of data and information. Excel is used by students,
teachers, job seekers, managers, entrepreneurs, companies, retailers, distributors,
freelancers, bloggers, and housewives in their daily life. Microsoft Excel software provides
very wide features and functionalities for everyday official works. The following are the
exceptional uses of Microsoft Excel (Sharma, 2017).

1. Uses of Microsoft Excel in Education

Teachers can use table styles, shapes, charts, data tools, and formulas to
teach students in the classrooms. Students can learn and solve basic and
logicalmathematical problems and statistics in excel.

Teachers can educate by creating a table in an Excel sheet. They can

highlight more interesting cells in colors, emphasize important values and visualize
data using bars and charts.

Another use of Excel for teachers to schedule periods. Teachers can insert
period planner by using the template function in Excel.

2. Uses of Microsoft Excel in Business

Microsoft Excel application can be used in various business operations. Such

as goal setting, budgeting process, and planning, team management, account
 management, income, and expenses calculation, product and service valuation, and
management of client’s data, etc. in business.

The uses of Microsoft Excel in business make such daily official operations
faster, accurate, and predictable. Because Excel provides great features such as
filters, charts, conditional formatting and pivot table, logical and financial formulas.

3. Uses of Microsoft Excel in Goal Setting and Planning

Goal setting and planning is a task that all we do repeatedly each day. Goal
setting and planning are very important for everyone from students to business
owners. But goal setting and planning take white paper, time and lots of calculation
but if you use Excel then it becomes very easy and environmentally friendly.

4. Uses of Microsoft Excel for Business Owners

Online business owners or offline can use Excel to manage their daily life
work. Such as work progress, team management, payouts details, business
progress. Such as if you want to track your marketing campaign progress then go to
the file-new- template and search for a marketing campaign and you will be amazed
by seeing pre-designed and formulated cells.

5. Uses of Microsoft Excel for Housewives

Housewives can use Excel to manage their daily house expenses. They can
create monthly expenses report. They can track their spending habits. The use of
Excel for housewives also helpful if they are doing business or job or for looking part-
time work. There are various online and offline jobs and projects that they can do
from home by learning and using excel.

6. Uses of Microsoft Excel for Data Analysis

Data analysis is very important to work today for an online business or

website owner (eCommerce, blog, forums, etc.). Such as from tracking website
visitors, products sell, customer reviews, marketing campaigns, user behavior, and
events Such work is very time and brain consuming especially when things are not
going according to the plan.

Microsoft Excel application provides great benefits for online business owners
and customers. Such as by filtering users data by country, filtering user by age,
adding conditional formulas in big data, etc. are common daily tasks that can be
handled smartly in excel.

7. Uses of Excel in the Daily Progress Report

Many online and offline companies and clients making it mandatory for virtual
and offline staff to maintain their daily progress reports. It is not only beneficial for
employees but also for companies to track daily progress reports. You can create a
 table with Date, Time, Client, Task, Duration, and status according to demand from
clients or managers.

Also, the daily progress report is very beneficial for students and teachers. But
all start with learning and execution.

8. Uses of Excel in Career Development

Career Development is more about career management. Time management,

learning management, work, and life management and goaloriented habits are very
important. Such things you can learn in excel.

Importance of Microsoft Excel for Students

Sharma (2017) listed various reasons why Microsoft Excel is important in Education.
The following are important things to consider:

1. Students can do and learn the fastest way to do the calculation with accuracy

Microsoft Excel formulas, formatting options, and other data management

and visualization tools can help students to perform complex mathematical,
logical, and financial calculations faster with accuracy.

2. Microsoft Excel builds strong analytical thinking skills

Microsoft Excel application explores productive creativity in students’ minds.

Finance and economics are the most important part of our life. If students are
strong in financial education before completing their academic education, then it
will be easier for them to get benefits from subjects like math, economics, and
account in their life.

3. Students can learn how the calculation is performed

4. Students can learn how data is visualized

MICROSOFT POWERPOINT

Microsoft Powerpoint Defined

Microsoft Powerpoint is a presentation program that

creates a slide show of important information, charts,
images (Computer Hope, 2020) and other media, “such as
 audio clips and movies. Sound effects and animated transitions can also be included
to add extra appeal to the presentation. It is most often used for business and school
presentations or informal purposes” (TechTerms, n.d.).

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Teaching by using Microsoft Powerpoint

There are several advantages of using Microsoft PowerPoint for teaching learning
process, among others are (Ikhsan, 2010):

1. The Advantages of Using PowerPoint

• PowerPoint encourages and supports teaching learning process by facilitating the

material presentation. The template provided is designed to default to good
presentation criteria such as the number of lines of information in each slide and
appropriate font sizes. The use of the default templates can improve the clarity
and the arrangement of a presentation. It helps the teacher avoid the common
use of excessive text often found on OHV (Over Head Projector).
• PowerPoint is able to perform a variety of manipulations, such as editing text
before printing it out, and the teacher can add new slides for adding new
materials.
• PowerPoint is an application program of presentation that is found in Microsoft
Office. It means that we did not need to buy new software, because it has been
included in Microsoft Office program.
• This program is also advantages in the sense that the icons used are very simple
because they are similar with those in the Microsoft Word. In this way, the users
can create an instruction of language without studying this program previously.
• PowerPoint is also fun to be applied and fun to watch. It is not hard to learn in
one hour. It allows the users to reflect on a lesson and correct any changes, and
they can create the perfect lessons and are being able to print them out.
• Using PowerPoint improve the students’ learning motivation, increasing authentic
materials for study, encouraging interaction between the teacher and the
students.

2. The Disadvantages of Using PowerPoint

There are several risky factors associated with the using of PowerPoint,
among others are:

Equipment failure
The component system sometimes does not work as expected. The main
failure in projector is rare but possible. The solution here is to have alternative
activities, for example good preparation.
 File Corruption
This damage caused by magnetic or physical damage so that the
presentation will not run. To overcome this problem, CD (compact disk) which is
unaffected by magnetic field can be used.

Incompatible Media
Incompatible media means the incompatible the system available. The best
solution is to be aware of the systems to use our own laptop.

The most common abuses

The most common abuses in PowerPoint use for teaching and learning
include visually poor or boring slide. Too many texts on the slide do not support good
reading text, other abuses for example, inappropriate use of multimedia options, for
example too much animation or over use of slide transitions. Further, many teachers
do not have enough basic knowledge in applying PowerPoint in teaching learning. In
addition, PowerPoint cannot handle unexpected situations because PowerPoint is
unable to handle the students’ questions immediately as the teachers do.

Real (2014) suggested some uses of Powerpoint in Education

PowerPoint for teachers

Teachers can use PowerPoint in many applications in their classroom. Teacher have a
choice for how much or how little they would like to apply this technology to their
classrooms. How teachers can use PowerPoint:

• Notes and Lessons

• Images
• Daily routines
• Classroom or student showcase
• Meeting agendas
• Videos and multimedia presentations
• Graphs and charts
• Audio
PowerPoint for students

PowerPoint can be used in the classroom in many ways. Students can learn how to use
PowerPoint and apply their knowledge in many ways. When students learn PowerPoint
they also gain valuable tech skills. How students can use PowerPoint:

• Creative writing classes

• Poetry
• Visual interpretations
• Presenting information to the class
• Creating graphs
• Creating instructions
 • Creating self quizzes
• Creating games
• Displaying student work
• Slideshows of class events and activities
• Problem Based Learning

ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE

TechTarget (n.d.) defines productivity software as a category of application

programs that help users produce things such as documents, databases, graphs,
worksheets and presentations.

Application Performance Management (n.d.) have listed several alternative productivity

software. The following alternative productivity software are listed below:

1. Google Apps for Business. Google’s office

suite includes a selection of office productivity
tools including enhanced-for-business versions of
Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google
Docs, Google Sites, and Google Video.
Several pricing options are available, based on
the size of your business, and limited-time free
trial is also available.

2. LibreOffice Productivity Suite. This free office productivity suite comes from the
not-for-profit organization, The Document
Foundation. Applications include Writer, Calc,
Impress, Draw, Base, and Math. Because it’s free,
support comes primarily from the
community of users and the developers. The
license for this suite is LGPL, meaning it can be customized as needed.

3. OpenOffice. Another free office productivity suite. The following are included in this
suite: Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, and
Math. Oracle is the primary contributor of code
to OpenOffice, but other major
companies also contribute. For technical support,
they offer a forum and a FAQ site as
well as a user guide.

4. WordPerfect Office X5. Another office

productivity suite that offers multiple
configurations based on the customer need. The
home and student version includes software for
word processing, spreadsheets, slideshows and
presentations, and a digital notebook. Free trials
are available although the productivity suite is not
 free. Some templates are also available. Support plans are available and there is
also knowledgebase of frequently asked questions.

5. Zoho. Zoho offers a large number of productivity software tools. Zoho products are
free for personal use, although the site stated
that business and corporate users may be
charged. Some Zoho tools that may be of
particular interest include: Writer, Sheet, Show,
and Calendar. Support is available.

6. Quickoffice & OfficeSuite Pro5. While these are technically not office suites
themselves, these apps give the capability to
access your Microsoft Office files from your
mobile device. For the freelancer on the go this
means mobility. OfficeSuite Pro5 is specifically
for the Android Market.
Quickoffice can work with a variety of mobile devices.

7. PlusOffice Free 3.0. A freeware package is based on OpenOffice. Use this on

Windows 7/Vista. The suite includes a text editor, spreadsheet, presentation
package, and more. Compare with commercial packages.

8. IBM (r) Lotus (r) SmartSuite (r). This suite will cost money, but the product also has
the support of IBM. It includes Word Pro (r), Freelance Graphics (r), and Approach
(r). Additional software options are available for an added cost.

9. ThinkFree. This office productivity prides

itself on being compatible with MS Office.
Use it for word processing, creating
spreadsheets, and presentations. There
are many versions of this suite available,
including one for the Windows, the Mac,
Linux, and even Android
operating systems. Even though
this suite costs money, you can download a trial version.

10. KOffice. This is another free office productivity suite alternative. It

includes KWord (a word processor), KCells (a spreadsheet) and
Showcase (presentation software). Because it’s free, it largely
depends on volunteers and users to maintain and update it. There
is a Userbase and forum.

11. NEOOffice. This is an office suite specifically for MAC OS X. They’ve even included
a mobile version that can be accessed remotely. It
is distributed under the GNU General Public
License (GPL). It is funded entirely by user
donations.
 12. Softmaker. This office productivity suite includes TextMaker (word processing),
PlanMaker (spreadsheet), and Presentations.
There are multiple versions available including a
mobile version. This package does cost money.

Discussion Board

• Describe other ways of using open-ended tools (productivity tools) when planning
learning activities for your unit plan.

• What are advantages or benefits of using open-ended tools (productivity tools) in

facilitating learning in the classroom?

Learning Activities

• When and how can you use open-ended tools (productivity tools) in teaching and
learning Language/Mathematics/Science.

• Create a presentation utilizing the different open-ended (productivity tools) to

disseminate your finding on the chosen topic (Topics should be based on your field
specialization).

Lesson 2 – Social Media in Education

 Nations (2019) defines social media as a web-based communication tools that enable
people to interact with each other by sharing and consuming information.

In simple words, according to Dollarhide (2019) social media is computer-based

technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the
building of virtual networks and communities. By design, social media is internet-based and
gives users quick electronic communication of content. Content includes personal
information, documents, videos, and photos. Users engage with social media via computer,
tablet or smartphone via web-based software or web application, often utilizing it for
messaging.

Different Types of Social Media

According to Foreman (2017) people are using many different types of social media
to connect online for all kinds of reasons. Here are some of the social media types he
identified.

1. Social Networking - Connect with People (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+)

2. Media Sharing Networks - Share photos, videos, and other media (Instagram,
Snapchat, YouTube)
3. Discussion Forums - Share news, information, opinions and ideas (reddit,
Quora, Digg)
4. Bookmarking and Content Curation Networks - Discover, save, and share new
content (Pinterest, Flipboard)
5. Consumer Review Networks - Find and review businesses (Yelp, Zomato,
TripAdvisor)
6. Blogging and Publishing Networks - Publish content online (WordPress,
Tumblr, Medium)
7. Interest-Based Networks - Share interests and hobbies (Goodreads, Houzz,
Last.fm)
8. Social Shopping Networks - Shop online (Polyvore, Etsy, Fancy)
9. Sharing Economy Networks - Trade Goods and Services. To advertise, find,
share, buy, sell, and trade products and services between peers (Airbnb, Uber,
Taskrabbit).
10. Anonymous Social Networks - Communicate Anonymously. To gossip, vent,
snoop, and sometimes bully (Whisper, Ask.fm, After School)

Use of Social Media in Teaching and Learning

With the rise of smartphones, expanding WiFi networks, and ever-growing platforms
like Instagram and Facebook, social media is becoming ubiquitous (Tormala, A. & Lee, S.
n.d.) and has gained incredible popularity over the past few years as an open source of
information and knowledge sharing platform (Jain, R. n.d.). It has become an invaluable
tool not only for communication & marketing but also in the field of education as well (The
Asian School, 2019). Today, both social media and technology have become an
indispensable part of our lives (Willbold, 2019).
 The use of social media in education provides students with the ability to get more
useful information, to connect with learning groups and other educational systems that
make education convenient (Relojo-Howell, 2019) and make their overall learning process
more interesting and engaging (Jain, n.d.). Generally, students use social media to share
and get instant quick information, reviews and solutions to their problems (The Asian
School, 2019).

Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are used by almost everyone. Social
Media are all about collaborating, networking, sharing and generating knowledge and
content, and all of these features are of great value in the context of education (Jain, n.d.;
Gupta, 2015).

Here are some of the educational approaches and benefits of social media to
improve the academic performance of students (Willbold, 2019):

1. Communication and Collaboration

2. Finding Concrete Information Online
3. Parental Involvement
4. Improved Literacy, Communication, and Reading Skills
5. Distance Learning Opportunities

Jain, R. (n.d.) also noted some direct benefits of social media usage for the
academic world:

1. Collaborative Learning
2. Information Sharing by Students
3. Social Media Marketing for Educators
4. Helps to Foster Research
5. Continue Teaching from Anywhere and Everywhere
6. Take Advantage of Blogs to create Virtual Library
7. Let Students Learn from Social Networking

Activity
Discussion Board

• What is/are the role of students as digital authors?

Learning Activities

• Discuss how social networking sites like Facebook, twitter, Instagram etc can be used
in teaching.
Lesson 3 - Mobile Technology for Teachers

What is Mobile Learning?

According to EDUCAUSE, mobile learning is using portable computing devices

(such as iPads, laptops, tablet PCs, PDAs, and smart phones) with wireless networks
enables mobility and mobile learning, allowing teaching and learning to extend to spaces
beyond the traditional classroom. Within the classroom, mobile learning gives instructors
and learners increased flexibility and new opportunities for interaction (EDUCAUSE, n.d.).

Why use mobile phones and technologies in education?

Smartphones and tablets are changing how teachers teach and students learn
(Lieberman, 2019). In this way, the mobile technologies contribute to a teaching/learning
process more motivating and personalized. The students' motivation increases when this
technology is used, leading to greater participation, and, consequently, better and faster
acquisition of concepts/skills (Ferreira, Maria & Moreira, Fernando & Santos-Pereira, Carla
& Durão, Natércia., 2015).

The mobile revolution and technology is changing education in more fundamental

ways. Mobile devices and technology are changing the way we learn and think about
learning (Vali, 2015). SEAMEO INNOTECH initiated the development of a teacher
resource kit utilizing smart phones and tablets to promote the development of 21st century
skills. The resource kit is designed to bridge the digital divide between students and
teachers who are referred to by author Marc Prensky as “digital natives” and “digital
immigrants,” respectively (SEAMEO INNOTECH, n.d.).

SEAMEO INNOTECH, (n.d.) project focused on training teachers to utilize mobile

technologies for their personal and professional growth, and, at the same time, helping
promote the development of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) in themselves and among
their students.

What is Mobile Technology for Teachers (MT4T)

SEAMEO INNOTECH, (n.d.) MT4T is a teacher resource kit that promotes the use
mobile technology in Southeast Asian educational settings. The kit provides a basic guide
in using mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets and their accompanying
applications, as tools for teaching and learning in the classroom and for teacher’s personal
and professional development.

It also includes an introduction to the three most widely used mobile technology
platforms iOS, Android and Windows and how they may be used in conjunction with social
media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to promote student learning and professional
collaboration among teachers. The kit also contains a special focus on how mobile devices
can be used to promote the development of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) in both
students and teachers (SEAMEO INNOTECH, n.d.).
You may download the resource kit at the link given below:

1. MT4T: Mobile Technology for Teachers

2. Facebook for Teachers (Android)
3. Facebook for Teachers (Windows)
4. An Introduction to Teachers’ Personal and Professional Learning Networks for
21st Century Learning
5. LinkedIn for Teachers (Android)
6. e-Citizenship: An e-Book for Teachers about Cyber Wellness and Digital
Citizenship (Windows)

Learning Activity

• Do an Internet research on the effectiveness and benefits of mobile learning to

students.
• In the context of education in the Philippines, what do you think is the impact of
mobile learning to students without technology tools/signal coverage/Internet
connection?

Lesson 4 - Educational Apps for Mobile Phones

21st century is the century of mobile apps, new trends, technologies, & digitization
that will make a drastic change in education sector (Makhija, n.d.). The improvement in
technologies and the invention of mobile education apps has changed the face of
Education by introducing a new pattern of learning (Sharma, 2019).

Moreover, mobile apps for educational institutions have done a great thing for the
students, making the learning process fun and easy using various app features boots
engagement through knowledge-oriented activities (Roy, 2017) and provide convenience
by helping them to achieve more in less time (McCain, 2019).

Benefits of Using Educational Apps

EdSys (n.d.); SpaceQ Technologies (2017); EduXpert (n.d.); Consagous Technologies

(2018); McCain P. (2019) has outlined several benefits of Mobile Educational Apps for
Student, Teachers and Parents. These benefits are as follows:

1. Enhanced Interaction

Experts say that apps in education can make children more interactive and
activate better engagement between parents and children. The most effective way is
to engage with the children while they are using applications. Interaction tendency in
children is enhanced by mobile applications.

2. Novel learning techniques

Thoughts of traditional methods of learning accompany a generic feeling of

boredom. They do not favor drifting from the monotonous learning patterns of
restricted and upright book learning, thus dissipating the engagement factor.

Technology in the guise of apps is helping those looking for some newness in
the universe of learning. In addition to the feel of novelty, apps add an element of fun
and involvement to the learning process. Through games, puzzles or other
challenging tasks, app learning stimulates the brain cells to actively metabolize the
input unleashing a new perspective.

3. Parent-teacher communication

The ideal concept of frequent parent teacher interactions finds its space in the
articles and books regarding performance enhancement but not in reality. Owing to
the tight schedule of both the parties, it is just not possible to maintain the rapport
through physical interactions. But now, we have apps. Teachers can attend to the
queries of the parents anytime and anywhere through an ominous device called the
phone. This fosters transparency regarding the child’s growth at school.
4. Online resources

The power of digital world lies in the ginormous amount of resources that fill
its nooks and corners. The wealth of this platform implicates its popularity among
knowledge seekers. The reach of this platform makes it a favorite to people who
cannot afford the luxury of full time courses in schools or colleges. Mobile
 applications help them access a compendium of eBooks and pdfs and other online
materials and the freedom to access it beyond the boundaries of time and space.

5. Entertainment

According to studies, mobile apps promote entertainment. Learning is no

more a passive activity, it’s active with applications. Lessons transforming to games
can change the face of education. Children will enable a kind of interest in learning.
Level based apps instill determination to pass each level. Apps without doubt
enhance education. No more boring home works and tough class lectures.

6. Availability 24/7

Unlike school, mobile applications are available round the clock. No need to
be worried about schedules. Anywhere can be a classroom. App learning is not time-
bound learning, its relaxed learning.

Most of the apps promote child-friendly control. Children should only need to
reach out for the device when they feel like learning. Little ones can operate it
without much effort.

7. Leisure Hours Utilization

No responsible parents want their kids to get addicted to the “idiot box”. Too much
internet usage and talking over the phone for hours are not wise options for killing
time. This is where mobile apps prove their worth. Mobile app learning is one among
the wisest choices of utilizing your free time actively.

If a child has lots of leisure time, it can be utilized to learn something new with the help of
a learning app. Entertainment guaranteed without wasting time.

8. Routine tasks

It’s a relief to get all the mundane tasks done with a few taps. Be it tasks like fee
payments, other transactions which require us to stand in a queue for hours or the
laborious job of marking attendance that drives teachers crazy with the amount of
paperwork smiling back at them each day. All this drudgery has been put to an end
simply by having apps in place. The life of each individual associated with the
ecosystem is now simple and functioning, more efficient.

9. Filling in the gaps

The wheel of time has spun to drive the progress to land us into the world we live in
today.

The advancement that schools have seen eliminated a lot many glitches that prevailed in
the education system. A major one being the lack of interaction between the
teachers and the teachers. Apps and websites have been created to help reduce the
 gap not just between the students and the educators but also among parents and
the teachers. Students and parents can be kept in the loop of every event, schedule
change or announcement.

10. Better Earth

While millions of trees are cut down for making papers for the traditional method of
learning, mobile apps in education requires just a download. It means a greener
earth for future generations.

Mobile learning process has sustainability. Completing a lesson with an app is much
more effective as it is learning from experience rather than from compulsion.

11. Systematic Learning Activated

Smart learning is one thing and systematic learning is next. App based learning enables
both. Mobile apps help in systematic learning. Apps are arranged in such a way that,
it promotes not only a craving for learning but systematic learning.

The apps are arranged in a systematic way that it becomes possible for students to go
with the flow without even realizing.

12. Portability

There are no constraints for mobile phones.. They can be constant companions of
parents and students. Thereby, apps are available to children anywhere, anytime.
Learning will not be confined to the classrooms alone.

13. More Than Just Children

It’s a misconception that only children are benefited out of the apps. Teachers and
parents also benefit from using educational apps. Teachers can make use of apps in
classrooms. There are apps that help teachers to plan teaching materials. App
based learning allows teachers and parents more time to discuss lesson plan for
better interactive classes. While selecting apps for children, parents and teachers
can contribute a lot.
14. Sustainability

Using mobile apps for learning is more sustainable compared to the traditional
learning methods which include papers, pencils, and pens. Getting reference notes
is very simple in mobile learning- just download it. This results in a lesser number of
trees being cut down every year.

15. Instant Updates

There are some apps which are not only meant for learning but also to stay updated
about campus events, timetables, alerts and other important information. Soon apps
will allow you to do the educational related payments such as tuition fees, library
 fines, etc. They also provide opportunities to interact with students throughout the life
cycle of prospects, enrolled students, and alumni.

16. Track Your Children’s Progress

With some apps, you can track your children’s progress which is one of the important
things that every parent wants to know. Along with the progress, you can visualize
how each app is helping your children to improve their skills such as reading, math
and much more.

17. Staying connected

Educational apps are the best way for children to stay connected with their teachers.
Though the way of learning through apps is entirely different from the traditional
learning method, it adds value to the entire process.

Innovative Education Apps For Students, Teachers and Parents

Udayan, T. (2019); Blakney, R. (2017); SpaceQ Technologies (2017); McCain P. (2019)

enumerated some useful education apps for students, parents and teachers. These are:

1. Google Classroom

Google classroom is essentially a virtual classroom of sorts. That means we can use
it for seamlessly sending announcements, creating classes, starting discussions,
submitting and grading assignments, asking for remarks and answers, sharing
resources, and so on.

2. edX

It’s a dream of many students to study the courses of top universities like Harvard,
MIT, Columbia, etc. edX brings these universities to your fingertips. There are more
than 2000 courses of top universities in edX such as computer science, business
studies, linguistics, engineering, and many more.

3. Khan Academy

Khan Academy has a unique way to drive knowledge into your brains. All lessons are
in forms of video tutorials. Videos display a recording of drawings on a virtual
blackboard (like a teacher giving a lecture). And the narrator describes each lesson
through these drawings.

4. Duolingo

Duolingo has made language learning a cakewalk. It helps us learn many languages
like English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, etc. in a fun and interactive way. It
starts with basic picture labeling games. As you complete more levels, There will be
 many different kinds of engaging games that will improve your vocabulary and
grammar skills.

5. Remind

Remind app is the ultimate answer to this problem. Remind facilitates us to stay
connected with our school community. Besides students, this community includes
teachers and parents as well.

6. Photomath

Anyone can learn to solve any complex math problems very easily using an app
called Photomath. Many statistics have listed Photomath as one of the best learning
apps for students.

7. SoloLearn

SoloLearn is essentially a paradise for coding enthusiasts. Whether you are a

beginner or a pro, soloLearn can get your coding juices flowing with its immense
collection of free coding tutorials across languages like java, python, C++, swift, PHP,
JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and so on.

8. Quizlet

Quizlet has several effective ways to make learning easier and quicker. Right out of
the gate, you will see various study modes buttons such as learn, flashcards, write,
test and match, etc. Each of these modes is different ways to learn your desired
topics.

The use of flashcards is another defining quality of Quizlet. Flashcards promote

active recall, the process of actively stimulating memory during the learning process.
It’s one of the most powerful learning techniques out there.

9. Kahoot

Kahoot has readymade quizzes on any topic. So you just choose one topic and join
live quizzes with other players. The app also lets you quickly create your quizzes and
challenge your friends to compete with you.

10. Udemy

Udemy is arguably one of the best learning apps for students out there. It has more
than 130,000 video tutorials for courses ranging from technology and business to
personal development lessons like drawing, writing, yoga, etc.

11. Instructables
 Instructables walks teachers through thousands of DIY projects that can be included
in lesson plans. Covering just about every topic, this app can help online teachers
reduce lesson planning time significantly.

12. Evernote

We use Evernote almost daily. This notetaking app lets users easily organize their
notes, screenshots, and docs into folders. Notes can be updated at any time, and the
app has many tools for customization and organization.

13. Educreations

Students and teachers can create videos as part of lesson plans and assignments.
For knowledge that is difficult to convey just through speaking, a diagram or video
can helps students grasp and/or present material visually as well as audibly.

14. Socrative

Socrative is an incredible tool for communicating with students and assessing their
process. Interaction happens directly with students, and the app provides tips for
determining the most applicable way to progress with each student based on their
ability and learning style.

15. Edmodo

Edmodo is a platform for providing feedback to students in a productive manner.

Designed with online teachers in mind, the app helps with digital organization of
student work and lessons. Teachers can assign work, manage progress, and discuss
feedback with students one on one.

Teachers can also communicate with parents/guardians via the app, and discuss
direct student assessment in a manner easy for them to understand.

16. Seesaw

This student portfolio app allows students to show off their best work to their parents.
Seesaw is a great way to help students build pride in learning and increase
motivation with positive reinforcement. The added benefit is that parents can track
their child’s progress and know that the teacher is doing a good job.

17. Slack

Everyone’s texting all the time anyway, so it might as well be productive. Slack is a
team communication tool that, in the world of online teaching, can be used for
teacher-to-teacher, teacher-to-student, and even student-to-student messaging.
Create group forums as well as one-on-one chats. Add members and remove them
as students come and go.
 18. Doceri

Create virtual white boards to use during lessons, draw and outline tough equations
or phrases, and record it all for the web and use it again next time. Doceri can help a
teacher hone in on the perfect way to present a lesson, and then make sure that
presentation is saved.

19. TeacherKit

TeacherKit helps teachers track grades, attendance, and other factors that play into
general teacher organization. Create customized lists and update them as you go –
kind of like a notetaking app designed specifically for teachers.

The Advantages Of Educational Apps Udayan, T. (2019)

• Enhanced Classroom Performances

• Interactive and Engaging Learning
• Unlimited Access To Educational Content
• Collaboration Between Students, Teachers, And Parents
• New Learning Techniques
• Individual and Social Learning

Learning Activity

• Do an Internet research on the different educational apps for iOS and Android.
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

MODULE 4

Producing Learning Resources Using Technology

Tools
Learning :
Outcomes
At the end of the module, the students should
be able to:
 Identify various instructional materials (IMs) and technology
tools in teaching and
language
 learning;
Explain the characteristics of a good/appropriate IMs and
technology
tools in learning
 language;
Prepare IMs that will enhance language learning utilizing
selected
technology tools in delivering the learning
 plan;
Createand
appropriate IMs using technology tools in learning
language.

Introduction
Instructional Materials (IMs) are very important because they contribute a lot to
student learning and teaching. It is never new to claim that IMs help improve students’
knowledge and skills and teachers’ management of the class requirements.
Using instructional materials in language classes makes language learning
fascinating and authentic.
There are a lot of teachers who use traditional instructional materials to enhance
the teaching learning process. This module aims to present to you the innovative ICT-
based instructional materials that can be used to enhance language instruction.

LESSON 1
Characteristics of Appropriate Instructional Materials in Language
Teaching

EXPLORE
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be significantly useful
as tools for language instruction. In the Philippines, the languages that are being taught
are Mother Tongue; Filipino, English and other foreign Languages. With the integration
of ICTs in teaching languages, the need to Process data quickly and integrate voice,
music, video, pictures, and text into lessons can be fully addressed. Eslit (2017) claims
that ICTs can be Programmed to tailor instruction and tests for each individual language
Learner.
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

To be able to use these technologies successfully as tools and materials and to

help in effective conduct of language classes, some principles on suitability, adequacy,
and efficient utilization will also be discussed in this Module. The effectiveness of
instructional tools in promoting students’ Academic performance in teaching and
learning is indisputable. It provides the much-needed sensory experiences needed by
the learners for an effective and meaningful behavioral change (Ajoke, 2017).
Slavin (2010) also added That, well-planned and imaginative use of visual aids in
lessons banish apathy, supplement inadequacy of books as well as arouse student’s
interest by giving Them something practical to see and do, and at the same time help to
train Them to think things out themselves.

Computer-Based Instructional Tools and Materials in Language

Teaching A. Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)
Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is a fundamental part of English
teaching methodology and it is a highly acknowledged means in attaining learning
objectives. Computers provide many opportunities of exchanging ideas and information
at both national and international level.
The computer has become a valuable tool of Learning for modern students. (Lohdi,
2019). Eslit (2017) also described CALL as one of the many tools and techniques that
can help improve the students’ language competencies. He claims that this new
technology in language education has increased learner autonomy, creativity,
Productivity and team work. It has been used with interactive teaching Approach to tutor
language learners through language drills or skills Practice. It has also been used as
stimulus for discussion and interaction; or as a tool for writing and research.
Abate (2018) conducted research on blending Content and Language Integrated
Learning (CLIL) and CALL. The research Found out that the use of simple but
efficacious web tools during Lessons in CLIL approach improved learners’
competencies. The web Tools enable communication, facilitate access to knowledge,
online Dictionaries and other learning resources and Increase exposure to using A
foreign language. CLIL develops cognitional improvement, cultural Understanding
without any substantial loss to content learning. The use of ICT enhances effective
student’s motivation to learn languages.
In research conducted by Paul Lyddon (2018), it was pointed out That digital
technologies have increased communications between Speakers of different languages,
but the widespread use of online Machine translation has become a disruptive force for
foreign language Education, as it permits intelligible exchanges between persons with
Little or no knowledge of a foreign tongue.

B. Language Instructional Materials Supported by Technology Tools

Ajoke (2017) cited the different types of instructional materials in teaching English as
a second language. These types are also useful in teaching other languages.
1. Instructional Charts
One of the common types of instructional materials in language Teaching and
learning is a chart. Charts can be seen on printed Materials but their presentation can
be enhanced and are presented in 3D or 4D form with the aid of technology. Charts can
help language Learners read with understanding data and concepts that are not
Presented in text forms.
The Following are some of the many technology tools that can be used to Develop
charts:
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

a. Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word does not only allow you to create Documents but it also has a
provision to allow you to create Charts or graphs that will add to the visual appeal
of the Presentation of your text.
b. Microsoft Excel
One of the main features of Microsoft Excel and other Spreadsheets applications
is to create charts and graphs. For language learners, a simple chart in Excel is
more Comprehensible than to see a lot of sheets and cells full of numbers.
c. Microsoft PowerPoint
PowerPoint offers various tools that can make your presentation interactive. One
of its features is to present charts in a slide.
d. iOs, Andriod, and Windows Phone and iPad Chart Maker Apps
These are Numbers, Viz, 3D Charts, Chart Maker, Graphing Calculator HD,
Roambi Analytics, and Graph

2. Posters
With the advent of tutorial videos on YouTube, students can Develop more creative
and digitalized posters. Moreover, there are Several applications that students can
download and use for their Poster making activity. These are free samples of the free
poster Maker applications available:

a. Spark Posthttps://spark.adobe.com/make/posters!
Adobe Spark is a suite of design tools that allows you To make your own posters,
videos and webpages using your Computer or iOS mobile device. The poster-
making tool of this Collection of apps is called Spark Post. This app offers a
range of poster templates and layouts that you can use to create your Own
custom posters for sharing on social media and for print.
b. Canva’s Poster Makerhttps://www.canva.com/create/posters/
Canva’s poster maker has, hundreds of templates designed By their team of
professional designers. Templates are have Shortcuts to great design: You’ll
have a custom poster in minutes.
c. Block Postershttps://www.blockposters.com/
Block Posters can let you make your own custom poster For free. Upload an
image, choose your options, and then Download and print out your own
personalized huge poster.
d. Posterinihttps://www.posterini.com/
Posterini poster maker redefines the meaning of design, Combining augmented
reality, artificial intelligence and Gamification in a unique way.
e. PosterMyWall
https://www.postermywall.com/
It is a website that features amazing poster templates and Has an easy-to-use
custom graphics service.
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

3. Flashcards
Flashcards are indispensable instructional materials in language Teaching. These
are commonly used in reading and in teaching lessons In phonology and morphology.
With the presence of free educational Websites, language teachers will not have
difficulty in preparing their Flashcards. The following websites, organized by Softonic
(2020), may Help you prepare your flashcards for your language classes:
a. Anki
https://anki.en.softonic.com/
Anki is a powerful, multi-purpose application. Flashcards Created using
Anki can contain text, sound, images, and Formatted documents in standard
LaTeX.
b. Vocabla: English Dictionary https://en.softonic.com/android/education-
reference
Vocabla focuses on the study of words. To make Expanding your
vocabulary more fun and addictive, Vocabla Introduces competitive elements,
with achievements and Points. In the rankings, just like in games. The unique
feature Of Vocabla is an add-on for Mozilla Firefox, which allows You to add
words and create flashcards directly online.
C. Learn spanish with EduKoala https://en.softonic.com/android/education-
reference
Edukoala is pretty similar to the previously mentioned App, but its
uniqueness is in the way it lets you learn new Words every time you unlock your
Android phone. In the Settings, you can choose to be challenged with words,
Instead of the traditional code or swipe pattern, to unlock Your phone. Edukoala
will display a question and three Possible answers; answer the question correctly
to unlock Your Android. It’s an interesting approach, but as the Developer admits,
it doesn’t work on every phone, and You’ll need to download a different app for
each language You want to learn (the app offers English, Spanish, German,
French, Chinese, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Hindi, Japanese, Norwegian, and
Greek).
e. Study Blue
https://en.softonic.com/iphone/education-reference
Study blue allows you to easily create flashcards with Text, sound and
images. You can, for example, take a photo Or draw something, and then add
more information manually Or verbally.
4. Slide
Among the various types of materials that are available for Projection, slides and film
strips are the foremost visual aids. They Are of great value in teaching traditionally, slide
projectors have been Used by teachers for their slide presentation. These slide
projectors Nave been used for projecting pictures from a transparent slide on a wall or
Screen. Nowadays, innovative and stimulating presentation Applications are’ commonly
used by teachers. These presentation Software applications have very good features
that can make the Presentation of lessons near to seeing real objects and subjects.
Some Of these are:
a. Microsoft PowerPoint
Segundo and Salazar (2011) in their research state That PowerPoint this
program has become the world’s Most widely used presentation program and is a
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

complete Presentation program that allows teachers to produce Professional-looking

presentation in EFL classrooms.
b. PowToon
Semaan and Ismail (2018) stated in their research that PowToon is a web-
based tool that offers a wide array of Media options, graphics, cartoons, and
animated images To create animated presentations that flow smoothly and Logically.
It also features classroom accounts for project Based learning PowToon can be
used to teach any subject. In 2014, Tracy Weber cited by Semaan and Ismail (2018)
Described PowToon as a potential application to teach Language courses
particularly English. She said, it could be Employed in an English class to
demonstrate knowledge of Romeo and Juliet from a students” perspective; and even
in Industrial arts class by demonstrating welding techniques. PowToon paves the
way towards teaching higher order Thinking skills like critical thinking, summarizing,
and Problem-solving which are basic ‘skills for a successful Global citizens in the 21
Century. c. Google Drive Presentation
Google Drive Presentation is a cloud-based presentation; Hence, it is always
available because you can always access It anytime there is net connection using
your PC, Chrome Book, Android etc. Since it is part of the Google’s Software Office
Suite Within the Google Drive, you can also easily share it to your Students in your
language classes. d. Slide Rocket
This is a web-based program that will allow you To create presentations for
your language classes. This Software is very similar to other presentation software
like PowerPoint and Prezi. Its notable features are its templates Which can be used
to make presentations more visually appealing. e. Prezi
Just like PowerPoint Presentations, there are several Pieces of research that
claim that Prezi is commonly used for Presentation in academic instructions. Houska
(2013) stated That Prezi is taking hold in some disciplines and circles. Instructors,
professional speakers and students continue to Post presentations created though
Prezi online for public Perusal. These presentations can be an excellent starting
Point for tech-savvy instructors intending to reinvigorate their classroom instruction
or present material in a novel, engaging format. In language teaching, the research
of Yusny and Kumita (2016) concludes that teaching grammar Utilizing Prezi
presentation helps students improve their Grammar mastery. Additionally, it als0
shows that the Students have positive responses toward utilizing Prezi Presentation
in grammar lessons. However, they emphasized That the development of Prezi
presentation in all education Materials should carefully adhere to the principles of
Instructional design and must not overuse the features as it Could also lead to
negative effect to the learners.

5. Work Sheets and Forms

A worksheet is not only completed on printed materials but these Can also be
accomplished through the web. By the use of some word Processing software like
Microsoft Word, a teacher can also develop Electronic forms.
a. Google Forms
b. Monkey Survey Form
c. Paper Forms
d. Survey Planet
e. QuickTapSurvey
f. Type Form
g. Cognito Form
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

h. Ninja Forms

6. Newsletters
A newsletter is a very useful material in language teaching and Learning. Preparing
a newsletter will develop and build the vocabulary And writing skills of students through
drafting, revising, editing, And publishing. Students will become familiar with the process
Of producing formal written documents, such as magazines and Newspapers. Through
interacting with others in the class, students will Also learn how to work within a team.
Moreover, the following skills Can also be developed:
• Receptiveness to language, reading, Listening and Understanding
• Writing, spelling, grammar, drafting, revising and editing
• Imagination, confidence in using oral language and creative skills
• Use of dictionaries and thesauruses to extend and develop Vocabulary and
spelling
The following are also important factors to consider when Preparing a newsletter
(explorer, n.d.):
• Accuracy: Ensure the facts are right (including how to spell Names).
Always use the five Ws and H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?). 
Audience: Who will read the paper? Ls your story of interest to Them?
• Research: Always check facts that you have collected – use Reference materials
if needed,
• Images: Don’t leave the images to the last minute – always Think how the image
can grab the reader’s attention- that can Be used with the article.
• Writing: What is the WOW factor of the story? Start with A good lead. Remember
that you want to grab the reader’s Attention and then want to read more. Use the
worksheet Below to assist with writing stories.

7. Pamphlets
A pamphlet is a small, unbound booklet focused on a single Subject for educational
purposes. Pamphlets are non-periodical. They Are written for the layman, simply and
without excessive jargon. Authors present text and images in an organized fashion to
Communicate a clear message. Pamphlets can be folded in a variety of Ways, such as
in half, in thirds, or in fourths (Lucid Press, 2020). The Sample technology tools that you
can use to develop your pamphlets Are:
a. Microsoft Publisher
b. Adobe Spark
c. Lucid Press

8. Brochures
A brochure is used to advertise a company and its products or Services (Lucid
Press, 2020). Some applications that you may use to Develop your brochures are:
a. Microsoft Publisher
b. Canva
c. Venngage
d. Visme
e. Flipsnack

9. Cartoons
A cartoon is a simple picture of an amusing situation, sometimes It is a satirical
comment on a serious or topical issue. A strip cartoon Is a sequence of framed
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

drawings, which tell a story. Both types are To be found in newspapers, magazines and
leaflets. In development Situations a cartoon is a method of conveying a specific
message. How To use cartoons Cartoon pictures enable people to discuss sensitive
Issues and so are useful for teaching and training. Listening skills In the language class
can be extended and developed using cartoon Strips. You can read out a description of
something, which needs to Be drawn in sequence, each part in a separate frame. Ask
the students To listen carefully, while you read the piece two or three times. Then Ask
them to draw what they have heard. You could provide a template With several ready
frames for them to fill in. You could do this with Two separate groups and ask the
students to discuss what they see in The picture. You can then evaluate how well they
have understood The piece you read. Cartoon strips can be used to teach sequencing
To students. Find, or draw, a cartoon strip with between three and Eight separate
frames. Cut out each frame and rearrange them so that They are in the wrong order.
Stick them down in the new order and Make one copy for each group. Ask them to cut
each frame out and Put them in the correct order. Before you do this, show the students
An example on the chalkboard of pictures in the wrong order and ask Them to put them
in the correct sequence. The above exercise can also Be used in a workshop or training
session, using a topic related to the Subject of the workshop or session. As it
encourages discussion and Team decision-making, it can be introduced as an ice-
breaker. The less Obvious the order, the more interactive the process will be as each
Group may suggest different answers. This creates an opportunity for Each group to
explain their answers and defend their position (Ajoke, 2017). There are cartoon making
software that can be paid online but The following are free cartoon making software that
you may use or Let your students use:
a. Animaker
b. Pencil 2D
c. Synfig
d. Inkskape
e. Pixton

10. Journals
Journals are records of personal insights and experiences of Students. These can
serve also as instructional materials to be used by Teachers to be able to manage the
reflections and sharing of insight in The class. Journal writing is a very good activity for
students because They have the freedom to write their thoughts and feelings about
Their learning experiences. The following are some examples of free Technological
applications that can be used to help students write their Journals digitally:
a. Perspective App by Blinky
b. Journey Journal App
c. Momento Journal App
d. Penzu Journal App
e. Diaro Journal App

11. Bulletins Boards

Digitally, a teacher can develop online bulletin boards where he or She may post
some language activities or information that are helpful For the students’ acquisition of
the language competencies. There are Applications (Ferlazzo, 2011) that can be used
for this purpose and These are:
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

a. Wallwisher (now called Padlet)

This was the first online application that enables you to Place virtual post-it
notes on a virtual corkboard or bulletin Board easily and allow you to post text,
images, and/or Videos on them. b. Corkboard Me
This is now called NoteApp which is a Wallwisher-like tool. The site enables
you to embed your virtual bulletin boards. Other features include real-time
collaboration and a chat room for the people collaborating. c. Popplet
You can make an online “bulletin board” with virtual “post-Its” (called
“popplets”, Except for the fact you have to Register to use it, Popplet is just as easy
and, in some ways, Easier to use with a lot more functionality.
d. Spaaze
This is similar to the others on this list; with registration is Required.

e. Group Zap
This app joins a long list of online virtual “corkboards.”It Has some nice features,
including the ability to convert your Board to a PDF and being able to “drag-and-
drop” images And documents from your files.

f. RealtimeBoard

This is an online whiteboard that seemed like a decent tool For real-time collaboration.
It’s. easy to use, and lets you Upload images from your computer or by its URL
address. They offer free “Pro” accounts to educators.

Characteristics of Effective and Efficient Instructional Tools

Simply using technology is not enough to learn a language. An effective CT-
based instructional material is a well-planned and a welldesigned one. This means that
the preparation of the IMs must be planned
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

very well and it Must be ensured that they are developed to meet the learning
objectives of the Language class. In addition, English language competencies should
be given Importance during the planning, in-service training and in the making of lCT
Strategic plan, action plans and strategic intervention materials for English Language
instruction. It is also highly recommended that teachers maximize The use of teacher-
made websites, OER (open educational resources) and, Software or mobile
applications to encourage autonomous learning of students At the same time utilize
these tools in flipping the classroom along with Task-based language activities, content
and language integrated learning and Project-based outputs (Beduya, 2018).
The following are the characteristics of an instructional tool that is Effective in
the classrooms.
1. Enhances instructional effectiveness
The instructional material must be able to facilitate the Increase of students
achievement in language classes. Through The instructional materials, all students
including those with special Learning needs and students at risks will be benefited and
will be Helped to demonstrate the intended learning outcomes of their Language
courses. With the use of technological tools, students Progress is monitored and acted
upon by concerned individuals The teachers, the parents, and the school as a whole.
2. Promotes active learning
Instructional materials are expected to help ‘promote active Learning. Through the
use of interactive technological tools, learning Interest is stimulated and students focus
is redirected. By this, Students and teachers will be highly engaged in the learning
process. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) cited By Barron
(2002) gave the following descriptions of a learning Environment that uses interactive
technologies:

Traditional Learning Environment New Learning Environment

Teacher-centered instruction Student-centered learning
Single-sense stimulation Multisensory stimulation
Single-path progression Multipath progression
Single media Multimedia
Isolated work Collaborative work
Information delivery Information exchange
Passive learning Active, exploratory, inquiry-based learning
Factual, knowledge-based learning Critical thinking and informed decision
making
Reactive, artificial context Authentic, real-world content
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

3. Develops critical thinking

Technological tools and instructional materials must be designed and implemented
in such a way that they help develop critical Thinking skills among the learners.
According to Barron et al. (2002), The structure and use of technology can promote
higher-level thinking Skills. They further stated that some technological tools are
designed To encourage problem-solving skills.

4. Accommodates differentiated instruction

Students have diverse backgrounds and have diverse intelligences and learning
styles. They learn in different ways. They express Their thoughts and ideas also
differently. Consequently, instructional Materials and tools must be of help to the
teacher to facilitate his or Her classes considering the different profiles of the students.
There Must also be an opportunity for individualized and independent Learning with
collaborative and cooperative learning.
5. Motivating
The use of instructional materials is a big help for the teacher to Facilitate the
teaching-learning process. The use of these materials Is expected to motivate the
students to pay attention and actively Participate. With the ubiquity and variety of
educational tools Available to language teachers, selecting the most appropriate and
best format is very critical to stimulate learner motivation.
6. Multisensory
One of the biggest challenges among teachers is to prepare for instructional
materials that are multisensory. With the advent of technological tools developed by
very good programmers, Multimedia are available that allow teachers to just learn how
to use Them the maximum in the teaching of their lessons.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The concept of UDL is a very important concept in preparing Instructional tools in
language teaching. The concept stemmed originally From the UD principles, as well as
from research in neuroscience on How the brain learns (Rose & Meyer 2002).
According to Dalton et al. (2019), universal design for learning applies the concepts of
accessibility And inclusion beyond physical environments, to design teaching and
Learning opportunities in ways that are varied, accessible and engaging For all
students, including those with differing needs and/or disabilities. In this way, appealing
to the broadest range of diversity in our student Populations, the framework of UDL
strives to remove discriminatory Practices, as the learning needs of most students are
taken into account When instruction is designed.
Professional practitioners and academicians were able to share their Thoughts
about UDL principles. These principles are very important for Us to appreciate how we
can integrate the concept in our ICT-pedagogy
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

Integration.
A. National Disability Authority (2020)
The National Disability Authority cited the following 7 Principles Of
Universal Design which were developed by Ronald Mace and Group in North Carolina
State University.
Principle 1: Equitable Use
The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
Guidelines:
a. Provide the same means of use of all users: identical wheneverpossible;
equivalent when not.
b. Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users
c. Give provision for privacy, security and safety should be equallyavailable to all
users.
d. Make the design appealing to all users.

Principles 2: Flexibility in Use

The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
Guidelines:
a. Provide a choice in methods of use.
b. Accommodate right-or left-handed access and use.
c. Facilitate the user’s accuracy and precision.
d. Provide adaptability to the user’s pace.

Principle 3: Simple and Intuitive Use

Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s Experience,
knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
Guidelines:
a. Eliminate unnecessary complexity.
b. Be consistent with user expectations and intuition.
c. Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills.
d. Arrange information consistent with its importance.
e. Provide effective prompting and feedback during and after taskcompletion.
 lOMoARcPSD|8267076

Principles 4: Perceptible Information

The design communicates necessary information to the user Effectively,
regardless of the ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.
Guidelines:
a. Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant Presentation of
essential information.
b. Provide adequate contrast between essential information and Its surroundings.
c. Maximize “legibility” of essential information.
d. Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e., make it easyto give
instructions or directions).
e. Provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices Used bypeople with
sensory limitations.

Principle 5: Tolerance for Error

The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of Accidental or
unintended actions Guidelines:
a. Arrange elements to minimize hazards and errors: most used Elements, most
accessible; hazardous elements eliminated, Isolated, or shielded.
b. Provide warnings of hazards and errors.
c. Provide fail safe features.
d. unconscious action in tasks that require vigilance.

Principle 6: Low Physical Effort

The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a Minimum of
fatigue.
Guidelines:
a. Allow user to maintain a neutral body position.
b. Use reasonable operating forces.
c. Minimize repetitive actions.
d. Minimize sustained physical effort.

Principles 7: Size and Space for Approach and Use

Appropriate size and space. Are provided for approach, reach, Manipulation, and
use, regardless of user’s body size, posture, or Mobility.
Guidelines:
a. Provide a clear line of sight to important elements for any Seated orstanding
user.
b. Make reach to all components comfortable for any seated or Standinguser.
c. Accommodate variations in hand and grip size.
d. Provide adequate space for the use of assistive devices or personalassistance.
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B. Center for Academic and Faculty Development (2020)

The Center of Academic and Faculty Development of Durham College cited the
following 3 UDL Principles. These principles are Deem important to educators as we are
often challenged to design And deliver curriculum for an increasingly diverse student
population. Each student learns differently and can benefit from having a variety Of
learning formats to choose from, flexible assessments, and tools to Help with
organization of new information and skills. UDL provides Us with a variety of strategies
and resources to help meet diverse Learning needs, improve accessibility to learning
opportunities, and increase student success.
Principle 1:
Provide multiple means of representation Present
information and content in different ways
Principle 2:
Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know Stimulate interest
and motivation for learning

The above cited concepts and principles of Universal Design Learning Are very
helpful to rationalize why it is very important for every teacher Not to just pick any
instructional tool for the sake of having one and for The teacher to integrate
technologies without understanding some learning Principles. In language teaching, a
teacher must be vigilant, innovative, And creative in choosing and/ or in developing
instructional materials To ensure that the above cited UDL principles will be put to
practice. Language learning is very crucial among students because language is the
Main tool in our dayto-day living.
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