REFLECTION 3

ESTABLISHED PRACTICE

I am currently teaching Pastel, SAP and Advanced Excel Topics that Accounting students need to be exposed to.  The students are expected to apply and transfer their theoretical knowledge into practice.  My classes were purely of a lecture and demonstrative nature, however, I found that they became mere recipients of knowledge with little engagement. I was guided by a constraint, time which is still prominent as I have content to cover and exam deadlines to meet. Previously I lectured and demonstrated the content with powerpoint presentations and many students tried to follow but with difficulty. 

The emerging technology tool that I have selected is Google Docs as I can see the value of the tool for Accounting learners.  Buchanan (2011) states that there is an emphasis on higher education institutions to produce digitally- literate and technologically- able graduates who are employable in the global information economy.  

I make use of problem- solving case studies that will promote critical thinking.  I have decided to make use of group centered approach.  The case studies are discussed, analysed and interpreted by group members.  The group members share their ideas, and are now sometimes able complete their task, this was previously not the case.  If they do not complete their tasks in the allotted time, however, they can use Google docs.  This entails sharing, adapting, discussing and commenting and updating of their work without the group having to be in the same geographical space.  This involves collaborative learning but on a distance level.  It encourages students to continue their learning at any convenient time.  Crook and Garrison (2008) points out that the effective use of web applications in classroom can make learners outperform those who only attend traditional lectures.   The implementation of and exposure of Google Docs to students would lead to the encouragement of better learning, more motivation, higher performance and  increased responsibility for one’s own learning.   

It was surprising to see that many students had either little or no exposure to  Google Docs.  This has indeed been a necessary and learning curve for them.  This tool enables them now to extend their technology knowledge beyond the boundaries of their classroom environment.

BENEFITS OF GOOGLE DOCS
 

An easy-to-use document with the spreadsheet editor enabling you to create, store, and share instantly and securely.

Promotes and encourages group collaboration, enables students to coordinate their collaborative effort and document changes occur in real time.

Encourages group work, peer editing and brainstorming.

Work can be accessed and completed from anywhere at any time.

Free software programs - Word, Spreadsheet, PowerPoint programs requires no purchasing of Microsoft licenses.

Innovative way of teaching and learning independent of location.

Alternative modes of assessment and feedback.

Improves the relationships between students and lecturers and the relationships of students with their fellow peers, with convenient communication.

It can be viewed as an alternative to LMS as it can be used as a platform for Announcements, sharing of notes and learning resources.

Useful application for Office Management and day to day organizational activities.

Research tool - surveys and forms and questionnaires they could develop

Social interaction

Research and performance tool

User friendly and training is easy

Use this technology tool to teach technology

  

AFFORDANCES

Law, Lee and Yu (2010) states that that technology tools engage students in meaningful learning contexts with the ultimate goal of enhancing teaching and learning for both lecturers and students. My students have been exposed to the blended learning approach. The blended learning approach is the combination of face to face teaching and online learning. This allows me to be more of a facilitator than a purveyor.  
Each learning area has a unique environment and context and thus the learning context needs to be authentic. The case studies and problem solving cases chosen need to reflect the relevant career content and real life experiences.

Wells (2002) further defined affordances to be “…subsumed within a framework that focuses on the following seven features:

·         affordances are ecological

·         they are relational

·         they are facts of the environment and behavior

·         sets of them constitute niches

·         they are meanings

·         they are invariant combinations of variables

·         they are perceived directly.

Gaver (1998) emphasised that affordances could be obtained even though the user does not receive the right information (i.e. actionable properties of the object) in the beginning. Both perceptual affordances and hidden affordances are important in explaining conduciveness of e-learning and the nature of blended learning environments through ICT affordances.

Pedagogical Affordance

Kirschner et al (2004) found Google docs to have the following pedagogical affordances

platform useful for sharing ideas and resources.  It was used as a platform for sharing files and group collaborations. It supports collaborative reflection.

It enables the lecturer to monitor the learning process – Lecturer can ascertain problems and change his or her teaching strategies to make their teaching process more effective.

 Educational Affordances

Google Docs is an educational application that can be used to setup quizzes to test students learning progress.  Used as a tool to Setup Assessments for students.  Encouraging problem solving skills, critical thinking and reflecting.  Google docs can be used in their Calculations and Report Writing.

Transforming Affordances

Google Docs in my situation was a transforming affordance.  A transforming affordance can be changed into a perceived performance.  Google docs was never considered in my teaching and thus it could be considered as a hidden affordance which I have transformed into a perceived affordance. Google Docs was also considered a negative affordance as I was resistant to using this technology tool to enhance teaching and learning.  Both these affordances were transformed in my teaching and learning context until three weeks ago.   

Social Affordances

Google Docs encourages social interaction amongst students without them being monitored by lecturers.  Freedom to express their ideas and comment freely.  Share documents and post comments.  It provides for discussion and comment outside the classroom environment at any time.  It encourages all students to participate and to respond, to think critically and to stimulate healthy competition.

 

Technical affordances/ Reliability Affordances

It is user friendly.   Software and storage space is free.  Able to download your documents any time and anywhere.  No flash drives – do not lose your data. Speed  is fast and real time environment.

 Usability affordance

For office duties and calculations, graphs and pivot tables .

Google docs can manipulate and execute various functions effectively and efficiently.  Especially useful for students.

  

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Gaver, W.W. (1991). Technology affordances. Proceedings of the Conference on the
CHI 91Human Factors in Computing Systmes Conference, ACM, p.79-84

 Gibson, J. (1979). The ecological approach to human perception. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

 

Kirschner, P., Strijbos, J.-W., Kreijns, K., & Beers, P.J. (2004). Designing electronic collaborative learning environments. Educational Technology Research & Development,
52(3), 47–66.

 Law, M. Y., Lee, C. S., & Yu, Y. T. (2010). Learning motivation in e-learning facilitated computer programming courses. Computers & Education, 55(1), 218-228.

 

Norman, D.A. (1999). Affordance, conventions, and design. Interactions, 6(3), 38–43.