The use of ICT in teaching tertiary physics: Technology and pedagogy

As mentioned above, the research questions addressed three issues: the applications of ICTs in teaching Physics, its frequency and the lecturers’ pedagogy of using ICTs. First, the applications and their frequencies will be examined, and then the lecturers’ pedagogy will be discussed.

1. The Applications of ICTs - First and Second Research Questions Findings

Learning Resources

The ICT applications belonging to the learning resources category included educational software, distributed resources via internet and video resources. The lecturers did not favour using educational software as learning resources for students. 70% of the lecturers stated that they did not employ software at all, or used it less than once a month. The most frequently-used software was Crocodile Physics (19% of the lecturers use it), OriginPro (14%), MATLAB (8%) and MS PowerPoint (8%).

About two-thirds of the lecturers reported that they used websites as learning resources for students less than once a month or not at all. The most popular websites recommended to students by lecturers were www.thuvienvatly.com (10/37 lecturers recommended), www.vatlyvietnam.org (5/37) and www.vatlytuoitre.org (3/37). Vietnamese is the main language in the websites. In addition, Google and Wikipedia were also suggested by the lecturers.

Table 2 also presents the frequency of video utilization as a learning resource used by the lecturers. Video appeared not to be a popular learning resource with about 80% of lecturers participating in the research confirmed that they did not suggest, or just proposed videos to students less than once a month.

Table 2 Applications of ICTs as learning resources
	How often the lecturers use software as a learning resource for students		How often the lecturers use websites as learning resources for students		How often the lecturers use videos as learning resources recommended to students
	Frequency	Percent	Frequency	Percent	Frequency	Percent
Not at all	12	32.4%	7	19.4%	11	33.3%
Less than once a month	13	35.1%	17	47.2%	15	45.5%
Once a month	4	10.8%	6	16.7%	3	9.1%
Twice a month	1	2.7%	3	8.3%	2	6.1%
Every week	7	18.9%	3	8.3%	2	6.1%
Total	37	100.0%	36	100.0%	33	100.0%

In general, ICT was not recommended regularly as a learning resource to students by the lecturers. More than 66% of the lecturers did not recommended the ICT applications to students as learning resources either not at all or less than once a month.

Instructional Organisation of Learning

The applications of ICTs in the instructional organisation of learning category embrace software and technology tools supporting face-to-face lectures, course management systems and computer-based testing systems. Figure 2 demonstrates that software and hardware supporting face-to-face lectures was the most frequently-used application of ICTs. About 60% of the lecturers implemented the software and hardware every week. Answers from an opened-end question (What software and technology tools do you use for your face-to-face lectures?) revealed that MS PowerPoint was widely used by the lecturers (83%), accompanied by MS PowerPoint and LCD projectors.

Figure 2 How often lecturers use software and hardware supporting face-to-face lectures (e.g. PowerPoint, LCD projectors, Over-head projectors)

The majority of university lecturers did not utilize course management systems and computer-based testing systems in their teaching. Nearly 70% of lecturers stated they did not use a course management system; about 13% said that they used the system less than once a month. About 85% did not use a computer-based testing system.

Software and hardware supporting face-to-face lectures dominated the applications of ICTs as instructional organisation of learning. The result from the qualitative data analysis also disclosed that MS PowerPoint was popularly utilized by the lecturers. Software supporting experimental simulation was the second most popular use; and photo-use was the third.

Communication

The applications of ICTs used as form of communication support learning consist of e-mail systems, websites offering communication options for the direct sending of e-mail and forms of structured communication, and software systems for text-based chat. Among the three applications, Table 3 indicates that e-mail to support learning was the most widespread used. More than a half of the lecturers said that they used e-mail to support students’ learning every week. Social network and online chat systems to support students’ learning appeared to be unpopular applications.

Table 3 Applications of ICTs as a form of communication
	How often the lecturers use e-mail to support learning		How often the lecturers use online chat systems (e.g. Yahoo messenger, Skype) to support learning		How often the lecturers use social networks (e.g. Facebook, Flickr) to support learning
	Frequency	Percent	Frequency	Percent	Frequency	Percent
Not at all	0	0%	24	70.6%	23	65.7%
Less than once a month	8	23.5%	1	2.9%	3	8.6%
Once a month	3	8.8%	0	0%	2	5.7%
Twice a month	5	14.7%	6	8.8%	1	2.9%
Every week	18	52.9%	34	17.6%	6	17.1%
Total	34	100.0%	24	100.0%	35	100.0%

In summary, the applications of ICTs as learning resources did not have a strong focus by the Vietnamese Physics lecturers participating in the research. Software and technology tools supporting face-to-face lectures in the instructional organisation of learning category were the most frequently used by the lecturers. MS PowerPoint, software for simulating experiments and projectors were more prevalent among the software and technology tools. Among the applications of ICTs used as a form of communication to support learning, e-mail was commonly and regularly used by the lecturers. This section has clarified the types of ICTs popularly used in Physics courses at the Vietnam’s universities. The next section will investigate the pedagogical foundations of the lecturers’ ICT applications.

2. The Pedagogy behind the ICT use by the Lecturers - Third Research Question Findings

It is revealed from the interview data that there were three main pedagogical trends of using ICT. The most emerging trend was using MS PowerPoint, software, photos and other ICT applications to simulate and visualise Physics phenomena and experiments. The trend of simulating and visualising to help students observe phenomena likely related to cognitive constructivist perspective. The other two trends appeared to be associated with a sociocultural perspective and other technology pedagogy knowledge.

Cognitive Constructivist Perspective

From the cognitive constructivist perspective, learning normally starts by observing or experiencing, and then continues with making meaning and relating current experiences to cognitive systems which learners have already developed. Learners then integrate or differentiate the new knowledge; and a new balance (accommodation) in their cognitive system is formed (Fosnot & Perry, 2005).

The striking feature that emerged from the interview data was that the lecturers implement ICTs to simulate and visualise Physics phenomena and experiments.

For example, there are many issues in Physics which are very abstract. I want to make them visual by simulating them (such as optical phenomena, magnetic phenomena). There are many Mechanics phenomena which happen quickly and students cannot observe. In real life, we cannot make the phenomena happen slowly, only on computers we can retard the processes. For example, we make the oscillations happen slowly so that students can observe the process more carefully...Students cannot see how air molecules move in normal conditions. I simulate the motion of air molecules, how they collide and interact. It is more visual. It is abstract for students if we explain and ask them to imagine the air molecules motions. If they see the motion by their eyes, it is easier for them to comprehend. (Lecturer H)
It [ICT] supports my teaching. For example, in some courses, it helps illustrating in details our lectures therefore, student understand the lectures better… For example, in Math for Physics, writing functions for wave carrying by strings, I use Mathlab to form the functions and also draw the diagrams of the functions. Students can see the form of the strings. (Lecturer G)
Selecting some contents to teach by MS PowerPoint brings high efficiency, especially experiments which are difficult to perform (Lecturer D)

A lecturers’ objective of using ICTs is to attract students’ attention:

Using ICT, by which lectures attract students’ attention, helps them understand the lectures easier. If I keep talking without ICT, students are asleep and passive. Moreover, it is more vivid and attractive. (Lecturer H)

From a cognitive constructivist point of view, the lecturers used ICTs to attract students’ attention and to visualise Physics experiments and phenomena. The lecturers believed that, as a result of drawing attention and visualising phenomena, students’ learning were enhanced and they understood Physics better. This belief seems to dominate at the Vietnam’s universities participating in the research.

Sociocultural Perspective

Another trend of pedagogy behind the ICT applications related to a sociocultural perspective. Of interviewed Physics lecturers, 25% used ICT to engage students in learning, seeking information, supporting group-work, group-discussion and co-constructing their knowledge. For example, two lecturers said:

When lecturers use ICT in teaching and request students carry out learning tasks, students in general are very active. They cooperate with lecturers to build knowledge. Students also develop their problem-solving skills… While I give students learning tasks and they carried out the tasks, I can see that the students are very matured... They are gain more knowledge that they find out themselves. (Lecturer K)
In a short duration of time, it is handy to use hyperlink to access to the content of lessons... The content is available on laptop. When a student has a question or a problem, I write the question/the problem on the board. I let students discuss first. My principles are to require students discuss in small groups about the issue and present their ideas in front of class... I let them explain and debate about the answers or solution for the problem. I may not give an answer because students have explained it to their peer... When we need to access to theory background for discussion... we find information from presentation by hyperlink. (Lecturer L)

In her discussion of learning in education, Bell (2005) presents three sociocultural views: learning as situated activity, learning as distributed cognition and learning as mediated action. Learning occurs in a social and cultural context; and knowledge or cognition distributes over the social context, both inside and outside individuals. By employing the artefacts (technical tools and ICTs), students interact with the social settings and co-construct their knowledge.

Other Technology Pedagogy Knowledge

The result of the qualitative data analysis indicated that the lecturers considered the applications of ICTs to Physics content to be appropriate in some but not all contexts. Based on their content knowledge, the lecturers stated that the utilization of ICTs was highly effective with some Physics lessons; however, they felt that many Physics lessons such as those on Mathematics for Physics and Quantum Physics were not suitable for ICT applications. In addition, some lecturers believed that combining real experiments and simulation would facilitate learning:

Selecting some content to teach by MS PowerPoint brings high efficiency, especially experiments which are difficult to perform. (Teacher D)
It [ICT] is not efficient for specialized subjects such as Mathematics for Physics and Quantum Physics. (Teacher P)
In the teaching process, we should not use e-lectures too much. We should use it alternatively. When it is necessary, we use e-lecture. Otherwise we read and students take notes. (Teacher H)
I think the best way is combining real experiments, lecturing and simulation… After we perform real experiments, we simulate them on computers, make the processes happening on the experiment slow down and ask students give their ideas about the experiments. (Teacher H)