Using Cognitive Apprenticeship Framework in Technology Education by Pre-service Teachers

Technology education is a study of technology, which provides an opportunity for students to learn about the processes and knowledge related to technology. In the field of education, computers have become an important metaphor to denote technology in the classroom. Keeping this in mind, most teacher education institutes in India have introduced a course in Computers in Education, but due to the paucity of time in the academic year, many teacher education institutes briefly cover the aspects of technology education in their classroom. A methodology was required that would allow the Pre-service teachers learn basic technical knowledge of relevant software effectively and hence allow more time for dwelling into the pedagogical constructs that makes the application technology in the teaching learning process - effective, interesting, challenging and satisfying. It was in this context that a Self learning material was developed for Open Office Impress - a free presentation software. Presentation software allows teachers to present text and images, including photographs, in color; to animate text and graphics; and to include audio and video files to a large audience, like the classroom. The cognitive apprenticeship framework specifies four dimensions for designing powerful environments, namely: content, method, sequence, and sociology. This paper discusses adapting an Interactive Video Based Self Learning Module on Open Office Impress in the Dimensions of the Cognitive Apprenticeship Framework. It further discusses the affect of this module on the Quality of Presentation made by Pre-service teachers vis-a-vis their Cognitive Style and their Gender. The results of the study showed that this material augmented the Pre-service teachers´ technology skills in directly using, applying and learning technology.