Note: This paper was originally developed and submitted as part of the Master in Education coursework at UPOU
Institutional Context
Class Venture is a private tutorial center that offers a diverse range of courses, such as various languages, as well as technical and academic skills. It currently uses educational tools online, such as WordWall, IXL, and Kahoot, to promote active class participation. Additionally, Class Venture boasts its own Learning Management System (LMS), which provides student records, supplemental learning resources, and gamified activities for students to interact with. We plan to utilize Gradescope and ChatGPT API as assessment tools for both formative and summative assessments.
To assist teachers in using various features on Class Venture’s LMS, Class Venture conducts workshops/seminars both online and face-to-face. Through interactive training programs, teachers can actively engage with the new AI tools. They will learn how to use digital tools through hands-on practice. Teachers can also learn from each other and share insights as well.
Challenges in the adaptation of technology into Class Venture
Pedagogical Challenges
- Inclusivity and accessibility
Teachers must ensure that students know how to utilize the newly proposed AI tools so as not to affect student motivation. It could pose a challenge to students with limited digital skills to interact with AI tools. This could lead to confusion.
- Digital Divide
One of the challenges institutions face when it comes to the utilization of technology in education is the digital divide. Learners who have more access to edtech offices have a greater chance to learn academically. Buckenmeyer and Freitas, D. (2006) noted that technology far exceeds any advance in the history of education and that technology addresses a variety of student learning styles (56).
Class Venture Vision
To be the leading tutorial center that empowers students worldwide for continuous educational growth through technology and innovation.
Class Venture Mission
Class Venture provides a great learning experience for diverse learners aiming to master multiple languages and achieve academic excellence.
Responsibilities of Class Venture EdTech Office
- Language Lab
To personalize learning, ElsaSpeak and Duolingo will be used to enhance students’ linguistic abilities in addition to teachers being present in the classroom. The language lab is an essential part of the edtech office, as it serves as an incubator where learners are properly guided and provided with tools that can enhance their language skills.
- Group Collaboration through the Internet
Class Venture has an LMS with discussion forums where students are encouraged to work in teams. These discussion forums are crucial to fostering students to work together effectively despite their physical location.
- Usage of multimedia technologies
The Class Venture EdTech office encourages its educators to integrate technology into their instructional design to help students accelerate understanding of complex ideas.
- Usage of technology as a tool
The Class Venture EdTech office offers its educators seminars and workshops on how to integrate technology into the classroom. Educators must master how to navigate various technological tools to achieve their pedagogical goals.
- Autonomous Learning
For students to take ownership of their learning journey, Class Venture edtech office needs to develop courses for self-paced learning and offer multiple ways for assessment of student performance to assess students with different learning styles.
Out of Scope Functions of Class Venture EdTech Office
- Marketing
An EdTech Office is a place that supports learning and teaching, while marketing focuses on attracting clients to boost sales. Furthermore, an edtech office consists of educational staff, IT specialists, and educators, while marketing staff comprises social media marketers, graphic designers, and content creators aiming to produce engaging marketing ads and campaigns mainly to entice consumers to engage with their content and eventually buy the product.
- Finance
Finance is about the management of the allocation of budget for certain entities, while the edtech office is about the integration of technology into classrooms. Although an edtech office needs a budget for acquiring analogue and digital technologies, it is not its core function to find ways to finance the edtech office. In an institution, it is the finance department that is responsible for handling tuition fee payments and payroll. On the other hand, an edtech office implements LMS (Learning Management System) that serves as a channel for learners to engage with the learning resources and participate in online discussions.
- Procurement
Procurement is one of the out-of-scope functions of the edtech office. Firstly, the procurement office oversees buying equipment or services, while the edtech office plans on what technological tool is needed for teaching. Secondly, the procurement office focuses on managing supplier relationships, while the edtech office recommends tools and platforms to utilize to create a better learning environment for learners.
Reflection
As I am beginning to design my own Educational Technology office for Class Venture, I realize that an edtech office is not just IT support for education. It is a place that influences the educational landscape through integrating technology. The core mission of an edtech office is to foster a dynamic learning environment for learners. The success of an edtech office is dependent on how well technology is intertwined with teaching and learning. With the knowledge I have gained from doing this assignment and reading the assigned modules as well as the videos about edtech, I believe that Class Venture will be a successful tutorial center someday.
References
Buckenmeyer, J., & Freitas, D. (2006). Is Technology an Effective Tool to Improve Schools? Two Views. Educational Technology, 46(2), 54–56. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44429290.
Westergaard, Maria Lurenda. (2018). EDDE 203 Technology in Distance Education.
University of the Philippines Open University. 3-17.