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Implications of Results for Technology Integration in Teacher Training

Step 7. Get post-use feedback: After software is purchased and used with students, it is important for the teacher to determine the conformance or discrepancy between all of the

8 Conclusion

5.2 Implications of Results for Technology Integration in Teacher Training

 Group-based learning seems to be a better way of learning computer-based programmes. This is also a good means of technology integration most especially in Nigerian schools where resources are very scarce. In other words, in most Nigerian schools the available computers cannot go round the students if they are to work individually on computers. In the realization of this, a group of students can work on a computer thereby stretching the resources among many users as well as facilitating the learning of computer programmes.

 Gender stereotype should be discouraged when giving training on ICT. Equal opportunities should be given to both gender. For example, females should not be given only typing assignment while more tasking assignments such as programming and web designs are given to males. Also evaluation of both gender should not be different. This would make the females to have a sense of belonging and more participation in the field of ICT.

 Computer-based programmes can be introduced to the pre-service teachers by various institutions responsible for the training of teachers even when these pre-service teachers have little or no knowledge about computer prior their entering into the programme. Hence, administrators should not entertain fears that if pre-service teachers have little or no knowledge about computer they would not be able to master computer-based programmes when such are introduced to them.

 WebQuests which has been described as an inquiry-based activities has been found to be a worthwhile tool for teaching and learning. As such, WebQuests should be integrated into the curriculum of teacher training institutions, both as a method of teaching as well as for teaching the pr-service teachers themselves.

80 5.3 Recommendations

Based on the findings of this research the following recommendations were made:

 Training on design and development of computer-based tools should be given for pre-service teachers and a curriculum should be consequently developed for this purpose. This would enable the pre-service teachers to be equipped with the necessary skills they would need to design and develop the computer-based tools more so that the world is gravitating towards the use of ICT. ICT is changing the way we live and its impact is being felt in all areas of human endeavours including education.

 Training workshops should be organized for the in-service teachers so that they too can be equipped with the skills needed to function well in today‘s classroom. It is also a well known fact that computer-based instructional applications are considered an effective alternative to traditional teaching methods (Lakin, 2003). Hence, teachers must be properly trained, encouraged and supported in the appropriate development and use of WebQuest. These training workshops must be intensive and should be organized periodically so that teachers can keep abreast of new developments in the integration of technology into teaching and learning process.

 It is also recommended that whenever this type of training is being organized, participants should be put in groups. This is because teams achieve higher levels of thought and retain information longer than those who do their work individually.

 Education administrators should be given orientation on the benefits of WebQuests. This is because to use WebQuests successfully in the classroom it is important that administrators are convinced of their benefits. They should then provide the necessary physical support by establishing computer laboratories with Internet access to launch the activity at schools. Monitoring teams should also be put in place to ensure that the computer laboratories are properly put into use so that the purpose for which they were established would be achieved.

 Females should be encouraged to participate and enroll in technology-based programmes. This is because earlier studies have shown that women are

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lagging behind as far as ICT‘s access and use are concerned. But this study showed otherwise, this means that the digital divide that exists between males and females is being closed and this should be encouraged. As such females should be encouraged to take ICT related courses as well as participate in ICT related training. These types of courses or training should be given to females free of charge or at an highly subsidized rates.

 Equipment and facilities for acquisition of computer skills should be provided to schools at all levels. This would enable the students to be equipped with at least basic computer knowledge and skills upon which other computer skills can be built.

Attitude to computer is one of the factors militating against the use of computers. Studies have shown that positive attitude computer can facilitate the ease of use of computers. Although in this study, attitude of the pre-service teachers have no influence on their WebQuests development. Hence, it is necessary that positive attitude to computer should be developed. This can be done by teaching computer literacy to students in a friendly manner, it must be taught from simple to complex, from general to specifics and from concrete to abstract, This can also be done by making the students to appreciate the fact that computer use is inevitable at this age and time and that computer knowledge would prepare them for the work force.

It is also recommended that the training model developed and used by the researcher should be adopted as ICT training model for the integration of ICT into Nigerian schools. This is as illustrated in fig 5.1.

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Fig 5.1: The Training Model used by the researcher

Conceptualization: Here the trainer chooses a topic that he wants to design and develop WebQuest on. This topic must be one that the trainees are familiar with.

Design and Development by the trainer: The trainer designs his WebQuests following this process – writing of introduction, specifying the task, explaining the process, identifying resources, providing evaluation and writing of conclusion. The WebQuests designed is now developed by the trainer using web authoring tool e.g Microsoft Frontpage, Dreamweaver, Joomla. The designed and developed WebQuest is now a model for the training.

Training using the trainer’s model: The trainer uses the already designed and developed WebQuest (model) to train the trainees. Here the trainer shows the trainees step-by-process of designing and developing a WebQuest using the already developed one as an example.

Conceptualization

Design and development by the Trainer

Training using the

trainer’s model Design and development by trainee

Evaluation

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Design and development by trainees: After the trainees have been exposed to the training by the trainer, they are then given the opportunity to design and developed their own WebQuests on any topic of their choice.

Evaluation: Here the WebQuests developed by the trainers is subjected to evaluation using an evaluating rubric. This would enable the trainer to determine if the WebQuests developed is a good one or not.