Barriers to the Effective Use of Technology in Education.

Barriers to the effective use of technology in education.

Technology is in the classroom. The question is how effective is it being utilised. Playing an active part in your own learning experience rather than merely enduring lectures or the monotonous tone of the teacher or pages and pages of text can be hugely beneficial to the learners learning practice. Skinner and Wellborn argue (Wery, 2003) “students who are involved in creating the project assignment or the project checklist gain valuable experience in setting their own goals and standards, in addition, this gives students a sense of ownership and control over their own learning”. It could also be said that participation in the learning experience heightens the student’s motivation to wards the objective of the class. Researchers suggest that motivation is a key part of the success in learning and is defined as “the individuals desire to participate in the learning process; it involves the reasons or goals that underlie their involvement or non-involvement in academic activities” (Wery, 2003). It seems the more inviting the learning process becomes it appears the more motivation to engage in the learning process. It could be said that technology in the classroom could enhance the interaction with the students and the students’ motivation towards their work.  Januszewski and Molenda (Januszewski, A. M. (2008) believe that “in education, technology increases the options and opportunities for educational practices”.

Availability used to be a problem for teachers to use technology to aid their teaching, but as computers, white boards and even ipads are now in most schools, availability it seems is know longer a main contributor. It could be said that the mane use of technology by teachers is to complete administrative jobs instead of a vital part of teaching the class. A lack of training opportunities could be a key factor "educational innovations usually do not succeed if teachers are not provided with the skills and knowledge needed to carry them out" (Mentz, M. Mentz, K. 2003). If the teacher does not know how to use the technology with confidence it is less likely to be used in the class room as an integral tool. Fear of change could also be a contributing factor. If technology has a common place in the class room then teachers have to adapt their whole teaching strategies. " To fully integrate technology into class room teaching and learning, teachers must use new instructional strategies" (Mentz, M. Mentz, K. 2003 p559).

One barrier to the effective use of technology in the class room is the presumption that technology in the classroom would only be used to teach students to use it. In the book teaching for tomorrow, a guide for teachers to help them become better informed teachers, over half way through the book was there a mention of technology. The author Ted McCain did state recognition for this but that technology was mealy a tool and the fundamental teaching was still relevant. He states 'technology is a tool' 'the mind that controls the technology is far more important than the technology itself' (McCain, T. 2005:p36). He then went on to mention how technology would be good for the students to learn to make graphs and build a website. He did not however mention the possibility of teaching with the technology to engage and involve of class.
Lawless and Pellegvino states " technology can make it quicker or easier to teach the same things in routine ways, or it can make it possible to adapt new and arguably better approaches to instruction and or change the content or context of learning".

Januszewski, A. M. (2008). Educational technology intergration. different values, different understanding , 3 (55), 223-252.

Skinner,E,A, Wellborn, J, G. and Cconnell, J, P (1990) What it takes to do well in school and whether i've got it: a process model of perceived control and childrens engagment and achievement in school. Journal of Educational psychology, 82. 22-32.

Wery, J. Thomson, M, M (2003)motinational strategies to enhance effective learning in teaching struggling students. support for learning british journal of learning support;28,3p3 (cited in Dev,P.C (1997)instrinsic motervation and academic achievement. Remedial and special educations, 18,1,12,19.)