EDU 555

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

ARTICLE REVIEW

LECTURERS NAME
MR MOHAMAD HISYAM B. ISMAIL

STUDENTS NAME
NUR MISBAHUL HANNAN BT MD ROZIKI
2012502499

GROUP: ED2474A

In this article review assignment, I have chosen and read one article that relates to
Curriculum and Instruction. The article entitled Does the use of Technology Improve Learning?
The Answer Lies in Design which was published by Mc. Graw Hill Education in the year of
2014. It was written by Associate Professor Atsusi Hirumi from University of Central Florida.
He has experiences in Instructional Technology for more than 15 years and his focuses areas are
the design of student-centered and technology-rich learning environments. Basically, what he
had argued in his writing is that in conveying the instructions, the technology used does give a
little or no straight effect on the student learning. He started off by showing the development of
technology used in student learning started with visual, audiovisual, computer, and web. In the
year or 1920s, Dorris first published the textbook on visual instruction, and then improved to
sound and audio recording technology such as television. However, based on the study
conducted by The Ford Foundation, those uses do not give any significant difference when
compared to traditional classroom technique. During the year of 1970s and 1980s, a research
done by Jamison, Suppes and Wells (1974) found that When highly stringent controls are
imposed on a study, the nature of the controls tends to force the methods of presentation into
such similar formats that one can only expect no significant differences which were found.
In addition, Atsusi also stressed on the method of instruction instead of the medium used
to deliver the instruction. This was revealed in a study done by Clark (1983), using computer in
learning yields the negative effect that was due to poorly designed studies and other confounding
factors. For example, the benefits of using media in learning become disappear when studies
only involving one teacher in planning and delivering the instruction. This also showed that even
though with the present of technology in class, but it did not give significant improve in learning
as the teacher did not know how to effectively integrate the technology in classroom.

In the passion of using internet, some argued whether there is a different between on-line
programs and traditional classroom instruction. According to Bernard and et. all (2004), they
found that there is no differences in learning when comparing the traditional classroom
instruction and distance learning of the same course. Same result was obtained when using web
in classroom instruction.

Obviously, the author trying to say that using any types of technologies in classroom
instruction does not give direct impact and effect on the student learning, instead, integrate those
technologies in useful ways or the ways of implementation used must be effective in order to
improve the learning. Technologies must be integrated in meaningful ways so that these tools
can help to assist student in their learning.

The field of technology had developed greatly in the past decades. Since the Industrial
Revolutions, we can safely said that today we are in the new era of Technology Revolution. We
are going forward to the peak of technology advancement. Today we are surrounded by the use
of technology. Technology play pivotal role in bringing countries to one step farther. Technology
nowadays hold the key to the development in establishing a well-developed country. Due to this,
our government has incorporate the importance in empowering the technology sector in the great
vision of our country which is in Wawasan 2020. One of the most important field in developing
our country is through the field of education. The development in education can be crowned as
the most important field that need to be master by our citizen in order to reach our country
mission and vision. There is no use in having a first class facility but the mindset or the level of
education of our citizen is still trap in the third world mind. That is why empowering education
sector also very important for us. By combining the technology and education in our country, we
can have many benefits from it which is the most important one is in educating our society.
From the article that I chose to reviewed, I strongly agree that the use of technology can
become one of the factor in improving the learning environment in our country but it must come
in term, which the technology that will be used must be integrated wisely to suit the learning
process.

Technology come in a pair of effect. They has their advantages and also the

disadvantages. That is why the use of technology in our learning process must be plan
strategically so that we can harvest the full benefit from it. Technology is important in easing the
learning process and also can help students to understand better. Indirectly, our learning society
can improve their understanding in a subjects and also empowering the use of technology.
Technology can be used just as effectively to reinforce teaching-centered practices as it can be to

create learning-centered environments (Tagg, 2003). The scenario in our education system
nowadays are sometime too depending in the ability of teacher in explaining the subjects.
Sometime it is hard to explain or make students understand the subject unless it can be seen or it
can be demonstrated. The use of technology can facilitate the learning process. For example in
chemistry, it is very difficult sometime for students to understand how are the chemical bond was
formed. By demonstrating it using software, it is easier for student to understand it. It will make
them easier to imagine the bond when studying. This way, it can enhance the level of
understanding in education itself.
The use of technology in classroom session is necessary in inculcating the necessary
skills in using technology among our students. Today situation is that everyone can use
technology. Everyone can exploit the technology itself. But the question is, how is that the
technology use by our student can be benefit for them in the term of education? The answer is
through guidance. This is why implementing the technology in classroom session is vital so that
the students can learn the correct way in using technology to improve their understanding in
education. Grunwald and Associates. (2010), state that "Frequent technology users place
considerably more emphasis on developing students' 21st century skills--specifically, skills in
accountability, collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, ethics, global
awareness, innovation, leadership, problem solving, productivity and self-direction. By the time
our student graduated from the universities, one of the job requirement is the skill in using
technology. It is vital that students become familiar with and use technology on a regular basis,
building skills necessary for life and work in the 21st century (Harbison, 2012). Even today job
environment required the job applicant to master the use of computer. The 21st century student
have to be able to use technology properly. By the guidance of teachers, I believe that our
student can boost their skills in using technology as well as improving their understanding in
educations.
One of the challenges in the past decades in improving the level of education in our
country is the limitation of place and time. Cruz (2013), distance learning courses online (virtual
classroom) and flexibility to manage academic, personal and professional commitments
transgress the barriers of time and place. Place and time has become a huge hurdle in the pasts.
However today advancement in technology has allows us to transgress across places and time.

Someone who live in Sarawak now can have a distance learning process from his/her class
session in London or any part of the world. The technology of internet can become helpful in
learning process by breaking the once impossible barriers of place and time. The world are at the
tip of our finger by the advancement in internet communication. The learning process become
easier through internet it is use wisely. We take the use of iLearn in UiTM itself. The iLearn
system has allowed the student to communicate directly to their lecturers without having to
disturb them outside their working hour. Students can post their doubt and questions in the forum
hosted by their lecturers. When the lecturers has their free time they can easily answer it. This
will also help a whole class to understand the questions post. It also can encourage the discussion
among students in the forum. The existence of this technology has help us to save time in
facilitating the learning process. It cannot be denied that meeting face to face with teachers is the
best way in clearing any doubt in subjects or answering any questions. However sometime it is
difficult for students to meet their teachers or lecturers due to the restrain of time and other
works. Therefore, the use of technology such as iLearn system can help student to answer the
question or clearing their doubt in the subject quickly so that they can comprehend more in their
subjects and move on to another chapter. This can smooth the learning process unlike before
when the students had to wait until next days if they have any confusion or questions about
education outside the classroom hour.
One of the important aspect in teaching process is about the concentration of students in
the learning process. This is very important because concentration play very important role in
student learning process. If the students lose their interest in studying the subject, it will cause a
great loss to us. Students always lose their interest in the hard subject because they can
understand what their teacher wants to deliver. Day by day, they will kept losing their interest in
the subject. In the end, the teachers effort become in vain because the student fail to grasp any
understanding in the subject and they only memories the subject in order to answer the final
paper. After final exam, they tend to forget because they do not understand the concept correctly.
This is due to their lack of attentiveness in the subject. How can we change this? We must start
by changing the classroom environment. The classroom must be livelier in order for students to
muster their interest in exploring the hard subjects. As the world are racing in the track of
education, we sometime do not realize the pressure that we put on the students in order to keep
track with the world. When they start learning new chapters, what their feel is only the pressure

of examination is increasing. They forget the enjoyment of learning new things. In my opinion
there is no use in pressuring the student to learn new things because they will only tend to
memories the subject. We do not need a well-memories students but we need a lot more of
well-educated students. Those who enjoy in learning new things whether it is simple or hard. To
make this situation become reality, we must find new ways to increase student curiosity in
learning education. Judging from the current environment, I think technology is the best way to
gather our student interest in learning hard subject. Cruz (2013) state that students actively
engage with contents when these are adequate to their needs and expectations, and presented in
an interactive and dynamic fashion. The classroom session will become more interactive when
using the technology. Technology also can provide a 2 ways of learning. Student can develop
their knowledge and also other important skills in the 2 ways of learning session. Student can
also develop their self-confidence, communication and collaborations skills through this.
Through interactive classroom session, the student will be more focus in the learning process.
This will directly facilitate the learning process and also improve the student knowledge of the
subjects.
From teacher to government, everyone has to play their own roles in guaranteeing the
learning process can be facilitate by technology. Each one of us has to play our character so that
we can ensure that the learning environment in our country is one of the most conducive one.
Teacher is the one that responsible in implementing the technology to the learning process. Due
to this reason, teacher must develop their own skill in using the technology before implementing
it in the classroom. They must utilize all the equipment that been provided by the government to
create the interactive classroom session based on their suitability. Not all subject have to use the
same equipment but the way the teacher exploit the technology to deliver their contents is the
most important. The teacher must develop their creativity in manipulating the technology to their
benefits. They must do some research in order to find the best way to implement technology in
their teaching process.
School also play vital role in smoothing the use of technology in learning process. There
are some actions that can be taken by the school authorities. One of it is introducing the fund for
the development of technology. It is known to us that the equipment for technology can cause a
lot of fortune. By having fund for this, the school can afford latest equipment for the learning

process. The school must be able to provide enough equipment for the teacher to use it.
Sponsorship from various parties can be helpful in funding the school requirement. Nongovernment organization also can play their role by funding the school need of the technology.
Through this, it will give a chance for the teacher to use the technology in their teaching lesson.
This will also assist the learning process. In every school there will be Parent and Teacher
Associations. They also hold the key for technology implementation. We must understand that
even though the teacher are the one who responsible to guide students in using the technology.
However the parents must play a proactive role in controlling their children use of technology. In
order to make this, the parent itself must enrich their knowledge in technology. PTA can host
program to increase the parent knowledge in technology. They can host several programs
regarding the proper use of technology for the parent especially. Technology can be used in good
manner and bad manner. By supervision from the parent at home and teacher at school, the
student can learn how to extract the positive things from the technology.
The biggest party that are at the base of improving education in Malaysia is none other
than our government. They play a huge role in implementing technology in our education
system. One of the ways is through increasing the budget for technology equipment. One of the
common obstacle for school to implement the technology is because of the cost to own the
equipment needed. Even though technology has a great advantages in helping the smoothing
process of teaching but it cost highly. Therefore the aid from government can help easing the
burden of the school. Government also must develop their own research team specializing in
finding the most suitable method to be use in combining the technology in each subjects teach by
the teacher. Government can use their global source in searching for the best way to implement
the technology. At the moment, our government is developing a lot of new system in teaching
process by using the technology of internet especially. For example is the website of FROG
Virtual Learning Environment that been created by the Ministry of Education. This website
allows students, parent and teachers use it. This will help teacher to facilitate their teaching
process. This website is also very interactive that it can be used to attract the younger students to
learn education in more relaxed manner. Other suggestion that the government can do is
providing courses for the teachers to improve their skill in using technology. This can help
teachers to improve their skill in handling technology and also increase their creativity in using
technology.

From analyzing this article, there are some things that I can deduce from it. The use of
technology in improving the learning process in our education is imperative however we can
only manifest the use of technology in education system if it is design properly to suit the
learning environment. It does not really matter the choice of technology medium that the teacher
choose to use in their teaching program but the way that implement that technology is the most
important. In order to make sure the integration of technology in education works, all party must
play their own role to contribute to the success of this strategy. The important question that we
must imply is that how can we harvest the use of technology to enhance the education level of
our country.