2 Implementation of Educational Technology in The 21st Century Secondary Schools in Delta State: Issues, Challenges And Prospects

Abstract
Educational Technology is fast becoming a vital tool for all 21st-century students and this is made manifest in using information and communication technologies. This paper examines the future of Educational Communication in Technologies in the 21st century, its challenges and prospects for teachers and students. The population consisted of all teachers and students in secondary schools in Delta State. Simple random sampling techniques were used to select one hundred (100) respondents from ten secondary schools across the three senatorial districts of Delta State. The descriptive survey design was employed for the study. To guide the study, three hypotheses were formulated. The questionnaire structured “Future Educational Technology in the 21st Century (FETIC) was used as the instrument for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using the chi-square method to test for the acceptance or rejection of the hypotheses. The finding revealed that while educational technologies have potential benefits, they are also causing serious threats to system security and personal privacy. The paper recommended that educational technologists must expand their forward-thinking leadership and planning competencies to ensure effective use of the new technologies in the 21st century.

Keywords: educational technology, challenges, prospects, teachers, learners.

Introduction

Educational technology according to Bates (2005), represents both a process and the particular devices that teachers employ in the course of teaching in their classrooms which refer specifically to the use of technology in educational settings, whether in primary, secondary, colleges, universities, corporate training sites or independent study at home. On the other hand, the Association for Educational Communication and Technology, (AECT) come up with a universally accepted definition of educational technology as a complex, integrated process involving people, procedures, ideas, devices, analyzing problems, implementing, evaluating and proffering solutions to problems to ensure purposive and controlled learning.

In addition to the above, Merrill (2002), noted that Educational Technology often use the term instructional media to represent all the devices used by teachers and learners to support learning specialists in educational technology in colleges and university faculties who conduct research and teach courses in educational technology prefer to use the term instructional technology because it draws the attention to the instructional use of educational technology (Spector, 2013).       

Technology is perhaps the strongest factor shaping the educational landscape today in Delta State. Many school districts are showing support for increased levels of technology in the classroom by providing hardware such as tablets and computers, enhancing internet connectivity, and implementing programs designed to improve computer literacy for both teachers and students. Although teachers generally appreciate the benefits of educational technologies, they often find a smooth and effective integration of new educational technologies challenging. From the acquisition of new technology equipment to the adaptation of curricula and teaching techniques to incorporate new educational tools, technology integration presents significant challenges to educators at each level of school systems (Adams, 1999).

Statement of Problem

This work intend to find out if:

1. Lack of qualified computer teachers is a problem facing the implementation of technologies in Secondary Schools in Delta State;
2. Whether finance is a constraint to the implementation of Educational Technology;
3. Whether Equipments/Materials are problem affecting implementation of educational technology;
4. The attitude of students are problem affecting the implementation of educational technology;
5. The attitude of parents affect the implementation of educational technology and
6. Beliefs are problems facing the implementation of educational technology.

Purpose of the Study

The use of Educational Technology for both teachers and students should be pursued as a worthwhile investment for educational achievement. When technology is directly applied to an educational setting, such as school, both the students and teachers can be viewed as learners. Thus, we can operate under the assumption that any increase in teacher knowledge and utilization has impact of increased learning in students and increase student’s achievement in schools.

Hypothesis

The following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:

1. There is no significant difference in the implementation of educational technology in teaching/learning process and the traditional education field in Secondary Schools in Delta State.
2. There is no significant differences in the possibility of using technology to move students from being knowledge consumers to being knowledge producers in the 21st Century in Delta State.
3. There is significance difference between the potential benefits of educational technologies and threats to system security/personal privacy in its implementation in Secondary Schools in Delta State.

Scope of the Study

This worked is limited to ten secondary schools across the three senatorial districts of Delta State.

Review of Related Literature

a) Educational Technology in the 21st Century

In the past, technology used in education include transparencies, overhead projectors, film strips, slide projectors, and recently slideshows. In today’s classroom, Bates (2005) noted that technology include a range of tools, from calculators and PowerPoint presentations, to laptops, ipods, ipads and other electronic devices. In the virtual or e-learning environment, Thomas and Nsofor (2010), commented that instructional technology encompasses computer-based courses, online databases, and synchronous (real time or direct) learning which requires participation in events such as live discussions, chat sessions, or real-time lectures and indirect teaching and learning. Pearlman (2006), observed that students in the 21st century are spoon- fed with information, education and references such as: (podcasts, updates, audio and video recorded materials); collaborations in form of (coaching, conferencing, feedback, mentoring, social networking); pre-recorded assessments through (quizzes, tests, surveys or polls); and user- generated content that includes: (note taking, transcription, translation, photos, videos, audio capture).

As pointed out above, Nikolov and Nikolova (2008) noted that these ideas offers quick and easy access to up-to-date knowledge and utilises tools for knowledge sharing and content creation, which is not constrained by geographic location and considered learning to fit well with current ideas about organizational learning, networked learning or the learning that takes place in open source community. Supporting this view, New Media Consortium (2005) maintained that ideas and concepts originating in the field of educational technology have succeeded in shaping the approach to educational delivery system as a way to understand collaborative learning and knowledge advancement in a technology-rich environment.

(b) Benefits of Education Technology in the 21st Century

One reason for the increasing interest of academics in using technologies for educational purposes lays in its potential to give 21st century students a sense of embodiment and possibility for interaction with the technology and other students – a feature that clearly goes beyond conventional pedagogic platforms. Also, for teachers, it’s relatively easy to create learning environments that resemble traditional classroom approach including the option to use PowerPoint presentations or web sites such as: Wikipedia, YouTube, Flickr or Facebook to deliver content in a distant mode (Thomas & Knezek, 2008). A further potential aspect of educational technology in fit 21st century is its ability to increase the active role of all learners, which can lead to higher motivation and shared responsibility in an iterative process aimed at achieving common goals in an efficient collaborative way (Merrill 2003). Consequently, apart from the software’s such as sketch pad, note editor, wilds, blogs adapted to various practices and made useful in various domains of knowledge thus enabling end-user appropriation. Brown (2008), noted that 21st century students can benefit from a shared knowledge space with versatile tools available as weblogs, social networking sites or podcasts supporting educational activities. In continuation, Brown clarified that such could be achieved by developing and managing knowledge artifacts , organising processes and people, and reflecting on practices from several perspectives.

(c) Implication of Educational Technology in the 21st Century Students

In developing countries like Nigeria, observations revealed that young people are high users of established technologies such as computers, internet, email and mobile phones (Oliver & Georke, 2007). This is in line with the remark made by Thomas (2008) that the current students are described as “digital natives” who have spent their lives surrounded by and using computers, video games, digital music players, video cams, cell phones and all the toys and tools of the digital age.

Looking differently at educational technology in the 21st century, Pearlman (2006) presented approaches to the application of educational technology, namely: building student capacity for research, making student inquiry more realistic, enabling students to present information in an appealing form and offering students access to learning resources within and beyond the school. Considering the first approach, Pearlman (2006) reiterated that in the past, students relied upon school libraries with printed reference materials to research topics, however, with modem civilization; computer technologies provided access to digital versions of these references including e-Libraries available worldwide. For instance, encyclopedias available on CD-RQMs provide information in form of digital images, video, audio, and links to websites where students access tools such as live web cameras and global positioning satellites. In addition, dictionaries and thesauruses are built into word processors where students can gain access to a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, including government documents, photographs, and diaries.

The second approach stresses on how technology makes student inquiry more realistic by engaging students in real-world activities, for example,

• In the sciences, electronic probes allow science students to collect precise weather or chemical reaction and digitally trace trends and answer hypotheses.
• Similarly, graphing calculators, spreadsheets, statistical software’s, and graphing software provide mathematics students with the ability to visualize and compute difficult mathematical concepts.
• In the social sciences, electronic communication tools (e.g. Internet conferencing, email, electronic discussion groups) allow students to communicate with their peers from many parts of the world.
• In the language arts, students use handheld computers and wireless networks to create joint writing exercises and read electronic books that allow them to explore related topics.
• Concept-mapping software provides students with the opportunity to build a scientific framework with appropriate linkages.
• Electronic communication tools such as mobile learning devices, Skype and webcam support interactions and increase the probability of prompt responses from experts such as scientists, book authors, and political leaders.

The third approach is the possibility of students using technology to move from being knowledge consumers to being knowledge producers. As earlier stated by New Media Consortium (2005), Pearlman (2006) concluded that with advanced technologies, students can present their original data or newly interpreted data by integrating digital video, audio, and text into word-processed documents, multimedia presentations, or web-based documents as opposed to printed reports or oral presentations. In developed countries where technology is a commonplace, media fairs are organised at local, state, national, and international level to showcase the new knowledge representations that students are capable of creating in form of photographs, original digital images, videos, and interactive multimedia projects from students of all ages. Interesting projects like cultural preservation of food, safety tips or soap making can be made in form of multimedia presentation.

The fourth approach presents the possibility for students with physical or learning disabilities to use a variety of learning resources through assistive technologies in order to be an active member of a mainstream classroom.

(d) Challenges Faced by Educational Technology Implementation

There are potential challenges that might deter its successful implementation and timely adoption by many developing countries like Nigeria and Delta State in particular despite opportunities for using technology in educational settings. Wright (2014) cautioned that the success of educational technology in the 21st century are unlikely to occur without addressing topical issues like- power, Internet connectivity and bandwidth, quality teacher training, respect and better pay for teachers, and the sustainability of implementations. In continuation, he also highlighted that electrical power is highly needed to run technological devices and until power is widely available, reliable, and affordable for many in Africa and elsewhere, educational technology uptake will be slow. In addition, the increased poor Internet accessibility and bandwidth without genuine reason from the internet providers to making it accessible, reliable and affordable by students, teachers and school administrators is a great challenges for all in education industry.

On the other hand, teachers who are suppose to be “digital immigrants” are brought up in a world with limited technology and can find it difficult to use technology to engage and support learning without effective training. Furthermore, the value, respect, earnings and compensation given to teachers are not relative to what others earn with equal qualification in other profession. In this respect, it is difficult for teachers to focus on teaching if they must hold several part-time jobs in order to support themselves and their families.

Finally, McCauley (2011) lamented that glitzy technology is initially very appealing an accompanied by exaggerated claims of being a “dragon slayer” or a solution to all that all the educational system; but with poor technical support, maintenance and sustained effort by all stakeholders, it becomes a sophisticated paper weight. However, overcoming these challenges can pave away for the future prospect of educational technology in the 21st century.

(e) Prospects of Educational Technology in the 21st Century Nigeria with reference to Delta State

In a bid to get Delta State students ready for the 21st Century and meet the technological literacy challenge, a far- reaching vision for the effective use of technology in primary, secondary and tertiary education that will help the next generation of school children to be better educated and better prepared for the evolving demands of the economy must be in focus. However, Building on the present, it is worth noting that Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs, podcast, bookmarks, and social media sites including facebook and twitter as earlier mentioned are still alien in developing countries. Indeed, the effective use of these seven technologies mentioned below will become flexible and student centered as students will move from being the products of teaching to the centre of learning:

(i) flipped classroom (ii) Instructional videos (iii) Mobile learning (iv) cloud computing (v) 3-D learning tools (vi) game based learning and (vii) blended learning environment as tools to support teaching and learning remained untapped, for instance;

Methodology
(i)        Design of the Study

The study adopted a survey research design. A survey research design focuses on people, the vital facts of people and their beliefs, opinions, attitudes, motivation and behaviour.

(ii)       Population

The population of the study consist of all teachers and students in secondary schools in Delta State.

(iii)      Sample Area

The sample for the study consist of One Hundred (100) respondents made up of teachers and students selected from Ten (10) secondary schools across the three senatorial districts in Delta State. This is represented in the table below.

(iv)      Sampling Technique

Simple random sampling techniques was used to select one hundred (100) respondents from ten secondary schools across the three senatorial district of Delta State.

(v)       Research Instrument

The research instrument for the study was ten (10) item questionnaire which was distributed among teachers and students in the ten selected secondary schools in Delta State. An instrument designated “Future Educational Technology in 21st Century” (FETIC) was used as the instrument for data collection. The data collected were analysed using chi-square method to test for the acceptance or rejection of the hypotheses that is:

Where X2 = chi-square; 0 = observed responses; E = Expected responses; and = summation. This is done at 0.05 level of significant at a degree of freedom 12.

Presentation of Results and Discussion

Ho1: There is no significant difference in the implementation of educational technology in teaching/learning process and the traditional education field in Secondary Schools in Delta State.

Table 1

Calculated Chi-square (X2) Value = 49.69

Table Chi-Square (X2) Value = 21.03 at 0.05, at 12 df

Level of Significance = 0.05 Degree of Freedom (df) = (No. of columns – 1) No of rows – 1)

Expected Frequency = {(Row Total)(Column Total)}/Grand Total

Table 1 shows that the calculated Chi-square value is 49.69 and the table value is 21.03 at 0.05 significant level and at 12 degree of freedom. Following the Chi-square decision rule, the calculated Chi-square value is higher than the table value. Hence, the null hypothesis which says that there is no significant difference in the implementation of Educational Technology in the teaching/learning process and the traditional education is rejected. Whereas the alternative hypothesis which says that there is significant difference between the implementation of Educational Technology and Traditional Education is being upheld. This is in line with Thomas (2008) who opined that students are digital natives.

Ho2:    There is no significant differences in the possibility of using technology to move students from being knowledge consumers to being knowledge producers in the 21st Century in Delta State.

Table 2

Calculated Chi-square (X2) Value = 54.41

Table Chi-Square (X2) Value = 21.03 at 0.05, at 12df

Level of Significance – 0.05 Degree of Freedom (df) = (No of columns – 1) (No of rows -1).

Expected Frequency = {(Row Total)(Column Total)}/Grand Total

Table 2 shows that the calculated Chi-square value is 54.51 and the table value is 21.03 at 0.05 significant level and at 12 degree of freedom. Following the Chi-square decision rule, the calculated Chi-square value is higher than the table value. Hence the null hypothesis which says that there is no significant difference in the possibility of using technology to move students from being knowledge consumers to knowledge producers is thereby rejected, whereas the alternative hypothesis which says that there is significant difference between knowledge consumers and knowledge producers is thereby accepted. This findings agree with Wright (2014) who reported that technology is having an unprecedented impact on education, its future being shaped by current and emerging technologies that are drastically changing the way in which teaching/learning are experienced.

Ho3: There is significance difference between potential benefits of educational technologies and threats to system security/personal privacy in its implementation in Secondary Schools in Delta State.

Table 3

Calculated Chi-square (X2) Value = 54.41

Table Chi-Square (X2) Value = 21.03 at 0.05, at 12df

Level of Significance – 0.05 Degree of Freedom (df) = (No of columns – 1) (No of rows -1).

Expected Frequency = {(Row Total)(Column Total)}/Grand Total

Table 3 shows that the calculated Chi-square value is 15.23 and the table value is 21.03 at 0.05 significant level and at 12 degree of freedom. Following the Chi-square decision rule, the calculated Chi-square value is lower than the table value. Hence the hypothesis which says that there is significance difference between potential benefits of educational technologies and threats to system security and personal privacy is hereby accepted. On the other hand, the alternative hypothesis which states that there is significant difference between benefits of educational technologies and threats to system security and personal privacy is thereby rejected. This is in line with the words of New Media Consortium (2005), who states that ideas and concepts originating in the field of educational technology have succeeded in shaping the approach to educational delivery system as a way to understand collaborative learning and knowledge advancement in a technology-rich environment.

Conclusion

The task of technology integration presents significant challenges to school districts, school administrators and teachers alike. This paper focused on how educational technology is impacting on the future of education in the 21st century. Though technology impact is however, not reserved for the future; it is impact is made manifest by the innovative capacity of the educational technology experts, innovating the ideas and methods of education delivery, utilising emerging technologies for future generations of students. Consequently, this is not the case with the “old” educational paradigms but through awareness, better understanding and utilization of these incredibly powerful new revelations of the 21st century tools, future generations of students can be better prepared, ensuring that all avenues through which learning is delivered are optimised for greatness.

Recommendations

1. The government should strive to provide an enabling environment (i.e. power stability and better pay and welfare for teachers) and private enterprise such as the internet providers and mobile phone operators on their part, should increased internet accessibility and bandwidth that will support the demand of the 21st century students;
2. Implementing new technologies in the classroom requires that teachers are effectively trained to develop new skills in using the technology and often in innovating new types of teaching activities. Teachers will therefore need both time and guidance to develop these competencies, and administrators should allow for this when planning the timing and length of the implementation;
3. There will be a growing need for new instructional materials, professionals in educational technology, and new kinds of assessments that are aligned with higher standards and provide much richer learning experience and more vibrant sources of information. To that end secondary school should restructure the curriculum to reflect the 21st century demand, expand the market of suppliers, assess learning in deeper ways and respond to the diverse learning styles of students and
4. Educational Technology must expand their forward thinking leadership and planning competencies to ensure effective use of the new technologies in the 21st century students in secondary schools in Delta State

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Correspondence for: Implementation Of Educational Technology In The 21st Century Secondary Schools In Delta State: Issues, Challenges And Prospects

Dr. (Mrs.) Christiana N. Nwadiokwyu
Department of Curriculum Studies And
Educational Technology,
School of Education,
College of Education, Agbor.
Delta State

Email:- Nwadiokwuchristiana@Gmail.Com